Is it OK to clean a hog house now?
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Hi, I’ve got a hog house which has been used earlier this year as its stuffed full of leaves and grass. I’ve seen at least one hog in the garden and using the feeding station. I’ve put a large leaf across the entrance and not noticed any movement / hog sleeping there for 4 or 5 days. The food in the feeding station is getting eaten occasionally so I think there is still a visitor to the garden.
Is it too soon to clean out now? I have seen on other threads that they do move house regularly to avoid ticks etc.
ThanksHi Sammy the hog
The normal recommended times for cleaning out hog houses is April and October. But if you are absolutely certain (i.e. have a camera aimed on it, for instance) that there is no-one in residence, you could clean it out now. Be very careful how you clear it out, just in case.
Assuming it really is completely vacated, use boiling water to kill any parasite eggs which might be in the cracks.
Make sure there is suitable fresh potential bedding nearby – medium sized leaves, grasses, etc. You can put a handful into the cleaned and dried box, to give them the idea, but they normally like to make their own nests.
More information:
https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/cleaning-out-boxes/Thanks for the response, I don’t have a camera yet so might be cautious and wait until later in the year ie October.
I guess the ‘resident’ could be off exploring the neighbourhood.On a peripheral note, I’ve noticed the feeding station is not always a reliable indicator of hedgehog activity. Some times they clear all the food in there, and sometimes it gets left for days, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t around… Some hogs just prefer beetles, or don’t like the food or fancy something else for a few days. Plus they have different tastes. So unfortunately you can’t really judge whether or not the house is occupied by if the food is disappearing. Putting a stick etc across the entrance is more helpful but not 100% reliable because the young hogs often slip past without disturbing it at all! I was watching a baby going in and out several times without knocking over the stick I’d put by the entrance.
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