5 tips for attracting hedgehogs to your garden

Adopting a hedgehog in your garden is a good idea, as this little mammal is a predator of many garden pests. It is therefore an effective way of controlling them in an environmentally-friendly way. However, it is important to remember that this is a protected species in France, so it is forbidden to capture it. But there's nothing to stop you attracting them by using the 5 tips we're going to look at, to make them feel at home in your garden. These include providing a safe environment in which it can roam, access to food and watering holes, shelter and a hedge.

Securing the garden and feeding

First of all, you need to make your garden safe by removing anything that could be a source of danger for the hedgehog. To this end, you should fill in any holes and regularly check the protective netting installed for vegetable garden plants. Gardening tools that could cause injury to hedgehogs should also be stored in a safe place. The hedgehog's many prickles are not enough to protect it. And if you own a swimming pool, you should prevent hedgehogs from accessing it by covering it with a tarpaulin, for example, at the end of the day. If he were to fall in, it would be fatal for him as he would then be unable to escape certain drowning unfortunately.

It's important that our little pet has the right food for its diet. Red fruit, pet food or even pieces of chicken or ham will be just right for him. However, you need to be careful to limit the amount of food he gets, to encourage him to take an interest in all the pests in the garden, such as slugs, snails and caterpillars. Once or twice a week is more than enough. On the other hand, certain foods should be avoided, such as milk, chocolate and bread, which are toxic to its health. It goes without saying that chemical and dangerous products should not be used. In addition, hedgehogs will appreciate having access to containers of water, which you can make available in various places around your property. This way, it will be able to quench its thirst in them on days when it is very hot, bearing in mind that it is very sensitive to heat.

Provide a shelter and hedge

A small wooden shelter spared from the wind and rain will allow it to rest during the day, after its evenings spent searching for its favourite prey. In this way, it helps to rid you of many of the pests that cause major damage to your plantations. You can buy this type of shelter in garden centres, or simply use a pile of wood. During the winter months, this is also where they can overwinter in peace and quiet, having built their nests from twigs gleaned nearby. That's why you have an excuse not to be overzealous about keeping your lawn tidy. This way, he'll have the opportunity to make use of any leaves and twigs he may find there, which are also very useful for building up his litter.

The presence of a hedge is a godsend for hedgehogs, as it will be able to shelter there from potential predators. Such an arrangement is sure to attract hedgehogs and help reassure them. They also need to be able to walk between the fences and into your garden. You can provide a passageway of around 10 cm in agreement with your neighbours, which is more than enough for them to slip through without difficulty. I refer you to this article to find out how to create a hedgehog shelter.