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#1
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not quite a gardening question !
Hi all
we have a bunny and two guineas that live in the shed, lately they have had company, we know this because the feed sacks been eaten into and these are out of reach to the pets), is there any way of telling whether its a rat or a mouse (droppings ect). Would the guineas still be alive if it was a rat?? I have had trouble with a rat before which i found in my compost bin (yikes) pest control dealt with it that time. Kathryn |
#2
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not quite a gardening question !
"kathryn" wrote in message ... Hi all we have a bunny and two guineas that live in the shed, lately they have had company, we know this because the feed sacks been eaten into and these are out of reach to the pets), is there any way of telling whether its a rat or a mouse (droppings ect). Would the guineas still be alive if it was a rat?? I have had trouble with a rat before which i found in my compost bin (yikes) pest control dealt with it that time. Kathryn That reminds me of a joke--something to do with Ratshit screwdrivers. A solitary rat is unusual there are lots more around . Rat droppings are much larger than mouse poo,however, just to confuse the issue adult mouse poo is about the same size of a baby rat droppings. Keep the food in sealed containers and keep the animal surroundings free of edible stuff and discarded food. The mice and rats will still explore but won't hang around and start nesting |
#3
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Mice seem to like moving things around and making little stashes of seed etc. Cute as I find mice, and better than rats as they are, they're not really what you want invading your shed! Put your feed in plastic tubs or buckets, you're throwing tempation in their path..
Bob |
#4
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thanks for the advice, i shall do as you suggest and keep an eye out for the little visitors
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#5
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not quite a gardening question !
"kathryn" wrote in message ... thanks for the advice, i shall do as you suggest and keep an eye out for the little visitors kathryn Having 4 cats our mice problem is only the occasional one brought into the house. Took me over a week to catch the latest one and evict it. However, if you dont have a cat you can invest in a humane trap and then you will know for sure whether you have rats or mice or indeed, both. Once caught you can release them elsewhere if you are averse to destroying them. When we had rabbits and guinea pigs we had a shelter which was used for storing hay and straw and also to put hutches in overwinter. We noticed rats had moved in but I think it was more for the shelter as food was unavailable to them unless they raided the food bowls which I doubt. After disturbing them several times they seemed to go of their own accord as I never tried to catch them. ps For a good live tap use a milk bottle baited with cornflakes or sweetpea seeds. Prop it between 45 & 90 degrees in such a manner that the mice have easy access to the opening. They enter for the food and can't climb out again so you can take the little critters elsewhere. Jim |
#6
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not quite a gardening question !
The message
from "Padger" contains these words: "kathryn" wrote in message ... thanks for the advice, i shall do as you suggest and keep an eye out for the little visitors kathryn Having 4 cats our mice problem is only the occasional one brought into the house. Took me over a week to catch the latest one and evict it. However, if you dont have a cat you can invest in a humane trap and then you will know for sure whether you have rats or mice or indeed, both. Once caught you can release them elsewhere if you are averse to destroying them. Please note: 'Can'. However, you 'may' not. -- Rusty Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk Separator in search of a sig |
#7
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thanks for all the advice.
pulled everything out of the shed yesterday and there were quite a few holes so i've blocked them all up, hopefully that'll keep the little vermin out. Is there anything i can paint on the outside of the shed to stop them from chewing the wood...? |
#8
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not quite a gardening question !
The message
from kathryn contains these words: thanks for all the advice. pulled everything out of the shed yesterday and there were quite a few holes so i've blocked them all up, hopefully that'll keep the little vermin out. Is there anything i can paint on the outside of the shed to stop them from chewing the wood...? How about a sign saying "Strictly no chewing"? Janet |
#9
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not quite a gardening question !
The message
from kathryn contains these words: thanks for all the advice. pulled everything out of the shed yesterday and there were quite a few holes so i've blocked them all up, hopefully that'll keep the little vermin out. Is there anything i can paint on the outside of the shed to stop them from chewing the wood...? Nitroglycerine? The best deterrent is not to have any food loose. The second-best one is to keep ferrets. -- Rusty Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk Separator in search of a sig |
#10
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A wee sign that says 'no rodents'?
Sorry. Bob |
#11
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ha ha ha...you are all soooooooooooooooooo witty !
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#12
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not quite a gardening question !
kathryn wrote:
thanks for all the advice. pulled everything out of the shed yesterday and there were quite a few holes so i've blocked them all up, hopefully that'll keep the little vermin out. Is there anything i can paint on the outside of the shed to stop them from chewing the wood...? Not being clever or funny I suppose something like ammonia or anything that would irritate its nostrils would be a thought but as the happy bunch on mainland Europe has disallowed the proper creosote which stinks the area out (especially on a hot summer's night) and is harmful to pets, vermin and plants, you can't use that. Rats are generally immune to the poisons put out but if you could mix in a bitter tasting liquid in with your coating that might help. Try the following; http://www.pestproducts.com/ropel.htm Richard. |
#13
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not quite a gardening question !
The message
from kathryn contains these words: ha ha ha...you are all soooooooooooooooooo witty ! Too bad your posts don't include any previous context, so nobody knows what you're wittering about. Janet |
#14
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not quite a gardening question !
Janet Baraclough wrote: Too bad your posts don't include any previous context, so nobody knows what you're wittering about. The context is not *that* a difficulty in this thread. Perhaps your post tickled her saying 'No chewing', Rusty saying 'Nitroglycerin' and perhaps also undergroundbob with his sign saying 'No rodents'. |
#15
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not quite a gardening question !
The message
from kathryn contains these words: ha ha ha...you are all soooooooooooooooooo witty ! But I meant what i said about ferrets... -- Rusty Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk Separator in search of a sig |
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