Mice

[Chris Luck]

NO, they are part of a balanced system of predator and prey - works rather well when allowed to.

Chris

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

they are part of a balanced system of predator and prey
Chris

Until people start feeding them dog food etc
The 'natural'balanced system went askew years ago, we have been part of the balanced system for centuries but for the last few decades do-gooders have been tinkering unnecessarily: ergo population boom of foxes who also cannot any longer hunt naturally therefore have to scavenge and attack more vulnerable targets.
Rats, same - too much easy pickings left lying around especially in town centres.

 

[Chris Luck]

Just so cute and cuddly...

....the fox is quite nice as well.

Chris

 

[Phil Henry]

Cats!!! we used to get a serious mouse problem living in an old Victorian house with cellar, every winter in they came, now the cats rule, when see a mouse, but its either being played with or being eaten, also they keep the squirrel population down all that's left is a tail.

I still put down traps so cats cant get at them, not caught a mouse this year at all.

 

[Cazza]

21 mice caught in the garage since October. Have never caught more than 4-5 in Autumn before. They are after my pears and apples. It's war.

Cazza

Make that 23. Sigh.
C

 

[Luminos]

What you need is a Mousecrow, Cazza

 

[Chris Luck]

Come on, admit it, they are sweet.

Chris

 

[nikca]

Yes Chris,

Cute. Also cute: I have the second pair of Doormice (Loir, Glis Glis or OY- get out of the sugar bowl your furry little T**t!) just moved in to the kitchen...

If you think mice make a mess, these are large, cute mice on steroids. They seem to have gone under the tiles, through the roof boards, down the stud wall upstairs... along some floating floor, finally abseiling down somewhere behind the kitchen units a la "Mission Impossible".

One of the first things to go was a slab of fondant in the honey cupboard... Thankfully I found the first pair before they did too much damage when they found the sugar in the drawer under the coffee machine. I got a shock when I opened it to make my mum a coffee, and it was sat there like the rat on Fawlty Towers in the sugar bowl! Luckily they are relatively slow making capture by hand fairly easy (careful not to get bitten). I am not saying what happened next but they are sadly too cute to murder... or serve up with poppy seeds and honey (oh the irony...).

 

[Cazza]

What you need is a Mousecrow, Cazza

Very funny, I'll get started right away. Don't think it'll work somehow.
C

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just so cute and cuddly...

....the fox is quite nice as well.

Chris

Mrs J has one cuddlier (well a fox fur stole is nice to cuddle into in the depth of winter)

Come on, admit it, they are sweet.

Chris

Especially cooked in honey - I believe that's how the Romans ate dormice

 

[enrico]

Trouble with cats is they eat the birds, sorry, kill the birds, and I like them more than I hate mice! Used to have three cats, now I have hundreds of birds! No contest.

 

[stephenpug]

And here we see a classic case of fluffy bunny syndrome in full infuriating operation
They're both vermin !!.

Fluffy bunny what are you talking about.I am a 6ft + 20stone butcher bloody fluffy bunnys don't come into it I use the foxs to keep the rats under control it works for me

 

[peteinwilts]

Trouble with cats is they eat the birds, sorry, kill the birds, and I like them more than I hate mice! Used to have three cats, now I have hundreds of birds! No contest.

My bird would eat cats given half a chance.

 

[oliver90owner]

now I have hundreds of birds!

A few owls might come in handy!

 

[enrico]

now I have hundreds of birds!

A few owls might come in handy!

See note five on this thread

 

[dclewis]

I'm with you Nikca, we have the French Dormice (Loir) too, but as you say they are not the lovely little chaps found in the Uk but Rat sized and boy do they do some damage. That adds to trapping problems when you have both mice and rat sized dormice, as you put down both mouse and rat traps and half the time the dormice laugh at you as the mouse trap does them no damage and the mice just streal the bate off the rat traps! As for cats we have quite a number in the area including ferral, even have one that regularly visits the bee shed but they and the resident kestrels havn't kept numbers down this year. I suppose I'm just going to have to increase my search for additional metal storage boxes and up the odds by adding more traps around the place.

 

[Stiffy]

Sounds grim , and no real suggestions other than trapping and baiting .
As long as the bait is in an approved bait box it shouldnt affect non target species .
I would steer you away from any of the non lethal / humane deterrants, high pitched squealers etc. They dont work .
G

The problem with most kinds of poison is it may affect other animals. When a rat or mouse takes the bait it travels away from the box to die and becomes an easy meal. Owls, foxes, dogs and cats who if they then eat the dead animal may suffer from secondary poisoning.
There is a product, Eradibait that will only kill the animal it is intended for but does really require it being the only food source. I keep chickens and sadly have to poison rats at certain times of year. I do this by bagging the poison and blocking the rats runs with the stuff, they then have to eat their way through it. Trapping (humane or snap traps) are the only other method that can guarantee you kill the species you intend
Hope this helps
S