Holes in my flower beds

[The Bear]

Hi

I actually saw these weeks ago then promptlt forgot about them. I have noticed about 4 holes in my flower beds, each about 1.5 inch across. There are in a fairly contained area. What could they be? Mice?
Whatever they are should I or my plants be worried. If so how to get rid of the critters.
I don't know whether coincidental but this is the same small area i had a mole last year. I know if a mole is taken out, given half a chance another mole will take over its tunnels/territory. Would something else do the same as these are deffinitely not the work of moles that i came to despise last year.

Mark

 

[paulm]

Sounds like bank voles ?

Will eat a few bulbs and stuff if hungry enough but otherwise not too much trouble.

Cheers, Paul

 

[RogerS]

Rats?

 

[dedee]

could well be shrews.

Andy

 

[The Bear]

Just done a bit more googling and it seems holes like these about a broom handle diameter are not uncommon.
Seems like mice or voles are the most likely answer, they are probably too narrow for rats, though I have seen dead rats over in the fields behind our house so not totally ruling that out either.

So, how to get rid as it seems my bulbs will get eaten ( and think some have looking back)???

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Weasels

 

[Digit]

We've got one as well, in the front bank, I'm looking to try and find out what has made it, but I suspect a Bank Vole.
This may help....

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forum ... arden.html
Roy.

 

[toysandboats]

Mark, mice will not only eat bulbs, but anything that gets in their way as they tunnel. We knew that they were in the garden but they got into our heated greenhouse last winter and created havoc relative to their size.

They also found the bird food in my brick garage - they can climb up a brick wall with no trouble at all.

Treatment can be normal traps - ours have been caught using chocolate, marshmallows or even fruit gums - or poison that is laid down carefully. It is very difficult to find a place where poison can be put where frogs and hedgehogs can get at it.

In the end, you'll never beat them and may just have to live with them in the garden.

David

 

[wobblycogs]

I caught a mouse that had got into the house earlier this year using a trap baited with peanut butter - apparently mice love the stuff. They certainly seem to as it was less than 24 hours between laying the trap and the mouse meeting it's untimely end.

 

[Cegidfa]

Humane mouse trap.

We heard an odd noise a while ago; a mouse had climbed to one of the bird food containers in the utility room, lifted the lid and jumped in. Unfortunately, he couldn’t jump high enough to open the lid, so we released him from ‘hell’. You have to admire their tenacity.

Regards...****.

 

[RogerS]

Are you sure that is a mouse? Baby rat?

 

[dickm]

Think yourself lucky if the holes are only voles/mice. The holes that size in our garden are from roe deer hooves, and those b****rs can do REAL damage!
Why else do you think we eat venison whenever possible :evil: ?

 

[The Bear]

Well I have got deer wandering the scrub we back onto (beautiful in the mornings) but the rear fence is deer proof, now if only it was fox proof so they would stop shitting on my garden table...

A number of people have suggested what the critter might be but with no reasoning or what I need to look for to try and find out. So guys rather than make a list of small british mammals, why are you suggesting what you are?

Mark