There's a hedgehog building a nest in my garden!

[AdamLambsbreath]

DH noticed it this morning. It has decided to build its nest . . . inside the tarp-covered pile of topsoil which I was using to fill my raised beds. Luckily I filled the last one that I built yesterday evening. I nearly waited until today, but am so glad I didn't!

It has been trundling back and forth with dried leaves all morning. I can't wait for it and its little hoglets to get out and start devouring some bastard slugs. I flung 50+ of the slimy horrors into the wood across the road the day before yesterday.

I only hope the little hoglets survive. Last year we were absolutely delighted to find five super-cute babies living under our allotment shed . . . followed by the sadness of finding a series of little bodies over the next few weeks

Does anyone know how long it takes them to raise a litter to the point that they leave the nest? Just wondering when I can plan to get the next bed in

haven't seen ours out and about over the last few days either but we're working in the garden doing some landscaping so he may be foraging elsewhere and avoiding us.

Deeply

No hedgehogs in Australia. It would be too hot for them, though Tassie might do. Echidnas are very cute, but not friendly the way the hogsters are. Surprisingly widespread too, though not in the suburbs - Aussies do like a fence that goes right to the the ground, no tunnels, no hedges.

Possibly a snake thang, now I think of it.

Hog update:

Spotted her out and about last night!

She emerged at about 10pm and went tootling off into the front garden to hunt for food, which made me extremely happy! Firstly because she's still here and OK, and secondly because she's helping me in the WOS (War On Slugs).

She looked a bit narrower and higher up on her legs (IYSWIM) than before - could she have had the hoglets already?

To be continued . . .

echt - snakes!

Why are there so many things in Aus that want to kill you? It seems unnecessary.

Glad shes ok :) she might have had the hoglets. I did wonder about the wiseness of her building under a tarp but she probably started at night time when it was all cool. then realised it was a bit daft.

Hog was out and about again last night!

She has a routine: emerges around 10:15pm, scoots round the back garden, heads into the front, then over to next door's.

She has also clearly discovered my raised beds! I didn't think she'd get into them, as the timber edging is about 25cm high, but she's managed it. Four out of the five beds have been hogged! I can tell because the dried-grass mulch has been turned over and redistributed. She hasn't done any damage to the plants, but she's presumably eaten any slugs that were in there. So I'm happy

I'm going to keep an eye on the tarp in sunny weather. If it gets too hot I'll try to put some shade cover over it.

It's a shame I can't post any pics of her on here as she only emerges after dark . . .

Oh I so wish we saw more hedgehogs around here. They are so lovely!

This is a brilliant thread. And the pictures are great.

cheers!

My try and get nighttime shots of the hog tonight. Depends how early/late she comes out . . .

That was 'might try', not 'my try', sorry

Sorry hog fans for lack of pics yesterday. She didn't come out until half 10 and it was way too dark.

By way of compensation, check out my ridiculous hedgehog shading contraption, comprising my neighbour's old cupboard which I said we'd put in our skip but couldn't + a cardboard box.

What hog could want more?

What a strange place for her to nest!

I know. It's ridiculous. It has now engaged me in a cycle of worrying about the hog + shading the hog + following the hog around.

Typical beast behaviour

You or her?

Both. I consider myself more than half beast.

Bet your dh appreciates that

Weell . . . he does get a bit cheesed off with me having to turn 30 circles before going to sleep.

This thread has gone a little off piste

It's getting towards the hogging hour . . . .

:)

Lovely thread . Marking my place. I looked after a baby hoglet one year that was was too small to hibernate properly. Very cute but incredibly stinky!

Gah! I was all set up to get pics - resting the camera on top of the stinky greenwaste bin no less- but in the event it couldn't focus cos it was too dark.

The hog just stopped and looked at me whilst the camera made a series of embarrassing whirring noises, then ignored me and walked off.

Fair enough!

origin - stinky? I never knew! But how lovely that you helped one out.

I've just remembered that my best friend and I, when we were little, found a hedgehog outside and decided we were going to 'look after it'. We lined a box with straw and a pillowcase, and put it in. Then my friend's mum found out and said we should just put it back outside as it was fine.

When we did, we saw that the pillowcase was absolutely hopping with fleas! And so, probably, were we and anywhere we'd put the box.

Her poor mum.

yeah they are generally flea infested and a tick or 2 as well. Doesn't seem to bother them unless they are ill already when the extra burden of parasites can weaken them. Hope your hog has finished her little nest.

i haven't got any pics but our hedgehog has been in the garden today, wandered into dh's garden office and had a sniff around this afternoon.