All posts in “mouse”

The Edible Dormouse or Glis Glis

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The Edible Dormouse or Glis Glis

Note: From time to time I allow people to write articles which I believe will be of interest to our community. This article while pretty much exclusive to the United Kingdom was interesting in that mice are quite intrusive no matter where they live. I also do advise people that in some cases pest control can be handled by the Do It Yourselfer but you also can get in over your head and the opinions and advice from a Pest Management Professional should be sought. Dr Bug!

What is a Glis Glis?

The Edible Dormouse is originally from continental Europe and was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1902 as part of a private wildlife collection at Tring in Hertfordshire. Due to an accidental escape, it now lives in the forests and countryside where it reached a population estimated at 10,000 rodents located within 25 miles of Tring.

The Edible Dormouse is one of the biggest rodents present in the United-Kingdom as it can reach 30 centimeters long. The Glis Glis has grey fur and similar to a young squirrel; it has big eyes and a long tail which it can spontaneously cast off in a situation of danger. Herbivorous, it feeds on fruits and nuts but if food is scarce it adapts and can eat plants, invertebrates and eggs. The Glis Glis is a great climber and usually inhabits in forested habitats and seeks shelter in bird nests, hollowed trees and caves.

Why is it considered as a pest?

Glis Glis are considered as one of the 14 threats to Britain’s countryside as they destroy crops and trees as well as electrical cables and wires due to their constant gnawing. A nocturnal rodent; Glis Glis will seek refuge during daylight and during hibernation. They will seek shelter in outbuildings, homes (basements) and business premises and may damage property and belongings. This can be very dangerous as an example, gnawing of an electric cable in your property can lead to a fire.

For those reasons, it is highly recommended to eliminate/manage any Glis Glis infestation, however, as it is protected species by the Wildlife & Countryside Act of 1981, restrictions apply in how to proceed.

How do I know if I have Glis Glis in my property or business and outlying areas?

First and foremost, Glis Glis hibernate for almost seven months; from autumn to spring (May to October). Therefore during that period, it will be difficult to find proof of the existence of the Glis Glis as their activity is very limited.

Because of their nocturnal nature, they remain inactive during daylight for fear of predators. Most of the damage caused by their behavior will be done at night.

To know if you have Glis Glis on your property, look for:

Gnawed electrical cables.
Scratching noises and movements coming from tree branches and bird nests.
Damaged young trees or missing bark.
Missing fruits from plants.
Most damage will be in your kitchen or basement, Glis Glis are very intrusive animals.

The Edible Dormouse or Glis Glis is protected species, so what can I do?

Indeed, Glis Glis is protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 which prohibits certain methods of killing and trapping except under license. The trapping or killing of Glis Glis can take place if it is a matter of public health or public safety, in prevention of serious damage to crops, fruits, livestock etc. This means that only pest control experts who are certified to do so under license can take action. Homeowners can apply for a license for live trapping Edible Dormice; however this is subject to several rules and restrictions.

Prevention is always the best first steps to take. A few steps can be undertaken to make your house/business rodent proof. You will find how to do so in the Tips & Advice section of our website or by clicking here.

Victor®, the global leader in rodent control, offers a variety of innovative mouse control solutions such as Live Mouse Traps and rodenticides to help you with all your rodent control needs. Victor® has all the information you need to get rid of the rat in your home.

How do the bugs or rodents get into your home?

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Can you guess how many ways the bugs or rodents can get into your home?

Lets see how many ways we can come up with:

Garage Door, homeseal or garage door seal if possible.
Do you ever bring firewood into the home?
Do you have pets?
Do you ever bring in plants or flowers?
Do trees touch your roof?
Are there holes in your stucco where pipes go into the home?
Are the weep holes sealed?
Are the shingles or tiles in place?
Are your door seals in good condition?
Do you have door sweeps in place?
Are your screens in place?
Are yout attic vents in good condition?
Do you have a chimney guard in place?
Does your stucco go all ythe way to the dirt or stone? You should be able to see your foundation.
Do you have a wood fence and does it connect with your home? Its best if there is no dirt to wood contact.
Do you have siding on the home? This could allow bugs or rodents the option to sneak underneath.
Do you have shrubs or trees to close to the home?

Picture from this site http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us

Can you think of any more, make comments below and thanks….

Ever wonder about Chili peppers and pest control?

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Ever wonder about Chile peppers and pest control?

I remember many years ago when my Grandparents had a garden and occasionally rabbits would venture in and eat the new stalks of green. We put up some chicken wire and that stopped the intruders from getting in, but what about the new repellents with chili peppers or those that contain capsaicin? For thousands of years Asian cultures have used chili pepper products to repel all kinds of pests. One thing for sure is that you must be extremely careful using a product like this.

One of the products that we use is PiGNX and a similar product called DeTour for rodents, the reasons that I like this product include:

The product won’t freeze or melt, the freeze thing isn’t a problem in AZ but melting is. There are times in the summer that I think I’m melting from the heat.
This product is a contact repellent – animals in contact may take it back to their nest transferring it to others.
Food grade product.

In the case of pigeons, you place this product in areas where they tend to land and hang out. They get the product on their feet and they hate it, sqawking and letting every other bird aware of the product – they don’t come back…

Rodents coming into contact believe that the building in on fire due to the heat from the product and will do whatever it takes to get out of the structure.

New technology for pest control…..

How do bug explosions happen?

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How do bug explosions happen?

Many of us have heard of the plagues of certain insects occurring across certain areas of the world.

In Exodus, Pharaoh refused to let the Hebrew people (or Israelites) leave Egypt. The 10 plagues were a divine demonstration of power and displeasure designed to persuade Pharaoh to “let my people go,”. Some of these plagues were insects of animals: such as frogs, gnats or lice, flies and locusts.

Bubonic Plague peaked in Europe between 1348 and 1350 with fleas carried by rats. It was probably carried by Oriental rat fleas living on the black rats that were regular passengers on merchant ships. All in all, the plague reduced the world population from an estimated 450 million to a number between 350 and 375 million in the 14th century.

1889 – locust swarms crossing the Red Sea covered 2000 square miles, and contained an estimated 250 billion locusts. Now, if only there was a good recipe for locusts.

In 1931, a swarm of grasshoppers descends on crops throughout the American heartland, devastating millions of acres. Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, already in the midst of a bad drought, suffered tremendously from this disaster.

Around 1940 locusts devoured the entire wheat crop in 20 districts in China, causing the starvation of 6 million people.

Jan 20, 2011 When mice run out of food in Streaky Bay, Australia, it leads to a mouse plague of Biblical proportions. The sea is the only place safe from the rising tide of rodents. I just had to share this one – watch the video – its freaky…

Aug 9, 2011 Brown Marmorated stink bugs, rise to new levels in Midwest.

A plague of these insects can occur when conditions cause their populations to suddenly explode. Usually this happens under drought or very dry conditions, since their egg pods are vulnerable to fungus in wet soil. When the soil is very dry, swarms can develop. With rodents and other mammals it all depends on the circumstance involved, more rain, more food and the right condition exists and the population increases.

stinkbugs

What do you want to know by ProBest Pest Management!

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DrBugKVBdidyouknow1

Rodents are the second most successful mammals on Earth:

Humans
House Mouse
Norway Rat

The first spring-loaded mousetrap was invented by William C. Hooker of Abingdon, Illinois. He received U.S. patent 528671 for his design in 1894.

What are the 5 or is it 6 Rodent senses?

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What are the 5 or is it 6 Rodent senses?

Sight
Taste
Smell
Touch
Sound
Kinesthetic Sense – they memorize their environment and can maneuver through it without looking.

Information provided by Bell Labs – a world leader in rodent control technology.

whiskers

Hey! Did you know this about rodents?

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Hey! Did you know this about rodents?

A family of 6 mice in a cluttered garage can grow to 50-60 mice in only 90 days.

A Norway rat can gnaw through a lead pipe.

Roof Rats have extra pads and longer digits on their paws, enabling roof rats to be excellent climbers.

Information provided by Bell Labs – a world leader in rodent control technology.

Sometimes you never know what you might find!

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Sometimes you never know what you might find!

One of the biggest challenges in servicing a large warehouse is keeping out the rodents especially in the winter. Just like us animals/wildlife like to be warm and have a roof over their head. So they try really hard to get into our homes or businesses. One single mouse could shut down a warehouse or facility, so it is extremely important to stay on top of these little critters. The first line of defense is the exterior of the building and then the interior. If you can keep them from getting in – you have succeeded from possible complications of shutting down a line or facility. The backup to the plan is inside tin-cats or devices which may catch the possible sneaky little rodent, if it gets past the other devices.

So just how many babies can mice have?

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So just how many babies can mice have?

Mice are capable of producing six to eight babies in each litter, sometimes as many as ten.

The biggest problem with mice is that they have multiple litters each year. One male and female mouse can produce up to 40 babies in one year. Multiply that by the fact that each litter will start producing babies as well within the year and you can see how quickly a couple of mice can get out of control. In just that first year those original mice can product up to 139. In one year, a pair of little house mice could produce thousands and thousands of offspring. This could happen if every baby survived and carried on the family system of multiplication. So it is very important to seal your home.

So here is a quiz:

Mice are famous for their ability to multiply at breakneck speeds. The type of mouse we have here gives birth once a month, birthing 12 babies each time. Baby mice mature and can give birth two months after they are born.You picked up one of these cute baby mice at the pet shop and brought it home the day after it was born. In 10 months from now, how many mice will you have? Don’t peek, have a guess – see below

Answer

One, the mouse cannot have any babies by itself.

Interesting photo – ProBest Pest Management!

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Interesting photo – ProBest Pest Management!

Merry Christmas!

Every once in awhile you run across something unique and the picture is worth a thousand words. This is one of those pictures.

photo snake skin

photo 1 snake skin

Snakes shed their skin to grow and discard this skin by brushing up against something rough scratching the old skin into peeling. We in turn shed our skin piece by piece, small flakes just fall off as we grow. Did you know that spiders and scorpions shed their skin as well. Sometimes you will see what you think is a dead spider in a web and it’s actually a shedded skin. We have a tarantula at the office and it is a freaky site to see when it sheds its skin. It turns upside down and pulls itself out. A spider can actually regrow a leg if one is lost. As I said freaky. This was probably the case here with the architecture of this building, rough edges creating the ability to start the process of shedding. No idea what type of snake this could have been, but we run into snakes all the time in the field. Just remember they were here before us and we need to use caution when in their area possibly hiking or camping.

Snakes eat a lot of small prey including mice, rats and rodents in general. So they can be a benefit to us, in that they can keep the population of rodents down.