Mice around rabbit shed

We've had mice around the rabbit shed for months now, I think their arrival is linked to the departure of next door's cat.

They seem to be field mice, living underground, creating holes and being caught on my wildlife camera. I keep rabbit food safe inside and stopped feeding the birds though I found they were going into our recycling bin.

This morning I found a mice hole in the ground inside their Rabbit Runaround mesh tunnel which is one hole too far for me (seems they chewed through the light mesh floor).

I want to be rid of them entirely. What's the best way to achieve this, d'you think, without harming the rabbits or the rest of the wildlife (birds, toads, frogs, newts and hedgehogs are also regularly seen in this area)? I tried a bucket trap a few weeks ago and definitely caught one (or more) on my only attempt as there were droppings in the bottom but it had been forcefully overturned by a much larger animal who presumably ate them. This didn't feel ideal.


I uploaded a video of one on the nearby decking. Don't know if it worked!

I don't think you will be able to be rid of them completely. You might be successful in catching the current ones, but others will move in. We have mice and voles living outside here and our rabbits and chickens also live outside. We are very careful not to leave any food around, which you say you are doing. We do still feed birds via feeders about 5 foot off the ground.

I am actually quite relaxed about them being in the garden. I see them as being no different to the other wildlife which we experience here. They have never made nests inside either the chickens' or the rabbits' sheds. If they did I would try to catch them in humane traps and release them outside.

Thank you Omi. That's a good point, that if I did get rid of them others may move in. It's the diseases they can carry that concern me, I wouldn't mind if they stayed out of the enclosures but the hole that came up inside was right next to the short tunnel that leads into the 'bedroom' part of their shed. Also I think we are overrun, there are mouse holes every foot or two all around the decking, the rear of the house and the rabbit area.

I wish I knew more about what they are eating but the plan so far is to replace the recycling bin/box with something we can seal shut, replace the wire mesh under the runs and tunnel with something mouse proof and put lighting around the rabbit area to deter them at night (which shouldn't disturb the rabbits too much as they spend the night in the shed with the shutter up. Also I need to get better at keeping the grass mowed. I need owls really but I don't have an appropriate tree for a box!

We've had a mouse move in: Chibbs didn't notice it when she went over to a litter area and then it moved and I've never seen her try to attack something so fast (she's an antagonistic little cow, our Chibbs :lol. Poor mouse. I think we've go house mice (species, not in the house) because they're big but have small ears. Mouse hasn't been anywhere near the lawn since the incident with Chibbs :lol:

I'd definitely get a sealing box for the recycling: even if they're not eating stuff out of there (if it's recycling there should be anything to eat!) but they might want to take card etc. for bedding I guess. I don't have any tips for watching their food sources though, our has been well easy to sneak up on (it doesn't mind humans TOO much), but various things have been taking the unripe redcurrants, mostly wood pigeons, and we have plenty of leftover hazel stash from the squirrels I reckon.

keletkezes said:

We've had a mouse move in: Chibbs didn't notice it when she went over to a litter area and then it moved and I've never seen her try to attack something so fast (she's an antagonistic little cow, our Chibbs :lol. Poor mouse. I think we've go house mice (species, not in the house) because they're big but have small ears. Mouse hasn't been anywhere near the lawn since the incident with Chibbs :lol:

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Chibbs sounds wonderful! :lol: My Millie is like that, she's little but fierce so that might suggest the mice haven't spent much time hanging out with the bunnies. She went for my foot once when I was wearing new socks and she didn't realise it was my foot! Can you tell from the video whether mine are field or house? I've never been that good at telling them apart.

The mouse-proof recycling box arrived today.

Thank you!

Moonstone said:

Chibbs sounds wonderful! :lol: My Millie is like that, she's little but fierce so that might suggest the mice haven't spent much time hanging out with the bunnies. She went for my foot once when I was wearing new socks and she didn't realise it was my foot! Can you tell from the video whether mine are field or house? I've never been that good at telling them apart.

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Chibbs is hilarious, she tries to bully Matt :lol: She don't try it on me anymore ;P I'm not certain, but they look like field mice, quite small, ears can't be big enough for wood mice.

keletkezes said:

Chibbs is hilarious, she tries to bully Matt :lol: She don't try it on me anymore ;P I'm not certain, but they look like field mice, quite small, ears can't be big enough for wood mice.

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That would make sense, they seem to be living in holes in the ground rather than trying to get into the house. Sounds like she doesn't get away with bullying Matt, anyway. Millie and Archie had long negotiations about who was going to be the boss then they both agreed that he would think he was!