Best Hedgehog house

The hedgehog house: A safe hiding place for the hedgehogWho houses a hedgehog in his own garden can be pleased about the nice sight and is supported by this even in the fight against snails and insects: It eats caterpillars and other pests in large quantities and is therefore ideal for protecting crops from them. However, hedgehogs do not find suitable shelter in many gardens, especially if the surfaces are raked cleanly and the hedges are accurately cut. A hedgehog house offers the cute journeyman a place to live where he feels comfortable and can settle permanently in the garden. After all, the hedgehog uses the hedgehog house not only for hibernation, but also for the rest of the year. Neither cat nor bird of prey can harm him there. Hedgehog houses can be made by yourself, but they are also available in different designs. These vary from simple wooden houses to concrete shelters and noble ceramic hedgehog houses. Why set up a hedgehog house? The hedgehog enjoys a very special protection in Germany and may not be hunted. Nevertheless the hedgehog does not have it easy: The intensive agriculture offers him only few habitats, into which he can retreat to make his hibernation there. If the small and house gardens are tidied up, the hedgehog has little chance of retreating. A hedgehog house is an alternative to a pile of leaves and bushes, into which hedgehogs usually like to hide and serve as a feeding place, nursery, winter quarters or retreat. Tips for setting up a hedgehog houseIn the course of the year, the twilight-active hedgehog loves it when he can retreat into three different sleeping nests: 1. The summer sleeping place: This is simply a quiet and sheltered place that does not require a lot of equipment. 2. The littering place: This should be isolated and well protected so that the mother hedgehog can raise her offspring undisturbed from enemies. 3. The wintering grounds: This is where the hedgehog hibernates. The wintering grounds should be protected, but not too warm so that the hedgehog does not wake up until he finds something to eat again. The hedgehog house as a home for the hedgehogA purchased hedgehog house serves the hedgehog as a replacement if he cannot find a natural hiding place in the garden. If the hedgehog looks for a home, he gladly accepts it. The hedgehog house can serve the hedgehog as a safe place throughout the year: Here, it can sleep during the day, builds its nest for the boys in it or uses it for its hibernation. Whether the hedgehog house is made of wood, concrete or ceramic is relatively irrelevant to the hedgehog. More important for him is the right location. Tips for the location of the hedgehog houseThe hedgehog loves it quietly: place the hedgehog house in a garden corner where things are particularly quiet, such as under bushes. Place the hedgehog house so that the entrance is on the side facing away from the weather. Even if it rains, the hedgehog house must not stand in the water. A layer of gravel can serve as a drainage under the hedgehog house against moisture. So that the hedgehog can use its hedgehog house as a nursery and winter quarters, it should be safe against disturbances by dogs or cats. Care for the hedgehog houseIs the hedgehog house inhabited and the hedgehog inside, he does not want to be disturbed. If he uses his hedgehog house as winter quarters, it is not cleaned until the end of April with a brush and hot water. Do not use chemicals! Normally the hedgehog looks after his own accommodation. If the hedgehog is replaced by a shrew or an earth toad, the hedgehog will simply be given another hedgehog house. Normally every hedgehog looks for its own food, so that it does not need any additional feeding. If winter arrives early or spring is late, so that the hedgehog cannot find much food, he is happy about an additional food offer. Cleanliness in the hedgehog houseThe hedgehog’s hibernation finally ends in May and if the throwing time has not yet begun, the hedgehog house can be cleaned with hot water and a root brush. If the hedgehog’s house is then filled with fresh nesting material, the hedgehog moves in there again, takes care of its young and eagerly goes hunting for snails and other vermin in the garden.