The trouble with that is that I’ve known Digger, as an adult since at least 2014 (she must have been born at the latest 2013) and she is pretty regular in her habits. The only time she isn’t is when she has hoglets and it’s much too early for that. If her disappearing wouldn’t be bad enough, she is the only one of the females I have seen this year. One was last seen in mid-August last year, another early in September and two others were overwintered (underweight autumn hoglets) in 2016/17 so this was their first hibernation. I haven’t seen any of them this year. Generations of hogs have been visiting here, so it would be really odd if they suddenly stopped if they were still around. But, I won’t give up hoping for the return of Digger just yet.
Not sure about the spiders, but some of the boys go to hibernate in September, so it may have been that.
