Hedgehog & Wood Mouse Queries :)

[rjmartinuk]

Hey Everyone

I live in an urban area with a standard back garden - long lawn, a few trees and a couple of plant patches. Anyway up until Sunday evening we had been lucky enough to have had 23 different species of bird drop in the garden and 3 mammals (Grey Squirrel, Red Fox, Wood Mouse) but on Sunday evening we added a fourth mammal - a Hedgehog! Very pleased

Are they habitual animals? If I put food out each evening will he/she return? Are the sexes different in any way? Should I put water out also? Finally if I buy a Hedgehog house (I have been looking online today) is it likely that he/she would move in?

Finally we have had Wood Mice in the garden for a while - never had a problem with them. However we are starting to see more & more of them and they started at the far end of the garden (not a problem) and we have started to see them just outside the house on the patio .... should we be concerned - are they likely to move in?!

Many Thanks,

Rob

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by rjmartinuk

Are they habitual animals? If I put food out each evening will he/she return? Are the sexes different in any way? Should I put water out also? Finally if I buy a Hedgehog house (I have been looking online today) is it likely that he/she would move in?

If there is a food source available then they will keep accessing it. Aslong as they can i.e you dont close any gates etc. There is a good chance they will continue to come for food especially as they will soon start to put on fat reserves for hibernation. Water is also important yes. Your hedgehog house depends on if there are any better natural alternatives in the local area. Its worth getting one as they often use several sites to hibernate in and can use them through the summer to sleep in during the day. The habitat within your garden sounds quite good for hogs. They like dense shrubs and grassland which contain lots of invertebrates and amphibians for feeding on.

Originally Posted by rjmartinuk

Finally we have had Wood Mice in the garden for a while - never had a problem with them. However we are starting to see more & more of them and they started at the far end of the garden (not a problem) and we have started to see them just outside the house on the patio .... should we be concerned - are they likely to move in?!

Hard to say, at this time of year they are unlikely to be an issue but once winter starts and the temperature drops they may start to enter buildings. Again it depends on what is around you, how easy you house is to get into and a variety of other factors.

[tigertom]

I now get hedgehogs most nights in my garden only used to get them early in year but since ive been puting food out for them almost every night get one or two, I also have wood mice as well but mainly see them in the day! feeding on spill from bird feeders think they come out in day to avoid my cat. needless to say not had them in the house but do know they will enter houses now and then mainly when cold looking for warmth
MIKE

[rjmartinuk]

Thanks for the answers so far - appreciated

To add one further question, I've bought a Hedgehog house and placed it at the far end of the garden where it is quietest - however now I'm thinking I should have placed it close to the house where he has been seen feeding .... which is best? Will he find it at the bottom of the garden? Should I move it? Should I move the feed to by the house?

Many Thanks.

[Hedgehoggy]

Siting of hog houses is all rather trial and error. Ideally, hog houses should be placed in a quiet part of your garden, preferably against a wall or fence. Dense shrubbery/vegetation would be an added bonus to protect the house from heavy rainfall. The entrance, preferably, should not face North or North East, to avoid the cold winter winds. To verify if a hedgehog is/has been inside the house, put a strategically placed small twig in the entrance of the house to see whether it’s pushed away overnight.

If the hogs are never seen at the far end of your garden where you’ve placed the house, you could initially leave a little food near the entrance of the house to encourage them down there (or initially leave a tiny trail of food leading from your feeder to your hog house!).

Good luck, fingers crossed your hog house very soon has a ‘sold’ sign on it!