WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL HAS THIS KIND OF HOME

mikeweed

Hi all I found these holes in my garden, only noticed them since the weeds have died. I hope there are not rats but I can't think of anything else they could be. There is a main entrance, but there are smaller holes (about 4) others around the same area. This was a new build last year so this soil is soft. I have found others hole, again in top soil mounds at the front of the house. I live in the countryside so I dont want to lay poison in case its a vole, ferret etc.

I can't attach my images I had taken but to give you an idea, the main hole is about 6inch across but narrows very quickly to 2 separate tunnels which head off in different directions.

Any help or advice most welcome.

junospider

6in seems like rabbit.rat would be about 3 inches max. nothing else makes holes that size,in ireland anyway.

Pretzill

Without images it's hard to tell but just to say I was flumuxed by holes all around the garden last year and this until I caught the culprits on night vision camera - badgers digging for earthworms!

Please don't lay poison - it is deadly for all types of wildlife - particularly birds of prey who feed on carrion.

DBB

Pretzill wrote: »

Please don't lay poison - it is deadly for all types of wildlife - particularly birds of prey who feed on carrion.

And unless it's for rats/mice and appropriately covered, it's illegal to lay poison.

mikeweed

Its not rabbits, Im living here a year and never saw a rabbit, we have hare's alright. But these hares are huge no way they would fit in these holes. Either would a rabbit. These holes are about 6 feet away from out house, I dont think rabbits would move that close to a house and the holes are very close to where our septic tank lies. I'm wondering could it be waste food going down the sink (i use an insinkerator) that is attracting them.
I won't use poison for the one reason I dont know what it is, I have not problem killing rats (my child plays in the garden where they are) but anything else I would leave be. Another night during the summer we had a hedgehog come up to our sunroom late at night, could it be a hedgehog? We went out to look at him he moved off in that direction.
If i was aloud put up photos it would help.

mymo

You'd be surprised how small a hole a hare can fit in, it could be rabbits, the burrow could go some distance and they always have lots of exits, Badger sets tend to have large openings and are usually in ditches under cover, but you never know. I would try a webcam in the window with outside light and see if you can see anything.

tk123

mikeweed wrote: »

Its not rabbits, Im living here a year and never saw a rabbit, we have hare's alright. But these hares are huge no way they would fit in these holes. Either would a rabbit. These holes are about 6 feet away from out house, I dont think rabbits would move that close to a house

We have a wild rabbit living on our road with neighbors feeding it carrots :rolleyes: - this is on a cul de sac in Dublin and it runs through our gardens/driveways. We also have them in the carpark in work and although they're cautions if you get very close they're not that bothered by people walking by on the other side of the road.

Alun

mikeweed wrote: »

Im living here a year and never saw a rabbit, we have hare's alright. But these hares are huge no way they would fit in these holes.

Hares don't live in burrows like rabbits anyway, they build nests in shallow depressions in thick vegetation and ocasionally out in the open.

the_syco

mikeweed wrote: »

If i was aloud put up photos it would help.

Post up the link, with added spaces, so
www.imageshack.com/picture.jpg
would be
www. imageshack. com/ picture. jpg

mikeweed

http: // i1015. photo bucket. com / albums / af272/mikeweed/ WP_20150109_13_34_22_Smart .jpg

see if this works.


http: // i1015. photobucket. com/ albums /af272/mikeweed/WP_20150109_13_34_00_Smart .jpg

kylith

Rabbits for my money

mikeweed

Cheers for putting up images. The tunnels that lead right and left are about 3 inch wide, I have seen rabbit burros and never that small. There are no foot prints at the entrance even though the mud is very soft. If i could see a print I would have a better idea, big difference in rabbit and rat prints.

Alun

Any droppings around the area?

mikeweed

We had dropping on the manhole cover of our septic tank but like I said we have hare's in our garden very often, as many as 4 so I assumed it was their droppings. There are no droppings around the tunnels.

foxy farmer

Holes seem too small for rabbits imo. The balls of earth at bottom of first pic look familiar. The ground around around entrance looks smooth. My bet is a stoat, mink or more likely a rat. If you got fine sand and coated the area around the entrance they might leave prints. A rats tail leaves a distinctive trail. The snow would give a great idea of where they were going if it stayed around.

mikeweed

I think they are too small too for rabbits, mink crossed my mind but have seen any out here ever. Like I said it don't care what is is as long as its not a rat. In my garden shed we store wood for stove and all the usual stuff but recently I came across mouse dropping on the lid of a bucket, set traps and I have caught 9 mice since xmas. I read somewhere that mice and rats usually dont mix in the same area. From what I have seen online they look like rat holes so maybe the next step is setting rat traps and see if I can get one.

tk123

I can't wait to find out what it is!!

Day Lewin

Sorry, but it does look like rats to me. And I've experience :-(
They do burrow extensively and busily. Their droppings look a bit like grey raisins. Usually the burrows show signs of use - worn smooth around entrances, etc.
I tried various things.
The smoke of burning chillies is said to be very toxic to their lungs (it certainly is for humans!)

kylith

Any chance of you being able to set up a trail cam to try get a photo?

Wobbly_Legs

I would go for rats if there is food waste somewhere nearby and the septic tank might be warm too. Rats can follow pipes underground. Holes look right for rabbits IMO though.

mikeweed

I am going to set traps tonight and see how they go.

mikeweed

Well I set two traps last night by the main hole and this morning one of the trap had gone off....but nothing caught! Smart little ****s what ever they are. Traps out again so hopefully I will either catch one or they will just go away (wishful thinking)