What to do when you find a cute hedgehog?

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the essentials in brief

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

Evidence 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 of important preparations for the winter. Fat reserves are to be fed and cozy quarters for them Hibernation is not ready for occupancy overnight. This time of year is the best time to find the cute ones Spiked bearer watch live in the garden during the day.

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For the rest of the year, gardeners rely on the following evidence to determine whether the demanding beneficial insects reward all efforts to create a natural garden with their hoped-for presence.

  • Solution in the garden: Feces 2-5 cm long, firm, pencil-thick, intense odor
  • 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 obtain final certainty about the presence of hedgehogs in the garden, inquisitive gardeners become hobby trackers. Hedgehog feet leave unmistakable traces on damp earth or in the snow. The sole walkers have 5 toes each on the front and rear feet, whereby the innermost toe is not always easy to recognize as a thumbprint. A foot is approximately 28 mm wide and 25 mm long. The picture below shows typical hedgehog tracks.

Traces of a hedgehog

Hedgehog found - what to do?

At first glance, the joy is great when a hedgehog is found on the way or at home in the garden. 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 features indicate when you should really help a hedgehog. The following information provides brief and concise information on how to identify hedgehogs in need of help:

  • Emaciated body: elongated figure, sunken flanks, long-legged gait, sunken eyes
  • Makes strange noises: coughs or gasps
  • 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 it is a sick or injured hedgehog? Then gently pick up the animal with a cloth or gloves and turn it on its back. If the hedgehog does not immediately curl up into a ball and its stomach feels much colder than your hand, it is missing something. There is an urgent need for action. How to do it correctly:

  • Note the location and time of discovery
  • Lay out a cardboard tile with newspaper
  • Put the suffering hedgehog in it
  • Transport to the nearest vet

If the veterinary practice does not have an office hour at the moment, please contact a hedgehog care station.

Care for a hedgehog found - this is how it works

Under certain circumstances it may be necessary that you have to take a hedgehog to 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 are well suited as nest material. Cut a hole in each box as an entrance and exit. Ideally, you should place both boxes in the bathtub. Finally, fill two shallow bowls with fresh water (no milk) and cat food.

With the help of the food provided, you can judge whether the hedgehog is sick or starving. A sick animal does not touch the food. A young, small hedgehog weighing 500 grams consumes around 150 grams of wet food within a day. An adult hedgehog weighing around 1000 grams has eaten 200 grams of wet food by the next day.

This information is helpful for the veterinarian or employees of a hedgehog care station for the competent care of the prickly boulder.

Feed the hedgehog

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

Warm up hypothermic hedgehogs

The time of discovery in winter and a noticeably cold hedgehog belly indicate hypothermia. Before going to other relief measures, the animal must urgently be warmed up. Fill a hot water bottle with lukewarm water. Place the hedgehog on it and give it a lot of rest for now.

An injured and sick hedgehog belongs immediately to the care of a veterinarian.

Feeding hedgehogs properly - tips for the menu

In spring and summer, nature has set the table for hungry hedgehogs. Lush plant growth goes hand in hand with myriads of insects and worms, which insectivores appreciate very much. Feed 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 unexpected 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 should not be on the plate:

Suitable hedgehog food Indestructible for hedgehogs
Dry hedgehog feed milk
cat food Yoghurt, quark and similar dairy foods
oatmeal All kinds of fruit
Wheat bran raw beef, pork or poultry meat
unsalted peanuts Canned dog food with lots of sauce
scrambled eggs
unseasoned, seared minced meat

As long as there is a food shortage in the wild, provide the recommended feed. Small hedgehogs' hearts beat faster when you combine the various ingredients in a tasty way. A combination of 100 grams of canned cat food is very popular with prickly gourmets, 2 Tablespoon of oatmeal or dry hedgehog food and 1 tablespoon of scrambled eggs, prepared with a little Sunflower oil.

Please offer the food on a flat plate or coaster. Choose the location so that the feeding station is protected from other animals. Don't forget to give water to the hungry guests. To do this, add 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 proven Hedgehog in the garden their presence is a headache for inexperienced gardeners. The question arises as to 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 a view of numerous holes in beds and lawns. At this point we can give the all-clear. This is why hedgehogs are a blessing for every garden:

  • Pest eaters: 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 does not stay long in the hedgehog area

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 windfall, it is targeting the larvae and caterpillars in it.

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Function of the spines

Spikes act as a defensive weapon. A hedgehog has an average of 8,000 pointed, black and white spines available for the characteristic 'hedgehog'. If there is danger from predators such as dogs, cats, martens or foxes, the harried hedgehog will curl up into a spiked ball. For the sensitive snouts of the aggressors, this clever defense strategy is reason enough to run away as quickly as possible.

Settle prickly beneficial insects - this is how it works

hedgehog-in-the-garden

A self-built hedgehog house invites hedgehogs to stay

The fundamental importance of hedgehogs in the garden, coupled with their irresistible charm, arouses the gardener's desire to settle the prickly beneficial insects. So that the shy night owls feel in good hands, there are important criteria of the near-natural garden design that perfectly matches the natural habitat of the native mammals simulate.

Hedgehogs prefer to roam through slightly overgrown, richly structured green spaces such as orchards, cemeteries and house gardens in search of safe retreats. They feel at home wherever there is a rich supply of food, as well as 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 doesn't:

Inviting components Disgusting components
dense hedge made from native deciduous trees Concrete wall or chain-link fence(€ 49.90 at Amazon *) as an enclosure
Dry stone wall with flowering plants sealed garden areas
Pile of leaves, piles of stones with cavities meticulously tidy beds
Deadwood pile or Benjes hedge Use of pesticides
Hedgehog house (self-built or bought ready-made) few flowering shrubs and trees
rotten wood as a source of insects Gravel beds and rock gardens
Fruit trees with windfalls rich in insects
open grassy areas with worms and white grubs
barrier-free property access
Feeding places when there is a shortage of food

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The more natural sources of food a garden has to offer, the faster hedgehogs will settle in it. Wherever insects, larvae and earwigs frolic in flocks, the court animals are not far away.

Tips

As a prologue for the hedgehog-friendly garden, we recommend creating a heap of leaves for hedgehogs. On a base area of ​​2 mx 2 m, stack branches or split timber 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 fixed with coniferous branches or fir fronds.

Courting encouraged - catching prohibited

In view of the beneficial benefits, please do not be tempted to capture and breed hedgehogs in order to keep 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 catch the industrious insectivores. However, there is nothing to be said against using hedgehog-friendly landscaping to attract visitors.

Digression

Beware of fleas!

Hedgehogs have fleas in their luggage. Not only moles, birds or mice carry fleas with them as stowaways. Hedgehogs are also among the main hosts of annoying pests. So that no Fleas spreading in the garden by hedgehogs, you should thoroughly clean a hedgehog house at least twice a year: in the spring, when Hedgehogs have left their winter quarters and in autumn, when the hedgehog kindergarten has been closed and winter is no longer far off is. 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 should a dead hedgehog be disposed of?

Hedgehogs are small animals and can be buried in the garden without special permission. As an alternative, you can hand in the carcass at the regional animal disposal center. Not very respectful, but disposal is allowed in the Organic waste bin. In this context, please note that disposing of deceased animals in the residual waste is punishable by a fine as an administrative offense.

How do hedgehogs overwinter in the garden?

In order for hedgehogs to survive the lack of food during the winter, they go into hibernation from November to April. As winter quarters, the mammals look for a safe shelter in late autumn and convert 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 afflicted beneficial insects by creating piles of leaves and wood as retreats in the garden. The premium solution for the winter housing shortage is a cat-safe hedgehog house, either self-made or from a specialist retailer.

How long do hedgehogs stay in the garden?

Hedgehogs are wild animals that are true to their location. Wherever the insectivores like it, they stay for a lifetime. 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 insectivores are nocturnal and sleep during the day. With regular breathing movements, you can tell from spring to autumn that it is a sleeping hedgehog. It becomes more difficult when the barbed animal hibernates. From November to April hedgehogs curl up in a ball and only breathe very shallowly and barely noticeably 3 to 4 times per 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 German Armed Forces 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 award motto is skilfully illustrated, 'Democracy must be able to defend itself'.

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