Hi hollydog86
Your garden sounds really brilliant for hogs. No wonder you have them there! They could do with a few more like that. Hopefully they will choose to hibernate there as well.
The only other suggestion I would make is maybe to provide more water sources in other parts of your garden. Especially if you are feeding dry food. I know the hogs here make good use of water sources both ends of my garden. I use large plant saucers, so they don’t tip them over so easily. I have one visitor at the moment who always puts both front feet in the water before drinking!
Re. The treats. There always seems to be someone ready to make a lot of money out of people’s love of animals. I’m not sure suet is a good idea anyway. Quote from: http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/hedgehogs.html#population
[“Hedgehog metabolism is geared to the digestion of high protein invertebrate prey and unrestricted access to high-fat foods can result in fatty liver disease, obesity and coronary complications as is seen among humans.”]
But I do wonder whether the treat people are targeting the different type of hedgehog which people are keeping as pets these days.
Re. Identifying. It’s easier in real time to see the smaller details on the hogs, but if you have a reasonably good camera, you should be able to see quite a lot. It can be very rewarding. There is one old female hog who I have known for several years, and seeing her return from hibernation has always been such a treat. Stick to it and it will get easier with time.
Good luck.
