If a hedgehog finds its way to your yard, there are numerous things to take into account regarding its care and feeding.
The hedgehog may have been abandoned and requiring care and attention; or it may just be looking for some bites to eat and a safe place to sleep.
If you’d like to, you can leave this little fella some food and water. You should also consider adding bridges over your ponds, avoid using pesticides, etc., to make your garden more ‘hedgehog friendly,’ and safer.
Also, you could use small fences or tomato cages to try and contain garden damage (given those spikes!).
Is It Lucky to Have a Hedgehog in Your Garden?
The presence of a hedgehog in your garden may be considered lucky – or unlucky – for whoever you choose to ask.
Are you a fan of hedgehogs?
A great many people find these harmless animals quite cute. If you like hedgehogs and you are visited by one, then you are indeed lucky!
I Have a Hedgehog in My Garden, What Do I Do?
Provide Them with Food and Water
If you’re asking yourself ‘I have a hedgehog in my garden, what do I do?’, first off, you can always provide them with some food and water!
Hedgehogs mainly eat insects and will enjoy any wet cat or dog food. Just be aware that the smell might attract other nighttime creatures!
Many people find that it’s easiest to feed a hedgehog of their yard when it is in some sort of shelter. It can be a shelter that is big enough for only a hedgehog!
Make Sure Hedgehog Visitors Can Get Out of Your Yard
You might be tempted to fence your yard to help encourage your hedgehog friend to stay.
As wildlife, this is going to stress the hedgehog out.
The fact is that hedgehogs are use to traveling as much as a kilometer a night. It is an active and free-spirited animal!
Garden Carefully
Hedgehogs enjoy hiding themselves in leaves, dirt, and any other loose material.
If you have a hedgehog in your yard, it means you must garden with intention.
You wouldn’t want to accidentally hit the little guy with a tool!
Don’t Use Pesticides as These Can Be Harmful
If you’ve seen a hedgehog in your yard we would recommend not using any pesticides of any kind.
Hedgehogs (and all sorts of critters!) can become very sick if they eat something with pesticide on it, or if they absorb it through their skin!
Recommendation: Try an all-natural, hedgehog-friendly option; like Neem Oil.
Remove Any Nets in Your Garden
If you have nets in your garden, and a hedgehog appears then you would want to take the nets down.
Hedgehogs are a bit ungainly and clumsy and can easily get caught up or stuck in nets because of all those spines.
Instead, you might want to consider safeguarding your garden from pets and critters by using tomato cages, fences, or some other type of enclosure!
Provide a Bridge or Beach for Your Pond
If you own a pond, you may consider putting in a bridge or beach for your hedgehog visitor.
Though hedgehogs are strong swimmers, there is the possibility that if they climbed or fell in, it may not have been so easy for them to get back out;
this even opens the chance of a strange, but possible drowning threat.
Instead, ensure they have dry land that can accessible easily, and a bridge, if they choose, to cross!
Do Hedgehogs Ruin Gardens?
At times, hedgehogs can inadvertently damage plants in your garden.
Because they are so spiky, it’s unavoidable that they will poke the odd leaf every now and then as they search for an inviting place to take a nap and/or a potential snack!
If you want to inhibit hedgehogs from unwittingly damaging your most sensitive, leafy plants, you can always add some fencing around them.
This applies also to plants you would want to protect even from being eaten, like daisies, buttercips, or yaro!
Hedgehogs are Nocturnal
Did you know hedgehogs are nocturnal?
That’s probably why you don’t see them often! Even just a glance of this adorable, bizarre-looking animal can be exciting!
A hedgehog outdoor foraging at night is easily more curious or looking for food than anything else!
If you see one outside during the day that’s a different story! A hedgehog out during the day could indicate that they are hurt or ill.
Have you noticed? Look out for signs of illness in hedgehogs, such as lethargy, flies buzzing about them and looking unkempt. They may need to be picked up and taken to a rehabilitator!
Final Words
So if you’re wondering, “What do I do? I have a hedgehog in my garden,” now you know!
You can either leave them be, or offer the little guy some food and water.
You may also consider protecting your more delicate plants, just in case, as this is a small risk!