MME calls attention to the protection of hedgehogs during spring gardening

(Photo: Pixabay)

According to the MME’s announcement on Thursday, the protected eastern hedgehog, which leads a nocturnal lifestyle, prefers piles of leaves and twigs piled up in gardens and parks for wintering and then as a daytime hiding place.

The females are also against this, so careless gardening can easily cause the destruction of entire families

In order to protect hedgehogs, it is recommended to turn the pile over from top to bottom, not with a pitchfork, but with the handle of a tool, then with a gloved hand. You should be especially careful during the hedgehog nesting season in May-June, when there may be blind and almost helpless cubs in the shelters for weeks. They also draw attention to the fact that we should never set fire to such piles. According to the announcement, if you find hedgehog nests when dismantling the pile of twigs, you should never collect the cubs and start raising them, but instead, pack a sufficiently thick layer of branches and leaves back onto the nest, and then leave the rest to the female. According to conservationists, it is worth waiting at least until (four to five weeks) before removing the pile of twigs until the cubs are strong enough to follow their mother hunting at night. If there is no possibility of postponing the work, it is worth creating an alternative hedgehog shelter nearby among the bushes from fallen leaves and twigs.

MTI