What to do for a wild hedgehog when moving house?

[RST]

Hi,

We’re moving in about 3 months and already know that our buyers don’t want to continue to feed or water any visitors to the garden.

We’ve lived in our current home for 10 years and have always looked after the wildlife but I want to do the best for them now that we’re leaving. Is it best to wean the hedgehog off the food we provide gradually or to stop overnight to encourage it to look elsewhere much sooner?

Many thanks,

Rebecca

[Celeste]

Have a look at a recent post in this ‘carers’ thread ‘Moving house’ Lots of relevant info in there.
As Nic rightly says hedgehogs have a wide range. Your garden will be just be one of a number your hedgehogs visit. Any feeding should be supplementary to their natural diet. If you are leaving them a garden with planting, little quiet overgrown spaces, maybe a log pile then your spiky friends should continue to call, as there will be lots of insect food for them. Water is important to them – maybe you could leave some hedgehog leaflets/ info/ photos for the new residents. If they just start with putting a dish of water out it might lead to greater things……….
Re: food. If you use a feeding station maybe gradually shut it down but start to scatter/reduce the food round the garden then the hogs get the idea to snuffle out their supper as nature intended.
Hope you are happy in your new home and you are blessed with more hedgehog visitors.

[Nic]

Hi Rebecca

That’s tricky if you think the new owners won’t want to help the hogs. Hopefully they’ll change their minds when they realise that they don’t do any harm – just potentially help keep the slugs down. As well as being really cute in real life! I think it’s a good idea of Celeste’s to leave some leaflets, photos, etc. for the new owners.

Hopefully someone else in the area is already looking out for the hogs, but if I were you, as a precaution, I’d try to ask around to see if any neighbours will leave some water for the hogs – and maybe offer a bit of supplementary feeding too. The hedgehogs will not mind if it is in a nearby garden instead. They are foragers so will look around for other food/water even if the source you provided stops. But, the more people that will leave water out for them, the better.

Good luck with your move and fingers crossed for some new hoggy friends when you get there.

[RST]

Hi,

Thank you both so much for your advice.

The thought of doing something to the detriment of our little visitors which would cause issues for them going into their next hibernation phase has had me so concerned.

All your ideas are great and I’ll be doing them all to try and make up for leaving them!

Thanks again,

Rebecca

[Author]

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