At 22:55 13-12-2005, you wrote: >Carol's remarks suggest that in Denmark mice are mice. > >However, even in Denmark it's not that simple. In addition to house mice >(Mus musculus, family Muridae) there are gray-sided voles aka red-backed >mice (Clethrionomys rufocanus, family Crecitidae, and its relatives) which >are serious garden pests. In Danish, Gråsidemus, in German Wuhlmaus. > > >Jim McKenney >Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where I'm sorry to say I know >more from personal experience about these things than I would prefer. > > >Jim, you are right in that we also have voles and we call them mice. Cats won't eat them; that's the only difference! Never saw a red-backed mouse though. Nothing bothers my garden. Probably because I don't mulch at all. People who mulch (among my organic gardener friends) have horrible problems with all kinds of rodents. I do get them in the house, though, and feed them chocolate in a humane mousetrap. Those I miss leave anyway in the spring and they do no damage. Carol >-----Original Message----- >From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] >On Behalf Of Carol Jensen >Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 3:59 PM >To: Pacific Bulb Society >Subject: Re: [pbs] Crocus predators > >At 18:19 13-12-2005, you wrote: >>Mike's mention that the worst problem growing crocuses in his area is >>animal predators motivated me to mention yet another new attempt at >>controlling mice in a crocus collection. Field mice won't take many of the >>baits sold for control of house mice, and the ones currently at large here >>seem unusually clever at robbing the bait out of traps without triggering >>the traps. I finally decided to try distraction. Since they love sunflower >>seeds, I just put a bowl of sunflower seeds (the kind sold for bird >>feeders) in the crocus area of the bulb frame where they were digging for >>corms. They've been taking the seeds and have left the pots alone for a few > >>days now. I hope this will be an environmentally safe compromise. I plan to > >>move the seeds gradually away from the crocuses and teach the mice to go >>somewhere else for food. >> >>Jane McGary >>Northwestern Oregon, USA >Good idea, Jane. However, do you make a real distinction between field mice >and house mice? In Denmark house mice are field mice that get cold and >hungry around late November and move indoors, leave for the fields in >March-April. We never have mice in gardens in summertime, as there is so >much to eat in the fields. > >Carol > > >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php