Increasing urbanization and the accompanying development of green and arable land, as well as deforestation, are robbing many animal species of their natural habitat. Birds, squirrels, wild hares, hedgehogs, or raccoons are affected, for example. In search of food and suitable nesting sites, these animals are increasingly drawn to urban areas. But even here they do not have it easy: there are too few trees in which they can build their nests or burrows and not enough green areas with wild shrubs to hide. Many therefore seek refuge in our gardens.
Therefore, to help animals survive, it is important to make our gardens wildlife-friendly and to be careful when gardening, especially in the fall and spring. Here we give you tips on how to provide a home for animals in your garden. All the following information come from Garten Tiere.
Help Hedgehogs During Hibernation
The hedgehog begins his hibernation when it gets colder outside in autumn. It can be said that hedgehogs look for safe places to hibernate in September and October – your garden is also an interesting place for the hedgehog. Small places under wood piles or in large piles of leaves are particularly popular. But hedgehogs also like to build their winter quarters in hedges, under fallen trees, in tree hollows or in cavities under sheds. It is important that they feel safe and undisturbed in this place. If you have a garden yourself, you should be careful not to tidy it up too much in winter. This could break a hedgehog’s nest and bring the sleeping hedgehog out of hibernation.
Help Squirrels to Find a Nesting Place
In urban areas today there are often not enough trees where squirrels can build their nests. So, it happens that they build their drey even sometimes on a balcony. If you want to offer squirrels a nesting opportunity yourself, you can easily do this in your garden by building them a hutch or buying a ready-made nest at a specialty store and hanging it in your garden. Squirrels like airy heights where they are largely safe from predators. So, pay attention to where you place the hutch, the lower the dwelling hangs, the greater the risk that cats or martens will raid the nest.
Help Birds During the Winter
In winter, the days become shorter and the nights longer. This means that birds have less time available for foraging. In addition, snow and cold often mean a food shortage and the familiar food is only available to a limited extent. We can help the birds in our garden through the winter by providing them with food, for example, titmouse dumplings. They are an excellent source of energy and protein because they contain a lot of fat. Especially in winter and in the breeding season they are a great way to provide fat food for your birds in the garden. They are easy to hang, quick to replenish and suitable for all bird species. You can of course also hang the tit dumplings in your garden all year round.
Not only does a pet-friendly garden help numerous species of animals, but it offers some benefits to you as well. For example, hedgehogs or moles eat many unwanted pets such as slugs or beetles, birds bring beautiful songs to your garden, and squirrels are cute acrobats that you can watch climb for hours.
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