Hedgehogs hibernating in the garden

This summer was very exciting in our garden – hedgehogs returned to our property after a twenty-year absence. In my previous post, I talked about how we’d been feeding the Momma Hog and her babies, but now that winter is well and truly on its way, all our thoughts turn towards hibernation.

I thought perhaps I should keep it simple for my first dabbling in the hedgehog property market, so I chose a modest hedgehog house from Amazon.co.uk. Made from natural materials, it’s breathable and well-insulated, yet the rust-proof steel frame will protect the little hogs from any branches that fall off trees, or maybe an inquisitive cat or hungry fox. I like the fact that there isn’t a base to the house – so maybe if the hedgehogs really like it, they can extend their home by digging down a little bit. I chose a spot in the garden that was dry, out of the wind, and underneath a hedge (which was also under a tree). I put it at the base of the rockery, close to where we feed the hedgehogs so they won’t have far to go if they wake up for a midnight snack. Then I covered the whole thing with brushwood… can you spot it?

Here’s a close up of the entrance. I filled the hedgehog house with hay because I had heard that hedgehogs prefer dried grass to straw.

I’m pleased to say that the hedgehog house was quite a hit. Someone had been going in and out of the house on the first night it was in the garden. After a week, I could see a spiny little back in the gloomy darkness inside. I’m pretty sure that they’re hibernating in there right now. So I guess there’s not much to see at this time of year when they’re all tucked up asleep. I didn’t think it fair play to pick up the hedgehog house to check on the little guys as I think it would be an extremely rude thing to do (not to mention kind of scary… how would you feel if a giant tore up your house just to check you were sleeping okay?). So here’s a cute little picture of a hibernating hedgehog from the hedgehogstreet.org: