Hedgehogs are welcome guests in the garden. This guide explains in detail why this is the case and how you can make your green kingdom inviting for the cute spiny animals. Tried-and-tested tips get to the heart of how you can properly help hedgehogs in emergency situations.
Why are hedgehogs good for the garden and how do you attract them?
Hedgehogs are useful in the garden because they eat pests such as insects, beetles and caterpillars and loosen the soil. To attract hedgehogs, create hedgehog-friendly habitats with dense hedges, drystone walls, piles of leaves and rocks, and provide food and water.
Indications of hedgehogs in the garden
In autumn, nocturnal hedgehogs venture out of cover for a short time, even during the day. Now the animal calendar is full to the brim with important preparations for the winter. Fat reserves need to be replenished and cozy quarters for hibernation are not ready overnight. At this time of year there is the best chance of seeing the cute prickly bears live in the garden during the day.
The rest of the year, gardeners rely on the following indicators to determine whether the demanding beneficial insects reward all efforts to create a garden close to nature with their hoped-for presence.
- Solution in the garden: Feces 2-5 cm long, firm, pencil-thick, intense smell
- Holes in the garden: 2 cm small depressions in the lawn or bed
- Sniffing noises in the evening: audible sniffing of the pointed nose in the quiet, dark garden
In order to be absolutely certain about the presence of hedgehogs in the garden, inquisitive gardeners become amateur trackers. Hedgehog feet leave distinctive marks on damp earth or snow. The sole walkers have 5 toes each on their front and hind feet, although the innermost toe is not always easy to recognize as a thumbprint. One foot is approximately 28mm wide and 25mm long. The image below visualizes typical hedgehog tracks.
Hedgehog found – what to do?
At first there is great joy when a hedgehog is found in the garden while out and about or at home. The excitement about the unexpected encounter is quickly joined by uncertainty: Is the hedgehog in distress? Is he okay or does he need my help? Not all hedgehogs found are dependent on human support. Clear characteristics indicate when you should really help a hedgehog. The following information briefly and concisely explains how to recognize hedgehogs in need of help:
- Emaciated body: elongated shape, sunken flanks, long-legged gait, sunken eyes
- Makes strange noises: coughs or wheezes
- Abnormal movements: staggers, limps, does not move or hardly moves
- Injuries: visible injuries, bloody spots
- Cub: found during the day, eyes closed, orphaned
Do you suspect that this is a sick or injured hedgehog? Then carefully pick up the animal with a cloth or gloves and turn it onto its back. If the hedgehog doesn't immediately curl up into a ball and its stomach feels significantly colder than your hand, something is missing. There is an urgent need for action. How to do it correctly:
- Note the location and time of discovery
- Line a cardboard box with newspaper
- Put the suffering hedgehog in it
- Transport to nearest vet
If the veterinary practice does not currently have consultation hours, please contact a hedgehog care station.
Care for a found hedgehog - this is how it works
Under certain circumstances, you may need to take a found hedgehog with you overnight. As a temporary accommodation, pad the largest possible cardboard box with newspaper. A slightly smaller box acts as a nest. Torn kitchen paper or newspaper is a suitable nesting material. Cut a hole in each box for an entrance and exit. Ideally, you should place both boxes in the bathtub. Finally, fill two shallow bowls with fresh water (not milk) and canned cat food.
Using the food provided, you can judge whether it is a sick or starving hedgehog. A sick animal will not touch the food. A young, small hedgehog weighing 500 grams eats around 150 grams of wet food within a day. An adult hedgehog weighing around 1000 grams will have eaten 200 grams of wet food by the next day.
This information is helpful for veterinarians or employees of a hedgehog care center for the expert care of the spiny boulder.
If the hedgehog eats enough, this is usually a sign that it is he althy
Warm up a hypothermic hedgehog
Time of discovery in winter and a noticeably cold hedgehog belly indicate hypothermia. Before embarking on other relief measures, the animal urgently needs to be warmed up. Fill a hot water bottle with lukewarm water. Place the hedgehog on it and give it a lot of rest.
An injured and sick hedgehog should be taken into the care of a veterinarian immediately.
Feeding hedgehogs correctly – tips for the menu
In spring and summer, nature has richly laid the table for hungry hedgehogs. Lush plant growth is accompanied by myriads of insects and worms, which insect eaters greatly appreciate. Feeding during the growing season is unnecessary, harmful and counterproductive. This does not apply to acute emergency situations in early spring or late autumn after an unforeseen onset of winter. Help emaciated hedgehogs by setting up feeding stations in the garden. The following table compares which food is suitable for small hedgehog stomachs and what has no place on the plate:
| Suitable hedgehog food | Unfriendly for hedgehogs |
|---|---|
| Dry hedgehog food | Milk |
| Cat food | Yoghurt, quark and similar dairy dishes |
| Oatmeal | Fruit of all kinds |
| Wheat bran | raw meat from beef, pork or poultry |
| uns alted peanuts | Canned dog food with lots of sauce |
| Scrambled eggs | |
| unseasoned, fried minced meat |
As long as there is a food shortage in the wild, provide the recommended feed. Little hedgehog hearts beat faster when you combine the different ingredients together in a tasty way. A combination of 100 grams of canned cat food, 2 tablespoons of oatmeal or dry hedgehog food and 1 tablespoon of scrambled eggs, prepared with a little sunflower oil, is very popular with prickly gourmets.
Please offer the food on a flat plate or coaster. Choose the location so that the feeding area is protected from other animals. Don't forget to give water to hungry guests. For this purpose, place a shallow bowl of fresh water, which you change daily. On this occasion, the entire feeding area is thoroughly cleaned to protect against mold, rot and parasites.
Hedgehogs – good or bad for the garden?
If hedgehogs are proven to be in the garden, their presence can cause headaches for inexperienced gardeners. The question is whether hedgehogs have a positive or negative influence on the cultivation of ornamental and useful plants. The focus is on the fear of damage, especially with regard to numerous holes in beds and lawns. At this point we can give the all-clear. That's why hedgehogs are a blessing for every garden:
- Pest exterminators: Hedgehogs primarily eat plant-damaging insects, beetles, caterpillars, grubs and worms
- Soil aerator: in search of prey, pointed hedgehog noses loosen up the soil wonderfully
- Garden Police: Carrion doesn't stay in hedgehog territory for long
A look at their diet shows that hedgehogs are not vegetarians. The lovable garden inhabitants do not eat fruit, vegetables or flowers. When a hedgehog looks at the fallen fruit, it targets the larvae and caterpillars inside.
Background
Function of the spines
Spikes act as a defensive weapon. A hedgehog has an average of 8,000 sharp, black and white spines at its disposal for the characteristic 'hedgehogling'. When threatened by predators such as dogs, cats, martens or foxes, the harassed hedgehog curls up into a spiked ball. For the sensitive noses of the aggressors, this clever defense strategy is reason enough to run away as quickly as possible.
Settling spiny beneficial insects – this is how it works
A self-built hedgehog house invites hedgehogs to stay
The fundamental importance of hedgehogs in the garden, coupled with their irresistible charm, awakens the gardener's desire to colonize the prickly beneficial insects. In order for the shy night owls to feel in good hands, important criteria of natural garden design are important, which perfectly simulate the natural habitat of the local mammals.
Hedgehogs like to roam through slightly overgrown, richly structured green areas, such as orchards, cemeteries and home gardens, in search of safe places to retreat. They feel at home wherever there is a rich supply of food as well as a refuge for raising their young and hibernating undisturbed. The following table summarizes what belongs in a hedgehog-friendly garden and what doesn't:
| Inviting components | Intimidating components |
|---|---|
| dense hedge made from native deciduous trees | Concrete wall or chain link fence as an enclosure |
| Dry stone wall with flowering plants | sealed garden areas |
| Pile of leaves, pile of stones with cavities | meticulously tidy beds |
| Dead wood pile or Benje hedge | Use of pesticides |
| Hedgehog house (self-built or bought ready-made) | few flowering perennials and trees |
| rotten wood as a source of insects | Gravel beds and rock gardens |
| Fruit trees with insect-rich windfalls | |
| open grassy areas with worms and grubs | |
| barrier-free property access | |
| Feeding points when there is a food shortage |
The more natural food sources a garden has to offer, the faster hedgehogs settle in it. Where insects, larvae and earwigs gather in droves, the courted spiny animals are not far away.
Tip
As a prologue to the hedgehog-friendly garden, we recommend creating a pile of leaves for hedgehogs. On a base area of 2 m x 2 m, stack branches or split wood so that a cavity of 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm is created. This cavity is covered with a large amount of autumn leaves and secured with coniferous twigs or pine fronds.
Courting desired – catching prohibited
In view of the blessings, please do not let yourself be tempted to catch and breed hedgehogs in order to keep them as beneficial insects in the garden. As an endangered species, hedgehogs are subject to the Nature Conservation Act. It is strictly forbidden to disturb or even capture these hard-working insect eaters. However, there is nothing wrong with attracting your visitors with a hedgehog-friendly garden design.
Excursus
Beware of fleas
Hedgehogs have fleas in their luggage. It's not just moles, birds and mice that carry fleas around as stowaways. Hedgehogs are also among the main hosts of annoying pests. To prevent fleas from spreading through hedgehogs in the garden, you should clean a hedgehog house thoroughly at least twice a year: in spring, when hedgehogs have left their winter quarters, and in autumn, when the hedgehog kindergarten has been closed and winter is not far off. As a precaution, do not dispose of the nesting material in the compost, but in the garbage can.
Frequently asked questions
The whole family is sad because we found a dead hedgehog in the garden. How to dispose of a dead hedgehog?
Hedgehogs are small animals and may be buried in the garden without special permission. Alternatively, you can hand the carcass over to the regional animal disposal center. Not very respectful, but it is allowed to dispose of it in the organic waste bin. In this context, please note that disposing of deceased animals in residual waste is punishable as an administrative offense with a fine.
How do hedgehogs overwinter in the garden?
In order for hedgehogs to survive the lack of food during the winter, they hibernate from November to April. As winter quarters, the mammals look for a safe shelter in late autumn and develop it into a temperature-insulated, well-padded nest. However, many hedgehogs are plagued by housing shortages before winter because their natural habitats are shrinking and hedgehog-friendly gardens are in short supply. You can help the beleaguered beneficial insects by creating piles of leaves and wood in the garden as places of refuge. The premium solution for the winter housing shortage is a cat-proof hedgehog house (€44.00 on Amazon), either self-made or from a specialist retailer.
How long do hedgehogs stay in the garden?
Hedgehogs are wild animals that are loyal to their location. Where insect eaters like it, they stay for their entire lives. The life expectancy is between 3 and 7 years, depending on the hazardous situation at the location. Unfortunately, there is a high death rate among baby hedgehogs. Up to 75 percent of young hedgehogs do not reach their first birthday.
How do I know if a hedgehog is sleeping or has died in the garden?
It is not uncommon for gardeners to come across sleeping hedgehogs while caring for plants. The hard-working insect eaters are nocturnal and sleep during the day. You can tell that it is a sleeping hedgehog based on regular breathing movements from spring to autumn. Things become more difficult when the spiny animal hibernates. From November to April, hedgehogs curl up into a ball and only breathe 3 to 4 times per minute, very shallow and barely noticeable. In contrast to the sleeping hedgehog, a deceased animal lies open and has no longer curled up.
Tip
The Federal Association of Reservists in Germany honors outstanding publications on the subject of the Bundeswehr with the Golden Hedgehog media prize. At the beginning of the 1990s, the gold-colored logo was chosen because the hedgehog has stood for the values of peacefulness and defensiveness since ancient times. In this way, the prize motto 'Democracy must be defensive' is skilfully illustrated.