5 tips to attract a hedgehog to your garden

Adopting a hedgehog in your garden is a good idea as this small mammal is a predator for many pests in the vegetable garden. It is therefore an effective way to fight against them in an ecological way. However, it should be noted that it is a protected species in France, and its capture is therefore prohibited. However, there is nothing to prevent you from attracting it by using the 5 tips we will discuss, so that it feels at ease in your garden. This includes providing a safe environment in which he can evolve, access to food and water, shelter and the establishment of a hedge.

Securing the garden and feeding

First of all, you should secure your garden by removing anything that could be a source of danger to 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 the hedgehog should also be stored in a safe place. Indeed, it is not the numerous prickles with which it is endowed that will be able to protect it. And if you own a swimming pool, you must prevent him from accessing it by putting a cover in place at the end of the day, for example. If he were to fall in, it would be fatal for him because he would not be able to escape a certain drowning unfortunately.

It is important that our small animal has a food adapted to its diet. Red fruits, pet food or pieces of chicken or ham will suit him perfectly. However, you should make sure that you 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 is obvious that chemical and dangerous products should not be used. Furthermore, the hedgehog will appreciate having access to water containers that you will put at his disposal in various places of your land. This will allow them to drink from them on hot days, as they are very sensitive to heat.

Provide a shelter and a hedge

A small wooden shelter, protected from the wind and rain, will allow him to rest during the day, after his evenings spent in search of his favourite preys. In this way, it will help you get rid of many pests that cause great damage to your plantations. This type of shelter can be purchased in a garden centre or you can simply use a pile of wood. During the winter months, it is also there that it will be able to overwinter in all peace, after having arranged its nest using twigs gleaned in the vicinity. This is why you have an excuse not to be overzealous about keeping your lawn clean. This way, your dog will have the opportunity to use the leaves and twigs it finds there, which are also very useful for its litter.

The presence of a hedge is a godsend for the hedgehog, insofar as it will be able to shelter from possible predators. Such an arrangement will certainly attract the hedgehog and contribute to its reassurance. It must also be possible for him to walk between the fences and reach your garden. You can thus foresee a passage of approximately 10 cm in good agreement with your neighbours, which is largely sufficient for him to slip in without difficulty.