Advice on hedgie house

[Jackietb]

I have an igloo which has been used over winter. I’ve put food out all winter and a couple of weeks ago I know hedgie came out fed, left me a couple of hifts in and around the feeding station. Since then the food is disappearing but not all of it. I put the camera out last night and the feeding station is overrun with rats/mice. I’m worried they are now nesting in the igloo as I can tell something is going in and out but I have real doubts that it’s a hedgie. The camera has been out on several nights with only mice or rats filmed.

I want to clear the igloo out and stop putting food down for a few nights to hopefully deter the not welcome visitors, I would appreciate your views on this.

[Nic]

Hi jackietb

If they’re mice, there probably isn’t a lot you can do, but when they are outside they don’t normally cause too much trouble, and don’t eat much. You never know, you might even get an owl popping in for a meal!

Although, when you say overrun, how many do you actually mean? And are some of them substantially different in size. Rats are substantialy larger in size than mice.

For more information re. rats, I collected some rat focused posts and put them in the post with link below, so you might like to check through those for ideas of how to deter rats. https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/forums/topic/rat-probelm/

It doesn’t sound a bad idea to clear out the igloo and stop feeding for a while, but just be very careful in case there is a hog nesting in the back. Some hogs may not have come out of hibernation yet.

Good luck and happy hog watching!

[Jackietb]

Thank you Nic, definitely mice, about 4 of them.

I’ll leave it alone for a couple more weeks until I’m sure hedgies not in there.

[Nic]

Really relieved to hear they are mice not rats!

[FuzzyG]

We thought we had rats since that our food was going every night. we have just got a camera and we have set it up if you have any recommendations with keeping the rats/mice out and keeping the hogs? we found out that a hog left a poop and had left footprints

YAY!

Thanks

FuzzyG

[Nic]

Hi FuzzyG

I wasn’t sure from your post whether you meant you were originally worried that you had rats and it turned out to be a hedgehog. Or whether you were still worried there might be rats. If it was the latter, you will find links to previous topics about rats from this link. https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/forums/topic/rat-probelm/

Good luck

[Jackietb]

Still no food disappearing and no hedgies on the video. Do you think I could lift the igloo to make sure hedgie has vacated. It must be out of hibernation by now surely. No hedgies visiting at all at the moment

[Jackietb]

I’ve lifted it, hedgie obviously has been there, cosy little nest in there but also a decomposing large rat. Suffice to say we have cleared the contents of the igloo into a black bag and put it in the rubbish.

Still no hedgies coming for food sadly.

[Nic]

Hi Jackietb

Sorry to hear about the rat. Similar thing happened to me a few years back. I was actually pleased that the poor rat found somewhere snug and sheltered to die. But not nice to find. Just as well you decided to clear out the hogilo!

Re. the hogs not coming. Quite often at this time of year there are mostly male hogs around. Males have larger ranges than females, so once they have come and fed up on the food you offered, they may have gone exploring other parts of their ranges. I am finding that some of the male hogs here will miss several nights and then might come back. So you might find they reappear. Fingers crossed.

[simbo65]

YUKKKK!!
Re the hedgehogs coming back- they do seem to come and go. I did have 3 boys visiting including the amputee we were helping who hibernated in our box. He went off for little jaunts and would come back every second or third day but he has now been gone for over a week. I’m hoping he has found a nice new place to shelter. Only one hog visiting at the moment and he has taken up residence in the house. They never do quite what you want them to.
Let us know when you get some sightings.

[5sandown]

I’ve had 3 hogs visiting, two large and one small with some early signs of possible mating behaviour. It’s the nesting habits though that have been most interesting. A hog moved into one of my houses a couple of weeks ago, then changed houses, which enabled me to clean out the original house, then moved back. Now it’s moved out altogether, although at least 2 are still visiting and feeding. They’re definitely exploring their territory more. Over the last couple of years I’ve encouraged my neighbours to put out food and water and we now have a network of hedgehog highways between the gardens. It’s great to know they have so many feeding and travelling options but I still like to have residents! I’ve learned however that they do move nests regularly so you can take nothing for granted. I assume though, if there is a pregnant female, they will make a more permanent nest to give birth in and raise the hoglets.

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