Spreading the word

[Bellasmom]

Newbie here. 😊
I have posted on our Nextdoor website explaining what I have done to help since we discovered hoggies visiting our garden and suggested that even if people can only help by providing a fresh bowl of water and access to their gardens they are helping our beautiful hedgehog population. I also posted a link to hedgehog street so they can visit the website to get further information.

Since we first discovered our visitors in August, a very short bit of garden at the front of the house now has freshly planted vegetation (for bug supply) a large shallowish stepped bowl for a quick wash and spruce up, a wooden house and 2 igloo style houses for possible hibernation. One of them has already been taken up by a hoggie who comes to feed, goes into the house for a few hours, comes out again to feed and then wanders off to wherever his/her main abode is! I hope to spend many more seasons helping our little friends. My husband has already managed to get one injured hoggie to a rescue.

Hopefully by writing on Nextdoor it may encourage some people to join in.

[Nic]

Hi Bellasmom

Welcome to the Forum! Well done for helping to spread the word. It’s a great help to the hogs even if people only link their gardens and provide water as you suggested. The more gardens that are linked the less roads they need to cross, too, which has to be an advantage.

That’s lovely that a hog has been using one of your hog houses, even if only for a temporary stay. One might nest there another time. The best thing to do to encourage them is to put a handful of suitable nesting material in there are leave a supply available fairly nearby. Medium sized leaves and long grasses are especially good for hibernation nests, but they normally like to build them themselves.

Good luck with the hogs. Hope they have a successful hibernation time.

[Bellasmom]

Hi Nic,

Yes, and the good news is that I have already had over 40 replies on the Nextdoor website from people who are already doing their bit or have shown interest and said they will visit hedgehog street so I am very pleased!

I have put some straw in the 3 houses and as there are a lot of deciduous trees in the near vicinity, I have been sweeping the leaves up and scattering them all around the houses. I have also put loads of leaves and twigs and small branches over the top to help insulate them, as well as making sure there are little air flow holes so that they can have some fresh air circulating.

I am a bit concerned that I have been a little too enthusiastic with the houses and maybe put them a little bit too close together, but I have kept the feeding station a little further away so it is not too close to them. So, a quick question. Should I carry on leaving out a small amount of food in the feeding station all through the winter or just leave some water out?

[Nic]

Hi Bellasmom

That’s great that there is so much interest in the hogs there.

Don’t worry about the houses being close together. It might take a while for the hogs to accept them – sometimes they won’t use them until they become part of the landscape, but having lots of potential nesting materials in the vicinity might encourage them. If you are lucky they may be accepted almost straight away.

Definitely leave water available all day every day, but food is a bit of a choice. Some people leave food out all winter, but others just for a while after the last hog is seen. i.e. I would leave some food out for at least a couple of weeks after the last hog is seen. But you could continue to leave out a small amount of dried food (cat or kitten biscuits) which won’t go off so quickly, so there’s not so much waste. Then if you are watching via a camera and you see a hog appearing you can leave out either some food, or a bit more food the next night.

Hogs are known to emerge during hibernation and sometimes move nests. So leaving nesting material available all winter is really important. They should have sufficient energy for that built in to their fat stores, but might emerge due to disturbance (which may not have been allowed for) and welcome a snack. Also some hogs choose not to hibernate at all, but may not find food from their normal source and so be looking around for some. So for those reasons I keep my cameras going all winter in case there is any activity. The batteries tend not to last as long, but the activity is hugely reduced so it usually works out ok.

Hibernation is always a bit worrying for us hog lovers – not all hogs will survive regardless of whether they weigh enough – it is the most naturally dangerous time of year for them – but it’s such a treat to see our hog friends returning in the Spring.

Good luck. I hope all goes well.

[Kimberley LCC]

Hello,
I am a teacher for students with learning difficulties and learning disabilities. We preparing a ready made hedge hog house in our college garden and I am creating a four week project on hedge hogs if any one as any materials I could use on hedgehog care. and games/activities I only work 3 days so I find it hard to plan so any help would be amazing.
Thanks,
Kind regards,
Kimberley Otter

[Nic]

Hi KimberleyLCC

I’ve replied to your other post, as follows but will also add it here in case it’s easiser to find:

That sounds a great idea.

If you have a look under ‘My Hedgehog Street’ or click on this https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/my-hedgehog-street/free-downloadable-resources/ you will find there are loads of downloadable resources.

You might also like to contact hedgehog@ptes.org if you need any further ideas.

Good luck. I hope all goes well.

[Hoglet]

Hi Bellasmum,
I put out dry hedgehog food and water all year round in a shelter and film them and check that none are in difficulties in 2016 and 2019 the hedgehogs didn’t hibernate. I did rescue one in January at my feeding station a couple of years ago. Over the last two nights I have rescued 3 hoglets about 8-10 weeks old at my feeding station one has been rushed off for treatment and it will be touch and go whether it will survive. The other two I have been told they are the right weight for a 8-10 week hog they will get poo check ups next week to make sure nothing sinister is going on and then they will overwinter with me for release in spring.

[Author]

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