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Loir again!


Jackie
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Posted: 15 Oct 2005 18:01    Post subject: Loir (Glis glis)

Just to keep the subject going really. Caught 12 so far this year in two section rat traps. All taken to the woods about 6 kilometres away and released. Tried everything to make them go elsewhere, nothing works. Currently trying hanging chlorine swimming pool tablets in the wall spaces on bits of wire, I hate the smell so I hope they do as well. Won't use poison as concerned for the owls that eat them and our house cats. Comments anyone...........................................John not Marie

PS Before anyone says otherwise there is no doubt that they damage the house structure, make 'orrible pongs and are a fire risk when nibbling at cables! They also look really cute but they have to go! Lifted up a floor board in the grenier the other day and there was one large adult making faces at me, no fear, just curiosity!
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They are amazingly timid, they just sit there and look at you, it's hard to imagine that they don't all get eaten by predators. Our cats kill one from time to time but don't eat them, which seems rather strange as they eat just about anything else they can catch.  Don't think there is much else you can do, interesting idea about the chlorine tablets - a strong smell may deter them - noise certainly doesn't in our house.  Good luck, Chris
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I would be very interested to know if the smelly tablets work as we have just discovered a loir (we think it is only one or perhaps two) in the grenier.  I gather they hibernate for up to seven months - does anyone know when the hibernation starts?  We won't be back at the house until end November so I guess we will "miss" it/them for the winter.

We tried a humane trap with an apple but it didn't take the bait!!

I have also been told that smelly mothballs will deter fouines.  Does anyone know if that is true?

 

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[quote]I would be very interested to know if the smelly tablets work as we have just discovered a loir (we think it is only one or perhaps two) in the grenier. I gather they hibernate for up to seven months...[/quote]

Tried moth balls, ultrasonics, loud music, a very loud siren, other nasty smells. Nothing really works for long, the best we have done so far is to move them from one part of the house to another. The humane rat traps work well but they won't take the bait until it is really ripe and the trap has lost it's human smells. Don't think the chlorine tabs will work for long and they start to hibernate very soon now. An expert suggested creosote but I have not tried this yet........John

PS They don't like dettox spray but again you would have to keep on spraying, not really a practical solution.

 

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John - You can't use creosote -  SUR. L'ARRETE DU 2 JUIN 2003. L'arrêté du 2 juin 2003 renforce la législation française relative à la ... par les résultats d'une étude concluant que. la créosote a un pouvoir cancérigène.    Same applies in the UK, before that date, I think.    The traps work well with walnuts.        Chris
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[quote]John - You can't use creosote - SUR. L'ARRETE DU 2 JUIN 2003. L'arrêté du 2 juin 2003 renforce la législation française relative à la ... par les résultats d'une étude concluant que. la créosote a un...[/quote]

Ok yes I heard that creosote was now banned but the local Brico sells stuff called Carbonyle that looks and smells like creosote so I guess I could try that. I assume that Carbonyle is a replacement for creosote?............John
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there seems to be much confusion between species; Fat dormouse is glis glis. What we have is garden dormouse  "eliomys quercinus" which is the one with the bandit mask. I've been giving them the benefit of the doubt for 2 years and although noisy at times we've had no damage.According to the book I've got ,their diet is 80% carnivorous ,mostly insects so I figure they may be doing a bit of good by eating insect pests. Has anyone honestly had any electrical damage caused by them?
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Do I have to call you Water Rat? Doesn't seem right somehow!  There shouldn't be too much confusion between Lérot and Loir gris. Lérot eliomys quercinus don't often live in buildings, although in your case they do, they, for people who do not know, do not have a bushy tail and the end is black and white. The other clear difference is the dark marking round the eyes which runs back under the ears. Loir gris Glis glis have a bushy tail and are without the dark markings.   Do they damage electrical wiring? In the case of Loir gris this can definitely be the case if the wires are obstructing an entrance which they may be trying to enlarge. In the case of Lérot I don't know. As you say they are more inclined to eat small mice and insects, fruit being second choice and therefore control other creatures that may cause damage. Personally I would not be bothered about having either about the house, in fact we do have Loir gris and have not experienced any difficulty with them, but some people do! If you haven't had a problem in two years.........

Best, Chris

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Quote (Question) [RosieGirl]: “I have also been told that smelly mothballs will deter fouines. Does anyone know if that is true?”

It is true but I would not recommend putting them around/out “just in case”. I have had a female fouine (and the subsequent litter, etc.) living in an attic (between the plasterboard and roof) for a couple of years and the "moth ball technique" is the only thing that persuaded them to move on (and I have tried everything else anybody has suggested).

Basically they were too noisy and were doing loads of damage to the insulation (much of which is no longer in the roof) and the plasterboard – so they had to move-on.

When put in roof spaces, moth balls do not last long so, do not bother to put them out “just in case”. If you do happen to get a fouine, moth balls can help persuade them that there are better places to live.

Ian
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