Hedgehogs visit places, especially at night, in search of food. You may have seen some in your yard, fallen in love with them, and felt like feeding them.
But hedgehogs and rats eat similar foodstuffs; this makes feeding hedgehogs a tricky affair if you want to avoid attracting rats into your yard.
Feeding hedgehogs does not automatically mean that rats will show up; it depends on the food sources present within your area. If rats show up, this article offers tips to deter them as you feed hedgehogs.
Begin By Finding Out What Attracts the Rats
Various things could attract rats into your yard. The main ones are food, water, and shelter. If rats find this in your yard, be sure they are moving in.
You need to store your food safely because rats can gnaw through things like plastic, card, wood, and paper to reach where the food is. Always secure the outside waste bins with a firm and tight lid to prevent rats from finding a way through.
Never leave leftover food around the place and think the rats will not show up. Clean up any unused food to discourage the rats.
Birdseed also attracts rats, so if you have bird feeders in your yard, think of a way to either move or remove it.
Take a close look if you keep a compost heap. It is a fabulous eco-option but notorious for inviting rats. Refrain from adding cooked food to the compost, and ensure you turn the heap regularly. Consider moving your compost to an open site rather than close to the fence, boundary, or hedge.
How to Feed Hedgehogs Without Attracting Rats
There are ways to feed hedgehogs that do not suit rats. Read on to identify them.
Feed Them In the Open
Hedgehogs have no problem eating openly, unlike rats, which like to hide. It would be best if you positioned the hedgehog’s feeding area in an open area in the middle of your yard.
Avail the Food Just on Time
Put food on the feeding station on time when the hedgehogs feed to prevent rats from sneaking and eating it before the hedgehogs do.
Rats have a fantastic sense of smell, so the less time the food spends at the feeding station, the less chance it has to attract rats. If your hedgehogs eat early at night, place the food early, and if they eat late into the night, then place the food late.
Clean Up Immediately After the Hedgehogs Finish Feeding
Any food your hedgehogs left presents an opportunity for rats to enter your compound. Be sure to clean up any leftover food to prevent this from happening.
Supervise the Feeding Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs won’t mind you watching them feed, making it possible to ward off rats by supervising them throughout feeding time.
What Type of Food Will Attract Hedgehogs and not Rats?
When thinking of keeping rats away from your yard, one thing that comes to mind is the type of food they won’t eat.
Hedgehogs like bugs for food, including worms, earwigs, slugs, caterpillars, and beetles, among other insects. Hogs also eat some vegetables and fruits.
Rats like these types of food too, so it would be best to leave them out and opt for foods that will not attract rats. Try cat food, which rats don’t eat while hedgehogs do. You can also try specially-made hedgehog food.
Deterring Rats Without Harming Hedgehogs
If rats still come around after trying all the ways discussed above, they call for more drastic measures. However, be careful because most traditional methods of deterring rats can hurt hedgehogs.
Below are Some of the Dos and Don’ts.
Try mint. Rats despise the smell of mint. You can plant it in your yard or sprinkle peppermint oil to keep rats away.
Do not use rat poison because it can kill hedgehogs and other pets.
Get a cat if your rat issues are long-term. Rats are afraid of cats and will do their best to avoid them. The smell of cat urine alone can deter rats.
Do not block holes in or beneath the fence. They may be allowing rats in, but they are also essential routes for hedgehogs.
Final Thoughts
There is something about hedgehogs that make them likable. Not so much is the case with rats, which people look to keep off their premises. But how do you attract one and ward off the other if their attractions are similar?
In summary, you need to find out what brings rats to your yard and eliminate those attractions. Also, feed your hedgehogs with food that rats dislike.
The article above offers valuable information and insight on feeding hedgehogs without attracting rats. We hope you find it helpful as you feed your lovely hedgehogs.
Cheers!
