Hedgehog sightings
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Hi Sallyk
Sorry, not sure where PE28 is. But some hogs don’t hibernate and others will come out of hibernation for short periods of time. It’s a good idea to always leave water available (all day every day), in case any hogs come out of hibernation. You might like to leave some food out if you haven’t already. Cat/dog/hog food.
Good luck.
I live in Cornwall, have three regular hogs – small, medium and large. The small and large have, I hope, hibernated but on 23rd December I did have a sighting of the medium one. I do leave food out but most nights now the recordings just show 90 odd videos of the harvest mice. What does one do? Take the food away and only put out once a week? How can one possibly know when a hog pops out of hibernation for a little food? I always leave water. Any advice welcome. Mary B
Hi hog devotee,
I too have 3 hogs visit regularly, two havnt been around for weeks or so but one does keep coming, so I always leave a bowl of food every night and water, just in case.Hi hog devotee
If there are hogs still visiting then it’s best to keep leaving some food out. If the hogs stop visiting, it’s up to choice a bit. I would leave food out for about a week after hogs have stopped visiting and gradually reduce amounts. Then you might like to continue to put out a small amount of food, in case a hog turns up, or just keep a look out. I always keep my cameras going all winter in case any hogs turn up.
Some people worry about them not finding food immediately, but hogs do tend to come out for short periods during hibernation and it seems likely that these periods of activity are built in to the amount of fat they put down for hibernation. The problem may arise if they stay out too long, but hopefully, by that time you will have seen that they are out and about and offer food again.
The really important thing is to leave water available for them. It sounds a bit strange saying that when in some areas there is too much water around, but there will inevitably be areas where water is hard to find. So I would leave water available all day every day, including winter. You might try to leave some in a sheltered place where it’s less likely to freeze, or if you are really dedicated put some more out late at night to give any hogs which are around more chance to find unfrozen water.
Good luck.
Living in Cornwall I have expected my hogs to hibernate later than elsewhere. There was a short period when they were not around but the past week I have seen the small, medium and large hogs coming for food and drink. I have two houses but it would seem that they are not using those as they eat and wander off.
It has been a concern of mine as to when I can clean the two houses and refresh the bedding – concern that they may be occupied with hibernating hogs has stopped me. However no video sighting of any of them entering and leaving suggests I could have a look now. I did have video recording of them going in and out of the houses in September and October.
My plan is to wait for a dry day and inspect both houses, if unoccupied I shall change the bedding and straw – is that a good plan?Hi hog devotee
The general recommendation is to clean hog houses out in April and October.
https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/cleaning-out-boxes/
If you are absolutely certain there is not a hog in there, or even using it some days, or part of the time, then you could clean them out. But, it isn’t always easy to tell whether a hog is hibernating in a box (without disturbing them), they can be completely covered in vegetation – and, of course, they won’t be coming and going. Also I had a non-hibernator here a few years ago, who obviously had a nest elsewhere, as well, but spent some of his days in a nest he had made near the feeding area. So if I had cleaned that out on the basis that he wasn’t hibernating there, he probably wouldn’t have been very pleased! So you need to be careful.Unfortunately, cameras aren’t totally reliable. Hogs seem to be very clever at entering and exiting places, in the space in between clips of video, etc. Rumours of hog invisibility cloaks abound!
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