When do hedgehogs start hibernating?
Autumn may be here but it is still much too early for hedgehogs to hibernate - especially here in Cornwall with our milder climate. Hedgehogs typically hibernate any time from late October through to early March, however this is highly variable depending on the area of the UK plus any unseasonable weather.
What temperature do hedgehogs hibernate at?
Known triggers for hibernation include night-time temperatures being consistently below 5 degrees alongside other factors such as day length and food availability. The optimal hibernation temperature is 4°C.
If hedgehogs hibernate when it is still too warm, they risk using up their fat stores too quickly.
How do hedgehogs prepare for hibernation?
Hedgehogs preparing for hibernation are focused on two key things: food and shelter. They need to eat as much as possible to ensure their body weight is high enough to allow them to hibernate without food for a long period of time, and they need a safe warm place to rest undisturbed.
As such, hedgehogs preparing to hibernate are often out and about at night searching for food, a good nesting location, and nesting materials.
How you can help hedgehogs to hibernate safely
To help hedgehogs prepare for winter you can take the following steps:
1. Leave out a bowl of cat food and a shallow dish of water to provide hedgehog with an easy and reliable source of calories to help bulk their weight up prior to hibernation
2. Leave piles of leaves in the corner of the garden – not only can hedgehogs take this away for their bedding, they may even decide your garden is a good location to hibernate. You can even buy a special hedgehog house if you like.
3. Don’t use slug pellets and other toxins in the garden. Even if hedgehogs don’t eat the pellets themselves they may eat slugs and snails and absorb the toxins that way
4. Don’t feed hedgehogs milk as this causes diarrhoea and dehydration – a dangerous problem for a hedgehog that needs to keep its weight up for hibernation
5. Create a hedgehog highway by making a hole in your wall or garden fence (ask your neighbour’s permission first!) – this will expand the area of easily reachable land for hedgehogs to hunt food in.
6. Leave hedgehogs well alone – picking them up and attempting to weigh them – even if well-intentioned – cause unnecessary stress. If you are concerned about a hedgehog’s welfare please call a hedgehog rescue for advice before attempting to touch or move the hedgehog.
Our last tip is to always leave a hibernating hedgehog alone. If you do accidentally disturb a hedgehog nest cover it back up immediately with a thick layer of leaves then leave it alone.