Gravel trays

[Annker]

Hi Hedgie Lover, I have posted you with a reply, but thought I’d send this. I have put a picture on the gallery under wildlife garden to show the gravel tray. I know it wouldn’t be much of a swim but if they would like a bath it is adequate. We looked at both sizes of gravel trays and hubby insisted he wasn’t paying the price that garden centres wanted. He did suggest if it was going to cost so much we may as well buy a pond liner and dig a hole. (I would prefer a preformed small pond, but oh, the chaos, and the choice words I’d hear I don’t think I would be able to stand it! It is set at a corner of edges that are the right height for the sides of the tray, with a brick to climb out of the water as well. Behind is my wild life bit, if you read my post, the one my ever so tidy, gardener of the year neighbour said was a “rats feast”. I dread to think what she would complain about if I added a pond! I would not get away with sneaking one in as I’ve seen her peeping through a gap to see what she can see! Best wishes, and hope you all see some hoglet’s soon.

[Hedgie Lover]

Thanks Annker, I think I am going to get one next weekend when I go to a garden centre. Just going to check out the gallery now.

Thanks

[Annker]

Hi Hedgie Lover, I hope you find a gravel tray, the longer ones would be better if they weren’t so shallow, they would just get a paddle in one, but maybe that would suit. The smaller one I’ve got is deeper and needs a step out. Well, I think I’ve upset my hogs, I saw one at midnight checking out my new door mat! It’s made of coir so may have looked like a prickly hog! Not only that, I replaced a bird feeder which isn’t dropping a large amount of sunflower hearts. So, they must be on a sulk again as I’ve checked the feeding station and nothing has gone again. Added to that, the old door mat is at the back door now! So what was I writing on the forum recently, about change and it was like someone had turned your house round and your front door being in a different place!…. Yes, guilty, I’ve done just that as far as my hogs are concerned! I was also wondering if the flees had got out of hand, as I’ve heard on the news pet flees are bad at the moment as the weather conditions are just right for an explosion! I once looked after someone’s cat, in their home, whilst they were away. I brought the flees home, my husband brought the flees home, despite wearing trousers in his boots and wearing bicycle clips and clothes sprayed with staykill from a local vet. They were everywhere, even in the bath sponges! We had no animals in our house and so glad about it as the poor cat was full of them and so miserable. It was usually out in the yard when I left food and water, but it was in a day before the owner returned and it was then I noticed the flees jumping on the window ledge. I played merry heck with the owner. I don’t like cats, but wouldn’t harm one. I got a refund for the spraying of my house. So beware cat owners, there are so many cats out there living wild who are not treated. Best wishes.

[Hedgie Lover]

Yes I think they do have sulks – when I changed the hedgehog food brand – from webbox to spikes dried, they went on protest for about 3 days before they started eating it. However, I changed the dried spikes to semi-moist, as they weren’t eating much of it – and they wolf down the semi-moist, they like it more than the cat biscuits. They didn’t go on protest either.

I bought a gravel tray, there was some flimsy ones, but I bought a big study one which was supposed to be a tray for a posh veg trug.

A saw a hedgehog sniff it, but no-one has been near it – I do need to set it into the ground a bit though, I think they would wade in it if it’s more level with the ground – but perhaps because it’s new and a change, they are being weary of it – it might take them 3 days again.

But it’s good because they are drinking a lot of the water I put down for them in their dish, so it’ll be good to have tons of water for them, so if they don’t paddle in it, there is enough water for thirsty hogs.

That sounds horrific with the fleas, what a nightmare.

[Annker]

Hi Hedgie Lover, not sure what you’ve bought, but we’ll done and hope they use the new water feature soon. I cleaned mine out yest as was looking a bit greenish, used all my captured rain water to re fill but, luckily, another bowl full fell last night. Bet you wish you were here! My new little hog is eating well, (Heidi) spikes semi moist is always welcome by all of them, but this one also is eating some new cat biscuits I bought from pound stretcher called “I❤️my cat”, they are little star shaped chicken flavoured biscuits. So, if anyone knows of any problems with feeding hogs with these, please let me know! I am slightly worried as I’ve found poo just outside a little wood pile I’ve started along with some dried leaves. There is a roundish hole in the leaves but I don’t think it’s a suitable hibernation spot, it’s going to be very cold in there during winter. Does anyone know if you can safely move a hog during hibernation if it was getting too cold? Best wishes to everyone.

[Hedgie Lover]

have your hedgehogs been using your gravel tray – mine are completely ignoring it – one had a sniff at it last night – but otherwise they are acting as if it’s not there!

At least it’s there if they run out of water during the night – or to cool down if we have a hot and dry summer next year, where I live – it feels like I’m in the middle of autumn now – so they won’t be needing to cool down anytime soon.

[Nic]

Hi Annker

You definitely shouldn’t move a hog during hibernation or even disturb them at all. They have been hibernating for millions of years without our help, and are pretty much expert at it. They don’t need to be too warm. They need to be quite cool. But if they were disturbed they would use up the precious fats they had laid down for hibernation. One type keeps them ticking over and the other helps to get them going when they wake up. So if they use up that one by waking up unnecessarily, they might not have enough energy to wake up at the end of hibernation.

Their hibernation nests are quite elaborate with layers of leaves and grasses making a very well insulated dome, which helps to keep their body temperature reasonably level. But their body temperature drops quite low during hibernation, so that their body processes slow right down.

Sometimes, I think we have to trust in the wisdom of the hogs – the hog wisdom of the ages.

[Annker]

Hi Nic, thanks for that info. The others as I’ve said before are in a brick built room at the bottom of the garage. I guess it’s getting quite full of them and I can’t enter due to solid stuck hinges. I have a wooden hog house as well, that something is in, don’t know what, but hope it’s a hog! I started this wood pile for insects, it’s just wood from some trees I’ve pruned, bundled up with some hessian and some beech had leaves on them. On top is some old wooden trellis. I wouldn’t say it’s waterproof and was a bit concerned with her being so young. I suppose I could put some waterproof sheet over it before it gets to hibernating time. The leaves (of which there are many) have not started falling yet. Maybe due to all the rain we’ve had, but there’s time yet. So, do you think I should try putting some covering over this pile of wood.? It’s going to be open to the west wind and rain. Best wishes and thanks for your time.

[Hedgie Lover]

I’d just put some covering over it, rather than move her – as it’s gonna stress her out too much if you move her, and if you move her into a nice new home, she might link it to a stressful time and not likely to use it at all. So I think covering it would be good.

[Nic]

Hi Annker

Wood piles are good for insects too, but also make good more natural nesting places for hogs. You are honoured if one has decided to nest there! But it may still be a Summer type nest. It’s still fairly early for hibernation. But when they make their hibernation nests they are very elaborate and they seem to instinctively know what to do. I had a hoglet one year who decided to build a nest in one of the food boxes. Huge amounts of leaves and grasses were taken in, carried in the mouth – all conveniently taking place in front of the camera.

They are so clever they don’t just pile things up, the leaves are carefully layed like tiles overlapping (but layers and layers like that) and the grasses helped to keep it all together. This particular nest was constricted by the size of the box, but in the wild they can be bigger. But the result would have been pretty waterproof even if outside. I was able to see the construction come the Spring when the hog had well and truly left.

As it turned out, that particular hoglet chose not to hibernate and continued to visit every night except when it snowed. He used the nest some days and not others. There was a small hog sized cavity in the centre, the rest was completely filled with compacted leaves and grasses. So, extremely well insulated. And this was a hoglet who could never have built a nest before. Amazing.

It probably wouldn’t do any harm to put a waterproof cover over the top of the woodpile, but I wouldn’t interfere with the rest, just in case a hog is nesting in there. It’s even possible that some may be producing late hoglets.

[Annker]

Hi Nic, thankyou so much for the info. It’s hard to think they make such intricate nests for themselves when they have been filmed carrying 1 leaf in their mouths. It must take an enormous amount of time and energy. Two weeks ago I was astonished to see one of next doors cats walk past the cctv with a leaf in its mouth, perhaps it was copying a hog! This smallish wood pile was for attracting the insects. Thanks again, best wishes.

[Hedgie Lover]

Well, the hedgehogs walk in the water bowl and walk around the gravel tray! They sometimes take a drink out of the water from the gravel tray, but mostly they prefer the water in the water bowl.

They haven’t twigged on that the gravel tray is meant for paddling, and the water bowl isn’t meant for paddling, they seem to have got it the other way round, but never mind, what can you do?

[Annker]

Hi Hedgie Lover,… Lol. I keep finding all sorts in my gravel tray, leaves, berries and twigs, so no idea what’s going on. There so much water around at the moment it’s a wonder we’re not all swimming. Perhaps they like it better in summer when it’s warm, or perhaps they like a bath when itchy! Whatever, it will become part of the garden by the time they come out of hibernation and then they may relish a bath! Saw some welcome news last night, Heidi, Pippa and Big Benny who’s back from heaven knows where and think another as well. Possibly Kitty. I went out to give Pippa a treat, Heidi wouldn’t go in the feeding station till after Pippa came out, no idea why, they’re about the same size, then later the bigger ones came and left some deposits for me to clean up. Don’t care really, just so glad to see them. Best wishes.

[Hedgie Lover]

awww, sounds like a busy evening.

My gravel tray has loads of leaves in it – I think it’s just the wind blowing them in.

I’m suspecting my hedgehogs might not go in the gravel tray at all, unless they get biffed and pushed in by another hedgehog – the water is only about 1.5cm deep so they won’t drown.

[Author]

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