Rodent ID please (1 Viewer)

MJN

Well-known member

• Aug 12, 2020

• #1

On my garden fence. Mouse (which sort) or perish the thought Baby Rat?
Thanks.

 

Farnboro John

Well-known member

• Aug 12, 2020

• #2

Unless you have a particular reason to suppose these might just be House Mouse I'm definitely thinking you've got Brown Rats. Get the poison baits, kill traps and .22 in pronto.

John

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Aug 13, 2020

• #3

Brown Rat youngsters for me too.

 

MJN

Well-known member

• Aug 13, 2020

• #4

Thanks for the replies.
I was rather hoping that they were House mouse - mus musculus.
They are way too small for Rats but the thought that they're juveniles is still nagging away at me. Someone else that I've asked leans towards mice.
At the moment it's 2-1 for the rat. Grrr.

 

T

Timbirder3

Well-known member

• Aug 13, 2020

• #5

They look like young Brown Rats to me, just like my cat brings in.
Tim

 

A

aeshna5

Well-known member

• Aug 13, 2020

• #6

Definitely young Brown Rats-look at those large feet!

 

KC Foggin

Very, very long time member

Supporter

• Aug 13, 2020

• #7

Which ever they are I strongly advise that you use traps rather than any kind of rodent poison as you don't want to put your bird life in a dangerous circumstance.

 

Farnboro John

Well-known member

• Aug 13, 2020

• #8

KC Foggin said:

Which ever they are I strongly advise that you use traps rather than any kind of rodent poison as you don't want to put your bird life in a dangerous circumstance.

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In the UK you are obliged to put poison in places that other wildlife will not get to e.g. poison boxes that the rats have to climb into to get to it. It is an unpleasant thing to have to do, and you need to keep an eye out for dead/dying rats in the garden and then dispose of them: but older rats are canny and will usually avoid kill traps. Poison is thus indispensable if you wish to eliminate an infestation rather than just constantly killing juveniles.

Even then you may end up having to shoot old, scarred, wily rats that are too smart to fall for your deadly blandishments.

I suggest stopping feeding the birds for a while as well.

John

 

MJN

Well-known member

• Aug 14, 2020

• #9

Thanks for all the replies.
Poison isn't an option, I have a hedgehog in the garden as well as at least three cats that visit every night.
I've not seen them since but I'm permanently trail camming the garden and I would have thought they'd be after the hedgehog food but nothing as yet.
Perhaps the neighbours cats which I curse every day will come to my help.

 

Farnboro John

Well-known member

• Aug 14, 2020

• #10

MJN said:

Thanks for all the replies.
Poison isn't an option, I have a hedgehog in the garden as well as at least three cats that visit every night.
I've not seen them since but I'm permanently trail camming the garden and I would have thought they'd be after the hedgehog food but nothing as yet.
Perhaps the neighbours cats which I curse every day will come to my help.

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I've certainly had a new attitude to feline visitors since the last infestation in our street. The humorous cat that left the body of one of its ratty victims spreadeagled on the glass roof of a neighbour's conservatory left me in stitches.

John