Cute Little Blighters

Woodmice (I think)

(Written at November 24th 12:30 am)

Well fed woodmouse

In our current house (in Ladbroke) we've had a minor problem with wood mice in previous years.  Usually we've had the odd visits in autumn and once in the very worst of winter snow.  Humane traps* baited with licorice allsorts** dipped in chocolate spread have always proved to be irresistible.  Releasing the captures about 200 yards away at the very end of the garden usually solved the problem of the cute little blighters.

This year Ladbroke has had a minor plague. The woods come right into the village and we have a large copse in the edge of the garden, We've even had them in several cars. Now in fact I've got one in my bedroom.  So I have baited the traps. This time we have used Saint Agur cheese (it was on offer, they had no stilton) and chocolate hazelnut spread.

The photos are the two I caught last night.  I dropped them off in a rich hedge next to Harbury Spoil Bank.

 I'm such a softy. (Not really am just feeding the kestrels.) 

At time of posting we are up to seven caught in the last ten days. I think I have filled all the holes between house and the garage with sand and cement.

Mouse just before it jumps up and out of the bucket

*"Humane" seems an odd word surely it should be mousemane.  Humane traps work pretty well on the mice we get.  One type rocks like a seesaw when the mouse tries to reach the bait at the far end and the gate at the entrance closes.  The other has an internal gate which drops when the trigger is touched near the bait.

** I don't like the licorice allsorts with pink or blue hundreds and thousands, so when they are available I use half of one dipped in hazelnut chocolate spread.  I'm told that peanut butter or anything sticky and smelly works well, but we don't be peanut butter, whereas hazelnut chocolate spread disappears quite quickly in this house.

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