It took three years for a hog to hibernate in mine. Till then it was used as a rest station between feasting on the bugs and food I put out 😆 An adult brought its babies into my garden to eat, and then just left them. One took up residence , the others dispersed, and a week later a second one decided to stay, so that's how two overwintered with me.😁
It took three years for a hog to hibernate in mine. Till then it was used as a rest station between feasting on the bugs and food I put out 😆 An adult brought its babies into my garden to eat, and then just left them. One took up residence , the others dispersed, and a week later a second one decided to stay, so that's how two overwintered with me.😁
My DH just made me a hedgehog home as per a diagram on wildlife site. I've filled it with a base of wood shavings (rabbit bedding from pet shop) some hay and mostly dry tree leaves. Any advice on siting ? I'm thinking under a loose hedge of berberis, elder and honeysuckle.. Is there a best orientation for it? I. e. North or East facing.
Somewhere sheltered from the weather @Kardemom is fine, and it sounds like you have a good site for it, but it [orientation] won't matter too much as long as it isn't going to get roasting hot once warmer weather returns in spring. It'll depend on the design though - keeping the entrance reasonably sheltered from rain/snow etc is also a good idea
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The future for hedghogs in some urban areas is a bit bleak.
Many roads like ours have decent sized gardens but all are contained by post and panel fences with impenetrable concrete base panels. In roads like ours, the front gardens are tiny and again, contained by post and panel fences.
Progressively, front gardens are being paved over to provide additional parking spaces for cars.
So any hedgehog leaving one garden faces a vista of 90% asphalt or tarmac. To cross a road to get to another garden means dodging around cars parked two wheels up on a kerb and the progress of cars traveling more silently than on main roads due to low speed limits and traffic humps. No wonder some get run over.
Just a reminder, if you or anyone you know is having a bonfire for Fireworks night, please check for hedgehogs before lighting. Ideally don't build it until just before lighting, or (even better) don't have one at all 🦔 If using a rake to lift the wood, obviously take care not to injure a hedgehog or other creature inadvertently. Many thanks.
Just a reminder to continue to put hog food out. I put out my camera on Sunday night, and found a hedgehog walked past it every hour and a half between 7pm and 6am. Probably not the same hog, but they were coming for food, water, and generally wandered all over the garden all night. Not adults but youngsters, so keep on feeding them.🦔🦔 🙂
My local rescue has had a sudden influx of hoglets that were out in the day, the smallest was only 97g. I'm still getting at least one visitor to my garden
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An adult brought its babies into my garden to eat, and then just left them. One took up residence , the others dispersed, and a week later a second one decided to stay, so that's how two overwintered with me.😁
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-nottinghamshire-58664344
This years baby staying in my garden, fattening up ready for winter.😁
It'll depend on the design though - keeping the entrance reasonably sheltered from rain/snow etc is also a good idea
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
If using a rake to lift the wood, obviously take care not to injure a hedgehog or other creature inadvertently.
Many thanks.