This new place I've bought had an overgrown garden that hadn't been touched for over a year. I cleared some of it, but left the majority to a gardner. Yesterday I arrived and found a dead hedgehog in an old flower bed next to a hedgehog sized indentation in the ground. I presumed it dug a hollow and used the overgrowth to insulate itself while it hibernated. The night before last was sub-zero and I guess it got too cold, climbed out and succumbed.
I don't mind killing ants, but hedgehogs...................................RIP Tiggy.
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You are lucky to have hedgehogs.We live on the fringes of a small town, about 400 yards from some open countryside. We used to see hedgehogs in our garden a lot but less so in the last five years but we do see droppings and have the odd sighting. Our “approved” hedgehog house, well hidden in some low bushes under an old farm hedge has never been occupied in the three years it’s been there. We live in hope.
It’s very unlikely you just had one so hopefully you will see more live examples and will be able to keep your garden hedgehog friendly.
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>..keep your garden hedgehog friendly.
Seconded. Lovely little critters.
Leave some food and water out for them if you spot more signs. They need all the help they can get at the moment and they're hilarious (and noisy) during mating season.
And it's the opposite way around BT.
Hedgehogs go into hibernation when the weather gets colder but they will frequently wake up and look for food. They can often succumb if they have insufficent reserves of bodyfat when their usual food (bugs and worms) gets scarce.
We have quite a few hogs that come into our garden, all presumably decendents of Horace, one I hognapped year ago when I thought I'd run over him. One of this years brood has really taken a shine to Mrs K. and actually runs over to her if she calls him. Never seen that before.
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I still have a few hedgehogs visiting my garden. I have a trail camera that I set up and was surprised to see a few hedgehog visits in the cold weather I really don't know just how many hedgehogs visit. In the summer months I have over twenty a night, but how many individuals, I have no idea.
I leave out every night a high protein grain free dog food, which they love, as well as a clean bowl of water. Unfortunately, a rat has appeared and taking the food, so I'm having to stop leaving any.
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Killed a hedgehog - R.P.
