MOUSE ! in daylight!!

E

elmwood

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Hello all,

Had our girls for two weeks now and all seems to be going well. BUT within the last half an hour spotted a mouse scavenging around where our bird feeder table stood until we moved it this morning. It was so brazen, climbing the trellis to get to the hanging suet balls that are now in the front garden away from our girls. Should I be overly concerned?

The girls are the other end of the garden, and their food stays in the house at night, and the rest is stored in a container in a metal shed.

Do you think the mouse re-appeared in broad daylight because the food source had been removed?
Is it a house or field mouse?
Should we get traps? (no doubt where there is one there will be more)

Rising concern...... please advise........

Sharron

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Mice and rats will come out during the daylight. Where there are feathers there will always be fur!

Traps and poison is a good idea as it will keep the rodent opulation down. Make sure it is placed in a secure place where your poultry can not get at it.

Regards Sue
 
I never really worry about mice outside tbh. They usually are where rats are not in my experience :lol: I'd rather mice than rats.

So long as your chook feed is picked up at night (and the water also if you are really wanting to deter rats) I'd not worry. If you find mice in your house or elsewhere perhaps lay a few traps. We caught 7 in one evening in our old cottage once :shock: But outside I never bothered with traps.
 
Thankyou both,

Think maybe I have over-reacted a little- Mike has regaled me with tales of mice in the thatched roof of his childhood home. Guess I am still a townie at heart.......

As you say, better to have mice rather than rats and I will move the water of an evening, thanks......

Sharron
 
hi Sharron,
that isn't a house mouse,it is a field mouse so not that common.Rats and mice do not get on,if you've got mice,you wont have rats.He or she is a lovely little mouse,you're lucky to have her,and,they do a lot of scavaging in daylight.
I would remove your hens food completely at night,not leave it in their house as this will attract rodents.
 
Yes, I forgot to mention that. Lydia is right, its a field mouse. Don't go killing those off. I'd welcome them and not mind them having a bit of food from the table or feeders. They have a hard enough time as it is these days.

:)
 
They do don't they Snifter,I think they might be protected,but I've not kept up with what is and what isn't.Dormouse are doing better now,and I think more common than little field mice,or it's changed again :? .
 
Hi, I have had a few mice visit my hen's, but unfortunately for them they do not last long the hen's devour them like women with chocolate. They kill them and then chase each other round like mad thing's until one of them finally swallows it whole. Grusome!
 
A lot of chickens will chase and kill a mouse in their run or house,it's quite normal for them.Maybe not nice to watch,but,nature often isn't.
 
Thankyou all,

I feel so much calmer about it all now..... Like you, my son thinks the mouse is very cute!
Don't think I could cope with rats, so both food and water are now removed from the hen house nightly.

Out of interest I have measured out my verm-x three day water treatment for our girls. It seems such an insignificant amount of water in their drinker. Have I done it right? 3 hens x 1.5ml per hen to 50ml water, so 4.5ml per 150ml. As the water barely filled the drinker, I doubled both the dose and amount of water to 9ml of Verm-x per 300ml water. to be repeated with a fresh dose over 3 days????

Many thanks,
Sharron
 
Yes, as Snifter says, apparently Rats and Mice don't actually live in the same areas - last year I caught 8 rats and shot 3 with an airgun. This year, I haven't seen single rat but have caught 1 or 2 mice per night in my shed where I keep the pallets with the chickens food and corn on.

I rescued a cat last week and although she's still indoors getting used to things, she was apparently a very keen mouser.... I have big plans for her ;)
 
Tim,you will train your cat to only kill common house mice wont you,not cute little field mice :D .
 
Lydia said:
Tim,you will train your cat to only kill common house mice wont you,not cute little field mice :D .
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Rats. Train it to kill rats. I've known cats that do. In fact Tickle caught one and the bloming thing turned out to still be alive and ran up my leg :shock: :shock: :shock: :o :o :o :o It then proceeded to fly thorugh the air as I shook my leg so hard to get it off (while yelling 'raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat gerooooffffffffff'. Was caught cleanly in mid air by my lurcher who appreciated my consideration at letting her have a mid afternoon snack :lol:

I by this time was inside the house yelling and taking my trousers off and putting on a clean pair. Urgh. It ran up my leg!!! I still shiver at the memory of it. Ick. Rat. On leg. Urgh.
 
Yes,a lot of cats will kill rats,thank-goodness.They are vile aren't they,when I used to work at a stables,they often got into feed bins,you'd open the bin and a rat would leap up,onto your shoulder and sort of run/fall down your back :o ,I still shudder at the memory......used to try and whack them with shovels,forks anything :twisted: .
 
OMG! hate rats,mice, vermin :x Snifter your account of 'rat up leg' made me laugh but would have hated it to be me ;) I think I would still be running screaming up the road :lol:

What does everyone do with their feed to keep it away from the little blighters? I know metal dustbins are often suggested but I've heard that mice can still get under the lid. At the mo I keep mine in a plastic bin with a tight clip-on lid & the bin is well off the ground, but I know mice are around as they leave their tell-tale signs :o I need something bigger (the bin I'm using is big enough for only one bag of pelletts) I know vermin can chew through plastic too so am looking for something else.

Would be interested to know what you all use (not, was it Sue? who uses 20 bags a week/month :D I only use 1 bag a month :lol: )
 
I keep my feed bins(metal)in my hall.If I keep them outside, they seem to attract mice and rats more.They seem to be able to get into anything,but,I don't have vermin in my house.
It helps to sweep up any spilt food,one pellet on the floor is easy pickings for a mouse or rat.
 
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