We also have a revelry of moles and shrews. All that is possible has been dug up. Last year, I practically did not see these creatures.
We bought mole pugs and there is still a boom in making a construction. Subtracted on the Internet. an iron pin-reinforcement of 6 mm is driven into the ground by 30-50 cm and a beer can is pushed on the top, with the bottom curved to the other side (specially needs to be corrected). Like, the bank is swaying in the wind, it pokes against the armature, the vibration goes along the pin into the ground. Constantly. Let's see what helps
People are kind - shrews do not "walk" and in spring the consequences of their actions are practically invisible. All that is dug from above is 90% of the mouse, and if heaps - then moles. Why are you up in arms against the shrews. The shrews are very, very, very small. They dig holes only in exceptional cases - when there are no ready-made mouse holes or forest litter on the site. Millet, grain, seeds, roots - they do not eat, only with severe hunger they can gnaw on something. But they love to eat all kinds of larvae in the ground (though worms too). Compared to mice, the shrew is just an angelic creature.
And mice - they are very different in appearance - from very small to very large. The so-called water voles are especially scary - that's where the horror is - so horror.
The only complaint is that the lawn was plowed up, the pigs, no, so that the beds in the right places were loosened
Potential hat
They fell into a hole, but why did you decide that it was they who dug the lawn? By the way, unlike mice, each shrew has its own hunting area from which all competitors are expelled
But beware like fire - this creature can destroy all plantings of bulbous plants and carrots with beets at the same time in a season.
The pits for the columnar foundation (the resting place of the animals) were exactly on the border of violent loosening, that is, the exit from the dug passage led into the pit and the gurgle, but there was no way back. The trail is characteristic: smaller heaps of mole, but with a hole. Although the voles are similar, it is possible that the whole shobla, including the mishidze, walked. But for all the time I have not seen a single vole, neither alive nor dead TTT. maybe the shrews have tried, they say, they are theirs - they will fight with poison, poison.
And let the hare take care of herself, otherwise we will quickly put it on the hat - we will just let the dog go. He is a great game lover.
Although, the neighbor said that the animal looked more like a muskrat. Well, well, the cooler the hat will be
And what do the mole heaps look like? I have such holes (in bulk) somewhere 3-4 cm in diameter and near (from the side) as "shmyak" such, cm 1 in height of a figurine of the earth. In the summer, we saw more than once how someone small and black ran across the path. also thought - are there black mice. Last year, by the end of summer, these "someone" dug so that the tomatoes were hanging in the air, you step next to it and fall through. I put the poison in the greenhouse - two large mice were caught. So it is they who are digging?
PS You wrote that if there were trees on the birch, it’s time to plant potatoes, in my area near the birch trees “bunches” have already been popped out - half-opened leaves, still folded in several pieces. Is it time? (Scratching hands).
Today, there are many different pests that can significantly harm farmers' crops. Many gardeners may underestimate the magnitude of the problem if shrews or moles are found on their property, as they are not as common as insects.In this article, we will tell our readers about how the fight against moles and shrews is carried out, where they prefer to settle, what they eat, what can attract them to the plots.
Who are the shrews
Shrews are one of the smallest representatives of rodents. They are very secretive, and farmers may not know them for a long time if these animals have settled near vegetable gardens or a garden. Since they look like mice outwardly, for some time gardeners will mistake them for ordinary rodents that harm the harvested crop, carry diseases. However, these mammals have a number of their own characteristics. Their muzzle is elongated and very similar to a small proboscis, the body is round, covered with thick soft fur.
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Shrews have small eyes. It should be noted that these rodents have a special musky gland that secretes a secret with a strong unpleasant odor. This smell serves as a defense mechanism to scare away predators. Cats love to hunt these animals. However, when they catch a shrew, they will not eat it due to the pungent smell of fermentation.
The shrew is a mammal that feeds on insects and can be considered a distant relative of the hedgehog. Like moles, these animals live in underground burrows. Most of all, other people's holes, which were dug by other animals, are suitable for them. Shrews are capable of leading a very active lifestyle, staying awake 24 hours a day. Since they have developed an active metabolism in the body, they have to eat regularly in order to enrich it with the necessary amount of calories. They cannot do without food for more than 8-9 hours. For this reason, they have to constantly be in search of food, hunting insects. They need to get a lot of energy per day, so it is advisable for them to eat as much food as they weigh themselves. Shrews mostly hunt on their own, and smaller rodents, beetles, various parasite larvae and the like can go for food.
The most common are two types of shrews:
- Shrews (lat. Croc> As the name suggests, some have white-toothed tips, others brown), and shrews are usually much smaller.
Reasons for appearing at their summer cottage
There are a number of specific reasons why shrews and moles will choose a plot of land. First of all, they choose fertile soil, where organic fertilizers were previously applied. It should be loose and moist. For this reason, farmlands or gardens are very suitable for a place that will become a home for these animals.
In the gardens and in the fields, there is always a lot of different food for them. There you can find the larvae of beetles, worms, various insects. There are always a lot of insects where the soil is planted with vegetation. Also, the area near humans is relatively safe for moles and shrews. The fact is that these animals are also food for larger representatives of the fauna. In the wild lands, foxes, wild cats and similar predators hunt them, and they are not afraid of domestic animals. Scaring them off with a pungent smell, moles and shrews can feel relatively safe.
If moles appear on the site, then soon shrews may also settle here, since the latter prefer ready-made underground passages in order to hide and imperceptibly mix on your lands.
Where do shrews live
It is noteworthy that severe hunger can turn an insectivorous mammal into a real predator. In the fight for prey, the shrew can fight with its fellow tribesmen, mice or lizards.
Where does the shrew live? In the forests, on the banks of reservoirs, in meadows, in foliage and last year's grass. She especially loves secluded crevices of trees or rotten hollows, where you can have a sweet sleep during the day.
Basically, this insectivore prefers to "work" at night. Geographically, the shrew lives all over the globe, with the exception of the polar regions, where cold reigns - there it can be found very rarely. But in fact - this beast is not afraid of either heat or cold.
The harm and benefits of shrews
Shrews are characterized by a very fast metabolism, so the animal is constantly in search of food and is active around the clock. The shrew can be safely called a rather fierce predator that feeds on various insects and their larvae. In the garden, in a day, he destroys the number of pests, several times higher than his own weight.
It would be worth recognizing this animal as useful if, in search of food, the shrew did not dig a huge number of underground passages. In search of larvae, the animal gnaws at all the roots and root crops that are found along the route. In a matter of days, an even green lawn can turn into heaps of earth and bumps. Although it is worth noting that the moves improve the aeration of the soil if something remains on it to grow.
In most cases, control of the shrew is necessary. Spoiled lawns and destroyed crops negate all the benefits that the animal brings.
How to deal with shrews
People go to various tricks to drive this voracious guest away from their site. Some of the methods are quite original and, at first glance, raise doubts about their effectiveness. However, it is not in vain that gardeners advise each other certain techniques that have been known for more than one decade. As practice shows, they really work, I will give a few examples here.
Shrew control methods:
- As mentioned above, this animal has an enviable sense of smell. If you find the minks of the animal, try to dig in the fish heads or entrails extracted when cleaning the fish right there (in the done move). After a short time, the smell of decomposition will drive the shrew out of the area. This method is also good for dealing with moles and mole rats.
- If you have a vigilant cat, then he, too, can be a good assistant in the fight against a pest. A small animal really looks like a mouse and will cause quite an expected reaction in a hunter cat. According to the reviews of summer residents, cats do a good job with this mission, although they do not eat their prey afterwards. The reason for this is the characteristic odor given off by the musky glands of the shrew.
- Hose water, which is poured into the detected pest passages. Quite a few liters of water can sometimes be needed, but this is an old proven method that allows you to "pour" a shrew out of a shelter.
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Folk methods of struggle
Moles came to gardens back in the days when no one knew about modern methods. The struggle was waged with improvised means and ingenuity. People already in those distant times noticed that animals do not like loud sounds.
Noise
To publish noise, the following techniques are used:
- Glass bottles are dropped over the site with the throat up. The wind, getting inside, creates whistling and hissing sounds that go deep into the ground and irritate underground pests.
- Iron rods are set up near the molehills and cans are put on them. Then the wind does its job. Not only moles, but also other rodents run from the ringing and grinding of metal.
- The same structure can be made from plastic bottles. The petals additionally cut along the edge of the bottle will enhance the whistle. Minus one - it will take a lot of such sound monsters.
- Dry reeds in the wind can rustle unbearable for moles.
Folk methods of struggle
Traps
Many people like to catch pests and release them outside the site. The best trap is a glass jar.
To catch it, you need to track the maze and dig in a three-liter jar so that your throat is at the lower level of the path.The neck of the can is slightly covered. The blind rat moves along the familiar path and goes straight to the jar. The main thing is not to forget to check. There is no need to allow a living being to starve to death.
Who are moles
The mole (lat. Talpa europaea) is a close relative of the shrew. It has powerful front legs well suited for digging, a muzzle with a maneuverable trunk and a short tail. The animal reaches twenty centimeters in length.
Moles live mainly underground, where they build a complex system of passages. They love moist soil very much, so they can settle in a lowland, in wet garden plots, in a vegetable garden.
The mole loves to eat with earthworms, but he is also a big lover of drots and larvae of beetles (May, etc.). So, in fact, it is difficult to call this animal a pest, but rather an assistant.
Use of chemicals
You can also use special chemicals to control moles and shrews.
This approach will provide a faster and more effective effect. However, farmers should bear in mind that most preparations against these pests are based on phosphorides, which can have a negative effect on the quality and characteristics of the soil. Since phosphorides are very dangerous for warm-blooded animals, pets that live with their owners can also be threatened.
First you need to determine where the holes of moles and shrews are. Then the funds are placed near their exits.
You can use the Nutcracker, which has been shown to be highly effective against shrews. It looks like a thick substance that should be poured near the burrow.
"Hunter anti-rodent" is a very strong poison that acts on spasms of the respiratory system of animals. Outwardly, the poison looks like small chunks of cheese, flour with various substances. Thanks to all these methods, you can quickly get rid of these animals on your land. But remember that they can also be beneficial in some way.
How to recognize a mole or mole rat
And now let's talk about the sore one, about such a complex and difficult struggle with "moles", namely about mole rats, since it is not a mole, who is contraindicated on a vegetable diet, but a mole rat in our gardens. The present mole, his appearance, habits and habits were discussed above. A mole rat has in common with a mole only the manner of throwing out the earth while digging holes and an exclusively underground way of life. You can see him extremely rarely, he leaves his underground galleries once, leaving at a young age from his native nest.
The appearance of the mole rat is very unusual, the shape of the body resembles a plump cylinder, the geometric perfection of which is not disturbed by either the ears or the tail, since they are underdeveloped. The large head of the mole rat is flattened in the form of a wedge. He is completely blind, a thick fold of skin has formed in place of his eyes, densely covered with bristly hair, even the fleas that live on him are also blind. The body of the animal is covered with thick silky ocher-brown fur, in which there are no down and guard hairs we are used to; the hard hairs protruding from the fur are the organs of touch. The legs of a mole rat are short and weak, they do not take part in digging, the main digging tool is huge incisors sticking out. The lips are provided with folds that cover the mouth so that the earth does not get there during the underground robot. The body length of a mole rat is 20-25 cm.
In the wild, mole rats feed on all kinds of green and underground parts of plants, on occasion they eat sown acorns, seedlings and young seedlings of oak, maple and other deciduous trees in bulk, bulbs make up an important part of their diet. In the conditions of the cultural landscape, they are most numerous on crops of perennial grasses and vegetable gardens, where they hunt for roots, bulbs, and tubers. The way of life of these animals is still poorly understood and still has many questions.
The harm and benefits of moles
It's just that a mole cannot be written down as dangerous pests of the garden and vegetable garden. Breaking through passages and burrows not too deep, the mole destroys root systems with its paws, which simply leads to the death of plants. The reason that brought the parasite to the suburban area is considered a noble attempt to help.
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Animals simply prefer well-moistened chernozem soils, rich in insects. Favorite food is simple earthworms, but garden pests - insect larvae, bears, mice, beetles - are frequent foods in their diet.
Like all insectivores, earthen diggers have an active metabolism, the normal amount of food eaten per day is approximately equal to the weight of the rodent itself.
Just getting rid of insects that harm plantings is not the only useful property of earth diggers. Wormholes are also useful - wormholes promote aeration (air saturation) of the earth, and constant movement underground simply improves the quality of the earth, like a special machine for loosening the soil.
Despite the advantages of being close to moles, it is necessary to get rid of them in the country if you have a vegetable garden there.
Burrow structure - circumstantial evidence
Animals lead a hidden lifestyle, it is very difficult to notice them on the surface of the earth. Determine the presence of pests by embankments above the ground.
Moles dig numerous passages up to 2 m deep, 4 m wide or more. The animal plows up to 45 m of soil per day. The upper passages are for hunting. In the labyrinths, animals look for beetles, earthworms, snails, caterpillars, beetle larvae. Less commonly, moles feed on roots, roots, seeds, as well as small mice, snakes, lizards, frogs.
Mole and shrew burrows
It is possible to distinguish a mole's burrow from a shrew by the large mounds of loosened soil above the earth's surface. By the number of such bumps, the number of pests is judged. They appear more often in the garden, where the soil is moist, there is a shadow from the trees. In early spring, you can see traces of life in the garden.
The shrew builds labyrinths underground with several entrances and exits, but leaves no bumps on the surface. A distinctive feature is the holes in the ground - deep holes. Often the animal simply occupies ready-made mazes, built earlier by rats, mice, hamsters, moles.
Shrews and moles are insectivorous animals, bring more benefit than harm (although land owners are fighting with them), which cannot be said about their relative, the mole rat. This underground inhabitant is constantly underground, eats plant food, looks like a miniature beaver due to its large long teeth.
Today, there are many different pests that can significantly harm farmers' crops. Many gardeners may underestimate the magnitude of the problem if shrews or moles are found on their property, as they are not as common as insects. In this article, we will tell our readers about how the fight against moles and shrews is carried out, where they prefer to settle, what they eat, what can attract them to the plots.
