In autumn hedgehogs look for a cosy hiding place for their hibernation.

Background information

Your garden is the ideal winter home for hedgehogs

4.11.2016

Translation: machine translated

If you want to help this little animal get through the winter, you can create an easily accessible garden that offers food and shelter. Hedgehogs will find plenty of nesting places under bushes and hedges. You can also build shelters for the animals by placing piles of dead leaves in sheltered spots, for example. Find out more about the ideal hedgehog-friendly garden here.

A helping hand before hibernation

So that the hedgehog can still build up its reserves before hibernation, you can offer it tinned cat food or unseasoned scrambled eggs in a flat feeder. To protect the food from birds and rain, place it preferably in the evening in a small box with small access holes measuring at least 10 x 10 cm. The feeder should always be kept clean to avoid the risk of hedgehogs contaminating each other. Clean the feeder every day. Preferably place it on newspaper, which you replace daily. When it's freezing or snowing, interrupt feeding so as not to keep the hedgehog artificially awake, as lack of food is a major trigger for hibernation.

Natural winter quarters for hedgehogs

Hedgehogs build their nests under thorny scrub, piles of dead leaves, in hedges or also in tree root cavities. There are many ways to provide natural shelter for hedgehogs. Don't clean up your garden completely in autumn. You can help hedgehogs build their nests by leaving dead leaves in the garden under bushes and hedges, or even by piling up leaves or cut pieces of wood as nest material in protected areas of your garden.

The pile of branches

You can make piles of branches of any size. It's important to make sure you alternate thin and thick branches on the pile. This will result in different areas with small and large spaces.
The pile of branches should be at least 50 cm high for the hedgehog and have a diameter of around 150 cm. The cavities should be large enough for a hedgehog to nestle in. Since all wood piles decompose over time and eventually collapse, add new branches every year.

The pile of dead leaves

A pile of dead leaves is quick to make - simply pile the dead leaves to form a heap at least 50 cm high, lay a layer of branches or wire on top so that the leaves don't blow away, and the winter quarter is ready! The pile should be at least 50 cm in diameter. The larger the pile of dead leaves, the better the thermal insulation. On top of the pile of dead leaves, you can also add a layer of fleece.

The compost

In order to obtain good potting soil, your compost needs to be moist and aerated. Shred green waste preferably into small pieces and mix wet, sticky material with dry material of varying structures. Composters you buy often have a ventilation flap. If you leave it open, the hedgehog will curl up to sleep in the compost. Hedgehogs like to crouch under fleece. So if you store the compost under a fleece, then you'll need to be careful when removing or turning the compost.

The hedge

If you trim dense hedges only in spring, hedgehogs may seek shelter there themselves for the winter. To do this, also leave the dead leaves heaped up near your hedges here where they will remain sheltered from the wind.