You want to do something for the prickly hedgehog and create a hedgehog-friendly garden. We'll show you what you should pay attention to if you want to integrate hedgehogs into your garden permanently and make them feel at home.

Hedgehog-friendly garden for the mammal

Hedgehogs are particularly active at night. They eat the odd ground beetle, spider or even the occasional snail. The hedgehog's diet consists primarily of animal food. This means that the hedgehog helps you to protect your garden from pests. You should therefore make your garden hedgehog-friendly so that the little guy feels at home.

Hedgehogs also offer you great adventure potential. You can watch them raise their young or make preparations for the winter. This is not only exciting, but also an experience that you can enjoy over and over again. All you have to do is make your garden hedgehog-friendly.

What does a hedgehog-friendly garden look like?

In no case overly neat and tidy. You should set up a special hedgehog corner in your garden. Here you will find brushwood, dead wood and lots of leaves. So don't just clear everything away in the fall, but leave some of it lying around. The hedgehog will not only find food here, but also shelter. In a sense, he thanks you for it - he lets you share in his life.

Best time to observe the hedgehog

During the day, you will hardly ever see this cute, prickly fellow. But as soon as dusk falls, the little fellow becomes active. With its keen sense of smell, it rummages around for food and companions. With its short legs, it scurries through your garden. You can make notes on the hedgehog's daily routine and thus recognize when he plans which activities.

Hedgehog-friendly garden - checklist

• Leave leaves and brushwood piles lying around
• Provide the hedgehog with winter quarters, possibly a purchased hedgehog house
• Plant native plants and shrubs wherever possible
• There should be a 10 x 10 cm opening in the fence so that the hedgehog can slip through
• Never burn down a pile of brushwood without moving it first
• Make sure your garden is poison-free
• Cover holes, pits and shafts
• Provide drinking water for the hedgehog in a shallow dish
• A garden pond should have a shallow area or an exit aid so that the hedgehog can get in and out on its own

How to attract hedgehogs to your garden

Hedgehogs protect themselves from the cold by seeking shelter in a hollow in the ground, under roots or in a pile of compost or leaves. You can help the hedgehog by not carefully removing leaves and brushwood. You can also build a hedgehog house or buy a ready-made one. These little things will attract the hedgehog to your garden and invite it to stay.

Hedgehogs in the garden - you should avoid them

Once a hedgehog has made itself at home in your garden, there are a few things you have to do without to make sure it stays. An English lawn and a garden that is always tidy are taboo. If possible, you should not leave your robotic lawnmower running at dusk or at night. Even when working with other electrical appliances, you should first check that you are not endangering any hedgehogs.