Hedgehogs Moved Back To Our Garden, hurray!!
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We have had hedgehogs come to our garden for years, until new neighbours (4 years ago) next door put a 6ft fence up all round their garden and left no room whatsoever for them to get in. (hedgehogs used next door’s garden to get to ours, we have holes at every side of our fence, but the hedgehogs come from the top side of the back gardens). The house had been bought by a landlord and so new neighbours had him put the monstrosity up. I begged them to put a hole in the bottom, but they wouldn’t. Mean articles.
But 3 months ago, neighbours moved, so before anyone could move in, we jumped the fence and cut a hole in the side of the fence and cut a hole in their fence on our side.
New neighbours have come and seem quite happy about the holes, and amazingly already we have 2 young hedgehogs coming and a bigger one. We have a hedgehog house, filled with hay, and one tonight has gone into it. I am sorry for rambling, but am just very excited to have them back.
Hi Jane06
That’s so brilliant that you have hogs back visiting. Something similar happened here a while back, but luckily my hog visitors started going through the next garden along and so still eventually managed to get to my garden. It just shows what a difference a small hog hole can make and how important they are to the hogs. I don’t understand why anyone would mind having hogs in their gardens either!
Good luck with the hogs. I hope you eventually get even more visiting.
Oh my, I may have to get another couple of houses. I went out last night to put some more food out and didn’t notice the hog at the water dish. When my torch went on it, it froze. So I backed away slowly and it ran like the clappers under a bush. I will say that they are so funny, delving through the cat biscuits and tossing them everywhere. Am just so happy they are here.
Cats not bothering with them at all. Mind you they leave the frogs alone as well, they are good moggies.
Hi Jane 06
That’s lovely. They are fun to watch! No, cats don’t usually bother the hogs – just sometimes eat their food!
Such a good advertisement for what a difference it can make having holes in fences!
I am devestated as our three hogs seem to have disappeared, We have had no sign of them for 6 nights now after months of feeding …
I keep putting food out hoping they return and nothing sinister has happened to them .Hi JMG
Try not to worry too much, they may have gone off to hibernate. It’s that time of year. Always a bit worrying. But hopefully having had supplementary feeding from you, they will be in good condition for hibernation. Fingers crossed they all return fit and well in the Spring. Most of the hog visitors from here have gone too.
You will hear about some hogs still around, but it varies from place to place, town to country, etc.
You might be interested in this, if you haven’t already seen it:
https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/should-i-keep-feeding-hedgehogs-over-winter/Good advice Nic, I myself am down to one possibly two at the moment. But all the food s being eaten. Overall this year for me has been lean to say the least.
Willpar.
Hi JMG
Well the advice says:
“as long as it’s being eaten. It’s difficult to tell exactly when hedgehogs will begin hibernation, so when you start to see that food is not being taken, you can stop putting so much out and eventually stop altogether.Hedgehogs do sometimes wake up from hibernation in response to milder weather. If you notice any particularly mild periods over winter, you could put a little food back out to help them along.”
We sometimes hear of people saying they’re leaving food out all winter, but it could of course attract unwanted visitors as well. So following the advice above, might save some food. Even the dry stuff needs changing every so often. I tend to keep an eye out and leave my cameras on. The last two years I have had hogs here who chose not to hibernate at all (one each year), so obviously continued to supplementary feed. But it’s a bit of a case of ‘playing it by ear’.
Hello all, this is my first year of looking after, and for, these lovely little creatures. I have two houses/feeding stations and have been rewarded with lovely videos. One of which showed what I thought was a highly pregnant one with a massive protruderance between back legs. Have been informed she was a male – and I worry as to what was wrong with him.
I have one hedgehog who I believe has hibernated in my first house which is lovely, and second house still has a busy, foraging, eating and drinking second hog. It has black marks looking like bite marks but our local sanctury thought could be ticks or debris. Marks fading now and hog still busy.
It is just delightful to watch them and wish them safe winter. Hogdevotee
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