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vab
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[quote user="Gemini_man"]
Sorry, Coypu are not cute - they grow to be GIANT rongeurs up to 6 Kilos weight - in other words they are ENORMOUS water rats and they do ENORMOUS damage to farmers maize crops which is why they leave ENORMOUS traps between their fields and rivers - ugly critters they are too, the Coypu not the farmers. Well probably the farmers also [:$]

[/quote]

Sorry Gemini M, but you're talking total rubbish. Our local farmers certainly do not see them as a major threat to crops (they are actually herbivores) and although a member of the rodent family, they are closer to a beaver than a rat.

They inhabit the river bank on my property and have never shown any agression toward me when I'm down there fishing or cutting the grass. In fact, quite the opposite, they are quite curious and now come very close to 'have a look'. That's not to say that they will not react when cornered, startled or protecting young, but that is no different to most animals.

My view, unless they are a real problem, leave them alone.

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Again, a bit "off-topic" but not all farmers like Ragondin (and most fishermen hate them). They might not directly compete with farmers crops but they do a lot of damage to their fields They do enormous damage to the banks, making them unstable. On occasions, fishermen are in trouble as banks they are standing on collapse. They carry Leptospirosis, and according to my local piegeur the strain it slightly different to that your pets are vaccinated against - so they don't has as much protection.

They are regarded as such a nuisance that the authorities in many areas actually have campaigns against them (an every year round me) - they work their way up the rivers over quite a few months trying to get rid of them as they move upstream (trapping in each section for several weeks). The trappers are paid for those the catch (1,50€ per tail round me).

They cause a lot of erosion of the soil (into the river) and tend to out-compete other native species. Chrispp can probably give much better reasons than mine for their eradication.

Ian

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[quote user="Cassis"]

I'd rather have rabbits than ragondin. [:)]

[/quote]

What about a nice beaver?  Couldn't resist...

I would be interested to know the answer as I planted a number of ceanothus cuttings which were quite sturdy two years ago.  When I went to check on them, all but one had perished as 'something' had excavated a large hole around their roots.  My lavendar plants have never suffered the same fate, though.

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hello all

I have not had time to check today as we are a bit busy. MAYBE it is everything that has been suggested so far and they have a downer on me and my attempts at gardening Seriously though, If it eventually stops or I really discover the culprit I will send a thread letting everyone know. Thanks for all your kind suggestions and I have learnt quite a lot  about all the little pests that we have here....bless them all. (little ****s)

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Sorry Bugbear but before you accuse someone of talking total rubbish you should check your facts (why the hell do people on this forum have to make things so personal whenever they have the chance, don't you have anything better to do? [Www] ) -

Your quote: "Our local farmers certainly do not see them as a major threat to crops (they are actually herbivores)" - so what do you think animals that eat maize crops are? carniverous? Wikipedia: "In zoology, a herbivore is an animal that is adapted to eat primarily plant matter" ie. maize crops.

they do grow to be giant rongeurs up to 6 kilos weight: http://www.roc.asso.fr/protection-faune/ragondin.html

and they do do a lot of damage to farmers maize crops - maybe in your particular locality they are not a problem but elsewhere they are - and if you don't believe me have a read here: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragondin

Le ragondin est un animal gibier, et classé parmi les nuisibles du fait des dégâts occasionnés par ses terriers et son appétit pour les cultures à proximité de son territoire. Dans certaines régions il a fait l'objet de plans de lutte collectifs, à l'échelle de dizaines de communes. Les méthodes de lutte contre le ragondin sont les mêmes que celles autorisées pour les autres espèces nuisibles (à l'exception du tir au vol bien sûr) : tir au fusil, tir à l'arc, empoisonnement, piégeage, déterrage.

or here: http://www.roc.asso.fr/protection-faune/ragondin.html

Quels problèmes peut-il poser ?

Bien que résistant, le ragondin peut-être porteur de diverses maladies et parasitoses, certaines transmissibles aux animaux domestiques et à l’homme, en particulier la leptospirose (les bovins le sont aussi ).

Du fait de son régime varié, il peut lui arriver de se nourrir dans les cultures voisines des zones aquatiques où il vit, en particulier celles de maïs. En période de gel, lorsque les herbes aquatiques sont hors d’atteinte, il peut occasionner par écorçage des dégâts parfois considérables dans les peupleraies. Mais son principal impact touche les ouvrages hydrauliques, creusant l ses terriers dans les berges des canaux et les digues, il les endommage et pour les plus minées, elles peuvent céder lors des crues.

Nowhere in my post did I suggest they posed a threat of aggression other than towards crops, specifically maize - maybe in Vienne the farmers don't grow maize, I don't know. Either way your assertion  "Sorry Gemini M, but you're talking total rubbish" was out of order, unnecessary and rude.

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Hi everyone, I've been experiencing major computer problems and still not completly up and running on a new computer, but getting everything back and organising it bit by bit.

Strictly speaking trapping and killing of all animals is only legally carried out by an authorised person with the ability to identify species.

Snakes, frogs and toads don't make holes, they use existing holes made by other creatures, sort of exception are spadefoot toads but they only dig "backwards" into soft soil or sand and fill the entrance up as they go down.

Ragondin may be "cute" and although it's not personal, they should be controled with vigor (but not with poison) as they are an intoduced species that screws things up for our native species.

They will eat maize but it's doubtfull that they could cause extensive damage, but farmers in my experience know very little about the countryside that they work in.

Chris

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[quote user="Gemini_man"]Sorry Bugbear but before you accuse someone of talking total rubbish you should check your facts (why the hell do people on this forum have to make things so personal whenever they have the chance, don't you have anything better to do?  [/quote]

Well, lets start with what you initially said and what you are now saying

1. "- in other words they are ENORMOUS water rats" 

(They are not ENORMOUS water rats)

2.  "and they do ENORMOUS damage to farmers maize crops"

(Which you have now changed to)

3.  "and they do do a lot of damage to farmers maize crops"

4.   "Nowhere in my post did I suggest they posed a threat of aggression"

(Nowhere in my reply did I say that you had)

5.   "- maybe in Vienne the farmers don't grow maize"

(Big maize producers but Coypu not considered a major threat)

6.  "Either way your assertion  "Sorry Gemini M, but you're talking total rubbish" was out of order, unnecessary and rude."

(In your opinion, of course. In my opinion it was neither out of order or unnecessary and certainly not rude)

With regards to you question regarding whether I have better things to do, well, yes, I do have better things to do than read exaggerated 'facts'.

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Bugbear, i don't have the time or the wish to argue stupid pedantics with the likes of you - if you have nothing better to do than make stupid arguments simply for the sake of it then I pity you. Maybe you are here simply to seek out any opportunity to argue with anyone who contributes. In my opinion thats very very sad.

It's people like you who spoil forums like this which are based on the exchange of information for people who are either interested in moving to France or are actually in the process of doing so. Think about it!

End of story so far as I'm concerned.

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[quote user="Gemini_man"]why the hell do people on this forum have to make things so personal whenever they have the chance, don't you have anything better to do?

[/quote]

Well, judging from your last outburst Pot, Kettle, Black are three words that spring to mind.

Lighten up, I'm gone.......................................[:)]

 

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We too have had holes appear in different places around our property, often in the middle of a field which is only used for hay as well as in the garden area. We don't have lavender either. We have moles, quite a few of them, but these holes don't appear to have hardly any dug or loose soil around them ( almost as though everything that is excavated is taken away !! ). 

The holes vary in size from approx 5cm up to maybe 15cm in diameter. We have once, about a month ago, seen a hare but it appeared much too large for these holes. If it were rabbits surely there would be droppings? but there are none. We think we may have the odd fox around because of their droppings, but not neccessarily on our land.

The holes first appeared in any number about 2 months ago and have increased an amount, but as we are not in France permanently it's diificult to say whether it's gradual or overnight.

I can take photos and acurate holes diameter sizes if anyone is interested, and one last thing, someone suggested deer. Why would deer dig burrows like holes instead of just a plain hole?

Thanks, Jamie 

ps: we  have a source that forms a small pond (4m across) about 150m away from the nearest holes plus a seasonal stream about 80m away from the same.

I have to agree that the coypu I have seen in France (we used to live on a barge and they were permanent neighbours) appeared to be very gentle creatures, although it is known amongst the live-a-board community that it was not a good idea to swim in the same stretch of water due to the possiblities of disease.

 

 

  

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I've had some appear in my garden as well and they seem to be linked with attacks on my seedlings.

The attacks are well orchestrated, only go for the peas and beans - they even lift out the unsprouted feve beans, eat the insides and leave the husks in a neat pile by the side of the cold frame.

I've seen a couple of those funny dormice things running around and I know we have shrews in the garden cos a visiting moggie took a couple.  I'm going for the shrews I think but I'm off today for a couple of humane traps - can't bear the thought of poisoning the little buggers, just removing them to a place of safety, cos it's costing me a fortune in bean and pea seeds!

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I would think that they are Voles, they are known for having burrows right next to plants (it's like living next door to a shop).

"Although voles do spend considerable time aboveground and may occasionally be seen scurrying about, most of their time is spent below ground in their burrow system. The clearest signs of their presence are the well-traveled, aboveground runways that connect burrow openings; the runways are usually hidden beneath a protective layer of grass or other ground cover. The maze of runways leads to multiple burrow openings that are each about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. The runways are easily found by pulling back overhanging ground cover. Fresh clippings of green grass and greenish-colored droppings about 3/16 inch long in the runways and near the burrows are further evidence of voles. With age, the droppings lose the green coloring and turn brown or gray."

Nice little creatures...............................

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Some likely mammals that are possible for the smaller holes, Harvest mouse, Field Vole, Common Vole.

Larger holes are likely to be rabbits, droppings are not always obvious.

Foxes will scrape or dig small holes (but not tunnels) in their nightly search for worms and beetles.

Infra red web cams have to be the soloution.[:)]

Chris

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I get quite a few of what Chris describes as fox scraped holes in my fields (maybe I find on new one a week or so). There seems no logic to where they are (no pattern but I assume it makes sense to whoever dig them) and they are just like the "holes" my dogs dig sometimes - about the size of somebody digging their heel hard into soft soil. These scrapings are after something in the ground not plants as they are invariable in the middle of the grass.

Ian

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[quote user="chris pp"]

.......... and although it's not personal, they should be controled with vigor (but not with poison) as they are an intoduced species that screws things up for our native species.

Chris

[/quote]

Chris I smiled when I read that comment. If you read it association with the video (Earthlings) then aren't we an 'introduced species' as 'brits' living in France ?.........

I just hope the French don't start setting traps and starting a cull.............................[:D][:D][:D]

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No, not at all, Gary, we are all the same species, French, British, German and so on, the divisions that we use for humans are entirely artificial, not at all scientific.

Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin: "wise man" or "knowing man") in the family Hominidae (the great apes).

Got to go out now and do my bit at the Night of the Owl.

Chris

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Thank you all once again for your helpful suggestion  and I am coming to the conclusion that it MAY be rabbits as I did find some droppings yesterday. The holes are not burrows just " shoe size "  and leading nowhere. May I ask one favour of you all......please do not have arguments over my thread as I then feel guilty for asking the question in the first place.
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[quote user="vab"] May I ask one favour of you all......please do not have arguments over my thread as I then feel guilty for asking the question in the first place.[/quote]

This lot will have arguments over anything. [:D]

Take no notice and keep on posting. [8-|]

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