Rehoming mice - New member question

[chriswt]

Hello,

I'm building a new shed (3m x 2.5m) in the garden and last night I started to clear away an old compost heap.

As a suspected as soon as I dug in deep I came across some mice so I aborted the digging. So here are my questions:

1. Is it likely that there will be any babies in there?

2. Will the re home themselves without problem?

3. Is there anything I can do to help them move out with may be a nest box or a pile of rubble and compost in another location near the existing compost?

4. I've got 3 cats and although only one is a bit of a hunter (one prefers twigs and the other is too gentle to ever kill anything he catches unless its a rat!!) shall I lock them in the house for a day just to give the mice a good chance?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[Dogghound]

They will rehome themselves no problem, no need for nest boxes etc. There is a possibility they will have had young but its to late now, they will have become to cold and are probrably well seperated from the parents plus its very hard to hand rear very young rodents. So no use in worrying over that now. The best way to help them out is to keep the cats in your house. Possibly relocate the compost bin they will return there. Otherwise they may nest under your new shed.

[chriswt]

Thanks for that. I did recover where I had dug as best I could and the mice that I saw didn't leave their nest, they just went deeper into the compost. I placed a large board over the exposed part of the compost to keep the cats away.

I'll get down the bottom of the garden tonight and see if I can see any movement but hopefully they've moved safely.

[chriswt]

I went back to the compost heap this evening and thought that the mice had gone but have found that there is a nest of 4 baby mice.

They all seem in good health and although their eye aren't open they are fairly big.

Ive covered up the nest really well and tried to keep it warm and well covered from cats etc but should I take the babies to a rescue centre?

I would happily donate enough to cover the espenses of their treatment but can't find a mammal resuce centre near hertfordshire. I'd travel a fair distance if I had too.

All sounds a little over the top really and as a 29 year old lad on a Friday night I should be watching a good action movie with a few beers but instead I feel so guilty and want to help the mice!!!

Regards

Chris

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by chriswt

All sounds a little over the top really and as a 29 year old lad on a Friday night I should be watching a good action movie with a few beers but instead I feel so guilty and want to help the mice!!!

Regards

Chris

What a responsible 29 year old!

I don't know quite what to advise, perhaps just keep the nest covered well as you've said and hope the cats or those in the area disturb them. I am unsure what to suggest food-wise - I assume the parents have abandoned them? If they have, I don't know if milk or cheese would help?

Once again, well done for all you've done for them!

Take care,

Jason

[Dogghound]

Leave the mice, if they are warm then the adults are still around. Just DONT TOUCH THEM!!!! They sound only several days old, mice of this size quickly die so the adults must have returned to the nest since you moved it. There is little you can do, they will not yet be weaned and still be fed milk from their mother.

[Meles meles]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Leave the mice, if they are warm then the adults are still around. Just DONT TOUCH THEM!!!! They sound only several days old, mice of this size quickly die so the adults must have returned to the nest since you moved it. There is little you can do, they will not yet be weaned and still be fed milk from their mother.

Totaly agree, may i also reccomend not to try checking the nest etc, your smell around the nest could possibly scare the mum away

[chriswt]

Originally Posted by Meles meles

Totaly agree, may i also reccomend not to try checking the nest etc, your smell around the nest could possibly scare the mum away

Oops, I was a bit naughty then because I left some bird seed outside of the nest entrance (the one I had to rebuild after destroying it) and the seed was gone by the morning (could only be resident mice as I partly covered area with plastic sheets to keep the cats out). Further investigation has revealed that the parents burrowed another entrance to the nest as well.

Now I'm wondering how long I should wait before removing the compost heap altogether? The mice have already dictated the location of my new shed but the new shed doors open up straight onto the compost head so their home will have to go at some point.

The babies looked like young adults 10 days ago albeit still with closed eyes. Will it be long before they are self sufficient?

Thanks for everyones help.

[Dogghound]

Wood mice are weaned at 18-22 days around a week after this time to be safe they will be more or less self sufficient. House mice leave nest at 3 weeks weaned at 18-20 days, again about a week later will be more or less self sufficient. However if you have a good population litters will overlap, you may have to keep checking before you move it.

[witham]

The only problem with leaving food out is that you could attract other little or big rodenty type critters, rats etc, that would perhaps also like to add baby mice to their menu, so perhaps it's best not to feed.