It would seem that with their activities, moles and shrews should bring more benefit than harm, because they not only loosen the soil, but also destroy dangerous pests of garden and garden plants. But in reality, their appearance in a dacha or garden plot is a harbinger of problems. We will tell you with detailed video instructions on how you can make the fight against underground inhabitants effective.
Shrews and moles: where they live and what they eat
In fact, moles and shrews are practically harmless animals, but there is one big “but”: these animals love to dig long and intricate earthen labyrinths that are located close to the surface. Thus, they create voids in the soil, which leads to loss of contact between plants and soil and, accordingly, their death.
Before dealing with the issue of exterminating rodents on a site, it is important to understand what they are and know what they look like. Let's look at them in more detail.
Moles
Moles are predatory animals. They are very small in size - up to 20 centimeters in length, have an elongated, movable muzzle and an elongated body, completely covered with thick, dark hair. The weight of an adult animal is from 10 to 170 g. Their paws are quite powerful and large (like flippers), with one feature - the palms are protruded outward, not inward. The paws have large claws. Nature also does not deprive moles of teeth: they have 44 teeth in their mouths, including fangs.
Attention! Contrary to popular belief, moles have quite tolerable eyesight. In addition, they have a very keen sense of smell and keen hearing.
Moles live mainly underground, where they build a complex system of passages. They love moist soil, so they can settle in lowlands, in damp garden areas, or in the vegetable garden.
The mole loves to snack on earthworms, but he is also a big fan of dart beetles and beetle larvae (May beetles, etc.). So, in fact, it is difficult to call this animal a pest, rather a helper.
Shrews
Very secretive creatures, although they are active 24 hours a day. Outwardly they resemble a mouse, but up close they are not at all like it: an elongated muzzle like a proboscis, fluffy fur, tiny eyes, almost absent ears. Cats love to hunt them, but they don’t eat them, and it’s not surprising - the shrew’s body has a musk gland, which creates an unpleasant odor for cats.
The shrew, like the mole, belongs to the order of insectivorous mammals, but is a relative of the hedgehog. It also lives in burrows, but prefers ready-made burrows created by other rodents. Shrews have an unusually active metabolism, so they can go without food for only 6-8 hours. So they have to constantly hunt and eat as much per day as they weigh themselves. They prefer food of animal origin, often small rodents.
Shrews bring considerable benefits with their habit of loosening the ground, because by doing so they saturate it with oxygen, and also often destroy the larvae of insect pests.
Reasons for appearing on a summer cottage
Reasons for the appearance of moles in dachas and garden plots:
- loose, fertilized, moist soil;
- the presence of a variety of food - larvae, worms, insects, etc. (where there are many plants, there are many different pests);
- safety of the territory (this is where moles feel calm and comfortable, because there are no sworn enemies nearby - forest predators, and they are not afraid of dogs and cats, moles easily scare them away with their specific smell).
The reasons for the appearance of shrews are very similar to those of moles, especially since, as mentioned earlier, they like to move through ready-made labyrinths.
We fight rodents with folk remedies
Very often, many people use shovels and guns, but since this is inhumane and absolutely impractical, we will consider less cruel, but very effective methods of dealing with underground inhabitants:
- Protective plants. Moles have a very unpleasant smell of mint and wormwood. Garden trees, for example, can be sprayed with mint oil. The shrew really does not like legumes and strong-smelling plants (onions, garlic), you can plant them around the perimeter of the site, not too often. Imperial hazel grouse is a very effective remedy against underground rodents. Plant it on your property and you won't see them again.
- Traps. To do this you will need a trap itself and preferably a dog. First you need to find the freshest mound of earth (this means that the pest is nearby). The dog will help correct the direction. Next, you need to dig a small hole, removing the top layer of earth from the mound (approximately 30-40 cm deep) and place a homemade/purchased trap there. The mole is not a fan of drafts, so he will definitely come to close the passage. Typically the waiting time is about half an hour. If the trap is humane, then release the animal at a distance in the forest or in a field. If the animal dies, bury it away from drinking sources and water pipelines.
- Sound repellers. Most effective against moles with their fine hearing. There are various options for such funds. Let's look at the two most proven methods: reeds and plastic bottles.
- Reed. We take reeds about one and a half to two meters long, plant them into the ground (directly into the tunnel exits) so that no more than half of the plant remains on the surface. In windy weather, the reeds create the effect of the wind “howling” in the pipe. For sensitive mole ears, this is worse than the sound of scratching glass.
- Bottle repellers. The method is based on creating strong sound vibrations underground. We will need plastic bottles/tin cans and iron rods. Holes are cut in the bottles/cans (for better air penetration), the rods are driven deep into the ground, then the bottles/cans are attached to them. Thus, during gusts of wind, the top of the structure will emit loud noises and transmit them in the form of vibrations directly underground. This creates terrible discomfort for the animals, forcing them to leave the territory.
Advice. Very often you can see information on how to repel underground pests using foul-smelling substances, for example, rags soaked in gasoline or rotten fish. It is worth considering that the method is effective only until the smell disappears and then the animal will come to visit again.
Use of chemicals
Thanks to chemicals, you can achieve the desired result very quickly, but it should be borne in mind that the chemicals (allowed) are phosphides. It is a lethal poison for many warm-blooded animals, including domestic ones. The soil treated with the chemical also becomes dangerous, this is especially important to know for those who have small children or pets.
Let us briefly consider the means most commonly used in practice:
- Hunter anti-rodent is a strong poison that causes suffocation in rodents. It is made in the form of a briquette with cheese, flour and substances that attract rodents.
- Nutcracker is a very effective remedy in the fight against shrews. The thick substance is placed near the burrows.
There is also an alternative method of fighting moles and shrews that does not harm them - a special plastic mesh. When laying a new lawn, a mesh is installed on the prepared soil, a thin layer of earth is poured on top and the grass is sown. You can do this around the entire perimeter of the summer cottage. This creates an effective obstacle to the underground inhabitants.
Since moles and shrews are solitary animals, getting rid of them will protect your area from pest attacks for a long time. Have a good fight!
Fighting moles and shrews: video
Moles and shrews on the site: photo
A very small animal - a shrew. Photos and descriptions of how to fight the pest using different methods in the country house, vegetable garden, garden - you will learn about all this from the information below. The main activity of this small active animal with a long nose similar to a proboscis is digging multiple passages in vegetable gardens and summer cottages. Another name for the animal is shrew (it has dark-colored teeth) or shrew (white teeth). These are representatives of two subfamilies of the shrew family, but in fact there are approximately 300 varieties of them in nature. It is also often called the shrew mouse because of its external similarity, although they are representatives of different orders (rodent and insectivore).
Who is a shrew?
To get food for itself, this insectivore is able to dig up half of the site in the shortest possible time. The small animal (3-5 cm) has an enviable appetite and fast metabolism.
For this reason, it is ready for a meal always and everywhere; in search of food, the insatiable animal digs more and more tunnels, damaging plants and their root system with its moves.
Shrew - what does this garden storm look like? This is the smallest mammal in the world, externally similar to a small mouse with a long tail, which is somewhat thicker and denser than that of the same mouse. A distinctive feature of the animal is its elongated trunk-shaped muzzle with a movable nose, which gives it a vague resemblance to an anteater or a mole. The shrew's eyes are small and blind, the ears are small, the fur is velvety, mostly gray. Vision is poorly developed, so the animal relies more on its sense of smell and hearing to find food. The animal's ears have a special structure (the shrew has the ability to echolocate).
This is a shrew, photo:
The animal eats constantly, periodically interrupting to sleep. The volumes of food consumed by a shrew per day often exceed the weight of the animal itself. The reality is that she cannot live more than 8-9 hours without food in the summer, and no more than 3 hours in winter.
The activity of the shrew on the site brings questionable benefits. Of course, it eats a large number of insects, including pests. But the coin has two sides - in search of this insect, it will easily destroy the appearance of your lawn and harm the root system of garden crops.
What does a shrew eat? She likes various insects: mole crickets, weevils, beetles, spiders, beetles and click beetles, leaf beetles. She also does not ignore worms and slugs, as well as all kinds of larvae, woodlice, and caterpillars. However, she will not refuse seeds and grains either.
It is noteworthy that severe hunger can turn an insectivorous mammal into a real predator. In the fight for prey, a shrew can fight with its fellow tribesmen, mice or lizards.
Where does the shrew live? In forests, on the banks of reservoirs, in meadows, in foliage and last year's grass. She especially loves secluded tree crevices or rotten hollows, where she can sleep sweetly during the day.
Basically, this insectivore prefers to “work” at night. Geographically, the shrew lives all over the globe, with the exception of the polar regions, where the cold reigns - there it can be found very rarely. But in fact, this animal is not afraid of either heat or cold.
Shrew - how to deal with it?
You need to know the enemy by sight, so you should be completely sure that it was shrews who visited your site. The best option is to see the “guest” with your own eyes, but since the animal goes hunting mainly at night, you need to try to catch the moment.
It is important not to confuse the traces of activity of a shrew and a mole, or, for example, a field mouse. Since it is miniature in size, the burrows on the ground surface will also be very small. If you notice that someone has eaten the roots of plants or root crops in your garden, then look for the pest among other representatives. Our animal prefers insects, and the root system of vegetable or garden crops can only be accidentally damaged when digging.
How to get rid of shrews in the garden - mechanical and chemical methods
- The first thing that comes to mind is poisons and chemicals, but you need to be very careful here. These drugs can harm your pets, and at the same time you, because in the garden you grow not only ornamental plants, but also fruit and vegetable crops that will be eaten. The most effective remedies are: “Nutcracker”, “Hunter Anti-Rodent”, “Rat Death” (a very strong poison that causes painful death in a mammal). You can also try scattering baits such as “Inta-Vir” or “Antikrot” near the burrows.
- The most humane way to catch shrews is with pipe traps, also called live traps. You need to find the animal’s hole (passage) and insert a trap of a suitable size into it; on both sides of such a pipe there should be doors (dampers) that work only for the “entrance”. Thus, making its way along the way, the shrew mouse will push the valve with its nose and enter the pipe, but will no longer be able to get out.
- Modern ultrasonic repellers will help you get rid of not only shrews, but also other rodents. On the relevant forums you can read many good reviews about the Tornado OZV.02 repeller.
- A shrew mouse can take bait in a mousetrap or other similar type of device. Its usual diet is used as bait - worms, slugs, insects. There are also many good reviews about the SuperCat Vole Trap, which was originally designed for catching moles, but also works well against field mice and shrews.
How to deal with shrews using folk remedies
People go to various lengths to drive this voracious guest out of their area. Some methods are quite original and, at first glance, raise doubts about their effectiveness. However, it is not for nothing that gardeners advise each other certain techniques that have been known for decades. As practice shows, they really work; I’ll give a few examples here.
Shrew - control methods:
- As mentioned above, this animal has an enviable sense of smell. If you find an animal's burrow, try to bury fish heads or entrails that were removed when cleaning the fish right there (during the move). After a short time, the smell of decomposition will drive the shrew out of the area. This method is also good in the fight against moles and mole rats.
- If you have a vigilant cat, then he can also become a good assistant in the fight against pests. The small animal really looks like a mouse and will cause a completely expected reaction in a hunting cat. According to reviews from summer residents, cats cope well with this mission, although they do not eat the prey afterwards. The reason for this is the characteristic odor released by the musk glands of the shrew.
- Water from a hose, which is poured into the detected pest passages. Sometimes quite a few liters of water may be needed, but this is an old proven method that allows you to “pour” a shrew out of its shelter.
- Tortokhtushki or windmills - iron rods are driven into the ground, to which empty cans or empty plastic bottles are tied. When the wind blows, they move and make quite a loud noise. There is vibration from the rod, and shrews do not like this, loud noise is the same.
Shrew, photo:
You can also combine business with pleasure and plant Chernobrivtsi (marigolds), wren lily, peas or beans - the animal really does not like the smell of these plants. According to experienced gardeners, no traces of pest activity were found within a radius of 3 meters near a lily or marigold bush. There are good reviews about the imperial hazel grouse plant; the shrew also does not like its aroma.
Of course, modern chemical and mechanical pest control methods may be more effective, but time-tested methods will also serve you well. Choose the method that suits you best.
Advice: although the animal looks pretty cute, it’s better not to pick it up. If you remove a shrew from a live trap, first put on gardening or construction gloves. Her bite is very painful, and it costs her nothing to bite someone who has caught her!
Now you know who the shrew is, a photo and description, how to fight it, what drugs to use and how to protect your area.
How to get rid of shrews in your summer cottage? An online search for this question yields the most surprising results. Some of them cause bewilderment, others - laughter. But in reality there are very few that are effective. At the same time, it is very strange to see lengthy discussions about the humanity of this or that method.
Gentlemen, what kind of humanity are we talking about when a small population of shrews is capable of destroying cultivated plantings with an area of up to 900 sq.m. in a week? And this despite the fact that shrews are predators. They do not feed on root crops and plant roots. They simply gnaw at them, making their own passages. These little monsters don't know how to avoid obstacles. They have one road - through.
There is no doubt that rodents bring some benefit; they eat a huge number of pests on the site. At the same time, they devour absolutely all earthworms, ladybugs and other gardener's friends.
When one day you discover numerous passages, bumps and bald spots on the site of your beautiful lawn, then we’ll see how you sing about the notorious humanity. And now we will look at ways to mercilessly exterminate nasty rodents.
Cat or dog
For those who have the opportunity, several sources recommend having a dog on the property. She will catch all the shrews and you will be happy. Only the authors do not mention that in search of the pest the dog will dig even deeper holes and holes. By the way, dogs also dig right through. They will not spare carrots or beets. He will dig such pits for you that you will think it would be better if there were mice.Cat. Not a bad option. But sometimes it can be difficult to persuade a cat to catch shrews. Because from the point of view of nutritional value, the rodent is of no interest to cats. They simply don’t eat them, because the musky smell kills all appetite. But a young kitten will be happy to help you get rid of the shrew in your summer cottage. Because for him this is both a game and a hunt. And don’t forget to remove your loot in a timely manner. A bunch of smelly corpses on the site is very unpleasant for the sense of smell and sight.
Advice. If it is not possible to have your own animal, then try to lure your neighbor’s animal with goodies. And then, you see, he will come to visit more often.
Plants or urine
Recommendations for planting certain plants around the perimeter are ubiquitous. Supposedly, peas or beans repel shrews. I wonder what is so scary about these plants for a rodent? To be honest, absolutely nothing. Shrews do not like strong pungent odors - this is the principle by which you need to choose repellent plants. The roots of beans or peas do not stink. But for the imperial hazel grouse it’s the same. Therefore, it repels rodents well. You can safely plant it around the perimeter of the site.
Another method is to pour human urine into the holes. I wonder where to get so much of it? Go to collect from neighbors, ask all household members to go to their holes? Do you have any idea how long shrews move? This is how much liquid you need to drink to spill them completely! And then how to use soil richly flavored with urine? Wait until everything is processed by soil bacteria. And this is not one day or even a week. A questionable method, plus very unhygienic.
Advice. If you choose the hazel grouse method, then prepare a large amount. You will have to plant a lot of plants, and its bulbs are not cheap.
Vibration or noise
The mole control industry has developed vibration repellers. Interestingly, these devices will greatly help you get rid of shrews in your summer cottage. Rodents really don’t like soil vibrations and simply move to other habitats.
It is noteworthy that you can make such repellers yourself quite quickly and at low cost. They simply stick several stakes into the ground, then put cut plastic bottles or tin pinwheels on them. Any wind flow creates vibrations that are transmitted through the stakes to the ground.
Noise repellers practically do not work. They create sound on the surface, but shrews spend most of their lives underground. They simply don’t hear the noise, even if it’s the trumpets of Jericho.
Advice. Vibrating repellers must be permanently installed. If they are removed, the pests may return again.
Traps or poison
There are various traps for shrews. They are inserted into holes, where rodents stumble upon thin knitting needles and die. You can set up regular mousetraps. Just don't forget which place. Otherwise, then you’ll be jumping around the garden yourself with mousetraps on your toes.
The poison is recommended specifically with the label on the packaging “against voles.” Because the common shrew is ignored. Please note that you will have to hide the “treat” deep in the holes. Otherwise, children, pets or birds may find it.
Advice. Instead of bread or cheese, use maggots or earthworms to bait your traps. The result will be better.
- In some old book it is recommended to be on duty at the mink with a gun. As soon as the pest looks out, shoot it immediately. Well, perhaps it was convenient to do this earlier, when only a drunkard did not have a hunting rifle. And even then it is doubtful that expensive cartridges would be spent on such small animals. Although, you can try sitting by the mink with a slingshot. Or a gas pistol. Traumatic will also do. After all, a shrew with a black eye is completely different from a healthy shrew. Just don't forget to take the "I'm hunting predators" selfie. It will then be studied by psychiatry students as a manual.
- Another “important” tip. Fill all the holes with water. Just insert the hose and turn on the pump. Well, the water will fill all the passages, the rodents will scatter. As soon as the soil absorbs moisture, the shrews will return and dig with renewed vigor. After all, the water will wash away some of the passages, which means they will have to restore their homes.
- On some website, would-be advisers recommend releasing poisonous gas into holes. Yeah, in a gas mask and a chemical kit, dragging a cylinder of poisonous gas around the site... then you will be surprised for a long time when the police and emergency psychiatric help arrive. How from? The neighbors will call, looking at your fighting. It’s easier to contact the nearest military headquarters and have them bring a tank of napalm to burn the predatory monsters. Or they will immediately mine the area, just to be sure.
- Burdock. Yes, the most ordinary dry burdock thorns. They are laid out in all visible holes and pushed deeper with a stick. The shrew runs along the passages, picks up prickly seeds on its fur and that’s it! He loses peace trying to get rid of them. She cannot eat and live in peace, knowing that there are agrimonies stuck to her fur. He brushes his fur coat all day long and finally goes crazy over it. And mentally ill shrews do not live long. As a result, you have a completely rodent-free area. But for some reason, burdocks are sprouting everywhere in huge quantities. But in fact - why?
How to get rid of shrews in your summer cottage? You will have to put in a lot of effort and spend a lot of time. Only a comprehensive struggle will produce tangible results. Using just one thing, it’s stupid to expect improvements. Remember the movie “Mouse Hunt”, be prepared for something similar.
Video: how to drive moles and shrews out of the garden
Small rodent shrews can cause serious problems in the garden. They have a developed sense of smell and touch, they multiply quickly and attack the chosen territory. Chemical, mechanical, physical and folk methods will come to the rescue - here’s how to get rid of the shrew once and for all.
Pests do not sleep in a garden plot; the hunting season for growing crops begins in early spring and ends in late autumn.
To protect the crop from rodents, it is important to take timely preventive measures to combat them.
There are two summer residents that are causing concern:
- mole;
- shrew.
The mole is an insectivorous animal up to 15 cm in length. But it is not always possible to identify a shrew. It is more similar to a field mouse, and due to its small size it easily hides in a hole and can remain unnoticed for a long time.
Damage caused by shrews in the garden:
- constantly stirs up the top layer of soil;
- damages plant roots.
As a result, the harvest is lost.
Despite its tiny size, the animal is very voracious. It can eat slugs, chafers, leaf beetles, weevils, caterpillars, spiders, and woodlice. If tangles of plants are gnawed, it is not always the shrew’s fault; sometimes it is other insects that this shrew eats.
The pest's food is often the fruits of human labor. Their diet includes carrots, lettuce, beets, potatoes, radishes, roots of tomatoes, peppers, and plant seeds. This poses a colossal threat to the garden and vegetable garden.
The shrew-shrew in a summer cottage has a territory of up to 30 square meters. m. Moreover, the territorial coverage is gradually increasing due to the increased metabolism of the animal. Fat does not accumulate in the animal’s body, and therefore it does not hibernate.
The shrew mole is highly fertile; it can produce up to 4 litters per season, and females become sexually mature 2 months after birth. If the shrew's nest is not destroyed in a timely manner, the population size can become catastrophic.
The small predator has practically no enemies, and all thanks to the active secretion of an odorous liquid by the sweat glands, which repels other individuals. Only humans can effectively combat small pests.
Getting rid of shrews: basic methods
The fight against shrews in an area can be carried out using various methods; sometimes it is enough to scare away the animal and lure it to another territory. However, in large industrial areas it is impossible to do without radical methods.
Chemical methods
These are far from humane methods of pest control, especially since pets and children can find the poison.
The following drugs can be used:
- "Hunter Antirodent";
- "Nutcracker";
- "Penocoumarin".
It is necessary to pour the product into the pest holes. Contact with the drugs causes suffocation and death of the animal.
You can also use special means to spray the animals’ places of residence, after which they quickly disappear.
Mechanical and physical methods
To drive a pest out of a mink, you can use not only poison, but also use various traps and traps. You need to place them throughout the garden and wait for the results. For bait, attach larvae or a worm.
To use repellers effectively:
- mechanical - make noise, sound, rumble;
- ultrasonic – vibrations or ultrasound of variable frequency are generated.
This method is considered humane and effective, but you need to use a lot of devices, because they have a limited range:
- The Tornado OZV 01 model has proven itself to be excellent. It works on moles, mice, shrews, mole crickets, and mole rats.
- Popular traps include the SuperCat Vole Trap. This device is placed in a hole, a thin needle comes out of the device, which the animal simply pins on while passing through the dark passages.
It is very simple to construct home gadgets - throw a jar on a pin driven into the ground. The design will make a sound when the wind blows. But in calm weather such a device is useless.
Traditional methods
Shrews in a garden plot will quickly leave the area when using folk remedies. The methods do not require financial investments and have shown their effectiveness for many years.
Popular ways to remove pests from a garden plot:
- Bury rags soaked in gasoline or kerosene around the animal's hole - the specific smell will repel rodents. The main thing is not to “take on” the smell of plant tubers.
- Planting crops with an unpleasant odor in the garden or vegetable garden. For example, wormwood, onions, garlic, peppers are excellent soil protection against insects (several bushes can also be planted in a greenhouse).
- Flooding with water, which leads to the destruction of the animal’s home - this method will require at least 150 liters of water, which is not always useful for the garden.
- Deep digging of the soil in the autumn, after harvesting - but it is difficult to predict whether the shrew will live there in the spring.
- Place tablets containing lavender, pine needles, and eucalyptus ether in the mink - the smell will repel the pest.
- Laying slate to a depth of up to 40 cm throughout the entire area as a barrier is an effective method, but labor-intensive, and is more suitable for prevention than for removing animals.
- Place rotten fish near the burrows - thanks to its developed sense of smell, the animal will quickly leave the territory.
- Release a cat onto the property to hunt for mice. However, this method may not always work due to the distinct, specific smell of the shrew.
This way the garden shrew will change its location and stop damaging plants in greenhouses and open areas.
If the animal catches your eye while gardening on the site, you can try to kill it with a shovel. This method cannot be called humane, but it is necessary to try to save the crop.
Is there any benefit to shrews?
Getting rid of shrews is not difficult. Each method is universal and suitable for pest control.
There are several advantages to having an animal living in a garden plot:
- removal of insects that live on the territory;
- additional aeration of the earth due to the ability of the shrew to dig underground mines, passages, minks.
However, there are many more disadvantages, and therefore the task of the gardener is to identify the pest, catch it, scare it, or destroy it using poison.
Now you know how to deal with shrews in the garden. Use the methods given and enjoy a wonderful harvest.
The shrew is a very small land mammal similar to a rat or mouse. Despite the fact that this animal is small, it can cause very significant harm. In a few days, a shrew can dig up a lawn and beds. Many gardeners are wondering how to get rid of shrews in their summer cottage and what to do to save the harvest.
Description of the shrew mouse
Externally, according to the description, the animal resembles an ordinary mouse, but differs from it in its longer tail and elongated muzzle. Two types of shrews can be called frequent guests in vegetable gardens and summer cottages:
- dwarf shrew (little shrew);
- tiny shrew.
The second variety of shrew is the smallest of all species. Its size does not exceed 5 cm, the color of the coat is light brown. It is the tiny shrew that most often causes trouble for gardeners. The little shrew is found less frequently and in small areas. It is characterized by a grayish-brown color and a size of up to 7 cm.
Tiny shrew
Both shrews are very prolific. During the season they can give up to 4 litters, and females become sexually mature at the age of 1-2 months. If this pest is not controlled, the population can become catastrophically huge. Shrews build nests in burrows underground, where they store food supplies. They have a very fast metabolism, so the animals spend all their time looking for food.
If any other animal of a similar species appears on their territory, the shrews begin to try with all their might to scare them away. If you can’t scare them away, then a fight to the death takes place, where only the strongest survive.
Benefits and harms of country rodents
The appearance of a shrew in the garden brings little benefit. The advantage of the appearance of the animal is that it destroys insects that are found in the garden. Positive aspects also include additional aeration of the earth due to the numerous underground mines and passages with which it permeates the entire garden. Despite this, the appearance of an animal on the site does not please gardeners at all.
The disadvantages of living with this animal are much more significant. The shrew is capable of digging a huge number of tunnels underground; it damages the roots of most plants, as a result of which the crop dies.
Destruction of dangerous insects
The pest's main food is insects from the upper layers of the soil, but individuals are not averse to feasting on the fruits of human labor. Their diet also includes carrots, beets, other root vegetables, as well as the roots of tomatoes and peppers. In addition, the pest is not averse to eating plant seeds.
It is noteworthy that shrews do not live in families. Each representative has its own territory for “hunting”, reaching up to 900 square meters.
Considering the fertility of animals, the owner of the site needs to take urgent measures as soon as at least one animal is noticed in the garden or garden.
Removing voles using poisons
Fighting shrews and other underground pests with the help of poisons is the most radical and effective measure to date to get rid of problems in the garden at the dacha forever. Good results have been seen using poisonous agents such as:
- "Nutcracker";
- "Rat Death";
- "Inta-Vir";
- "Bitrex";
- "Hunter anti-rodent."
Hunter anti-rodent
Any of these drugs must be used according to the instructions. Usually the poison is placed in each hole; in addition, you can leave the drug near the entrance.
The drug "Inta-Vir" represents 4 types of new generation mummifying baits in one package. Effective both indoors and outdoors. The Bitrex bait is good because it prevents pets (except rodents) from eating the poison. One package (600 g) is enough for 300 square meters of territory.
When using chemicals, follow safety precautions, otherwise the poison can harm pets and even the health of children. When working with drugs, you should wear gloves on your hands and a mask on your face. The product must be used strictly in the dosage indicated on the package.
Garden repeller
Special devices designed to repel but not destroy pests have a different operating principle. Professional, highly effective repellers are a plastic or metal device equipped with built-in battery cells that resemble an inverted candle or wedge in appearance. These repellers need to be stuck into the ground throughout the garden. They produce a rhythmic, low-frequency sound that causes panic in underground animals (moles and shrews) and forces them to leave the area in a hurry.
Repeller
Such repellers are not cheap. And if you take into account that it is not enough to use one device for the entire territory, then purchasing repellers will be quite expensive.
Judging by the reviews of gardeners, repellers from the Russian manufacturer Tornado have proven themselves to be good.
DIY pest traps
Live traps (pipes) are also used to catch shrews. The principle of their operation is as follows: during the excavation, a pipe of the required diameter and length is inserted, equipped on both sides with dampers that open only in one direction - inside the pipe. The pest, moving through the hole, opens the valve with its nose, moves into the pipe and rests against the opposite valve. The animal will no longer be able to get out of such a trap on its own.
There are even more budget-friendly options for catching shrews. For example, wire traps. They are also installed in manholes and passages and are triggered after the animal touches the spacer. The owner’s task is to regularly inspect the traps placed.
SuperCat Claw
The SuperCat Claw device is recognized as one of the most successful traps today. Today, this trap remains the only one in the world that is used by both amateur gardeners and professionals in the field of pest control.
Folk remedies for fighting mice
Gardeners and vegetable gardeners have long been trying to come up with a scheme to eliminate underground pests forever, so they have come up with their own ways to combat these animals. Of course, they cannot be called very effective, but they are suitable as a temporary measure.
Remove by pouring water
Many gardeners and summer residents use this method of fighting shrews. It is very simple: rodent burrows are simply filled with water. This method is not particularly effective, since the animals are quite small and they may have many holes underground in which they hide.
This method only works if there are several rodents on the site and their exact locations are known.
Get rid of it by deep digging
Sometimes, to combat shrews, owners use the method of deep digging of the area. This method is very labor-intensive, but quite effective. However, you should not think that the shrew will leave the site for good. But reducing their number is quite possible. As soon as the animals find themselves without shelter, they will want to leave this area in search of another place. But this does not always happen.
Smell repellent
Shrews have an excellent sense of smell and do not like the smell of rotten fish. You can spread pieces of rotten fish around the area, digging it into the burrows. Hearing an unpleasant odor, pests will begin to leave the area.
You can also use the smells of kerosene, naphthalene or ammonia to combat the pest. Place the material soaked in these compounds in the burrows, but do not count on a 100% result, since shrews can make new paths for themselves and bypass the bait.
Installing a barrier
In order to protect the area from shrews, you can install a barrier. A fine mesh made of plastic or metal is perfect for this. It needs to be installed around the perimeter of the garden, dug to a depth of 1.2 m. You can leave 10-15 cm of mesh on the surface. This design will block all underground passages for the digger.
Homemade traps
If it is not possible to purchase ready-made traps, then you can try to make them yourself at home. There are several options for homemade traps.
A wire trap is the simplest design. To make a trap, take a piece of small diameter pipe. Install shutters at both ends. They must work inward. As soon as the animal puts its nose into one of the gates, it opens its way a little until it hits another gate. Thus, the pest will not be able to open a way out for himself and will be trapped. In addition, it is necessary to install a spacer near the entrance to the hole. As soon as the rodent touches it, the fixation mechanism is activated. Now you only need to remove the caught rodents from the traps from time to time.
What plants does the shrew not like?
There are such plants, when planted, rodents begin to quickly leave the territory. For example, shrews really don't like beans and milkweed. You can plant as many peas and beans in your garden as possible. Most likely, it will not be possible to completely and forever get rid of small animals, but their numbers will definitely decrease.
Marigold
You can also use ordinary marigolds to fight shrews in your summer cottage. To do this, you need to dry the plant, grind it finely and scatter it over it before digging the area. The shrew is repelled by the smell that these flowers emit. You can also plant marigolds along the edges of the garden, then the animals are unlikely to settle in this area. Thus, you will gain double benefit: you will scare away shrews and decorate the area with charming marigolds that bloom for a long time and are pleasing to the eye.
Video
For more useful tips on dealing with shrews, watch the video
Conclusion
As you can see, shrews are not at all harmless animals. If they have settled in your garden, then you are unlikely to be able to grow a full-fledged harvest. Use the methods presented above in the article to combat this pest, then the rodent will be neutralized and leave the area for good. And you will be able to grow a rich harvest.
