Hedgehog advice please
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Hello all
I built a Hogitat 3weeks ago for my daughter to put in the garden. Being a complete novice to this I was surprised to find a hedgehog on our trail camera on the first night.
We have two hedgehogs visiting us most nights. I started off with putting food and water inside the Hogitat but have read that I should in fact build a separate food station away from the Hogitat. I now have the hedgehogs visiting the food station but going no where near the Hogitat. Should I continue with what I’m doing and just leaving bedding for the hedgehogs to put in the Hogitat if they wish to it?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
RobertHi Roberto96,
good to hear of more enthusiasts. If you aren’t smitten already, you soon will be with these mesmerising critters.
experience tells us that hogs are very fussy about their preferred habitats – and some houses will go unused for years, whilst others will be very popular amongst the hog fraternity. reasons for this, if we are completely honest, are unknown.
there are some things you can do to increase your chances of attracting an inhabitant.
position the house somewhere sheltered against a wall or fence, away from pathways in the undergrowth and the entrance facing away from the winter wind direction.
Don’t place too many houses together in one area
select a predator proof house if you can, or try and make it predator proof with a tunnel or maze entrance and one that has no preservative finish
Hogs like to furnish their houses themselves mostly – or at least add to it themselves – so ensure supplies of long grasses and comfy twigs in the vicinity
Keep food and water supplies topped up – but not too close to houses
Good luck and don’t give up hope that they will decide to move in!Hi Roberto96
To add to what Jan Marie said, some hogs are just ‘wilder’ than others and won’t use a hog house, of whatever description until it has become part of the landscape and, maybe, ‘smells right’.
If you haven’t read it already, you might like to take a look at Hedgehog Street’s information about hog homes: https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/hedgehog-homes/
I agree it is best to keep the feeding area away from the hog house, not least because it might attract predators. Also because hogs are naturally solitary animals, they may prefer to nest where there aren’t too many other hogs around. Hogs are usually good explorers and will, no doubt, be aware of the hog house, so it may be best if, once you’ve found a good location not to move it too often.
Leaving lots of natural nesting material around is a good idea. So, leaves, long grasses, etc. Some hogs will actually pick green vegetation and add it to their nests! Their nests can be very intricate with grasses and leaves all ‘woven’ in together, with a little hollow in the centre for them to curl up in. Such clever little things(!) and the hoglets seem to just know, instinctively, how to do it.
Good luck with the hogs.
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