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Science/nature/environment

Jane Judge's Mice

(41 Posts)
JaneJudge Sun 26-Sept-21 11:49:38

I cannot find the other thread where we discussed my mouse friends who have made a tunnel outside my lounge window. There are it seems three and one has no tail. The photos are a bit blurry as they are so fast and I had to take the photos through a window as if I open it they just stare at me out of the hole!

Do they look the type that will come in my house?

JaneJudge Wed 06-Oct-21 10:58:01

I don't know Parsley. Was it a shock to find them all in Henry? shock

I was reminded of this thread as I had a dream last night that the hole got bigger and they were in fact guinea pigs.. grin

There are still only 3 of them from what I can tell and they are still busy. They haven't grown so they aren't rats smile

Callistemon Wed 06-Oct-21 11:01:50

I was reminded of this thread as I had a dream last night that the hole got bigger and they were in fact guinea pigs..
Ah, sweet ?

I did think the one without a tail was a mutant hamster.

Callistemon Wed 06-Oct-21 11:02:09

Oops, a giant mutant hamster!

Parsley3 Wed 06-Oct-21 11:05:04

It was a shock Jane as I had used it to vacuum the garage before I opened it up. ??

JaneJudge Wed 06-Oct-21 11:08:20

a mutant hamster confused grin

Oh gosh at hoovering with them all in there Parsley, I bet they wondered what on earth was going on! ???

Farmor15 Wed 06-Oct-21 12:17:32

If your house is reasonably well sealed, and you keep doors closed, I'd leave them alone and enjoy watching their antics. Looks like they have a cosy nest so hopefully won't want to move.
This morning I was sorting bottles and jars to bring to bottle bank- left in box outside kitchen. There was something in the bottom of a jar and I realised there were 3 dead pygmy shrewsshock. Not sure how/why they got in jar- there was some water in it, they may have drowned.

JaneJudge Wed 06-Oct-21 12:18:28

Oh Farmor sad

Farmor15 Wed 06-Oct-21 12:23:46

Yes, I was sorry to see them, they must have been a family. I've found dead ones occasionally, caught by cat, who doesn't eat them, though will demolish a mouse, leaving only a tiny bit of innards.
Only good thing is that there must be a reasonable population of pygmy shrews where I live.

JaneJudge Wed 06-Oct-21 12:42:03

they are very cute smile

Callistemon Wed 06-Oct-21 13:05:51

There must have been a nest of pygmy shrews in a garden we were sitting in not long ago because their cat found it.
The cat was shut indoors but not before two shrews had been demolished.

25Avalon Wed 06-Oct-21 13:12:07

Once the cold weather comes they will want to get in. Keep the doors closed when you go in and out and make sure there are no cracks - they only need to be the size of a pencil. Owls, cats, and foxes will be hunting them.

Jaxjacky Wed 06-Oct-21 13:27:43

I think your thread title sounds like a book JaneJudge!

Elegran Wed 06-Oct-21 13:30:42

Parsley If their pee smells awful, they are house mice. Fieldmouse pee is nowhere near as revolting.

JaneJudge Wed 06-Oct-21 13:31:31

smile we have plenty of owls, buzzards and red kites

the buzzard is hell bent on winding up the corvids though. You could watch him all day. He goes over to where they must nest/sit in the trees and the corvids noisily chase him off and he lands in the field over the road for a bit, sits on the telephone pole and then waits until they have all settled back in the trees and flies over again, then they chase him off again grin

Parsley3 Wed 06-Oct-21 18:54:14

Thank you Elegran. I can confirm that their pee does indeed smell awful and in fact it is the first sign that they have taken up residence again in the garage. Horrid little blighters.