is there a weasel in my loft?

[Gill Catton]

Light grey fur? Have you considered squirrels? They readily use lofts to raise young and are very vocal.

[LizzieVWT]

Originally Posted by triplemoondaisy

hi....

i just moved into an old farmhouse in ireland. for the past few nights we've heard noises in the loft like scratching and thumping.....then we heard a sort of mewing.....of several young. We first thought it was rats, but were not sure if young rats made any noise...so, we ventured into the loft...its cramped up there and not used. I noticed rat droppings, and some larger droppings that were definatly fresh....i have 3 ferrets of my own and the droppings are very alike. over in the corner i found 2 young. Not rats. They are covered in light grey fur, are about 3 - 4 inches long, blind, ears on the side of the head (like a ferret) and a short tail about the length of my little finger. I did not touch them or stay long incase i scared the mother away. At night the noises in the loft are loud, and i know the mother has moved the young a few times because i found a few obvious nests that are empty.
What do i do??? I think they are mink, or weasels......ive googled images and am still unsure what they are. it is sunday here and the ispca are closed. Im worried the mother will abandon them now.....or that they will hurt my chickens when they grow up. I sound so silly i know, but my parents chickens were killed by mink. Im an animal lover and hate the thought of destroying any life.....I was just wondering if i should leave them be and let nature run its course, i dont know...i am so confused. im worried if i go up there to take pictures i would scare the mother away.....please help....thanks xxx

Hi Triplemoondaisy

It sounds very plausible that the animals in your loft are pine martens - this isn't unusual in Ireland. Young are born in March/April and will remain with their mother until late summer/early autumn when they will disperse. I understand that their noise may be annoying but I would recommend that you leave them to it if you can, with minimum disturbance so as not to risk the mother abandoning the kits. They may leave on their own accord in late summer when the kits disperse. When they have left, to avoid them or another family moving in again, you could try to block up any entrances where they may have got in to your loft. Regarding your chickens, as long as they are in a secure enclosure, they should be fine. The Vincent Wildlife Trust have a leaflet on how to secure poultry pens from martens - I can send you this if it would be helpful? Just PM me your address.

I hope this is helpful. Pine martens are lovely animals and you are very lukcy to have them living so close to you.

Lizzie

[valleyforge]

Hi triplemoondaisy and welcome.

It does sound like you have a natal den of pine martens there ... pine marten kits are born with a whitish fur ... the soft brown, woolly pelage with white guard hairs doesn't develop until they are around 3 weeks old, so this is a fairly accurate indication that yours are very young. Adult martens have a grey underfur tinged with brown, beneath an overall pelage of reddish-sandy brown with creamy-white/yellowish throat patch and underparts.

I googled Cavan and it looks like you are right on the edge of the recorded range for Pine Martens in that part of Ireland. ... your county mammal recorder I'm sure would be interested to hear from you.

It's not unusual for martens to nest in loft spaces ... natal sites may be reused for several generations, and the mother will generally remain with the kits in the nest for around 50 - 60 days, until relocating them (unless disturbed earlier).

Since you have said that you have only just moved into this house, as a matter of fairness, perhaps you should consider that it is you who are the actual interloper ... and if they can tolerate your presence, isn't it just good neighbourlyness to attempt to tolerate them also, at least until they move out of their own accord?

Incidentally, although it's never good practise to handle any infant mammal, martens in common with other mustelids are fairly cerebral animals, with an intelligence level akin to that of a cat or dog ... they are much less likely to abandon their young because of your transferred scent than would almost certainly be the case with young rodents or lagomorphs, for instance.

Please try to enjoy them living along side you ... and of course please ensure that your poultry house is secure at night.

[mycoranger]

Pine Marten was my first thought too. I know a family who didn't realise they had them in the loft until the weight of accumulated droppings brought down the ceiling and deposited a female with three cubs on their laps as they were watching an episode of East Enders.

[Jim Ford]

A few years ago I was staying on a campsite in Coylum Bridge, near Aviemore. The warden apologised for the smell of curry in the toilet block, and explained he had spread it around to discourage a family of Pine Martens who had got into the roof space and were causing damage. Apparently curry powder is anathema to Pine Martens!

Jim

[dampflippers]

I found this:
"The pine marten is listed in
Annexes II and IV of the habitat
directive as a species of European
interest. They are also listed in
Appendix III of the Bern
Convention as a species requiring
protection. In Ireland the species
is protected under the Wildlife
Act 1976 meaning it is a criminal
offence to kill, trap or disturb
them intentionally."

Curry powder would be considered disturbing I think.

There's an interesting fact sheet here: http://www.noticenature.ie/files/enf...e%20Marten.pdf

Do you know how to contact your local mammal recorder? Maybe Valleyforge could help.

[rossbells]

Cavan is close to Fermanagh which I think is a stronghold for pine martens in ireland. There was a show on TV a while ago "Wild thing I love you", which featured the martens in Fermanagh, ironically in that programme the martens where nesting in the roofspace of some buildings. You are very lucky to have martens as seeing martens and stoats up north is nearly impossible. Keep us updated and try and get pictures! Here is a link for the show I was on about.

Wild Thing I Love You - Series 1 - Episode 5 - Wild Thing I Love You - Channel 4

[triplemoondaisy]

hi

well, it is confirmed as a pine marten and her young. I phoned several people and finally talked to the local ranger out here. He came down the following afternoon. With torches we climbed up into the loft and listened. She had moved the young into another corner and had buried them in the insulation. After a long time one of the young poked out his(or her ) head and the ranger confirmed Pine Marten and took a few pics. He said the young were less than 3 weeks old and we were very lucky to have them. They are protected and rightly so. Since then i have left the small family alone and am qhite happy to have them. We wont be getting chickens for a while so no problems there.
Sadly i found out from a builder who has worked on this house that an adult Pine Marten was found dead in the oil heating pipe leading from the boiler......what a horrible way to die. The local farmer is not impressed of our house mates in the loft and has *kindly asked* that we buy a trap and dispose of them! No way. Ive read up a lot about them and find them amazing.....so i shall keep my eyes peeled for any sightings etc, and hope to get pics...thanks so much for all the replies......

[The Woodman]

Great news tmd and good luck to you.

Poke the farmer in the eyes from me and enjoy your pine martens.

Join the VWT's pine marten forum and tell them how you get on.

I've had some good sightings of PM's at Crom Castle in Fermanagh. I look forward to your pics.

[dampflippers]

That's great! You must be chuffed to have them confirmed.

Let's face it- these have probably been living in or around your house for years or even centuries, so aren't a new threat to the farmer's livestock. Just ignore him (and tell him they are a protected species) and watch out for him setting traps. You need to get on with your neighbours, so if he mentions them again say you have been told they will leave of their own accord later in the summer.

Was the dead male in the boiler area this year?

Keep a diary of your sightings, and try to work out how they get in and out, and stak out that entrance with your camera.