When the food supply runs out in autumn, hedgehogs start looking for a place to hibernate. You can provide valuable assistance so that the cute beneficial insects can quickly find what they are looking for. We would be happy to explain to you how you can create the perfect winter quarters for hedgehogs using simple means.
How can hedgehogs overwinter in the garden?
To help hedgehogs overwinter in the garden, you can create a pile of leaves or build a hedgehog house. Make sure that the winter quarters are protected from cold, snow and rain, have a stable floor and entrance and contain sufficient nesting material.
From piles of leaves to mini hedgehog houses – hedgehogs are not picky
The most important criterion for the perfect winter quarters is reliable protection from cold, snow and rain. By piling up the swept leaves in a pile in the fall, you will make your prickly winter guests happy. Hobby gardeners with craftsmanship offer hedgehogs a touch of luxury with a shelter in the garden. The following criteria completely satisfy the frugal spiny animal:
- Stable, impermeable roof
- Entrance: 10 cm x 10 cm to a maximum of 15 cm x 15 cm
- Bedroom: surface dimensions 30 cm x 30 cm and larger
- Weatherproof floor on a wire mesh base to protect against attacks from the ground
- Straw or wood wool as nesting material, no sawdust or wood chips
If you use a disused wooden wine box as the starting material, this trick reduces the amount of work. You can build a hedgehog house for eternity out of bricks on a stone base.
Tip
Are you not sure if there is actually a hedgehog in your garden? Then his excrement gives a clear indication. Hedgehog droppings are pencil-thick, 2 to 5 cm long and tapered to a point. Since the spiny animals defecate while running, their droppings are spread over a large area and do not form piles. In contrast, martens leave behind an 8 to 10 cm long solution with a twisted tip.