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

My DH would be the same!

Just lovely. Thank you for sharing. There was a piece on hedgehogs in the garden in the bbc Hampton court flower show programme episode

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0499kzw/hampton-court-palace-flower-show-2014-episode-2

and a link to here
www.hedgehogstreet.org/

A very sad update on the hogs this morning.

Last night at 10:30 all was well. This morning we found the tarpaulin half dragged off the heap, with holes ripped in it and signs of digging. The hogs are gone

It looks like foxes. I can only hope that the hogs got away rather than being eaten. I've checked the garden and I can't see any remains

The garage motion-sensor security light (which is right above the heap) was off because I forgot to put it on after watching the hogs on Thursday. I can't help feeling guilty because it might have scared off the foxes if they tripped it while they were digging.

What a horrible end to the story. Sorry for the downer, everyone. I was half tempted to make up a happy ending because so many people have enjoyed sharing the hog events . . .

Oh, that's very sad.

There's no way of knowing if the light would have made any difference, but probably not. There's a chance that one or two of the hogs might have escaped. Now I'm feeling bad for not saying they should have an escape route and it's a good idea to check they have more than one way of getting in and out, now I'm remembering it...there are fox proof hog houses you can buy, which might be worth thinking about if you find that a hog or two has survived.

It is the way of the wild though, and part of living so close to the wild is seeing the brutal side of it as well, sometimes. Foxes and badgers have to eat too. There will be other hedgehogs.

I'll think about a hog house, yegods. I'd love it if they came back.

I suppose I could have cut another hole in the tarp for them to come in and out by, but it's a fine balance between helping them out and disturbing them. I've read that disturbing the nest too early can result in the mother eating the young, so I'm not sure that I'd have dared to create another exit even if you had recommended it. Thanks for the tip, though. I'll be better prepared next time!

I just hope the foxes were fascinated by the rustling but gave up when they discovered that it was hogs, and that because of the disruption the hogs have gone elsewhere.

Sorry to hear that adamslambsbreath, hopefully they may be just hiding somewhere, we've had dead ones in our garden in the past, we found one under our old deck, looked like it was hibernating but just didn't wake up, felt so guilty because we didn't know it was there otherwise we would have made sure it was warm enough to survive the winter.

Our baby one was out last night, didn't see the parent but coul hear rustling in the hedge. Baby has grown more but still not full adult size.

Lovely pictures, nipers! Yeah, hopefully they're OK. The neighbour said he thought the disarranging of the tarp might be the fox cubs playing, intrigued by the noises, in which case they might not have been seriously trying to eat the hogs and the hogs may have escaped.

I think I'll invest in a hog house for next year!

Thanks everyone for taking an interest in my little beasties, it's been a lovely thread. I'm taking a break from MN for a while and will think of our hog chat with a smile!

I fed them in my garden for a while but they carry ticks that can be passed to humans and hog ticks carry Lymes disease. I doubt feeding them is going to pass ticks to humans but should you be using hibernation nest box and handling the hog for a reason ie thought he was injured then you need to wear thick garden gloves and trousers too. All hogs in Berkshire have ticks so the wildlife facility which cares for hogs has noted. Other UK areas I have no data for. But if anyone has further info on hog ticks please pm me.

ZOMBIE THREAD

And hedgehogs ticks DO NOT carry Lymes disease - they are the wrong species

Oh didn't realise it was zombie but op what a brilliant writer.

Write the rest.