Hello!

I am in need of help.

Last Autumn, a hole was dug by a creature in our lawn, about 9 inches or
so from our pond. The hole was about 7 inches in diameter and appeared
to have been dug by an animal standing on the lawn as the soil excavated
in the digging of the pond could clearly be seen strewn in one direction
(and some of it went in the pond). We assumed that a fox did the digging
- we sometimes see them about.

I filled it in but it soon reappeared. This happened a few times.

Then a smaller hold (about 3 inches in diameter) appeared in the same
place. The difference this time was that the hole had very clean sides
and there was no debris surrounding the entrance/exit of the hole so I
assume that it had been dug from within.

This was duly filled in and reappeared so I placed a large stone on top
and it stayed like that for several months over the winter.

About three weeks back, I took it upon myself to excavate the hole
properly and to see if there were any tunnels under the lawn. I duly
did this, and found that the hole was at least as deep as the length of
my arm and appeared to run off in at least one direction - towards the
pond (I think it must have gone as far as the pond liner)!!! It was
difficult to tell if it also ran away from the pond.

After widening the mouth of the hole, I carefully filled the entire void
(or as much as I could reach) with soil and packed it down. I then added
some lawn seed to the surface and have been watering it since.

However, 2 days ago, the 3 inch diameter (and clean hole) returned!

I filled it with soil (it went fairly deep - it needed a surprising
amount of soil) and stamped it down.
Yesterday, there was a small hole in the same place - possibly where the
soil had collapsed slightly into a remaining void beneath (as it had
been raining). Today, the hole is back as can be seen in my photo:
http://www.zen24579.zen.co.uk/Photo-0057.jpg

Now I am concerned. I wouldn't mind so much but I think that my pond is
in danger. If anything burrowing beneath should get through my pond
liner then my hard work building the pond will have gone to waste.

What could be making the hole? How can I stop it? We have looked
around for another hole (including in the nearby alleyway) but can't
find one.

Any help would be very gratefully received. Are there any forums online
which might be more appropriate or have I come to the right place
(apologies if not).

Thank you,

Kroma
Essex, UK

"Kroma" wrote in message
...
Hello!

I am in need of help.

Last Autumn, a hole was dug by a creature in our lawn, about 9
inches or so from our pond. The hole was about 7 inches in
diameter and appeared to have been dug by an animal standing on
the lawn as the soil excavated in the digging of the pond could
clearly be seen strewn in one direction (and some of it went in
the pond). We assumed that a fox did the digging - we sometimes
see them about.

I filled it in but it soon reappeared. This happened a few
times.


You have rats living under your pond. Time for bait.

Mike

On Mon, 3 May 2010 17:40:13 +0100, Muddymike wrote:

You have rats living under your pond. Time for bait.

A 7" dia hole is just a bit on the large size for a rat hole. It's
big for rabbit, they are normally about 4" dia. 7" is badger/fox
size...

Any tracks?

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Kroma" wrote
I am in need of help.

Last Autumn, a hole was dug by a creature in our lawn, about 9 inches or
so from our pond. The hole was about 7 inches in diameter and appeared to
have been dug by an animal standing on the lawn as the soil excavated in
the digging of the pond could clearly be seen strewn in one direction (and
some of it went in the pond). We assumed that a fox did the digging - we
sometimes see them about.

I filled it in but it soon reappeared. This happened a few times.

Then a smaller hold (about 3 inches in diameter) appeared in the same
place. The difference this time was that the hole had very clean sides and
there was no debris surrounding the entrance/exit of the hole so I assume
that it had been dug from within.

This was duly filled in and reappeared so I placed a large stone on top
and it stayed like that for several months over the winter.

About three weeks back, I took it upon myself to excavate the hole
properly and to see if there were any tunnels under the lawn. I duly did
this, and found that the hole was at least as deep as the length of my arm
and appeared to run off in at least one direction - towards the pond (I
think it must have gone as far as the pond liner)!!! It was difficult to
tell if it also ran away from the pond.

After widening the mouth of the hole, I carefully filled the entire void
(or as much as I could reach) with soil and packed it down. I then added
some lawn seed to the surface and have been watering it since.

However, 2 days ago, the 3 inch diameter (and clean hole) returned!

I filled it with soil (it went fairly deep - it needed a surprising amount
of soil) and stamped it down.
Yesterday, there was a small hole in the same place - possibly where the
soil had collapsed slightly into a remaining void beneath (as it had been
raining). Today, the hole is back as can be seen in my photo:
http://www.zen24579.zen.co.uk/Photo-0057.jpg

Now I am concerned. I wouldn't mind so much but I think that my pond is
in danger. If anything burrowing beneath should get through my pond liner
then my hard work building the pond will have gone to waste.

What could be making the hole? How can I stop it? We have looked around
for another hole (including in the nearby alleyway) but can't find one.

Any help would be very gratefully received. Are there any forums online
which might be more appropriate or have I come to the right place
(apologies if not).

Wood Mice I suspect, we have them on our allotment and they tunnel around
extensively. Absolute pain, eat all our Red and White currants but tend to
leave the Black Currants alone, seem to like Cranberries and soft fruit too,
and, it appears, are not adversed to chewing growing potatoes.
Bait seems of little use IME.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

In article ,
Bob Hobden wrote:
"Kroma" wrote

However, 2 days ago, the 3 inch diameter (and clean hole) returned!

Wood Mice I suspect, we have them on our allotment and they tunnel around
extensively. ...

You clearly have wood mice the size of transpondian gophers :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Kroma" wrote in message
...
Hello!

I am in need of help.


pruned a very good description (Pity more don't on this newsgroup)

Answer?

You have Rats

Been there, done that, got the poison out

Mike



--

....................................
Today, is the tomorrow, you were worrying about, yesterday.
....................................

On Mon, 03 May 2010 18:11:14 +0100 (BST), Dave Liquorice wrote:

You have rats living under your pond. Time for bait.

A 7" dia hole is just a bit on the large size for a rat hole. It's
big for rabbit, they are normally about 4" dia. 7" is badger/fox
size...

Ah now having seen the full post, 3" *is* more rat like but still a
little large, around 2" is more the norm for a rat.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Kroma" wrote in message
...
Hello!

I am in need of help.

Last Autumn, a hole was dug by a creature in our lawn, about 9 inches or
so from our pond. The hole was about 7 inches in diameter and appeared to
have been dug by an animal standing on the lawn as the soil excavated in
the digging of the pond could clearly be seen strewn in one direction (and
some of it went in the pond). We assumed that a fox did the digging - we
sometimes see them about.

I filled it in but it soon reappeared. This happened a few times.

Then a smaller hold (about 3 inches in diameter) appeared in the same
place. The difference this time was that the hole had very clean sides and
there was no debris surrounding the entrance/exit of the hole so I assume
that it had been dug from within.

This was duly filled in and reappeared so I placed a large stone on top
and it stayed like that for several months over the winter.

About three weeks back, I took it upon myself to excavate the hole
properly and to see if there were any tunnels under the lawn. I duly did
this, and found that the hole was at least as deep as the length of my arm
and appeared to run off in at least one direction - towards the pond (I
think it must have gone as far as the pond liner)!!! It was difficult to
tell if it also ran away from the pond.

After widening the mouth of the hole, I carefully filled the entire void
(or as much as I could reach) with soil and packed it down. I then added
some lawn seed to the surface and have been watering it since.

However, 2 days ago, the 3 inch diameter (and clean hole) returned!

I filled it with soil (it went fairly deep - it needed a surprising amount
of soil) and stamped it down.
Yesterday, there was a small hole in the same place - possibly where the
soil had collapsed slightly into a remaining void beneath (as it had been
raining). Today, the hole is back as can be seen in my photo:
http://www.zen24579.zen.co.uk/Photo-0057.jpg

Now I am concerned. I wouldn't mind so much but I think that my pond is
in danger. If anything burrowing beneath should get through my pond liner
then my hard work building the pond will have gone to waste.

What could be making the hole? How can I stop it? We have looked around
for another hole (including in the nearby alleyway) but can't find one.

Any help would be very gratefully received. Are there any forums online
which might be more appropriate or have I come to the right place
(apologies if not).

Thank you,

Kroma
Essex, UK

If your pond becomes devoid of animal life, it may well be a mink. In which
case, it needs to be trapped & dispatched.

"wafflycat" wrote in message
...

If your pond becomes devoid of animal life, it may well be a mink. In
which case, it needs to be trapped & dispatched.


trapped, dispatched and worn?

pk

..
Bob Hobden wrote:
"Kroma" wrote

However, 2 days ago, the 3 inch diameter (and clean hole) returned!

Wood Mice I suspect, we have them on our allotment and they tunnel around
extensively. ...

You clearly have wood mice the size of transpondian gophers :-)

Obviously. They are mice, I've seen them sprint away when I've used the
cultivator. However I'm saying they are wood mice because that's what I was
told. The one I found dead was quite big for a mouse, but not a rat (had
them in our garden at home), and had a reddish colour fur with a white tummy
and after your comment I haven't been able to put a name to it.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Bob Hobden wrote:
..
Bob Hobden wrote:
"Kroma" wrote

However, 2 days ago, the 3 inch diameter (and clean hole) returned!

Wood Mice I suspect, we have them on our allotment and they tunnel
around extensively. ...

You clearly have wood mice the size of transpondian gophers :-)

Obviously. They are mice, I've seen them sprint away when I've used
the cultivator. However I'm saying they are wood mice because that's
what I was told. The one I found dead was quite big for a mouse, but
not a rat (had them in our garden at home), and had a reddish colour
fur with a white tummy and after your comment I haven't been able to
put a name to it.

You may well have killed the mouse Santa Claus, you b*stard.

In article ,
Bob Hobden wrote:

However, 2 days ago, the 3 inch diameter (and clean hole) returned!

Wood Mice I suspect, we have them on our allotment and they tunnel around
extensively. ...

You clearly have wood mice the size of transpondian gophers :-)

Obviously. They are mice, I've seen them sprint away when I've used the
cultivator. However I'm saying they are wood mice because that's what I was
told. The one I found dead was quite big for a mouse, but not a rat (had
them in our garden at home), and had a reddish colour fur with a white tummy
and after your comment I haven't been able to put a name to it.

Yes, that's a field mouse - a.k.a. wood mouse. They are bigger
than house mice, but their holes are rarely bigger than 1" diameter.
Even rat holes are not normally 3" diameter, and mole ones are
more like 1.5".


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I don't think so.

The Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, is also known as the Long-tailed field mouse. It is quite small, 90mm, and not reddish nor having a white underside.

"Field Mouse" is not a well-defined common name in Britain. It refers generally to the genus Apodemus, so it includes the Wood mouse. The other Apodemus we have in Britain is the Yellow-necked mouse, A. flavicollis. It is a bit bigger than the Wood mouse, 100mm, and more reddish, but doesn't match your description. They aren't terribly common either, and very restricted in their geographical range within Britain.

From your "reddish with white underside" description, what I think you have probably seen is a Bank vole, Myodes glareolus. They are 100mm long, so on the large side for a mouse. They are reddish-brown, and whilst they don't have a white underside, they have grey-ish patches that can give that impression if you don't actually see the whole underside - see the picture on Wikipedia. They are also exceedingly common. I think the most commonly seen mouse that isn't a house mouse is the Bank vole.

The other vole we have in Britain, the Field vole or Short-tailed vole, Myodes agrestis, is even larger, 110mm, but is grey with some brown patches.

In comparison, the house mouse is 75-100mm and the harvest mouse 55-75mm. The harvest mouse is very reddish. I think I have now mentioned all the mice of the British mainland.

Dave Liquorice wrote:
A 7" dia hole is just a bit on the large size for a rat hole. It's
big for rabbit, they are normally about 4" dia. 7" is badger/fox
size...
Ah now having seen the full post, 3" *is* more rat like but still a
little large, around 2" is more the norm for a rat.

The rat we had left about a 4-5" hole, but then it was a /huge/ bugger that
I saw.

Bob Hobden wrote:
told. The one I found dead was quite big for a mouse, but not a rat (had
them in our garden at home), and had a reddish colour fur with a white tummy
and after your comment I haven't been able to put a name to it.

"Squirrel"? :-D