Unwanted visitor

[Filtermike]

I have a cat who lives to go in the garage and is great at catching nice - problem is she also love to sit on top of the car and has managed to scratch the clear lacquer coat which I have had to polish out

[markeg]

My parents have glis glis (edible dormice) in their tack room and they're bloody hard to remove, not least of all because the law prohibits unlicensed people from catching or killing them....

We used to live near Aylesbury - interesting story around the Glis Glis, they were introduced by the Rothschilds; officially as a "collection" item as they're not native, but rumour was they were seen as cheap food for the workers on the Rothschild estates (I used to be based at RAF Halton, with the Officers' Mess being an old Rothschild mansion left to the crown). Whilst related to the dormouse, they are not small like the native UK dormouse, being the size of a squirrel with a bushier tail, and are surprisingly non-timid. We had one convert the contents of an airing cupboard into a nest over a weekend, and when we opened the door it just sat there and tried a staring contest. Also had one sat on top of a bedroom wardrobe, heard the scratching late at night and when I switched the light on it picked out the eyes perfectly - scared the crap out of the wife....

But enough of the thread hijack - we also live in the country and have the occasional rodent issue. We tried humane traps (released over a mile away), and they worked (tried with chocolate and other bait, but peanut butter was the best - remember to change every few days). However, don't leave young kids around with a captured mouse - they think its like a kinder egg and "help" the mouse to escape. We have poison down in the lofts, and a sonic deterrent in the garage - rumour has it that it keeps cats and teenagers away as well

Dogs are useless feckers with mice - one of our dogs actually chased a mouse into the kitchen one summer - although one did show an unhealthy interest in a friend's daughter's hamster. Probably just needs training

Finally - do check your house for ingress points - any gaps around pipework into the building, gaps under doors etc. as they do like to come indoors.

[BMWZ4MC]

Exactly as you say Mark - the Romans and Etruscans used to eat them as a delicacy, so the estate workers were treated well!
My parents live near Bledlow Ridge, so their invaders will likely be close relatives of those you encountered.

[chasBMW]

Luckily I havent had a problem with my cars but a few years ago I did have a problem in my kitchen and as someone else suggested it was because they were able to get in through a gap by pipe for washing machine overflow , fixing the gap seemed to sort it which was good because a friend also lent me a couple of non humane traps so it meant I didnt have to deal with consequences

[PerryGunn]

Luckily I havent had a problem with my cars but a few years ago I did have a problem in my kitchen and as someone else suggested it was because they were able to get in through a gap by pipe for washing machine overflow , fixing the gap seemed to sort it which was good because a friend also lent me a couple of non humane traps so it meant I didnt have to deal with consequences

Mice can get through very, very small gaps, if a mouse can squeeze its head through a gap/hole the rest of its body will fit - they don't have the equivalent of collar bones so everything behind the skull can compress

[markeg]

Mice can get through very, very small gaps, if a mouse can squeeze its head through a gap/hole the rest of its body will fit - they don't have the equivalent of collar bones so everything behind the skull can compress

Just be thankful they're not like octopodes...

[Tommy Jagerwall]

Simpel fix. Buy a 220V TWIN REPELLENT device and keep them out.
Tommy