As our hedgehogs wake up from hibernation you will hopefully spot one visiting your garden this Spring. Even if you don’t see one passing through it may leave something behind to let you know it’s been there! Hedgehog poo is quite distinctive, it resembles something close to a thin black slug and is usually 3-5cm long and about 1cm thick.
It is said that the only time hedgehogs don’t think about food is when they’re asleep so why not help this Spring by putting out food and water for your prickly visitors? They need to fatten up after hibernation and then prepare themselves for breeding. A hedgehog’s natural diet consists mainly of slugs, beetles, caterpillars and worms but as these are often scarce we can supplement a hog’s diet with wet meat based cat or dog food or dry cat biscuits.
Remember to put out a shallow dish of water too. You can also buy a range of dry and semi moist hedgehog food from most pet shops and garden centres.
To help protect the food from local cats and foxes why not make a feeding station? Check this link for a very simple design.
https://youtu.be/FY6-1rQb294
Hedgehogs are ready to mate from their second year of life and will be searching for that perfect partner from April onwards but it is in May that they will be most active. If you are lucky enough to have hedgehogs visiting your garden look out for “the rut” being performed, whereby a male repeatedly circles a female, snorting and grunting although this rarely results in a successful sexual encounter!
As you tidy up your gardens for Spring remember to leave a wild corner for our prickly friends too. A small pile of logs can create a bug cafe for them and an overgrown patch can offer food and shelter.
If you would like to help create a hedgehog highway in Abbey View, Offa or Ver Road but need some help or advice making a hole please let us know. 🦔🦔🦔 triciagibbonsuk@yahoo.co.uk or ph. 07789694748
