“If you build, it they will come” – not originally referring to hedgehogs, but I was hoping it would still hold true. Following my previous post about attempts to feed hedgehogs mainly ending with success at feeding neighbouring cats, I got some very helpful suggestions via Twitter. Probably the most helpful was from Paula who suggested I try out the instructions for building your own feeding station on Little Silver Hedgehog’s excellent blog (https://littlesilverhedgehog.wordpress.com/2016/06/20/build-a-hedgehog-feeding-station/)
The idea behind the feeding station is simple enough – provide a safe place for the hedgehog to eat with an entrance hole too small for the cats to get in. I’m not the most DIY-minded person, but thought I could just about manage this! So one plastic box, a pair of scissors, some sticky tape and a brick later, this was the result!
It may not be a build of great architectural beauty, but I was hoping the hedgehogs wouldn’t be too bothered by the aesthetics (or the choice of reading material I’d lined the bottom with). The catfood went at one end and the trail cam was set up and I just had to wait for morning to see if it worked.
In the morning I was really chuffed to find that the food had all been eaten – of course the question was – Who or What ate it? Trail cam footage first showed the usual cunning cat peering at the box and looking mildly annoyed that it couldn’t get to the food. Then at about 12:40 am the hedgehog appeared to view my handiwork for the first time.
He or she was cautious at first, peering in and eating some food near the entrance.
Then followed a few more nervous entries into the box until by 3am our hedgehog was striding in and going straight for the food. Clearly his or her confidence was such that by the morning all the food had gone.
I am so pleased with this – it has way exceeded my expectations, especially for a first night trial. I’ve stocked up on catfood and hopefully this success will continue throughout the summer. The only slightly annoying thing is that my trail cam will only record 15 seconds at a time when in night-time mode, but I can live with that.
I can’t thank Little Silver Hedgehog enough for her excellent advice (do check out her blog for all things hedgehog related https://littlesilverhedgehog.wordpress.com/) and Paula on Twitter for pointing me in the right direction in the first place. Social media working at its best!
2021 update – Please note that since I wrote this blog, concern has been raised about feeding hedgehogs with mealworms. It is no longer considered advisable to feed hedgehogs with mealworms. The concern is that hedgehogs that eat a lot of mealworms could develop a condition called Metabolic Bone Disease. So please just stick to either meaty cat or dog food, dry cat food or a good quality (i.e. high protein content) hedgehog food.
Too Lazy To Weed 
So pleased you found the blog useful and great to see it being put into action and with such a fantastic result!
LikeLike
I’m just so pleased I found your blog – you’ve got so much useful info on there for the hedgehogs – brilliant!
LikeLike
Brilliant. Well done. I am now encouraged to try.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, but I can’t take credit – it was all thanks to the instructions on Little Silver Hedgehog’s blog. You should definitely give it a go though – very easy and well worth it.
LikeLike
Pingback: Hedgehog Feeding Station – littlesilverhedgehog
Wonderful! 🙂
LikeLike
My plastic box feeder (under the bed shape) has been in situ for 4 nights but our new resident hog( about 2 weeks) has not used it. He was feeding g every night from an open dish but with so many neighbourhood cats we had to look for an alternative. Any suggestions as to how to encourage him?
LikeLike
Hi Maggie. My hedgehogs seem to have gone off the plastic box a bit too – maybe it’s the weather. They do go mad for dried mealworms – maybe you could try a few of those in the box? The cats won’t eat them at least!
LikeLike
Hi! Thanks for getting back to me. Ihave put a trail of mealworms from the entrance to the bowl but it hasn’t worked.
LikeLike
In my hedgehog group the rehabbers and all advice is NOT to give them mealworm,it can kill them. Please change this advice as others are following it. Thank you.
LikeLike
Hi Jackie, thanks for your comment. My apologies for still having reference to mealworms on the blog. When I wrote that post originally I was not aware of the advice about mealworms and I’d forgotten it was there. I have now removed reference to them in thise blog post and added an update at the end of the post to advise against them. I’ve also added the same into the comments. And I’ve searched the rest of Too Lazy To Weed and removed a couple of other early references to mealworms on other posts. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Nicky
LikeLike
A little trail of mealworms worked for us, but make sure you put them out after the blackbirds and robins have gone to bed. We also found that we had to put more bricks and a chicane around the feeding station as found cats in box
LikeLike
Well hopefully it’s a good sign that your hedgehog is getting enough food elsewhere? Have you tried asking the lady at Little Silver Hedgehog for some tips – that’s where I got advice from in the first place – https://littlesilverhedgehog.wordpress.com/ The main thing is probably that the food is there if your hedgie needs it, so don’t give up.
LikeLike
Reassuring thanks😀
LikeLike
Why have you put newspaper in there?? Just wondering, I know when I feed my hedgehogs I have loads of slugs there as well and its putting me off feeding the hogs because it is encouraging the slugs 😦
LikeLike
Hi. I was pretty much copying everything that “Little Silver Hedgehog” did on her blog. She’d suggested lining with newspaper and it certainly made it much easier to clean out each morning. Just whip out the old paper and line it with fresh stuff. The hedgehogs didn’t seem to mind it and we don’t get too many slugs.
LikeLike
Try sprinkling diatamatious earth on the ground around the feeding station and around the feed bowl to deter the slugs
LikeLike
Wow never heard of that – thanks.
LikeLike
I feed hogs in a box just like yours and I have at least 4 different ones eating every night. I bought a cat weekend feeder and adapted it so it would work standing up and it dispenses over 5 days for when I am away and of course it’s ok if it rains. If you use a mixture of mealworms and dry cat food and trail it to the box, it should work. My hogs are really happy and barge in every time. Good luck
LikeLike
Thanks Cath. That’s a great idea re the cat weekend feeder, I might try that next time we are away.
LikeLike
The local moggies used to streeeeeetch in and hook the bowl to the entrance, so I made an L- shaped tunnel out of odd pieces of wood, which has flummoxed them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Please note that it is no longer considered advisable to feed hedgehogs with mealworms. The concern is that hedgehogs that eat a lot of mealworms could develop a condition called Metabolic Bone Disease. So please just stick to either meaty cat or dog food, dry cat food or a good quality (i.e. high protein content) hedgehog food.
LikeLike