Something living in my garden!

[Plocket]

Hello everyone! I hope you can help me because I am puzzled. For the last few days I have been finding what I can only describe as a mini "landslide" of nice fresh dry earth down one particular part of my rockery wall.

The stones aren't cemented so I have this morning (after finding yet another slick of earth!) removed two of the rocks to investigate further. I found a small hole/tunnel about 2 inches across (see the picture below if it helps) and am interested to find out what built this hole, whether it is going to damage my garden, and if it is potentially dangerous!!!

The soil gets moved at night and I clear it up during the day! There doesn't appear to be any damage to the tightly packed plants above, and my cat isn't showing any interest in that part of the garden, or the hole now it has been revealed.

Any suggestions as to what might be a new resident in my garden?

[William O]

Hi Plocket,

Maybe it's Beer Belly's Mole Cricket. Go the the pest and diseases section for a nice picture of this alien from outer space.

 

Some added info

It's a protected species in England. Natural habitat - the damp margins of wet areas - (sounds a bit like your garden)

 

[eileen]

Hi Plocket,

I have something similar in one of my flower beds and I think the hole has been made by my field mice. Either that or I know I have shrews in my garden too so it could possibly be them. Hope you find out who your little visitor is and that whatever it turns out to be it's not harmful to your plants.  

Eileen.

[Plocket]

Or harmful to me Eileen!!!!!

OH MY GOD! I've just looked at this mole cricket thing and it better not be one of those or I will never sleep again! The hole in our garden is bigger than 1 cm though - it is more like a couple of inches. I would much prefer it to be shrews or field mice now!!!

[William O]

Some friends of ours have them tunneling under their lawn....

[Plocket]

Hello Tufa guy!

STOP STOP! I can't stand it!!!!!

[William O]

They also make a rather peculiar noise ....

Oh... and don't forget to feed them, you don't want to have THEM to come over and see if there are any niceties in your cupboard  

[Plocket]

William I am not going to read your replies on this thread if you carry on in this fashion.....

[William O]

 

[Plocket]

Oh you are in a wicked mood tonight!!! You should send that picture of the mouse to Val! I'm sure she would appreciate it! How about by personal message??

I want to go into the garden now to check for mice and shrews but am a bit scared..... Can I borrow your tree trunk?

(And how did you get the timing of the trunk scaring the mouse so perfectly?)

I need you and P Stick to hold my hand.....