Hedgehogs are opportunists and, provided they have sufficient food, water and a suitable nesting site, they can thrive in both rural and urban areas. However, over recent years their habitat has changed at such a dramatic rate that the humble hog has not be able to keep up and has disappeared from many areas where they were previously established.
To find out if you have hedgehogs try one of the following –
- Take a look at our map and see if they are near you
- Ask your friends if they have seen one
- Ask local wildlife groups if they have any details
- Ask a local rescue if they are aware of hedgehogs near you
If you don’t have hedgehogs in your area try and find out why. It may be that the area is unsuitable or it may be that recent changes have caused their demise: road or a new development, a change to farming or too hedgerows the list is endless. It may be that have been gone for a long time and that would suggest that there are no safe nesting or foraging sites. Releasing hedgehogs into an area that doesn’t already have them would not be advisable without first establishing the reasons they are not there.
It maybe that you do have hedgehogs, even though you haven’t seen any or received any reports of them. They are after all secretive and nocturnal so not the easiest to find. Don’t give up, become a hog detective and look further.
Food bowls
Leave some food out in a bowl with some water for a week . Put it out every night after dark and bring it back in during the day, so its not eaten but other creatures and doesn’t attract flies. Use small kibble, such as Spikes hedgehog food or kitten food so that a little mouth can eat them. If you do have hedgehogs eating during the night the bowl will look like the one here. It will have crumbs in the bottom. Hedgehogs are dentally challenged and when they eat the kibble they leave lots of parts of it in the bowl. It a sure tell tale sign of their presence.
Poo!!
Every mammal has distinctive poo and hedgehogs are no different. This is the size of the poo but it may vary a little. However, this gives you a good idea of what you are looking for and it will enable you to rule out other mammals.
They use poo to mark areas and you may find this near feeding areas and nesting sites. If you want more help in identifying poo and other sighting of hedgehog activity please send us your photos and contact us here.
A hollow under a fence, a gap under a gate, a broken fence or gate can all provide the perfect hedgehog highway
Hedgehogs are creatures of habit and when they come into your garden they will often use the same entrance. A warn path under your fence may be where they are coming in or under your gate . Take a look around your perimeter to see if you can find any hedgehog highways.
Survey Traps
Mammal traps are a good way to establish the presence of hedgehogs. Go to our surveyors page and look at how to make a temporary one and find out how and where you can set one up.
Cameras
Use a trap camera. These are a sure fire way to spot them. It is worth checking for a few nights as the hedgehogs are good at triggering the camera but can also be very evasive. We use trap cameras at the rescue on a regular basis and they are really good once you get your eye in!
We hope you have found hedgehogs in your area. Take a look at Grace’s Five Point Charter to make your space perfect for them. If you can’t find any hedgehogs in your area email us for more guidance.
