Pesticides are bad news, regardless of who or what it is intended for pesticides endanger all life forms not just the pests. Spray pesticide and you end up killing even the good bugs, poisoning your own pets, damaging the soil and knocking the balance out of the eco-system.
But pests are pests and you still don’t want snails and slugs eating up your garden…so what do you do?
Well you could always invite Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and her handsome little brood into your home.
Now I grew up with Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit and I must have read her books over a thousand times and obsessively owned everything remotely Peter Rabbit. I even named my white bunny Peter after her famous rabbit character and dreamed of owning a garden like that from her painted world.
But I understand that some might not have the same obsession or reading interest so you might not be familiar with her lovely characters such as Mrs Tiggy-Winkle who is the washerwoman in the World of Peter Rabbit.
So what does Mrs Tiggy-Winkle – a washerwoman from a children tale have to do with combating snails and slugs in your garden? Well not much…save for the fact that she is a cute hedgehog and hedgehogs are nature’s answers to garden pest control.
I simply love her and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to just write about her…
But seriously, a hedgehog is a species of small insectivorous mammals and though classified as insectivores, they actually do eat other things like fruits and vegetables.
The adorable little spine balls that the world commonly thinks of when they hear hedgehogs are actually the European Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) and having them as pets in your garden is one of the best things you can do to keep the snails and slugs at bay the green way (bio control).
Your garden will be a very popular one as your little friends will not only eat away the pesky slugs but in turn create a little fan club of its own in your neighbourhood. Hedgehogs are adorable and your neighbours will adore the sight of them.
But of course, as much as you want hedgehogs to rid your garden of pests, you will want to protect your little slugs and snails buster too. You need to build a hedgehog friendly and protective environment that they can safely thrive in.
Now although it’s obvious that most problems faced by hedgehogs are caused by humans, it is likely that the real threat to your garden pet is the urban foxes. Hardly a laughing matter or one to be taken lightly, you must assume responsibility for the little hedgehogs once you’ve invited them into your home. The sight of a brutally maimed hedgehog will leave you sleepless!
If you are serious about controlling the pests in your garden with hedgehogs, then please visit the British Hedgehog Preservation Societyhttp, Epping Forest Hedgehog Rescue and Prickly Ball Farm before inviting/bringing the little critters home. Those sites offer great advice and guidance on how to care for the little ones as well as what to expect from them.
Everyone should have a little Mrs Tiggy-Winkle to wash away their slug problems. Don’t you agree?
