Thieving Mouse Stealing Hedgehog Food!

februarysgirl

The title says it all really! I put the wildlife camera out last night for the first time in ages and discovered that not long after I put the hedgehog food out, a mouse was nipping out from under the fence, taking it a biscuit at a time. There were only a few left by the time the hedgehog got there  

What's the answer here? I have no issue with the mouse being there and have no intention of doing anything to harm it. Should I put more hedgehog food out so by the time it gets there there's still a decent amount or should I try putting something more attractive to mice out there so they go for that instead? 

Fairygirl

'My' mice eat the bird food - especially the sunflower hearts, but those are bad for hedgehogs so not a good idea to put them out. You may just have to put more food out so that they both get fed 

barry island

Put more food out and you will have a lovely tribe of mice before you know it and maybe some rats to keep the hogs company.

Fairygirl

Not necessarily @barry island 

Bilje

I have a hedgehog feeding station made out of a plastic storage box used upside down with an access door cut in.   I have a terracotta bowl perhaps 2 inches deep which I fill to the brim. The hedgehog, which I’ve never seen but he/she does occasionally leave a calling card, seems to gobble it up from one side. The pellets I have might be too big for a mouse but I’m sure a rat would manage. If I didn’t use my feeding station I’m sure the magpies and wood pigeons would have a feast. 

AnniD

I had the same problem with a mouse eating hedgehog "biscuits" style food. Not such a problem for me, as l must have the only hedgehogs that don't like them. I put out dog food and find that the mouse doesn't touch it, so it might be worth you switching to dog or (meat based) cat food. 

Victoria Sponge

I have to soak the biscuits for them to be eaten.  I assume some other beast isn't collecting them as if they are too dry they are still there in the morning and I knock them out into the birds plate. I also feed the Brambles tinned meat which is always eaten and I assume in situ as there is never any left or lying around. I have also never seen the hedgehogs eating the food although there is at least one or two in the garden.  The plate always has mud on it though, so I assume a hedgehog that has already been foraging, because I can't imagine what other animal would trail around so much dirt...Their feeding station is the top half of a cat carrier which seemed to have the perfect size access.

februarysgirl

Well, I put extra food out last night to compensate and the first one to the bowl was the hedgehog who had a good feed 😁 It left quite a bit and not long after, the mouse started its' to-ing and fro-ing. Interestingly, there were whiskers across the camera several times but whoever they belonged to didn't attempt to catch the mouse. The food bowl is positioned in a cage bird feeder so they may have tried in the past and discovered they couldn't get to it. Most of the night though there were Spanish slugs in the bowl. The hedgehog passed through again around 4am but wasn't interested in the remnants or the slugs.

All in all, a successful night for all but what will happen if the mouse brings friends, I don't know.

Fairygirl

Oh...he'll bring friends....

AnniD

Indeed he might 

Fairygirl

They're so sweet - as long as they stay outside 
Lovely wee pic. Mine often come out during the day @AnniD, and just sit if they see me near them. They sometimes hide among plants and dive back and forward to get any food left in the ground feeding tray. 
The favourite was the bird feeder cages on the fence though