"Gliss-gliss" or Roman dormouse - info wanted!

[Steve Last]

We have been hearing odd scuttling noises in the night apparently from the roof space between tiles and ceiling, and suspect we have "gliss-gliss" or Roman dormice up there as they are reported to be found in this village. Can anyone point me to information about whether these are a significant problem or merely an irritant? If the former, what can be done about them?!?

Thanks

Steve  

[Jackie]

If they are Glis glis then I suggest you take action to get rid of them. They pee, 'orrible smell, on your ceilings and in the wall spaces. They have been reported to nibble wiring and start fires and generally keep you awake with their nocturnal goings on. They are cute looking but they have to go. We trap them in two stage rat traps and we caught 21 the year before last and 11 last year. They love fruit so we use apple halves as bait. Then it is a short trip some kilometres away to the woods where we release them unharmed. I would not use poison as this presents a risk to any domestic pets and to the birds of prey that eat Glis glis or loir. This year, so far, we seem to be free of them! Good luck..........John not Jackie

PS See http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/mammals/Glis_glis/more_info.html

and Dormouse Hollow.

[jonin85]

Hi,

We have a maison secondaire in SE Vendee, with coppiced hazel trees in the garden.

I found a dead Glis Glis on the lawn (we suspect the local cat killed it), then a live one in our shed, when I was cutting down the invading bamboo. We did hear some scratching sounds in the narrow gap between the clay roof tiles and the internal ceiling boards.

According to the Reader's digest book 'A field guide to the animals of Britain', the Fat Dormouse (Glis Glis):

 - the Romans used to keep them in captivity, overfeed them, then eat them; so they are also known as the Edible Dormouse

 - introduced into Britain (Tring, Hertforshire) in 1902 - they are now found in many woodland and suburban areas in the Chilterns - not spread very much although seen as pests in some areas

- spends most of its time in tree branches, foraging at night, so not often seen

- damages trees by chewing bark, buds and growing shoots

- in autumn may enter a house or shed and gnaw woodwork or stored food then hibernate

- dark eye rings, grey body fur, about 6" long (head and body) with a 5" long tail; the illustration in the book shows it with a bushy tail - the one I found had a bushy tuft at the end of its tail

- by autumn it may double its summer weight of about 5 oz - they seem to like hazel nuts (plenty in my garden)

- they are very cute - I couldn't kill one, unless they are damaging the house - no evidence of this

- I expect the French eat them - does anyone know?

Jon

[Steve Last]

Many thanks...  as our UK base is in Marlow in the Chilterns we also have them there! Just wanted to see if they are regarded as more of a pest here in France (84 vaucluse). 

Not sure if it is what we have yet, but they are known to be in the village and it is one explanation which fits the noise pattern, As we have no wiring in the roof (heavy beams, plasterboard ceiling and the common Provencal corrugated cement sheet with Roman tiles on top) we will probably let it ride for a while - the noises have gone away for the last few nights but some neighbours have had a couple fall down an air vent and rotted which was not very pleasant!!

Cheers

Steve 

[Opalienne]

We had them for years until we moved permanently into the house.   They spent the winter in the roof, and only made a noise when they started to wake up in the spring.  Then they would transfer to the garden and live in the trees.   They ate all our fruit but otherwise caused nio damage at all and were cute to look at in the evening.

When we moved permanently we took our cats with us and we haven't seen the dormice since, unfortunately.

[Betmont]

I think I'm right ins aying tehre are a number of postings on the subject around here (or it may be in the Other Place). And I think I'm right in saying they're protected.