Baby mice, help please.

[jowtm]

Hi, Whilst doing some gardening I seem to have disrupted a mouse nest. There are 4 babies, all are fury but look blind, the parent mouse came back ran around in a panic then ran off, it has been 4 hours now and the babies are just laying there still alive but I feel awful just leaving them and am not sure what to do. Obviously I don't want to move them if there is still a chance of the parents returning, but we get a lot of birds in our garden, rooks, jackdaw the odd kestral so I don't want to leave them for too long.
Any advice apreciated,
jo

[RKB]

Nothing you can do. Don't touch them, and just hope that the parent comes and moves them.

[HedgehogRescue]

I'm not sure there is much you can do and I'm likely to have a similar issue in a week or so when I have to move a log pile.

What I would do, and somebody will correct me if it's wrong, is get a smallish cardboard box, cut a little door in it, smear some soil over it so it doesn't smell of me, place it over the top of the babies to protect them, then hope the parents come back.

You'll need to stay well away though so they have a chance to return.

Otherwise, if you have a wildlife rescue near you, or any rescue anywhere you can phone, call them for advice, I'm absolutely not a mouse expert.

[valleyforge]

Hi,

If the nest is still exposed, you should cover it with something light in weight .... e.g. some straw or grass cuttings, under a black plastic dustbin liner, weighted at the edges ... to provide some protection from avian predators in particular ... then leave well alone.

The parents should return and begin moving them ... one at a time ... to a safer refuge.

As RKB has said, avoid touching them, so as not to transfer your scent onto them.

You will need to keep well clear of the area though for several hours ... and hope for the best.

Unfortunately, the younger the babies are, the more likely the parents are to abandon them. However if they are already furred, then its very likely they have been suckled for a few days already, so that the maternal bond will have formed between the mother and her offspring. She will return for them as long as she doesn't fear for her own life.

Just noticed that my post was just pipped by HedgehogRescue ... a cardboard box would work well too I'm sure.