Mice in the Compost - Kill Them or Leave them Alone?

BargainHunter · 25-09-2011 9:48pm #1

Im running my garden entirely as a wildlife garden. Totally overgrown and full of frogs, beetles etc. Are mice a healthy addition to a natural ecosystem or pests to be exterminated?

Ive seen a mouse in my compost bin, on a couple of occasions recently. Should I put down a trap in the compost bin or just leave it be?

seanybiker · 25-09-2011 9:54pm

I'd leave him there.

cscook · 26-09-2011 6:56am

I've always left them. First time round I knew they were there - any time I opened the bin I could them. Moved house, new bin. Earlier this summer I was taking compost out from the bottom and a little mouse fell out. I'd rather they were there than in the shed, never mind the house, and I suppose it's nice and warm for them.

sideswipe · 26-09-2011 7:41am

BargainHunter wrote: »

Im running my garden entirely as a wildlife garden. Totally overgrown and full of frogs, beetles etc. Are mice a healthy addition to a natural ecosystem or pests to be exterminated?

Ive seen a mouse in my compost bin, on a couple of occasions recently. Should I put down a trap in the compost bin or just leave it be?

Answer's already in your question imo.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 26-09-2011 9:52am

More than likely a Wood Mouse rather than a House Mouse. So, leave it alone and enjoy watching it.

Funsterdelux · 26-09-2011 10:15am

Ah leave the poor aul divil alone

Mothman · 26-09-2011 12:09pm

It depends where you raise the question

Here will side with the wildlife, if raised elsewhere such as gardening forum the opinion may differ

I agree with all the above

And in my experience, if there are mice, there are no rats!

Kess73 · 26-09-2011 2:02pm

Mothman wrote: »

It depends where you raise the question
Here will side with the wildlife, if raised elsewhere such as gardening forum the opinion may differ

I agree with all the above
And in my experience, if there are mice, there are no rats!

I agree with this post, and the bit in bold I go along with as well. An obvious wood mouse population is generally the sign of a low rat presence in that particular garden.

Delancey · 26-09-2011 9:30pm

Kess73 wrote: »

I agree with this post, and the bit in bold I go along with as well. An obvious wood mouse population is generally the sign of a low rat presence in that particular garden.

Really interesting that , I had always been told by my Grandmother that Rats and Mice were more or less ' hand in glove '.
Another old wives tale I guess.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 27-09-2011 8:21am

My old Granny always said "Where there's Mice there's no Rats".

slowburner · 27-09-2011 11:50am

Rats catch, kill and eat mice.
(Karli,P. 1956)
see here
http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatsMice.htm

Mice in the Compost - Kill Them or Leave them Alone?

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