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Subterranean activity in the polytunnel.

Over the winter there are more and more tunnels appearing beneath my poly tunnel soil, and the access holes are getting bigger!

We do have moles here, and mice take any peas or beans sown direct so I always sow in pots.

However this is getting silly! There is now more tunnel then soil in some places.

Any ideas on how to identify the culprits.

I can not see any rat droppings which would be my primary concern, however the size of the access points seam too big for mice.

 

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  • Jim MacdJim Macd Posts: 750

    If the holes are about the size of an old metal drainpipe then they're rats. If they’re the size of a broom handle, it’s mice and, well, you shouldn’t see holes for moles, just a molehill.

  • Sounds like rats to me image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Would rats not be helping themselves to produce?

  • They'll have been flooded out of riverside and ditchside tunnels and their first priorities will have been to establish new colonies for breeding in - they've found somewhere dry and warm - perfect image

    Yes, they'll be looking for food too, but I'll bet there's plenty about - neighbours with hens that lay eggs, potatoes stored in sheds and potato peelings in compost bins (rats will do anything for potatoes - ask my potato-farming brother), droppings from bird tables, and of course they'll shin up into trees and bushes and bird tables to take bird food directly, and solidifying fat and worse in the drains and sewers image  There's lots of stuff they'll find without having to look very hard. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Yikes, what do I do?

  • Check your local authority website - they may have a service (which you will probably have to contribute towards) - if not then there will be pest control companies in your area.  

    You can buy stuff on the internet, including pet proof containers to put it in etc.  but in my experience it is better to get the experts in - rats in some areas are developing immunities to some poisons, and your local experts will know what works where you are and will be able to deal with the problem efficiently and in the shortest possible time.  They will need to make several visits. 

    Also check around any drains/manholes etc on your property - if there's evidence of the rats having tunnelled into or out of the drainage system your local water/sewage company may come and deal with it and bear at least some of the cost.  


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Alan4711Alan4711 Posts: 1,657

    Hi Briggsy, my old allotment neighbour had the same problem, he used the rain water down pipe gadget only takes 20 mins to make and no body disposing needed, we used the tried and tested dip in  parrafin ,not soaked just dipped,the mice dug a couple up but didnt eat them i just pushed them back down we had a great show of greenhurst peas they were so good, and the mice moved on. good luck

  • Thanks all,

    Have just come in from tunnel to check the size of the holes - some are broom handle size, some bigger just to confuse.

    Stopped to pick slugs out of the cabbages, I remember hearing someone refer to cabbages as slug hotels- they were not wrong!

    I will be planting new potato in the polytunnel on the weekend - if rats are that keen on them, I should get me answer pretty quickly!

    Something has definitely been nibbling the oca!

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,023

    Could they be voles not rats? My daughter has voles in her veg garden and under her apple trees. http://landscaping.about.com/cs/pests/a/vole_control.htm tells you about them.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,617

    I have a hole the size of a broom handle at the side of the slabbed path in the greenhouse. As I have lost trays full of things like sweet peas etc, I have put " big cheese" mousetraps down. They have caught 8 mice in the last fortnight, but one got triggered and didn't catch anything, and they chewed the plastic top off to get at the peanut butter. I have voles in the garden, similar size holes, dug into sandy banks.

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