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 help hedgehogs in emergency situations.

If a hedgehog is found in the garden, it can be made available in the feed

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. circumstantial
  3. hedgehog found
  4. care for hedgehogs
  5. feed hedgehogs
  6. Good or bad?
  7. Settle in the garden
  8. Catch forbidden
  9. frequently asked Questions

    10. the essentials in brief

    • Hedgehogs give away their existence through holes in the lawn, droppings and sniffing noises in the evening
    • A hedgehog should only be cared for if it really needs help, i.e. if it is sick or very emaciated
    • Hedgehogs can be fed cat food, fruit, scrambled eggs, or oatmeal
    • Leaving dead wood and leaves lying around in autumn provides hedgehogs with winter quarters

    Evidence of hedgehogs in the garden

    In autumn, nocturnal hedgehogs dare to come out of cover during the day for a short time. Now the animal diary is full to bursting with important preparations for the winter. Fat reserves have to be fed on and a cozy quarter for hibernation is not ready overnight. At this time of the year, you have the best chance of observing the cute spiny bears live in the garden during the day.

    For the rest of the year, gardeners depend on the following indicators to determine whether the demanding beneficial insects are rewarding all efforts to create a natural garden with their desired presence.

    • solution in the garden: Feces 2-5 cm long, firm, pencil-thick, strong odor
    • holes in the garden: 2 cm small indentations in the lawn or bed
    • Sniffing noises in the evening: audible sniffing of the pointed nose in the quiet, dark garden

    Inquisitive gardeners become hobby trackers in order to get the final certainty about the presence of hedgehogs in the garden. Hedgehog feet leave unmistakable tracks on damp earth or in the snow. The sole walkers have 5 toes each on the front and rear feet, whereby the innermost toe, as a thumbprint, is not always easy to recognize. A foot is approximately 28mm wide and 25mm long. The picture below visualizes typical hedgehog tracks.

    Hedgehog found - what to do?

    The joy is great at first when a hedgehog is found on the road or at home in the garden. Uncertainty quickly joins the enthusiasm about the unexpected encounter: Is the hedgehog in trouble? Is he alright or does he need my help? By no means all hedgehogs found are dependent on human support. Unique characteristics indicate when you really should help a hedgehog. The following information provides a brief and concise way of recognizing hedgehogs in need of help:

    • Emaciated body: elongated build, sunken flanks, high-legged gait, sunken eyes
    • Makes weird noises: coughs or wheezes
    • abnormal movements: staggers, limp, does not move or hardly moves
    • injuries: visible injuries, bleeding spots
    • cub: found during the day, eyes closed, orphaned

    Do you suspect that it is a sick or injured hedgehog? Then gently pick up the animal with a cloth or gloves and turn it onto its back. If the hedgehog doesn't immediately roll up into a ball and its stomach feels much colder than your hand, it's missing something. There is an urgent need for action. How to proceed correctly:

    • Record 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 has no office hours at the moment, please contact a hedgehog care station.

    Maintain found hedgehogs - this is how it works

    Under certain circumstances it may be necessary for you to take in a found hedgehog overnight. As temporary quarters, pad a cardboard box that is as large as possible with newspaper. A slightly smaller box acts as a nest. Torn kitchen paper or newspaper is a good nest material. Cut a hole in each box for entry and exit. Ideally, you should place both boxes in the bathtub. Finally, fill two shallow bowls with fresh water (no milk) and canned cat food.

    You can use the food provided to judge whether the hedgehog is sick or starving. A sick animal does not touch the food. A young, small hedgehog that weighs just 500 grams consumes around 150 grams of wet food in one day. An adult hedgehog weighing about 1000 grams has consumed 200 grams of wet food by the next day.

    This information is helpful for veterinarians or staff at a hedgehog sanctuary to provide expert care for the spiny boulder.

    If the hedgehog eats enough, that is usually a sign that it is healthy

    Warming up a hypothermic hedgehog

    Time of discovery in winter and a palpably cold hedgehog stomach indicate hypothermia. Before you turn to other relief measures, the animal needs to be warmed up as a matter of urgency. Fill a hot water bottle with lukewarm water. Lay the hedgehog on it and give it a lot of rest.

    An injured and sick hedgehog needs immediate care from a veterinarian.

    Feed hedgehogs properly - tips for the menu

    In spring and summer, nature has set the table richly for hungry hedgehogs. Lush plant growth is accompanied by a myriad of insects and worms, which insectivores greatly appreciate. Feeding during the growing season is redundant, 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:

    Appropriate hedgehog food Bad for hedgehogs
    hedgehog dry food milk
    cat food Yoghurt, quark and similar dairy foods
    oatmeal all kinds of fruit
    wheat bran raw beef, pork or poultry
    unsalted peanuts Canned dog food with lots of sauce
    scrambled eggs
    unseasoned, seared ground beef

    As long as there is a food shortage in the wild, provide the recommended feed. Little hedgehog hearts beat faster when you combine the various ingredients in a tasty way. A combination of 100 grams of canned cat food, 2 tablespoons of oat flakes 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 in such a way that the feeding place is protected from other animals. Don't forget to give water to hungry guests. For this purpose, place a shallow bowl with fresh water, which you change daily. On this occasion, the entire feeding area is thoroughly cleaned to protect against mould, rot and parasites.

    Hedgehogs - good or bad for the garden?

    When hedgehogs have been shown to be romping about in the garden, their presence causes headaches for inexperienced gardeners. The question is whether hedgehogs have a positive or negative influence on the cultivation of ornamental and useful plants. In the foreground is the fear of damage, especially in view of the 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:

    • pesticide: Hedgehogs primarily eat plant-damaging insects, beetles, caterpillars, grubs and worms
    • floor aerator: in search of prey, pointed hedgehog noses loosen up the soil wonderfully
    • garden police: Carrion doesn't stay in the hedgehog's territory for long

    A look at their menu shows that hedgehogs are not vegetarians. The lovable garden dwellers do not eat fruit, vegetables or flowers. When a hedgehog devotes itself to the fallen fruit, it is after the larvae and caterpillars in it.

    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 'hedgehog'. When threatened by predators such as dogs, cats, martens or foxes, the harassed hedgehog rolls up into a spiked ball. For the sensitive snouts of the aggressors, this clever defense strategy is reason enough to flee as quickly as possible.

    Settle prickly 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, makes the gardener want to settle the prickly beneficial insects. In order for the shy night owls to feel that they are in good hands, important criteria for the natural garden design that perfectly simulate the natural habitat of the native mammals are important.

    Hedgehogs like to roam through slightly overgrown, richly structured green areas such as meadow orchards, cemeteries and house gardens in search of safe retreats. They feel at home wherever there is a rich supply of food and a refuge for the rearing of the young and an undisturbed hibernation. The following table summarizes what belongs in a hedgehog-friendly garden and what does not:

    Inviting components Annoying Components
    dense hedge of native deciduous trees Concrete wall or chain link fence (34.49€) as enclosure
    Dry stone wall with flowering plants sealed garden areas
    Heaps of leaves, heaps of stones with cavities meticulously tidy beds
    Dead wood pile or Benjes hedge use of pesticides
    Hedgehog house (self-built or ready-made) few flowering perennials and shrubs
    rotten wood as a source of insects gravel beds and rock gardens
    Fruit trees with insect-rich fallen fruit
    open grass areas with worms and grubs
    barrier-free property access
    Feeding stations when food is scarce
    youtube

    The more natural food sources a garden has to offer, the faster hedgehogs will settle in it. Where insects, larvae and earwigs cavort in droves, the wooed prickly animals are not far away.

    tips

    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 in such a way that a cavity of 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm is created. This cavity is covered with a large quantity of autumn leaves and fixed with needle sticks or pine fronds.

    Courting encouraged - no catching

    Given its beneficial benefits, please do not be tempted into capturing and breeding hedgehogs for use in the garden. As an endangered species, hedgehogs are subject to the Nature Conservation Act. It is strictly forbidden to disturb or even capture the hard-working insectivores. However, there is nothing wrong with attracting your visit with a hedgehog-friendly garden design.

    digression

    Attention fleas!

    Hedgehogs have fleas in their luggage. Not only moles, birds or mice carry fleas around with them as stowaways. Hedgehogs are also among the main hosts of the annoying pests. To prevent hedgehogs from spreading fleas in the garden, you should thoroughly clean a hedgehog house at least twice a year: in the spring, when hedgehogs have left their winter quarters, and in the fall, when the hedgehog nursery has been closed and winter is not far off. As a precaution, do not dispose of the nesting material on 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. As an alternative, you can hand in the carcass to the regional animal disposal center. Disposal in the organic waste bin is not pious, but allowed. In this context, please note that the disposal of deceased animals in the residual waste is punished as an administrative offense with a fine.

    How do hedgehogs hibernate 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 safe shelter in late autumn and expand it into a temperature-insulated, well-padded nest. However, many hedgehogs face housing shortages before winter because their natural habitats are shrinking and hedgehog-friendly gardens are scarce. You can help the beleaguered beneficial insects by creating piles of leaves and wood in the garden as retreats. A premium solution for the winter housing shortage is a cat-proof hedgehog house, either self-made or from specialist retailers.

    How long do hedgehogs stay in the garden?

    Hedgehogs are sedentary wild animals. Where the insectivores like it, they stay for a lifetime. Life expectancy is between 3 and 7 years, depending on the hazardous situation at the site. 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 in the garden or has died?

    It is not uncommon for gardeners to come across sleeping hedgehogs while caring for plants. The hard-working insectivores are nocturnal and sleep during the day. From spring to autumn, you can tell from regular breathing movements that it is a sleeping hedgehog. It becomes more difficult when the spiny animal hibernates. From November to April, hedgehogs curl up into a ball and breathe very shallowly and barely perceptibly, only 3 to 4 times a minute. In contrast to the sleeping hedgehog, a deceased animal lies open and has no longer curled up.

    tips

    The Federal Association of Reservists in Germany honors outstanding publications on the subject of the Bundeswehr with the media prize Goldener Igel. In the early 1990s, the choice fell on the gold-colored logo because the hedgehog has stood for the values of peacefulness and defensiveness since ancient times. In this way, the prize motto is skilfully illustrated, 'Democracy must be able to defend itself'.

Category:

Animals in the garden