The perfect hedgehog home....?

[digannio]

Our hedgehog visitor has returned to its nightly forays into our garden and I'm hoping to persuade him/her to spend the winter with us and wondered if anyone has any extra tips that maybe I haven't thought about.

I think it may be living in an old stone barbecue structure in the next door garden but the guy next door is not really interested in nature. So here's what I've done. There's only one access from his into ours and I've made sure that's always clear and big enough.

The hedgie comes every night as I leave a small bowl of fresh chicken (from the weekend roast) with water. I've now bought a hibernation home from a wildlife company and placed it under a shrub in a corner of the garden and left hay around the entrance and intend to put the chicken near to the entrance. Is that about as much as you can do and keep checking the hay to see if it's been taken inside? What do you reckon the chances are or will it just stay where it is living now? The hibernation home has a hinged roof so would it be OK to carefully check once the winter sets in?

Anyway, fingers crossed... I know I'd choose the safe, luxury, ready-made pad with all mod cons apart from a dish washer!!!!

[dampflippers]

Hi.
Line the bottom with a thick layer of newspaper, and add some dry bedding. Put some bedding in the entrance chamber, and put spare bedding outside in or under a dry container like a bucket or plant pot on its side.

Once you have put some bedding in (dust free hay, straw, dry leaves, dry grass etc) you will be able to tell if it has been in. They often rest in boxes during the night even if they sleep elsewhere.

Make sure there are always bowls of water round the garden.
Check access to and from other gardens (side and rear) and to your front garden.

You'll soon find out if there is a hog in residence if you check it! But once you know, don't keep on checking or disturb the nest.

Even if it sleeps in your box sometimes, it won't ncessarily stay all the time.

[digannio]

Pleased to report that the hog started using the home within four days. I had already lined it with newspaper and put straw inside and all the straw just inside the entrance has been dragged in towards the nest chamber area and some leaves have been dragged into the box as well. It has chicken outisde the entrance every night and bowls of water close at hand and I'm hoping it will spend the winter with us. Do you know when it's likely to hole up for the winter and when it is likely to re-emerge? Also the home is in a quiet corner of the lawn under shrubs, out of the wind but would it be best not to mow the lawn any more? Don't want to disturb it and deter it from using the house. Are they bothered by a bit of noise during the day? The house has a hinged roof but I don't think I'll take a peek as I wouldn't want to disturb it. I feel quite priviledged to have it staying with us and would love it if it hibernated here.

[dampflippers]

I think they can start hibernating anytime from now until Nov/Dec depending on the weather.
They can wake up either several or many times during the winter, and when they do they need water and food.

No, mowing the lawn shouldn't disturb them too much.

Is the box on legs or off the ground in any other way? If not, place it on something to prevent the damp seeping up through the wood. Bricks, paving slab, rubber mat etc. You may need to form some sort of ramp if you do.

[digannio]

The house has two runners which raise it off the ground. The hog is defo in there as anything I leave outside, moss, dried grass and hay, is very quickly dragged inside now. It must be well packed with bedding by now. I'll just keep leaving the chicken and water every night and let it get on with things now. It's got a good, safe, sheltered home, food and water, with access to other gardens... I feel I've done my bit to give it every chance of making it through the winter.