Eaten potatoes
Some of our potatoes have been eaten, not by slugs, we know what that looks
like thank you. The marks are shallow scoops out of the flesh on most damaged ones although some have been eaten almost away. Are there any small (burrowing) rodents that eat potatoes below ground? That's what it looks like. What makes me ask is seeing a vole type creature today scurry around where we have some lettuce. We have bait boxes containing a powerful rat/mouse poison spread around the plot so whatever it is it doesn't eat the peanut butter flavoured bait. I'm wondering if it may therefore be mainly carnivorous as not as many potatoes were slug attacked as we expected considering the weather. Could it be eating the slugs and damaging the potatoes in the process? -- Regards Bob Hobden |
Eaten potatoes
In article , "Bob Hobden" writes: | Some of our potatoes have been eaten, not by slugs, we know what that looks | like thank you. | | The marks are shallow scoops out of the flesh on most damaged ones although | some have been eaten almost away. Are there any small (burrowing) rodents | that eat potatoes below ground? That's what it looks like. Yes. Several. Voles, mice and rats. | What makes me ask is seeing a vole type creature today scurry around where | we have some lettuce. We have bait boxes containing a powerful rat/mouse | poison spread around the plot so whatever it is it doesn't eat the peanut | butter flavoured bait. I'm wondering if it may therefore be mainly | carnivorous as not as many potatoes were slug attacked as we expected | considering the weather. Could it be eating the slugs and damaging the | potatoes in the process? Very unlikely. It is probably one of the voles, and they are very vegetarian (UNLIKE mice and rats), so that peanut butter probably won't tempt them. I wouldn't worry too much, as they don't cause much damage unless there are lots of them. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Eaten potatoes
Bob Hobden wrote:
Some of our potatoes have been eaten, not by slugs, we know what that looks like thank you. The marks are shallow scoops out of the flesh on most damaged ones although some have been eaten almost away. Are there any small (burrowing) rodents that eat potatoes below ground? That's what it looks like. What makes me ask is seeing a vole type creature today scurry around where we have some lettuce. We have bait boxes containing a powerful rat/mouse poison spread around the plot so whatever it is it doesn't eat the peanut butter flavoured bait. I'm wondering if it may therefore be mainly carnivorous as not as many potatoes were slug attacked as we expected considering the weather. Could it be eating the slugs and damaging the potatoes in the process? Any teeth marks,Bob?That will tell you if it's a mammal. Sam |
Eaten potatoes
"Nick Maclaren" wrote ... after "Bob Hobden" moaned: | Some of our potatoes have been eaten, not by slugs, we know what that looks | like thank you. | | The marks are shallow scoops out of the flesh on most damaged ones although | some have been eaten almost away. Are there any small (burrowing) rodents | that eat potatoes below ground? That's what it looks like. Yes. Several. Voles, mice and rats. | What makes me ask is seeing a vole type creature today scurry around where | we have some lettuce. We have bait boxes containing a powerful rat/mouse | poison spread around the plot so whatever it is it doesn't eat the peanut | butter flavoured bait. I'm wondering if it may therefore be mainly | carnivorous as not as many potatoes were slug attacked as we expected | considering the weather. Could it be eating the slugs and damaging the | potatoes in the process? Very unlikely. It is probably one of the voles, and they are very vegetarian (UNLIKE mice and rats), so that peanut butter probably won't tempt them. I wouldn't worry too much, as they don't cause much damage unless there are lots of them. Not concerned this time as there is less slug damage than usual despite the constant rain. Where they have been eaten they have healed over. Certainly more whole potatoes and less hole potatoes than last year. :-) (Kestral, Romano and Victoria) -- Regards Bob Hobden |
Eaten potatoes
"sam" wrote... Bob Hobden wrote: Some of our potatoes have been eaten, not by slugs, we know what that looks like thank you. The marks are shallow scoops out of the flesh on most damaged ones although some have been eaten almost away. Are there any small (burrowing) rodents that eat potatoes below ground? That's what it looks like. What makes me ask is seeing a vole type creature today scurry around where we have some lettuce. We have bait boxes containing a powerful rat/mouse poison spread around the plot so whatever it is it doesn't eat the peanut butter flavoured bait. I'm wondering if it may therefore be mainly carnivorous as not as many potatoes were slug attacked as we expected considering the weather. Could it be eating the slugs and damaging the potatoes in the process? Any teeth marks,Bob?That will tell you if it's a mammal. Looking closely at the gouges there do appear to be marks, as made by tiny teeth. Voles it is then. Now I'll have to try to ID them, the one I got sight of was small with brown fur, a pointed nose and stubby tail. -- Regards Bob Hobden |
Eaten potatoes
"Bob Hobden" wrote in message ... Any teeth marks,Bob?That will tell you if it's a mammal. Looking closely at the gouges there do appear to be marks, as made by tiny teeth. Voles it is then. Now I'll have to try to ID them, the one I got sight of was small with brown fur, a pointed nose and stubby tail. stubby tail fits both voles that it could be, bank vole and short-tailed vole, but pointed nose doesn't. Voles have blunt noses. |
Eaten potatoes
"Christina Websell" wrote in message ... "Bob Hobden" wrote in message ... Any teeth marks,Bob?That will tell you if it's a mammal. Looking closely at the gouges there do appear to be marks, as made by tiny teeth. Voles it is then. Now I'll have to try to ID them, the one I got sight of was small with brown fur, a pointed nose and stubby tail. stubby tail fits both voles that it could be, bank vole and short-tailed vole, but pointed nose doesn't. Voles have blunt noses. Looks more like a Short Tailed Vole but the pictures I've seen show a longer tail than the one I saw which was even shorter and I'm still not sure on the nose. Have to try to get a better look. -- Regards Bob Hobden |
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