Gone missing
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For the first time in over 4 years I have had no sightings of any hedgehogs in the last couple of days. There are around 5-6 hedgehog highways around the garden leading into different properties, so it is not that one route has been closed or something. I normally get around 4-6 different hogs visiting and they consume some 6-8 bowls of food in a night. The last couple of days the food is uneaten and the cameras show no hogs about. As the hogs are independent rather than living in groups I find this really strange. I guess there is nothing I can do but wait and see if things change.
I have the same here Alan, with numbers falling off a cliff. Just get the odd couple now. The early juveniles i had seem to have gone elsewhere. Not unusual for hedgehogs to go awol during the summer. But they will be back to fatten up.
Willpar.
This happens to me every year around this time- I feed wet dog food and kitten dry food- they eat everything for weeks and then nothing- no sign of anything- last video was weeks ago. Water has been left out during this dry spell but still no sign of them. They usually appear later on to fatten up for hibernation- but cannot figure out where they disappear to!!.
hi, similar here too. A very busy period May-mid July with a lot of visits to the feeder (at least 3 different hogs identified though no signs of hoglets) and dishes being cleared. Since about a week ago suddenly far fewer visits on the trailcam, and more food being left. The trailcam still picks up a few visits but I have reduced the amount of food to prevent waste. Must be a seasonal thing? After a long dry spell here in northern Scotland, we’ve had some rain (particularly overnight) and maybe this is leading to more natural food being found? Also getting a bit more darkness – maybe slightly longer nights are encouraging longer and more distant forays? I also feed birds and, after struggling to keep the feeders topped up during the breeding and fledgeling season, it has gone very quiet the last couple of weeks.
Thanks for the feedback, at least it appears that this is not something specific to me. I will keep the food out (dry) and plenty of water and keep the cameras going and hope for the best. I am still getting a lot of birds visiting so that is keeping me occupied keeping the feeders full.
Ok, now have one hog returned so panic over, although hoping for the others to find their way back soon.
Just an update on my hedgehog visitors. It seems they are returning. I went out with some food this evening and counted five in various parts of the garden. Three juveniles and two adults. Seems the juveniles are quite young so may be a second or later brood.
Willpar.
hi, my visitors are also more frequent and eating more the last week or so. Glimpses on the video clips inside the feeder suggest all adult males. I do keep hoping for hoglets but may be disappointed with this gender balance! My sister down in SW Scotland regularly has 3 adults feeding happily together (plus some mating) all year, sometimes an aggressive 4th, and one of her neighbours has nesting hogs under the shed – with hoglets.
Same here. Up until mid July there were three hoggies visiting my garden regularly every night. They started visiting in late March. They ate the food I provided and then suddenly they’ve disappeared! I’m absolutely crushed. They were darling little things. Any ideas for the reason for this would be very helpful 🦔🙂
After virtually no visitors the last few weeks, last night Trail Cam showed a hog back at the feeding station. Bowls and water fully refreshed and hoping for more sightings tonight. I have no idea the reason why they have disappeared, but I just make sure the highways are clear, and food and water available. Its then up to them whether they visit . . . . or have a better offer maybe ?
That’s possible. I’ve since moved the feeding station hoping it might entice the hoggies from a different direction. I’m starting to suspect their way into the garden from the back may be blocked. I’m hoping this strategy works 🦔🙂
I’m so glad it isn’t just me! I had two existing hogs and two recently released and rehabilitated rescues that were happily eating me out of house and home every night. With the cooler weather and some rain they have quite simply vanished! Maybe once a week they will have some dry food. I have had to assume that they are finding lots of great natural food. I’m still putting water and kibble out as I’m hopeful they’ll be back.
Exactly the same at home with me. Haven’t had any visits at all for two or three weeks until a VERY brief visit one-night in this week and he/she didn’t eat any of the food left in the feeding station at all.
Really do miss seeing them out and about. Often wonder if many survived the extreme heat we had or not. For me that’s the exact time they stopped coming. But i still leave dried biscuits and fresh water out every night just in case any come.
Sadly im dissapointed each morning, they seem to have gone
My dogs alerted me to a hedgehog in part of my garden- they bark ++++ as if annoyed at the intrusion. As it was a part of the garden set to be totally cleared in November I decided to try and relocate said hedgehog to another part of the garden where there wont be bulldozers to disturb any hibernating hogs. Within two days of me putting out a sturdy hedgehog house and food in a safe part of the garden a hog moved in. I set up a camera and for three or four weeks the hog merrily carried in hay and leaves to build its nest. The hog didnt really venture that far and spent most nights going in and out of the house using carrying leaves or hay. The hog scoffed the food every night. Then my camera failed and in the three or four nights it was not working the hog disappeared. Absolutely no sign, no food taken.Nothing. The camera now working again since the 14th September catches visiting field mice who don’t go inside the house. No sign of another hog trying to occupy it either. It just seems deserted. My dog did find the house about four days before it disappeared and so I don’t allow her out except on a lead now. Could she have scared the hog off? I really miss it.
Hi PamSue
It’s possible the hog is in the hog house, hibernating. The males tend to start hibernation much earlier than the females. Although it could have been practising and have gone elsewhere to built an actual hibernation nest. If it was making the nest over several days, it seems less likely it was a birthing nest.
If you are continuing leaving food and water out, it’s best not to leave it too close to a nesting box in case it attracts predators.
I would check the area to be cleared very carefully just before any work starts. If it’s the sort of area hogs like, there could easily be more. But also if the hog is hibernating in the box, they do sometimes make another new nest during the hibernation period.
Good luck. Hope all goes well.
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