Should Hedgehogs be asleep yet

[geordie graham]

Hi everyone a few months ago we noticed a hedgehog visiting the garden so we started putting out hedgehog food at night which was disappearing by morning.Unable to see the hedgehog actually eating the food we placed it under a small tunnel like structure to keep cats etc away.We are still putting the food out and it is disappearing but we were wondering whether hedgehogs should be hibernating by now and are we actually feeding something like a rat.

Graham

[willowjay]

Well whatever they should or shouldn't be doing - all through spring and summer and autumn this year I have put out food and water for the hedgehogs. My record was six at the same time. (Well, that's just what I could see, there may have been more).

They come to the patio just by the sitting room french doors, so they are easy to see. I go out at dusk and scatter a handful of food, and usually within 5 minutes I have my first hog happily munching away. (I swear they are lurking nearby drumming their little claws on the ground saying "when is she coming out with our supper"). Tonight there were three. They seem to be a good size, healthy, lively, and the food is polished off before I go to bed.

I guess my lot are not going to bother with hibernating.

[Janec]

Hi,
Mine have just stopped visiting for food in the last week.
I don't know, but maybe sometimes if they still have available food, like willowjay's hogs, they don't bother hibernating. Is it the cold that makes them hibernate or lack of food?
I'm sure somebody will know.
A good test to see who is eating your food: Get a heavy plant saucer (terracotta or similar). Place food in the saucer. Get a lightweight plant saucer (plastic preferably) and place over the top, covering the bottom saucer. From my limited experience, it is only the hedgehogs that can get the top saucer off. It seems to defeat the cats and rats, (don't know about badgers or foxes though, I don't have either).
If the hedgehog doesn't eat all the food though I'm sure the cats and rats move in once the top saucer is removed

[geordie graham]

Thanks for the info just wish I could get too see the little blighter,he seems to turn up in the middle of the night.

Graham

[Farplace]

much depends on temperature, weather, availability of food, size / weight of the hedgehog etc. I have known hedgehog to be active in the snow on occasions throughout the winter.
Providing the hedgehogs are big enough and have somewhere cosy to sleep, they will be fine.
Small hogs are best looked after indoors until spring.

[CharlieCreek]

Hedgehogs don't have to hibernate. The trigger seems to be a mixture of temperature and food availability and of course size.

We have had two 300 gram hedgehogs in and one 400 gram hog in the last couple of days, so there are still underweight hogs out there struggling to put on weight. Dry food and water left out can be a life saver.

You could try putting a sand trap in front of the feeder and see what prints turn up.

If it is an underweight hog and you see it it will need to be rescued to survive the winter.