Where to put a house
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In the photo graphic it says place your hedgehog house within 5m of your house. Why is this ?
Thanks for your help.
RachaelHi Rachael
Do you mean the hedgehog house information from Hedgehog Street?
I can’t think of any reason why that should be. In the wild hedgehogs would build nests in a place of their choice, which could easily be more than 5 metres (which I assume is what is meant) from a house. It may be that it’s easier to keep an eye on them. I’ll try to find out.
I can’t think of a reason either. My two hog bungalows are 10m away from my house to make sure they’re in a relatively quiet and sheltered spot. The hogs seem quite happy and havn’t tried to move the houses any closer (which my stroppy lot would definitely do if they weren’t impressed!).
Thanks for your replies. I have a nice quiet spot in mind that is furthest from my house in fact. I’ll put the hog house there and see how I get on.
Rachael
Ps yes the 5m was on the blue info sheet you can click on in Hedgehog street site.I’ve just read that sheet and you’re right, it clearly says within 5m of the house! Most bizarre cos quiet, sheltered and dry would be far more important than anything I can think of to do with one’s house in fact I would think the further the better!
So, plonk it where you think best and tell us how you get on.
Good luck, Rachael. Hope you get a tenant soon. I’ve asked the question and will let you know if I find anything out about the ‘5m’.
Hi Rachael
I have found out the reason for the 5m. It was to do with the hedgehog house survey which apparently found that the hogs showed a preference for hog houses close to the the human house. This may have been for other reasons, ie. closer to food, or even where more hog houses happened to have been located. But it does illustrate that the hogs don’t mind their houses being fairly close to the human house. My interpretation is that further away is fine too so hopefully you’ll get a tenant at some stage. Good luck.
Rather a tenuous conclusion to draw from that unscientific survey! I think all you can draw from it is that that is where most people put their houses. It probably has more to do with the size of modern gardens than it does any hedgehog preferences. I wouldn’t now be “recommending within 5m” based on that survey since it’s not a valid conclusion without a lot more scientific study to back it up as a recommendation.
I have two hedgehog houses up against my house wall but in different parts. One has a nest in it and has been occupied. The other had a nest in last year which I cleared out late spring. Another up under the hedge has a nest in it but vacant. My conclusion:- they will do whatever they want.
Willpar.
Bearing in mind hogs have been building their own homes for millions of years without our help, they could use anywhere. I think the survey, at least, showed that they don’t mind nesting in boxes in close proximity to human houses – the wording just could have been better.
Our hog houses are well over 5 metres away from the house and they are very rarely occupied, perhaps I should move them closer. As for the location of their dinner, that’s another matter. Despite three dishes of food located around the garden, they much prefer to eat out of the bowl on the doorstep in full view of a noisy family milling around in the kitchen eating their dinner. Dare to venture outside however, and they usually run like the clappers and don’t return until long after everyone’s tucked up in bed.
Perhaps it is a game of dare for them! so funny when they get caught out – a couple of summers ago we were sat in the back on a warm evening in the relative darkness and a gang of hogs (collectively term for them is actually an ‘array’ I think) were to and fro across the garden in front of us – when one set the sensor light off which lit them all up and exposed them suddenly – they all legged it in various directions, except one who decided he was going to pretend he was a garden ornament and just stood there in mid-trot motionless until the light went off again – of course we all collapsed in a fit of giggles that saw him off after that.
Such characters!Daft as it sounds, I think you could be right Jan-Marie! The feeding station is just across the patio where they could happily dine incognito, but they would rather (very noisily at times!) manhandle a saucer lid off the food dish on the doorstep right in front of a glass door. Very often one will have been and gone whilst we have been sat there obliviously eating our own dinner. Perhaps the aim of the game is to get the lid off as quietly as possible without disturbing those pesky humans!
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