Ground Feeder attracting mammals (1 Viewer)

When pottering around in the garden recently I noticed that there was a hole burrowed about 2 foot deep and ending in the neighbours garden (the houses are staggered in height). It is probably about 3 inches in diameter.
This has intrigued me - is it likely to be a vole? Or a brown rat? I live in a row of four houses facing greenfields and woodland if that is any help.

Now there is not a lot of food waste from the feeder in my garden - but I do put out sunflower hearts and sultanas daily for the robins and blackbirds that visit frequently (I have a blackbird nest in a shrub).

If it is a rat - shall I just leave it to its own devices....do rats get a bad press or should I be concerned? Or perhaps I should 'do away' with the ground feeder - although that would be a shame for the aforementioned birds.

Any advice appreciated - cheers!

Hiya Kisco, it's possible it is a vole hole. How about a woodmouse?

I have zillions of them in the garden, with the corresponding zillions of holes too! I know they are voles, because I see them coming out of their holes! They start off pretty small, becoming gradually larger over time, although I'm not sure why that is.

The voles are also pretty good are clearing up all the feeder waste from the ground.

On the other hand, I saw a rat the other day in the garden. Now, personally they don't bother me, (although for some reason, I don't like their tails!). I'm inclined to just leave him be. After all, isn't the rat just cleaning up the waste on the ground, surely that's a good thing?

Whichever it is, I would let them get on with cleaning up for you.

Helen I think you might be right about the vole - I was reading that they destroy plants, eating the roots, bulbs etc. However - I'm trying to grow a wildlife garden and mix nature and plant-life - so I guess I shouldnt be too disturbed by my new visitor!

Well, if they eat your sunflower hearts instead, they may not bother with your plants.

It's also pretty difficult to tell whether they are bank or field (short tailed) voles. The bank voles usually have a reddish cast to their fur, but the deciding factor (at least for me) is the size of the tail, the field vole having a very short tail compared to the bank vole.

Voles are brilliant little creatures. But beware, they can't half deliver a bite! As I have found out on a couple of occasions! Oh, and so can the woodmouse!

helenol said:

I saw a rat the other day in the garden. Now, personally they don't bother me.

Click to expand...

Rats look nice clean, furry creatures... and one or two outside the house would not be a problem.

Bears are easier to photograph!

If you lived miles from the next house nobody would mind - but if you inflict a plague of rats on your neighbours...

I have a mouse in the the house... and it can find chocolate anywhere... and my dear partner does not want me to kill it. (I have set a non-lethal trap.)

I first discovered mice activity in the bird food - but I have now put it in a steel dustbin.

Dick Roadnight said:

Rats look nice clean, furry creatures... and one or two outside the house would not be a problem.

I first discovered mice activity in the bird food - but I have now put it in a steel dustbin.

Click to expand...

Talking of which...I have one of those plastic bins that I keep bird seed in. I keep it in a partioned area of the porch, which is normally not closed completely, as I treat it as an extension of outside, if you see what I mean!

Anyway, on several occasions, when I've gone to the bin for the seed, in a morning, I have found 3 and 4 (one morning there were 6!!) wood mice in the bin. They have been unable to climb out, because of the low level of seed.

It is so funny to watch them trying to jump out - just like a Jack-in-the-Box. I swear they have springs attached to their feet!

I always release them in the garden, always with a grin on my face from watching their antics in the bin. At least they have had a good feed, therefore they can entertain me for a minute before I release them