Glis glis

[polygonum]

Just looking for any experiences and advice about these critters.

Several neighbours - ours is a terraced house and that includes people in the next terrace as well - have had, indeed still have, problems with Glis glis in their attics, airing cupboards, cavities, etc. We are located right by some extensive woodland from where they are thought to have wandered.

We have found no physical evidence within our house. But we have heard noises, location difficult to identify but generally "up", so are suspicious. Others have had various traps fitted - and have left apples as bait. And found droppings on their airing laundry.

[Alan Braggins]

No personal experience, but this looks like a good starting point:

[Andy Dingley]

I've got a book of Roman recipes somewhere...

How are they different (in pest terms) from mice?

[Dave Liquorice]

B-)

I don't think they are but I have a sneaky suspicion that they might be protected. Yes they are:

also says they are fairly restricted to within 25 miles of Tring but you can control them "... where the activities are carried out for the purpose of preserving public health and public safety or for the purpose of preventing serious damage to crops, fruit, foodstuffs for livestock and growing timber."

Having the little blighters running about you kitchen/pantry or in the cavities ganwing heavin knows what are "public health and public safety" in my book but ...

[Tim Lamb]

are woodland species and bigger than the house mouse.

There are no restrictions on trapping them:-)

Ours used to cart Walnuts through the house from the garage, where the wall cavity was open, into the soffit and along to the hall, up the hall roof insulation and then into the main loft. Once there they had a choice of ways to annoy but opening a Walnut at 11.30pm by trapping it against a joist and gnawing was the worst. Hammering the ceiling plaster with a slipper was not a deterrent:-)

Trapping and further building work seems to have solved the problem.

regards

[John Rumm]

More to the point, if you set a trap for "vermin", how would one prevent said critter taking advantage of it? Secondly, once you have caught your mouse, how will you recognise that this one is "different"[1] from any other pesky critter in your pantry?

They also say "Occupiers of land may however, kill or take edible dormice by any non-prohibited method, such as shooting, without needing a licence." - so how is one supposed to divine what methods you can and can't use?

[1] Ah, well a dormouse looks like:

the edible version:

similar to my untrained eye, although the tail looks like it might be a a bit more fluffy on the fat version?

[Richard]

Glitch Glitch... same link ;-)

[John Rumm]

See I told you they looked similar! ;-)

ok try that:

[Terry Casey]

So, when I get stopped on vigilante patrol with my AK47, I'll be OK if I say I'm using it to kill dormice, then ...?

[Richard]

It's perfectly OK to shoot the Glis Glis, apparently. Landmines and other such sneaky methods are frowned upon (IIUC).

[Andy Dingley]

The difference is (AFAIR) that they're difficult to tell apart for much of the year, but in the Autumn the "fat dormouse" (aka edible) becomes - well, fat. It porks up ready for hibernation and turns into something almost the size of a hamster. This is presumably what made them better eating. I don't think the non-edible dormouse (unlike shrews) is literally inedible.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I expect the animal kingdom is like the fungi: broadly ..

-nice to eat

-deadly poisonous or give you really bad effects

-the rest. (about 97%)

[John Rumm]

Somehow "Glis Glis" sounds so much more appetising than "rodent". The former you can imaging being served on a bed of something or other after being lightly pan fried in garlic butter. The latter sounds like rat pate!

[Huge]

I've eaten rat liver.

Inevitably, it tastes like chicken liver.

[polygonum]

Some have been trapped in neighbours' houses and identified by some sort of expert. My partner was even taken to see one in its (live) trap.

I suppose any up there come the winter will probably keep us awake with snores...

[Tim Lamb]

In message , polygonum writes

Glis Glis are supposed to hibernate underground. Your house would probably be too warm and interrupt their sleep.

regards

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