Update on "Shrews?"

[Plocket]

Following advice I have discovered that the little inhabitant of our garden is a field mouse (I put bread out and it was munched - a shrew wouldn't do this!). And I saw the wee beastie the other day making for the bird feeder!!!!! The cat hasn't a clue about our new resident and I hope it stays that way. I also hope that the field mouse doesn't venture into the house because that is MY DOMAIN!

[eileen]

Hi Plocket,

I'm glad you'v found out what is was visiting your garden. We have fieldmice too. You've probably read the story of mine nesting in Ians boot.   They're lovely wee things but as you say as long as they stay outdoors.

Eileen.

[Plocket]

Hi Eileen - yes I did read about Ian's boot - with great mirth on my part!!! I'm only hoping that the mice stay in my garden and that the cat doesn't find them!

[eileen]

They probably will Plocket.  Mine have never ventured nto the house, thankfully, as I think they much prefer to share the bird seed with our little feathered friends in the garden.  

Eileen.

[Plocket]

Mmm! Cute in the garden - horrible in the house. There is more than enough birdseed for the mice and the birds to share together. Little Plocket is desparate to see a mouse but she makes too much noise in the garden to stand a chance!

[Val]

 ;DHi Plocket, don't leave the doors open when the nights start to get cold, they do come into the house as I know to my dread, usually to get warm in the winter..... :'(oh yuk.

[Plocket]

Val you are being brave - looking at this thread!!! I don't mind the little critters in the garden but I draw the line at them coming into the house. They had better not learn how to use the cat flap!

Do you remember that story I told you about the mouse in the toilet roll bag? I had to carry the whole (full) bag outside on the end of the broom handle!!!

[Val]

  Its a masochistic thing ;DYes I often think about it, especially when I wonder should we get a cat  to get rid of the mickey's, it seems like they hand them to you.lol.

[Plocket]

Yes cats do have a habit of bringing their kill in for their owners. It's a sort of gift thing!!! And my cat has learned that I freak if something dead is brought in, and then she gets shoved outside! Perhaps that's why she doesn't catch much!!! If you don't have mice in the house Val I wouldn't bother with getting a cat. Unless you love cats that is!

[Granny_Smith]

We had 5 cats and a mouse still took up residence in the kitchen knife drawer !! I must have fed my cats too well as they showed no interest at all. We eventually caught the little blighter in a humane trap and released it back down the fields.

[Plocket]

Eeeeek!!! I think if my cat starts getting interested, or the mouse shows signs of coming into the house, I will have to catch it and release it elsewhere.

[Carol]

  Well I share my house and garden with the Field mice.  They move in when the weather turns cold and are up in the attic, every year.  Hubby has three traps up there and I don't know how many he has caught, cos I dont want to.  I just love watching the mice outside going back and forward with the bird seed.  I think I would draw the line on them venturing onto the ground floor though.  Once had one walk into this room and I had to get it removed.  
I also had to removed the mice from the bird seed by hand cos they managed to find their way into the paper sack.  I dont mind them really.

[Roy Bham UK]

Not wanting to sound like a killjoy but I read or heard somewhere that if you put food out for the wild animals, in most cases the rats move in generally under an out building and get the grub first.

Roy

[Plocket]

Oh no! I can't stop feeding the birds. But the idea of rats - don't even go there Roy!!!

[Val]

 ;DI get a reaction to cats Plocket, itch and sneeze like hayfever, runny eyes etc. Strange really we grew up with cats, dogs, birds, etc, and birds indoors just terrify me, A bit of a la la I guess. ;DJust love the birds outside though, even if its my feeding thats attracting the mice, I won't stop, I only give them nuts and seeds but the garden seems dead without them and so busy at feeding times.

[Plocket]

Hi Val! I can't stand birds in the house - it really freaks me out, all that fluttering about, yuck! I couldn't stop feeding the birds - they are used to it now anyway. And I don't think the mice take much - as for rats - I don't want to think about them!!! My birds seem to have vanished now and I really miss them. Can't wait for their return.....

[Val]

 ;DHi Plocket, where have the birds gone then?, they've finished their summer moult here, perhaps with all the rain you've had they are hanging on to their feathers this year. ;DIts been a lovely drying day today, I thought we were going to have rain but didn't. The d**n squirrel is digging up everything, we've got a walnut tree in the Close somewhere and every year at this time it buries them.trouble is it digs a hole and doesn't cover it up and the plants are left with no soil round their roots.

[Plocket]

Hi Val! They are probably eating bugs rather than the dry stuff I put out! I keep putting it out though because they will need it in winter and I don't want them to start thinking that their supply has run out.

Sounds like a daft squirrel if you ask me! Another squirrel could come and pinch them all!!! They are little sods (she says being polite!!!) and luckily we don't seem to have much of a problem with them here at the moment. I had two hazelnuts on my tiny twisted hazel last year and they remained on the tree until they fell, and even then they weren't taken.

Do squirrels like conkers? There is a huge horse-chestnut tree over the road from us and I haven't seen any squirrels near it. Plenty of kids bashing the living daylights out of it, but no squirrels.

Nice weather today. I've just put some washing out so no doubt it will rain later! Had heavy rain in the night so as far as I am concerned that is enough rain for the time being!!!

Have a good day Val, and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

[Val]

 ;DHi Plocket, not sure if squirrels do eat conkers. I take it back about the birds summer moult. Saw a beautiful blackbird in the garden,coat shiny and new. Its head was bald as a coot. It did look so funny, I felt so sorry for it, it had one scratty tuff sticking up. Poor little thing, I shouldn't have laughed at it, no wonder they hide away.

[Plocket]

You'll make them paranoid Val!!!!! I haven't seen a bird at my feeder for ages - I'm blaming you even though you are miles away!!!!!!!!!