Phil L wrote:

Eat the occasional beetroot!...they like insects too though not snails or
slugs, but caterpillars are a delicacy to them!....be thankful if you see
mice, it means there aren't many rats about (rats hunt mice).

Heard today that if you have badgers you won't have any hedgehogs and
vice versa. This is because they don't like sharing their territories.

As for the rats and the mice, I cannot see the problems unless they
keep eating all your food stuff in your grain store, unless you live in
the city or suburb and unless they come inside your house. They are
afterall food for other animals like big birds, foxes and cats. I do
not feed birds because I think I have enough natural food stuff in my
garden and I also have cats, foxes and hedgehogs. I only shake my table
cloth outside for the crumbs and that's been enough to teach the black
bird, his missus and a flock of bluetits to wait for it )