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There are hedgehogs everywhere!

  • 15-10-2019 10:54pm
    #1
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,126 ✭✭✭Snow Garden


    What's with the number of hedgehogs this year? Have ye noticed?
    I have already seen 9 of them (3 were dead). I have never seen them in such numbers before.


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Comments

  • Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,073 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    What's with the number of hedgehogs this year? Have ye noticed?
    I have already seen 9 of them (3 were dead). I have never seen them in such numbers before.

    Probably just the time of year. They're wandering around looking for a place to spend winter and also the young ones are all setting out on their own.

    I saw one in the alleyway by the house in around the bins the other night (first time I've seen a live one in Ireland I'm pretty sure), I had just cut a hole in the front fence to allow access for wildlife about a week ago (have two holes at the back too to allow clear path throguh) so was delighted to see it's working!

    have a hedgehog house at the bottom of the back garden, no idea if it's being used or not. Might have to get a trail cam or something.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ Zechariah Panicky Rubber


    Yes, it's just the time of year. We're inclined to forget that things were the same last year or the year before - hence why I keep a Nature diary.


  • Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,073 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    Yes, it's just the time of year. We're inclined to forget that things were the same last year or the year before - hence why I keep a Nature diary.

    And hence why we're always amazed every year when the days get shorter/longer :D


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,126 ✭✭✭Snow Garden


    Ah no, its not just the time of year. I have been living in the countryside for decades but I have never seen this many before.


  • Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,073 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    Mickeroo wrote: »

    I saw one in the alleyway by the house in around the bins the other night (first time I've seen a live one in Ireland I'm pretty sure), I had just cut a hole in the front fence to allow access for wildlife about a week ago (have two holes at the back too to allow clear path throguh) so was delighted to see it's working!

    have a hedgehog house at the bottom of the back garden, no idea if it's being used or not. Might have to get a trail cam or something.

    Just an update on this. This little guy/gal seems to be resident in our back garden now, and it looks like there's dry grass in the hedgehog house entrance that wasn't put there by us.

    My OH has been putting out a little bit of food around 8:30 the last few evenings and like clockwork the hedgehog comes trundling up the path from the general direction of the shed. He was in the flower bed foraging yesterday evening when she went out and he was still hanging around the garden when I went to bed around midnight as I could see him snooping around near the log store.

    OH has been working very hard over the last couple of years to make the back garden attractive for wildlife since we moved in so she's absolutely over the moon at this. :D


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,589 ✭✭✭corks finest


    Never see one ,only dead at the side of the road( really nice creatures)


  • Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,073 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    Just a little update on the above, Hedgehog still seems to be resident.

    As I mentioned we have a hedgehog house in the back corner of the garden behind the shed and we were weren't sure if that's where they've been shacking up or not. So I got a cheap trail cam off amazon to find out and captured this last night:



    Sorry for the very short vid. I'm going to move it tonight as he never went near his feeding station, so I'm wondering if it bothered him a bit. On the other hand last night was very mild and damp so there might have been plenty of other food sources for him (plus there was loads of bangers and fireworks going off around the place).


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    Listening to Mooney goes Wild the other night i was surprised to learn that badgers kill & eat hedgehogs, never knew that


  • Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,073 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    fryup wrote: »
    Listening to Mooney goes Wild the other night i was surprised to learn that badgers kill & eat hedgehogs, never knew that

    That's news to me too I have to say.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ Zechariah Panicky Rubber


    fryup wrote: »
    Listening to Mooney goes Wild the other night i was surprised to learn that badgers kill & eat hedgehogs, never knew that

    Badgers are their main predators. Hoglets can sometimes be taken by foxes.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    Badgers are their main predators.

    never knew that, it was also mentioned badgers kill young rabbits too...didn't think they'd be agile enough


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ Zechariah Panicky Rubber


    fryup wrote: »
    never knew that, it was also mentioned badgers kill young rabbits too...didn't think they'd be agile enough

    :D They don't chase them: They locate the position of young rabbits in their nest by scent, then dig vertically down to them.

    All that aside, they are more dependant on earthworms, carrion and cereals.


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,466 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    Might be worth trying to weigh the hog, to see if s/he is heavy enough to survive the winter- they need to be 600g to make it. if lighter, a local rescue centre will take them in.


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    and do you know there's blonde Hedgehogs in Alderney


  • Registered Users Posts: 22,198 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Why can’t they just share the hedge?


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,462 ✭✭✭✭WoollyRedHat


    They're actually my hedgehogs, can I have them back please?


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,209 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    They're actually my hedgehogs, can I have them back please?

    You can't hog the hedgehogs!!


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,209 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    Seriously, though:

    Leave out cat food and water for them. If they're small (e.g less than 600g) they won't survive winter unless they have enough food and proper shelter, and may need to be rescued. It all depends on what size the hedgehogs in question are - as mentioned above, they could be underweight juveniles that need the extra calories - unless you weigh them, you won't know for sure. And they needs to be at least 800g to make it through winter on their own (600-650g is the bare minimun, it's acceptable if it's a mild winter with lots of food they can forage).

    Contacts for hedgehog experts (licenced):

    https://www.facebook.com/hedgehogrescuedublin/
    https://www.facebook.com/pg/hedgehogrescuedublin/about/?ref=page_internal
    http://thehogsprickle.weebly.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/TheHogsprickle
    **New Wildlife Helpline**

    We are delighted to announce the launch of our new wildlife helpline. Our volunteers will be at the end of the phone whenever wildlife needs us and will offer the best of help and advice available. So please save the number

    Wildlife Helpline 087 620 1270
    https://www.facebook.com/Wildlifeunitkildare/posts/1872737599413581


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,209 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    Oh, and you can hug the hedgehogs, but very carefully, and ask them first.


  • Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,073 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    We haven't noticed any behaviour that suggests it's unhealthy so we're hesitant to put it through the stress of being captured and weighed if we don't have to. They're munching between 200 and 300 grams of catfood every night at the moment.

    Have gotten some more vids since, will stick one or two up on youtube when i get a chance again.


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  • Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,073 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    Here's a bunch more footage, most of it is from last night, have been alternating between where he eats up at the patio and down by the hog house.



    I'm hoping he's going to start hibernating soon as it's getting pretty cold out now. He does seem fairly lethargic in between wandering up to the feeding dish.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ Zechariah Panicky Rubber


    Looks absolutely fine and in good shape. We've just had a few frosty nights so they are still active . Hibernation bypasses the cold weather when food usually becomes scarce. If it stays reasonably mild or food is put out every night for them, some hedgehogs don't feel the need to hibernate.
    Even when they hibernate it's not continuous and they are active a few days at a time through the winter.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,532 ✭✭✭A2LUE42


    Spotted a hedgehog walking across the lawn earlier, I was surprised as I thought they would all be hibernating.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ Zechariah Panicky Rubber


    A2LUE42 wrote: »
    Spotted a hedgehog walking across the lawn earlier, I was surprised as I thought they would all be hibernating.

    Not at all. It's very mild. See the post above yours.


  • Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,073 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    A2LUE42 wrote: »
    Spotted a hedgehog walking across the lawn earlier, I was surprised as I thought they would all be hibernating.

    Hadn't seen ours for weeks and he was back again last few nights due to the mild weather. Still sleeping in the hedgehog house at the end of the garden.

    I'd only be concerned if you saw it during daylight hours, in that case it could be unwell. Would be worth contacting the rescue places New Home linked to earlier in the thread if it's a regular visitor.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,532 ✭✭✭A2LUE42


    It was nighttime when we saw it. There have been a lot of them in the garden this year, but hadn't seen one in a while. Interesting that the weather is mild enough that they may not be hibernating.


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    there are hedgehogs everywhere! are there? have yet to see one in the wild


    what could i do to attract them to my humble abode ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,204 ✭✭✭a148pro


    I live in dublin city centre and haven't seen one in years, used to see them quite a bit in north county dublin growing up

    Anyone see them in dublin city? Think I might have seen a dead one on the chapelozid bypass recently but that's it. Even phoenix park?

    When I was a kid we a pet one that had been orphaned and would love my kids to see one sometime

    I presume anywhere with a lot of roads is a big problem


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 47,997 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    a148pro wrote: »
    Anyone see them in dublin city?
    wrong environment for them.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,744 ✭✭✭appledrop


    We always have hedgehogs were we live in North County Dublin. It's an older area so gardens are very well established so they potter in + out of gardens. I remember we had only moved in + one passed by our front door! Just make sure if you have any you keep your side entrances accessable. Ours gnawed through the bottom of wooden gate because he couldnt get through!


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