The hedgehog, the indispensable animal of the garden, friend of the gardener
The life of the European hedgehog is full of pitfalls, but it’s a precious garden helper,
so if you find one in your garden, don’t hunt it away!
It’s to know that it has been protected by law since April 17, 1981.
It is not harmful, on the contrary, it will help you protect your garden from various insects.
Indeed, in its presence, harmful insects disappear, since the small mammal feeds on them.
It has an exceptional sense of hearing and smell which enables it to easily detect its prey.
The hedgehog feeds mainly on: locusts, grasshoppers, slugs, snails, worms, cockchafers,
weevils, millipedes, etc.
In other words, it eats all the pests that damage your plants and vegetables!
We can all make our garden welcoming for this small mammal by simple actions to
preserve its habitat and ensure its safety.
And this is very important at the moment because the hedgehog is going into hibernation,
which is why it is important to build a cosy little nest for it to spend the winter.
This is what we did in Saissac, in the Montagne Noire, at the La Porte d’Autan campsite,
by building two small shelters in quiet areas of the campsite.
A hedgehog-friendly garden is an ecological garden! Which is exactly our case
because Camping La Porte d’Autan is a refuge for the League for the Protection of Birds ” LPO “, committed to Zero Phyto ….
We hope that he will find his happiness with us and that we will have the joy of making his acquaintance in the spring.
Making a simple shelter
A simple upside down box, covered with leaves, with a 15 cm wide entrance can be enough to accommodate the hedgehog. Cover the box with branches and dead leaves. This gîte should be set up in a quiet place, sheltered from prevailing winds, direct sunlight and rain (under a hedge, against a wall), with the entrance facing south-east if possible. Do not put any material inside the gîte. Let him bring his own hay and grass for the construction of his nest.