The Hog Diner re-opening for business..!

[Puds]

Hi –
I’m new to the Hedgehog St, but just wanted to share my most recent experience..
I built a Hog House back in the Winter, based on design elements from several versions I’d seen.. it quickly became apparent that our resident Hog quite liked the new restaurant in the area & dined there the opening night & pretty much every night since..!
Having never stayed ( I learn now it’s best not to have food in the guesthouse if they’re to stop for more than a bite! ), I was surprised to find on some mornings, the foil dish & occasionally, the china bowl out on the lawn..!
Assuming that this was for the reasons mentioned, regarding eating in bed.. or just the desire to dine al fresco on a starry night.. I bought a ‘trail cam’ to try to capture the ‘amusing’ activities of our guest..
First night Premier tickets & each night since, regular as clockwork, Hog, Mice, Foxes & even a Caterpillar were all caught on camera.. but no ‘plate throwing’.. that was.. until last night! The tell-tale glint of the foil on the lawn had me hopeful for some interesting behavioural footage……

However.. Alarm Bells rang when a particularly inquisitive ( ..& seemingly tiny! ) Fox paid a little more interest in the House than usual.. then promptly squeezed itself, contortionist-like, thru the Hog-sized hole & sufficiently around the labyrinth tunnel to reach the remains of the food inside!!! ( fortunately, our Hog had an earlier reservation & wasn’t present at the time.. ( I’m praying a fully grown Hog’s defences would be sufficient, should it have found itself ‘cornered’..??? )

In the meantime, Hog Diner, briefly closed for refurbishment.. has reopened, having been fitted with a round, ‘reducer ring’ added to the entrance ( from 130mm square tunnel, to 120mm round portal.. ) hopefully.. deterring our diminutive Fox friend..

Any tips on putting off Foxes..??? I HAD heard.. & how true this is, I don’t know – if you clear out your hairbrush ( assuming you have long hair ! ) & place it near where the foxes fowl or pass thru.. they steer clear! Apparently they hate the smell of human hair……! Who’d’ve thought..?!!

[Nic]

Hi Puds

Welcome to the Forum. Love the story about your Hog Diner! It’s usually cats squeezing into hog houses we hear about not foxes! Be interested to hear if the renovations keep the small fox out. If the hog stayed rolled up hopefully it should be o.k. Not all all foxes eat hogs, but I understand those that do wait until they are unrolled. Haven’t got any fox deterring ideas – luckily no foxes here, so far.

Good luck with the hogs – hope you continue to enjoy watching all the visitors to your Diner.

[Puds]

Thanks, Nic! Appreciate the advice..
Pleased to report that since renovations, the mildly miffed Fox now takes a sniff & uses the Diner! merely to boost himself over the fence..!
Altho our neighbourhood prowling ‘tiger’ did take a brief nosy last night.. was quickly spooked by our bold boss hog who was making a dash for last orders at the Diner!!
Scroll forward thru antics of a busy night in Hog Town & low behold, a SECOND Hog roused from slumbers in the west wing makes an appearance at the entrance..! The Male perhaps.. as once formal introductions conclude, a little ‘courtship dance’ ensued..!! Had my suspicions there mat have been at least more than one.. perhaps, in light of recent events, I may have to extend & prepare a nursery..?!!! Happy Days! : )

[simbo65]

hey Puds-
Glad foxxy can’t get in.
We had similar last year with an ARK Royal Box. I complained to them when a fox cub got in. Luckily no hedgehog in residence at the time but it was a cub and I doubt it would have hurt anything. We made serious modifications and the fox cub went elsewhere. I did feel a bit sorry for the little thing.
We have a very long term resident – Cyclopsina- she hibernated in the modified box and won’t go. She was caught a few days ago misbehaving in the flower beds with an unknown male. I am hoping he will ask for her hand in marriage very soon.

[Puds]

Hi, Simbo –
Happy to report, that despites checking in at least twice a night, the Fox hasn’t dared attempt entry again ..& just uses the box to boost himself over the fence!
Altho, he DID come face to face with a Hog leaving the Diner in a tense stand-off the other night – I could hardly watch as they inched closer to each other.. but thankfully, all’s well .. & I think Foxxy knows not to mess with the resident Boss Hog, now he’s made his ‘point’..!! PHEW! Too much drama in the Borders!!

[Marmite]

I thought I had a couple of hedgehogs in my garden a male and female I think due to size difference. Then last night when I went to put food out thee was snorting and hiding from the undergrowth and there were what I thought were my two hedgehogs. Then I realised there was crunching coming from where I had put down the food and to my surprise there was a third hedgehog quite big scoffing the food. Is it usual to have more than a couple of them and should I be putting food and water at different stations?

[Nic]

Hi Marmite

Really good news you have had 3 hogs visiting. Yes, it is quite normal to have several hogs visiting one garden – although not always all at the same time!

If you feed in a box, you might like to have another one. Alternatively, in the open, it’s best to divide what you feed into at least as many bowls as you have seen hogs visiting at one time. I tend to leave water sources all round the garden 24 hours a day. Shallow plant saucers are ideal for that.

By the way, it isn’t possible to tell male from female just from their size, but you might be able to work out from their behaviour. Males are far less tolerant of other males and quite likely to biff them and roll them up. Females are generally more tolerant. But if you see one hog circling another with the one in the middle turning round and huffing, the male will be doing the circling and the female the turning and huffing.

Good luck with them all. Happy hog watching.

[Author]

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