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

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.

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

"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

"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

"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.

"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