When is a mouse a mouse epidemic?

[lulabell74]

Hi there,

I'm wondering what is classed as an epidemic of mice in a garden? we had quite a few in the garage a couple of years ago and humainley got rid of them, they then moved to the shed and we've done the same (we now have those sonic noise things)

I spotted a mouse in the garden the other day feeding under our bird feeder and I watched it, it's living under our pond! my neighbour has seen the mouse come from our garden and is concerned.

Surely mice are part of the food chain in a garden, we have large gardens at the back full of hedges and trees. I can't see a problem with a few mice living there. They are field/wood mice.

I do not want to get rid of the bird feeder or use poison to get rid of the mice.

Louise

[dampflippers]

I can't see a problem with wood mice, so don't do anything, just keep feeding.

They won't go into the neighbours house unless the weather is really bad. Usually it is only house mice that go in houses. It's a shame she has seen it.

The only thing I would want to check is whether they were baby rats.

They are the food of cats, owls, birds and weasels etc, so their numbers shouldn't increase too much.

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by lulabell74

Surely mice are part of the food chain in a garden, we have large gardens at the back full of hedges and trees. I can't see a problem with a few mice living there. They are field/wood mice.

Very sensible. If they are getting into your house or outbuidings and causing damage then they need to be dealt with, but they're doing no harm living in your hedge.

Originally Posted by lulabell74

I do not want to get rid of the bird feeder or use poison to get rid of the mice.

No, definitely don't use poison. If you do have to tackle them then either lethal or humane traps are the way to go. The humane ones may not be as humane as you might think. Catching a mouse and releasing it far away, in a strange place where it does not have an established territory, may be a death sentence for it anyway. But I guess you at least give it a fighting chance, and if it doesn't make it then at least a fox or an owl gets a meal.

Dave P.

[Wild-Woman]

I shouldn't think there's a garden in this country that hasn't had mice living in it at some point. They're fine outside, part of a food chain and relatively short-lived in anycase.

[lulabell74]

This is the little mouse! we have a friend whose also seen it in real life and identified it as a field/wood mouse, I've looked online and I'm pretty sure it is and it's not a baby rat! besides the little hole that it's living in is far too small for an adult rat I reckon.

Thank you so much for all your replies I'm going to leave him/her alone and just enjoy watching it!! it's very very cute to watch and seems very tame it's out most days in the day light. I wonder why this is?

This is brilliant to have all these answers and information here. thank you.