Over winter, most hedgehogs will be hiberntating but they may rouse from time to time during mild weather to forage for food or change nests. Any disturbance could be extremely harmful.
By March hedgehogs will begin to emerge from hibernation in spring, having potentially lost a third of their body weight. That will be the perfect time to start putting out supplementary food and water as they’ll need it!
In the meantime, there’s a new update on the Hedgehog Highways Campaign with lots of useful tips for making our gardens ready for the spring – and the hedgehogs’ arousal from hibernation.
Medway Urban Greenspaces Forum 