Topic: What could be eating my pumpkin?

[anemone]

I have a pumpkin stored in the shed and something is eating it. Quite big chunks off the top. The shed is on paving slabs and doesn't appear to have any holes for access. What could it be??

[Borlotti]

I blame Cornykev.  ;D ;D

[chriscross1966]

Mice or their bigger mates......

[1066]

If chunks are being bitten off then it does sound like mice or rats. They can get through the smallest of gaps or holes

[Digeroo]

I have always been amazed about how small the hole can be and still let a mouse through.  Apart from anything they can climb up wood quite easily. 

[anemone]

I was hoping there was something (anything!) else it could be. Is there anyway to tell if its mice or rats? and, what do i do now?? are they likely to go away if i remove the food?

[chriscross1966]

good luck......

[Tin Shed]

I imagine rats leave bigger teeth marks ;)
A friend on the allotment recently lost all his butternut squash he was storing in his shed. The rats moved in and ate the lot, just leaving the seeds - he wasn't a happy man!!

[anemone]

An odd thing about mine is the plot next door has pumpkins out in the open just sitting there and they haven't been touched ! I suppose it's warmer for them eating mine in my shed  ::)

[realfood]

Probably voles which cause most of the damage to crops on our plots. I trap and poison throughout the year to keep the damage to the minimum otherwise we would get no carrots, beetroot, brassicas, strawberries.

[chriscross1966]

An odd thing about mine is the plot next door has pumpkins out in the open just sitting there and they haven't been touched ! I suppose it's warmer for them eating mine in my shed  ::)

and safer... no predatory owls in youir shed.....