val douest Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 At the moment we are very unwillingly sharing our house with a familyof fouines. We have always had trouble with the odd fouine in theroof from time to time - at least we assume that's what they areas we saw one nearby on one occasion when he had a close encounter withour cat. We think they are getting in through the open spaces atthe end of the roof tiles which could only be done by something longand thin. The main problem is that they make their way very noisilyacross one side of the roof to the apex and then down the other, and asour bedrooms are built into the attic space they are only inches overour heads. About six weeks ago the noises then moved further intothe bedroom and from the sounds coming from the wall immediately behindour bedhead we think they have managed to push down into the spacebetween the wall and the plasterboard where they have built anest. The noise has to be heard to be believed - squealing andsqueaking from the young, chattering and churring from the adults(rather like a louder version of the noise a grey squirrel makes whenit is angry) and endless crashing around and scrabbling - alljust a plasterboard's thickness away from our heads on the pillow! Asthey are nocturnal it makes sleeping very difficult. We can't seeany way of dislodging them until the young are old enough to leave thenest: once they have departed we can try our best to block up everytile entrance as well as scouring the entire place for other holes andcrannies.But we suddenly had an awful thought....will they leave when the youngare grown, or is that now their chosen home for life?? Can anyone- maybe Chris - shed any light on the private life of fouines? Iknow they are a protected species and we would be happy to persuadethem to move on rather than to kill them (and apart from anything else,if we did manage to do them in where they are, the thought oftheir decomposing bodies - and the smell - just behind our wallis not pleasant). But we have to do something as our quality oflife is being seriously affected; we had quieter nights 30 years agowith newborn twins!We have tried ultrasonic devices, loud music, and banging on the wallwith a stick (which just produces a chorus of angry chattering andsqueals). Any ideas or information very gratefully received,Val Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deimos Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I had a family living in a roof/converted attic – they were living between the plasterboard and the roof and were quite active. Had them for two years (and both years they had babies who loved playing, making loads of noise, etc.). Local trapper had no luck in catching them, etc.I also tried loud music, bashing the plasterboard immediately where I heard them and it all had no effect. When I had mine, it was a long term resident continually for 2 years. Quieter in the summer and I have no idea how it survived the temperatures the roof space must have got to in the summer but I still heard it most days.Mine had two litters whilst I lived in my roof (both around the spring and they are noisy as they play). In my case, with both litters the youngsters went off and left the adult (or at least just one by the sounds of it).The answer actually turned out to be moth balls. The old traditional ones that smell a bit horrible (i.e. not the modern “pong free” type). Most large supermarkets sell them. I just put about 4 or 5 small trays of them(e.g. empty margarine containers, etc) around the edge of the roof where they lived. Its actually quite a large area (9m by 8m floor area) and I have no access to the space to as far as possible up under the roof was all I could do. Basicaslly, do what you can to get the pong of the moth balls into the roof space. They disappeared after a few days. They did return about 3 months later, so I re-filled the trays and they disappeared immediately and have not returned since (I don’t bother to keep re-filling the trays). the trays of moth balls seem to last quite a long time so it is minimal work as well.I would not recommend trying to block their access as I think (in my roof anyway) they can get in through very small holes, plus you don’t want to “seal them in”. Also, roof spaces need ventilation.If moth balls have no effect, try finding a local piegeur agree. Try asking the president of your local chasse. Chris will know the truth but I have a suspicion in some areas they are protected. I first tried contacting a “pest extermination” company (Rentokil type of company) and they said they could not do anything about fouines as they are protected. However, many farmers, etc. consider them a pest.I’m convinced the best solution is moth balls as it does not harm them but “encourages” them to move elsewhere. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Hi Val, I wish I had a Euro for every house in France with a fouine problem, they have adapted rather well to our "caves".Fouines and their status depends on your department, they are not actually a listed protected species in French law, but whether or not they are considered nuisable and therefore subject to free trapping is a matter for the Prefecture, to make it more complicated some years they are on the list and some years they are not.What you can hear is the mother talking to her young and them responding and the good news is that they will soon be weaned and of on their own in the world. The idea from Ian seems to be a good one, I was talking to a French naturalist about it last weekend and he was convinced it worked, Naphthalene or something?? although I wouldn't rule out blocking any holes as well, maybe one at a time. July / August is probably best when she's out looking for a bloke. Ideally it would be best to trap her in a ragondin trap before blocking the holes, the trap needs to be placed directly on the route she takes with some raw meat or eggs in it. Having trapped her, you could block the holes, lace them with moth balls and then take her a decent distance away from houses before releasing her.Best I can do, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldie Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 As an aside, I was plagued by wasps building small nests in my post box so I purchased some moth balls (Antimites) from my local Casino and they haven't returned since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
val douest Posted May 26, 2006 Author Share Posted May 26, 2006 Many thanks for the very helpful responses. I bought a hugebargain bag of really strong-smelling mothballs at SuperU today so overthe weekend we will be stowing them everywhere we can reach as a firstline of defence. Once we have persuaded them to move elsewhere wewill look at supplementary ways to stop them getting back in. Iwill report back in due course!Val Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deimos Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 Mine returned only once (and a few more moth balls sent her away immediately). Since then, no moth balls and no return. I know there must be several in the area (as she had a couple of litters in my roof. My theory (guess – no knowledge here but Chris might know if it is correct) is that she marked the roof as her’s (scent). She has gone, her scent remains so nobody else will take over as she marked it as hers.Remember that roof spaces (between plasterboard and tiles need ventilation to avoid wood rotting so don’t be too thorough (or fit grill type material that allows air movement). Might be hat the special vent tiles probably fitted to your roof might be enough. If you are unsure about that (as I am), ask in the “Renovations” section where I’m sure there are experts. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strange Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Hi Val,Hope the mothballs are working, and would like to know how many you used? You say you bought a large bargain bag but not how many and our roof space is 18m by 10m. Did yours say they had naphthalene, as I believe it is this that is the chemical the foine dislike and not the nice lavender smelling ones we generally find in stores these days? I also think that naphthalene is highly flammable, hence why in these H&S conscious days in Britain it has been withdrawn from general moth ball manufacture. Knowing the French don't bother too much with H&S I was about to buy some in the local LeClerc but the packet said 'sans naphthaline', so no good I would think.Anyway, hope you are having some peaceful nights at last and the solution is working. But how many did you 'spread about'?Many thanks, Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deimos Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 The ones I used (and that worked) were cheapo ones from Super U in a small plastic bag (traditional ball shaped ones). My roof is converted and the fouine was living between the plaster board and the roof tiles. Thus access was very difficult so I could only put a few in plastic trays a points round the edge where there were small gaps. Probably managed to get t small plastic bags worth around the edge at any one time. I have a suspicion that the animals are quite sensitive to the small.I'm afraid I cannot remember what the bag labels said but they were the only traditional moth ball things on sale in Super U.Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strange Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Thanks Ian. Yes those are the same as sold in our Super U. You've put 't' for the number of bags - two, three or ten? - I'd be interested to know. You mentioned in your earlier post they came back but you spread some more about and that did the trick. My only concern, apart from the access thing, is that the air will dissipate the effect of the mothballs near the edges of the roof tiles, which seems to be their only point of access. Also, if I were a fouine I'd overturn or spill the tin, margerine tub or whatever that they were kept in. Did you notice this had happened?More general I know, but is the autumn a good time? I know they hibernate, so maybe it is, maybe it isn't! I'm sure they'll find somewhere else to go, probably better than leaving it until the onset of winter. Oh, and by-the-way, did you have to fumigate or do anything special to get rid of the smell - or did it just disperse itself naturally so-to-speak?Merci beaucoup pour votre assistance.PaulPS - love your endpiece on your posts. So very true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Excuse the interruption, but Fouine don't hibernate, but only enter a period of reduced activity during particularly cold spells. People normally only become aware of their presence in a building when the young are born in Spring and they and their mother are communicating with each other.Logically, I would think that late Autumn would be a good time to put mothballs in place, if that's what you want to do.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deimos Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 The "t" should have been a two. This was not many given the area concerned so I guess they are particularly sensitive to the smell.I started with the moth balls as soon as I was told to try them (cannot remember what time of year). The fouine then moved out (within a week or two - cannot remember exactly). I guess the moth balls "evaporated" after a month or so and then she returned (it was a good gap of a few months fouine free, not out one day back same week a definite "gone"). I then re-filled the trays and she moved out that day/night . I've never re-filled the trays again and I am still fouine free. For me its not something has to be kept going to keep them out. My experience (on the one fouine !) is that once persuaded to find somewhere else they stay away.I believed I knew where she was getting in and out (mainly through a small area of a wall I had painted becoming very grubby gust below the eves. There was a hole there (though I would have thought too small. However, she was getting in and out somewhere. I put a tray of moth balls right under the possible hole. The trays being knocked over was not a major problem (as she moved out pretty quickly).Before a tried the moth balls a local piegeur tried to catch her baiting a trap with an egg close to her way in/out (he agreed with where I had assumed she was getting in/out) but he caught nothing so I started with moth balls.I don't know what happens to youngsters (i.e. how far away they move) but before I found out about the moth balls technique She had two litters so there are probably quite a few around the area.I have assumed (and do correct me if I'm wrong on this) that moth balls are a humane way of solving the fouine problem. My reasons for thinking this (maybe wrong) are that you are making the fouines nest unpleasant and persuading them to move on. You are not harming them just making other nesting sites better suited to them. I don't know if they are protected around me. However, there are certainly enough of them that the locals regard them as a pest to be "got rid of" and they would happily kill them given the chance (protected or not).Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
val douest Posted September 9, 2006 Author Share Posted September 9, 2006 Hi Paul and IanYes, touch wood, we are currently fouine-free. Ian's suggestionregarding the mothballs was brilliant - I used the ones with naptholenefrom SuperU and put the balls (about 9 of them I think) in a margarinetub which I had pierced with a skewer in several places, replaced thelid, and shoved the tub into a largish hole under the eaves which wasin the area where we had heard most coming and going. We did thisat the end of May and have not heard a fouine since. The only reason Ihave not reported back is that I understand the female will have leftafter raising her young and is likely to be off finding a fella duringthe summer, returning as the weather gets colder; I was waitingto see if she stays away this Autumn. But so far, so good, and Ihave also passed the tip on to a couple of neighbours who have hadequally good results. I have the rest of the packet in a metal container in the garage as the pong is a bit overwhelming soI am all set if we need to replace the original deterrent.We hadn't been bothered too much by the fouines' smell, more by thenoise, but there was a definite ferrety whiff in the bedroom next totheir nest. Fortunately we were able to have the windows openthroughout the summer and it has completely disappeared so hopefullyyou will find the same thing.Good luck in moving your fouines on, Paul, and thanks again, Ian, for excellent advice.Val Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 When the beasts are running about, are the a bit bird-like in the noises they make? Like scratchy claws? We have had that, and we have also had staining come through a ceiling, but never any sign of anything living in the loft space. Mothballs might be a good answer. Shot from a gun... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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