wood mouse (1 Viewer)

[seb_seb]

wood mouse discovered next to bird table this morning! I hope it stays and i want to know if there is anyway to help it stay and possibly breed?.......there is definately enough space food etc

 

[cjay]

1st lets hope it has a mate nearby.

Next a bird box filled with hay placed near to whever it came from, A shed perhaps?

Wood Mice only ever seem to come into gardens to feed, obviously breeding in Hedgrows and woodland.

Beware though they are prime prey for many predators.

Good Luck though

Colin.

 

[IanF]

We have a Woodmouse that lives in either our garden or one very close by. He comes out and gets bits of bird seed and nuts which have fallen on the floor. On reading one of my books it states "Habitat :- any habitat with good vegetation cover.
Food :- Fruits,seeds, nuts buds & shoots and some invertibrate food. Breeding :- Produces 2-3 litters of up to 9 young in March-October.
Well it seems you are most of the way there, lets hope it finds a partner.

 

[winkle]

We often find them nesting in dormouse boxes, which is more or less a bird box with the hole in the back wired to a tree.

 

[seb_seb]

thanks ian and colin......i have no woodland or hedgerow near enough for a mouse to travel from so i think it must live close. Ill try the bird box.......and had a suggestion from a friend who said something about using tennis balls?

 

[seb_seb]

mouse nestbox- what size hole..depth etc? is it just a standard bird box?

 

[winkle]

Just a ordinary tit box should do, turned around and wired to something. just leave enough room for the mouseto get in behind.

Tennis balls are for Harvest Mice. A colleage of mine once got muddled up and thought they were useful for Dormice. After plastering a wood with them and getting it on tele, had a lot of back peddling to do.