Shrew or mole: how to identify a pest and choose measures to combat it? Rodents: How to deal with a shrew in the garden and summer cottage.

If on suburban area rodents appear, they can seriously harm the crops that are grown on the territory. Today, once and for all, you can get rid of moles and shrews with the help of different methods which fall into three main categories:

1. People's councils.
2. Chemical substances.
3. physical ways.

People themselves choose for themselves the most profitable and humane way to get rid of these pests.

Get rid of moles and shrews by physical means

When people are trying to figure out how to get rid of moles and shrews in their summer cottage, the first thing they think about is using traps. The most important thing in using any trap is correct installation. When setting up a trap, follow these tips:

• traps should be installed only in "working" tunnels, through which moles most often move;
• installation of the trap must be carried out at a depth of no more than 15 centimeters;
• try to keep the diameter of the trap the same as the diameter of the mole passage;
• periodically check and change traps as necessary.

Features of shrews

Shrews have a particularly fast metabolism, therefore, they are constantly looking for food for themselves. Some experts say that shrews are quite ferocious animals that eat small insects and their larvae. Therefore, they have a certain benefit for the garden, as they destroy many pests. But, on the other hand, in search of this food, shrews gnaw through many roots and root crops on their way. Literally in a few days on the territory where these animals live, there will be a lot of heaps from the ground. But also on the other hand, the underground passages of animals improve the aeration of the earth, if, however, something will grow on it. Based on this, we can conclude that the question of how to get rid of moles and shrews in the country does not lose its relevance.

Watch a video on how to get rid of shrews and moles on the site.

If a person does not know how to get rid of moles and shrews in their summer cottage, then when trying to find an answer on the Internet, they most often come across tips on using chemicals. Some of the most popular pest control products include:

• Anti-rodent. After the use of such a drug in animals, suffocation occurs. This is a kind of briquette, which consists of cheese, flour, and poison;
• Nutcracker. This tool resembles a thick mass that needs to be decomposed near the active norms of pests. In just a few hours, the animals will begin to die;
• Rat death. It is considered the most cruel poison, because after its use, the animals experience internal bleeding. Experts recommend using it only in the most extreme cases.

But, it should be borne in mind that you need to use such drugs very carefully. Be sure to take into account the presence of small children, as well as pets. Electronic scarers will quickly help.

Various smells against moles

As is known, the most vulnerable point Moles have a sense of smell. Therefore, when you are trying to understand how to get rid of moles and shrews on the site with folk remedies, then immediately you should turn to the use of various means that affect the scent of these animals.

Starting from folk recipes To get rid of moles, most often people use the following options:

• Castor oil. Such oil can be poured into small containers, and then placed on the territory of the land;
• antifreeze or fuel oil. These are two potent substances that are able to retain their unpleasant aroma for a long time. The substance must be abundantly wetted with a rag, and then thrust into the hole;
• vinegar essence. It can be used against pests, but it should be borne in mind that such an unpleasant odor evaporates very quickly;
• tear gas. Before using this option, you will need to prepare in advance. In particular, wear special clothing and protect the respiratory system. A canister of tear gas must be lowered into the hole and the gas gradually cut. But, in this matter it is very important not to overdo it, so do not forget that your goal is to scare away, not kill animals. Otherwise, you will have to additionally dig up the site in order to find and get rid of the corpses of animals.
• bleaches with chlorine. This liquid will need to be poured into a container, and then lowered into the most active mole tunnels.

All of the above tips will help to cope with the question of how to get moles and shrews out of the site in the minimum amount of time. To understand, you can consult with specialists in the destruction of domestic pests.

Catching moles with homemade means

In search of an answer to the question of how to get rid of moles and shrews on garden plot, often people come across tips for making makeshift traps. To make the most basic mole trap, you will need a small piece of metal or plastic pipe, improvised means for the door. The diameter of the pipe should match the diameter of the mole hole. At one end of the pipe there should be special doors that open only in one direction. When a mole gets into such a pipe, he does not have the opportunity to get out of it in reverse.

Enough interesting method mole fishing is an option using a conventional fish hook. This option is most often used by fishermen. For this method, you will need to tie a three-pointed hook to a strong stick so that the mole cannot escape. The hook will need to be loaded into the norm, as bait you can use various worms. Then you have to wait until the mole bites on your bait. The question is becoming more and more relevant every day, since these pests bring maximum discomfort to people, and also have Negative influence for the harvest.

A very small animal is a shrew. Photo and description of how to deal with a pest different methods in the country, in the garden, in the garden - you will learn about all this from the information below. The main activity of this small active animal with a long proboscis-like nose is digging multiple passages in vegetable gardens and summer cottages. Another name for the animal is the shrew (it has teeth dark shade) or shrew (white teeth). These are representatives of two subfamilies of the shrew family, but in fact there are about 300 varieties of them in nature. It is also often called a shrew mouse because of the external resemblance, although they are representatives of different orders (rodent and insectivore).

Who is an earthworm?

To get its own food, this insectivore is capable of as soon as possible dig half the area. The small animal (3-5 cm) has an enviable appetite and a fast metabolism.

For this reason, he is ready for a meal always and everywhere, in search of food, an insatiable animal digs new and new moves, damaging plants and their root system.

Shrew - what does this garden storm look like? This is the smallest mammal in the world, similar in appearance 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 an elongated trunk-shaped muzzle with a movable nose, which gives it a distant resemblance to an anteater or a mole. The eyes of the shrew are small and blind, the ears are small, the fur is velvety, mostly gray color. Vision is poorly developed, therefore, in search of food, the animal relies more on its sense of smell and hearing. The ears of the animal have a special structure (the shrew has the ability to echolocation).

This is a shrew, photo:

The animal eats constantly, periodically interrupted for sleep. The amount of food absorbed by a shrew per day often exceeds the weight of the animal itself. The reality is that she will not be able to live more than 8-9 hours without food in the summer, in winter - no more than 3 hours.

The activity of the shrew on the site brings dubious benefits. Of course she eats a large number of insects, including pests. But the coin has two sides - in the search for 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: bears, weevils, beetles, spiders, beetles and nutcrackers, leaf beetles. She also does not ignore worms and slugs, as well as all kinds of larvae, wood lice, caterpillars. However, she also will not refuse seeds and grains.

It is noteworthy that severe hunger can turn an insectivorous mammal into a real predator. In the struggle for prey, the 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 crevices of trees or rotten hollows, where you can have a sweet sleep during the day.

Basically, this insectivore prefers to "work" at night. Geographically, the shrew lives throughout the globe, the only exception is the polar regions, where the cold reigns - there it can be found very rarely. But in fact - this beast is not afraid of either heat or cold.

Shrew - how to deal with it?

You need to know the enemy in person, so you should be completely sure that it was the shrews who visited your site. Most the best option is to see the “guest” with your own eyes, but since the animal goes hunting mainly at night, here you need to try to catch the moment.

It is important not to confuse the traces of the activity of a shrew and a mole, or, for example, a field mouse. Since it is miniature in size, the minks on the surface of the ground 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 a pest among other representatives. Our beast prefers insects, and the root system of vegetable or horticultural crops can only accidentally damage when digging.

How to get rid of a shrew in the garden - mechanical and chemical methods

• The first thing that comes to mind is poisons and chemicals, but here you need to be very careful. 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 horticultural crops that will be eaten. Most effective means, these are: "The Nutcracker", "Hunter Anti-Rodent", "Rat Death" (a very strong poison that causes a painful death in a mammal). You can also try to scatter baits like "Inta-Vir" or "Antikrot" near the minks.
• The most humane way to catch shrews is pipe traps, they are also called live traps. You need to find a mink (move) of the animal and insert a trap into it right size, on both sides of such a pipe there should be doors (flaps) that work only for the "entrance". Thus, making its way along the way, the shrew mouse will push the shutter with its nose and enter the pipe, but it will not 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 a lot of good reviews about the Tornado OZV.02 repeller.
• A mouse-shrew can buy bait in a mousetrap or other device of a similar type. 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 for field mice, shrews.

How to deal with a shrew with folk remedies

People go to various tricks to drive this gluttonous guest from their site. Some methods are quite original and, at first glance, inspire doubts about their effectiveness. However, it is not in vain that gardeners advise each other certain methods that have been known for more than a decade. As practice shows, they really work, I will give a few examples here.

Shrew - methods of struggle:

• As mentioned above, this animal has an enviable sense of smell. If you find the mink of an animal, try right there (on the move) to dig in the fish heads or entrails removed when cleaning the fish. 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 be a good assistant in the fight against pests. A small animal really looks like a mouse and will cause a quite expected reaction in a cat-hunter. According to the reviews of summer residents, cats do a good job with this mission, although they do not eat prey afterwards. The reason for this is the characteristic smell emitted by the musk glands of the shrew.
• Water from a hose, which is poured into the detected pest passages. Quite a lot of liters of water can sometimes be needed, but this is an old tried and tested method that allows you to “pour” a shrew out of a shelter.
• Torokhtushki or windmills - iron rods are driven into the ground, to which empty ones are tied cans or empty plastic bottles. From the breath of the wind, they set in motion and make a rather loud noise. Vibration comes from the rod, and this is not to the liking of the shrews, a strong noise is similar.

Shrew, photo:

You can also combine business with pleasure and plant Chernobrivtsy (marigolds), king lily, peas or beans - the smell of these plants does not like the animal. According to experienced gardeners, no traces of pest activity were found within a radius of 3 meters near a lily or marigold bush. Good feedback there is about the plant Imperial grouse, its aroma is also not to the liking of the shrew.

Of course, modern chemical and mechanical pest control methods can be more effective, but time-tested methods will also serve you well. Choose the method that you like best.

Tip: although the animal looks pretty cute, it’s better not to pick it up. If you will remove the shrew from the live trap, then first put on garden or construction gloves. Her bite is very painful, and it costs nothing to bite the one who caught her!

Now you know who a shrew is, a photo and a description, how to fight, what drugs to use and how to protect your site.

Today, there are many different pests that can significantly harm the crop of farmers. Many gardeners may underestimate the extent of the problem if shrews or moles are introduced to their property, as they are not as common as insects. In this article, we will tell our readers about how the fight against moles and shrews is carried out, where they prefer to settle, what they eat, what can attract them to the sites.

First of all, we note that moles and shrews themselves are quite harmless animals. The whole problem for gardeners and farmers is that they are able to pull out long complex passages underground. Since these mammals do not live deep, their tunnel systems can significantly harm the plantings that are grown in this area.

Creating their labyrinths, they dig tunnels under the root system of plants, and this in turn leads to a decrease in their contact with the soil.

Accordingly, any plant begins to eat worse, absorb less minerals, water and other useful substances which leads to decay and death.

Before embarking on an active fight against such pests, it is advisable to learn more about them - what they look like, what they eat, what they are afraid of.

Let's take a look at the moles. This is a predatory animal that has 44 teeth in its mouth. Despite its small size, the presence of fangs makes it easier for him to hunt.

On average, the size of a mole in length reaches 20 centimeters. They have an elongated muzzle structure with a sharp nose, it is mobile, which allows you to better rake the ground in front of you, crawling through underground passages. The whole body is covered with thick soft hair of black or dark chestnut color. The weight of one adult can range from 100 grams to 175 grams.

The mole has two large and powerful front paws, with which it rakes the soil very well. They are like flippers that protrude outward, and they also have large claws. This feature of their structure greatly facilitates life underground. Since moles live underground, where there is no natural light, they are practically blind, and are guided mainly by smells.

Moles spend most of their time in the soil, where they create complex systems passages for themselves and their offspring. These animals prefer moist soil, as it is easier to loosen. In this regard, they mainly settle in the lowlands, in the territory garden plots or vegetable gardens that are regularly irrigated. They rarely appear on the surface, so their presence on the site can be known not immediately.

Moles feed on all insects that they can catch underground, various beetle larvae, laid aside to the beginning summer season, drotyanka, earthworms. Thus, in some cases, this animal is beneficial.

Shrews are one of the smallest representatives of rodents. They are very secretive, and farmers may not know them for a long time if these animals have settled near vegetable gardens or a garden. Since they look like mice, for some time gardeners will mistake them for ordinary rodents that harm harvested carry diseases. However, these mammals have a number of their own characteristics.

Their muzzle is elongated and very similar to a small proboscis, the body is round, covered with thick soft fur.

Shrews have small eyes. It should be noted that these rodents have a special musky gland, which secretes a secret with a strong unpleasant odor.

This smell serves as defense mechanism to scare off predators. Cats love to hunt these animals. However, once they catch a shrew, they will not eat it due to the strong smell of fermentation.

On the territory of the CIS countries, you can meet the shrew and shrew. As the name already implies, they can be distinguished by the color of their teeth, as well as by other subtle signs (size and color of wool).
If shrews settled on the territory of the site, then at first it will not create problems for growing crops. In this case, rather, on the contrary, they will bring certain benefits to gardeners. Unlike moles, they do not dig large and complex underground passages that create problems for plant nutrition. Shrews, loosening the earth, allow it to be saturated with oxygen, facilitating its flow. Also, rodents are able to save farmers from a large population of insects that can harm crops in summer and autumn. However, with a large population of shrews, some problems may arise.

Video "Crop pests - shrews and moles"

From the video you will learn about those pests that can deprive you of the crop.

Reasons for appearing at their summer cottage

There are a number of specific reasons why shrews and moles will prefer land plot. First of all, they choose fertile soil, where previously entered organic fertilizers. It should be loose and moist. For this reason, farmlands or gardens are very suitable for a place that will become a home for these animals.

In gardens and fields there is always a lot of different food for them. There you can find larvae of beetles, worms, various insects. There are always a lot of insects where the soil is planted with vegetation.
Also, the area near a person is relatively safe for moles and shrews. The fact is that these animals are also food for larger representatives of the fauna. In the wilds they are hunted by foxes, wild cats and similar predators, and they are not afraid of domestic animals. By scaring them away with a strong smell, moles and shrews can feel relatively safe.

If moles appeared on the site, then shrews may soon settle here, since the latter prefer ready-made underground passages to hide and quietly mix in your lands.

We fight rodents with folk remedies

If moles and shrews begin to interfere with farmers, then the fight against them may take some time, since these animals are able to hide very well in the complex underground passages that have been created on the land.

To get started, you can use some folk remedies, getting rid of a small amount pests.

To pick up folk remedies to fight moles and shrews, our ancestors could pick up various plants, which were unpleasant for pests. If gardeners are interested in how to get rid of moles in a simple way, then you can use, for example, wormwood.

The smell of wormwood is very unpleasant for moles, as well as for most other pests (including insects). You can also fight them by spraying garden trees peppermint oil solution.

It should be the fate that shrews do not like the pungent smell of onions, garlic, and also legumes. If you plant these vegetable crops along the perimeter of the site, then the likelihood of these rodents appearing on the territory will decrease significantly. For some time, "imperial hazel grouse" began to grow on the plots, which became very effective in the fight against moles and shrews. By planting it once, you can almost completely get rid of these burrowing animals.

Also, small traps were often used for some time. Since moles bring to man more problems that they began to set traps precisely in order to fight them. To work, the farmer will need to cook on his own or purchase several traps in a specialized store, as well as a dog. The dog perfectly feels the unpleasant smell of the enzymes of these burrowing pests and will be able to find the exits of their tunnels to the outside. Outwardly, they should look like a small hill or mound. The hole will begin exactly there, and it will be completely covered with earth without external signs. Need to remove upper part this hill, and then dig a small depression. When you see a hole, you need to place a trap there.

The mole really does not like it when a draft walks in his moves, and he will definitely come to this place to bury the passage with soil. In a couple of hours he might get caught.

If you prefer to fight these animals with humane traps, then after catching a mole, it will be possible to release it at a distance from your site closer to a forest or wild field. If the trap killed the animal, then it should be buried away from sources fresh water and pipeline.

There is another effective remedy for the population of moles and shrews - sound repellers. Against moles and shrews, this remedy has good action because these animals have fine hearing. You can consider the two most popular options - plastic bottles and reeds.

For example, reeds. It is necessary to take cut reeds no more than one and a half meters long, and then stick it into places where pest tunnels are hidden underground. Part of the reeds (about half) should remain on the surface. When windy weather begins on the surface, then, blowing into the reeds, the wind will create a strong sound effect that will go underground. Such a "howling" sound is very sensitive to the hearing of moles. For them, this sound is like scratching glass or a sharp creak, which is unpleasant for a person.

You can also create a sound effect using bottles or cans. This method has a similar principle of operation, only it will scare away animals not with sound, but with vibrations. To create an effective repeller, the gardener will need to take plastic bottles or cans; alternatively, long iron rods can be used. It is necessary to cut small holes in jars or bottles so that air can penetrate into them, then long rods must be planted deep into the ground. After that, the containers are attached to the rods. The result is a design that will create very strong vibrations with gusts of wind. The vibration will go along the metal bars into the soil. For animals, this effect will create a very comfortable conditions for life, so they will start to leave your territory.

The shrew is one of the smallest land mammals. But, despite its size, the harm brought by its work can be simply enormous, since they are animals that feed on insects, they can eat and beneficial insects, which are helpers in your garden and in the garden. Due to the fact that this is a very nimble and fast animal, it is able to dig through almost the entire garden in a couple of days. Therefore, to get rid of it, you need to take drastic measures and quickly!

But in order to be sure of the presence of this pest, it is still worth noticing this small animal on the site, then it will be possible to take some measures. It will be difficult to calculate it from minks, because they are small in size. Another feature of this animal is that they do not gnaw on plants. If you notice damaged plants, you can be sure that this is not a shrew.

You can recognize a shrew by such outward signs: It looks like a normal field mouse. But there are small signs of difference between these two rodents. First, the shrew has a longer and thicker tail. Secondly, the muzzle is more elongated than that of a mouse. In the gardens of our country, often the most common species of this animal can be called the many-toothed (it is also called the baby white-toothed) and the tiny shrew. The second species is one of the smallest of all species: in size it reaches a maximum of five centimeters. Its coat color is usually light brown. So it's important to distinguish it from a regular field mouse. It is this very small view shrews and brings the greatest amount of harm to gardeners and gardeners.

This species of rodent is found in small areas. It is believed that they came to Europe, brought in the holds of ships. Appearance it has a characteristic: grayish-brown coat, small size, which can reach up to a network of centimeters. In addition, these animals are quite prolific: in just one season they can give up to four litters. hallmark female shrews is that they can give birth already at the age of one to two months. Thus, it is worth noting that if you do not start fighting these pests in time, their numbers in your garden can become fatal.

What is the harm and benefit

If you start with the harm caused by the shrew, then it is worth noting the fact that they have a very fast metabolism. This means that they must be in the process of obtaining food almost all the time. In fact, despite their small size, and rather cute appearance, shrews are considered quite ferocious predators. Since they can eat different insects and their larvae, which will fall under their hands. The main thing is that they do not distinguish which insects are pests for plants - they eat everyone. In a day, for example, they can eat so many beetles and worms that their number will be several times greater than the animal's own weight.

Among the minuses, one can recall the fact that shrews dig a huge number of passages and holes underground, and sometimes they use old or alien ones, which, for example, were left by moles. And so, in search of various underground larvae, this animal can gnaw a lot of roots, root crops, in general, everything that comes in their way. The worst thing that a shrew can harm is a lawn. She can easily ruin evenly cut grass in a matter of days.

Among the advantages of living on your site shrews, it can be noted that their underground passages improve soil aeration. This has a good effect on plants that can survive after the invasion of this animal. But this is the only positive thing about the shrew on your site. In most cases, it will be better to get rid of it. Because spoiled lawns and a dead crop overshadow all the benefits of this cute little animal.

Chemical control methods

Over many years of practice, scientists have developed several chemicals, which are designed to fight the shrew. Among them, the most effective ones can be noted, for example, "The Nutcracker", "Rat Death" or "Hunter Anti-Rodent". As a rule, they can cause suffocation in a rodent and a quick, fairly painless death. The main thing is to be careful when using these drugs. And before that, it is important to read detailed guide to him. But still, no matter how quickly death occurs for a rodent, this method is not humane.

Folk methods and scarers

Is it a matter folk ways and shrew repellers. They are very easy to use, though not always effective. One of the most common methods of expelling shrews is to flood the animal's mink with water.

They say that if you do this procedure several times, the animal will stop visiting your summer cottage. Even shrews do not like strongly pungent odors, as they have a very good sense of smell. So you can briefly leave rotten fish or kerosene in the places where they were seen. But these smells are also unpleasant for people, so you can use plants as a deterrent - imperial hazel grouse, wormwood, peas, beans, lentils, mint.

But repellers can be divided into two groups: ultrasonic and mechanical - the most humane of all methods of dealing with shrews. They do no harm to this small animal. Most old way repelling a shrew is quite simple: you need to make a small pinwheel, as a rule, they use plastic bottle or an aluminum jar, and attach it to a stick. When this device rotates, it will create vibrations that will drive the rodent away. And such devices, ready-made, are sold in stores.

The shrew is the smallest mammal on the planet, ubiquitous. These animals live in the steppe, forests, in the mountains (they are able to rise to a height of up to 4 thousand meters above sea level) and even in the tundra. The name "shrew" is due to the fact that this animal loves to rummage in the upper loose soil layer in search of insects. In our country, the shrew shrew is mainly distributed.

What does a shrew look like

What to do if you have a shrew in your dacha? How to deal with it? First of all, you should make sure that this is a shrew, and not some other animal or insect. Outwardly, this tiny animal is very similar to a field mouse. However, the shrew is somewhat smaller (up to 4 cm long) and has an elongated muzzle with a movable proboscis and small eyes. The tail of shrews is very long (longer than the body). These animals do not hibernate, so you can see them both in summer and winter.

What are the benefits of a shrew. What does this animal eat?

One of the features of this animal is a high metabolic rate. Therefore, shrews eat a lot - almost continuously. The daily diet of this animal can exceed its own weight up to 6 times. The main food is different kind insects. Without food, the animal can live no more than 11 hours in the summer. So, to some extent, a shrew in the garden can even be useful, as it simply eats a huge amount of pests. For a day, only one individual eats from 15 g of insects.

What damage can shrews cause to the garden

Unfortunately, insects are not the only food of this cute animal. No wonder the long proboscis is one of the structural features of the body of such an animal as a shrew. What else does this animal eat? With their long nose, shrews dig into the ground and gnaw on carrots, beets and other root crops, and also damage the roots of peppers and tomatoes. They do not disdain seeds cultivated plants. Given that they multiply exponentially, measures to get rid of them should be taken immediately after at least one animal is found. Shrews do not live long - only 1.5-2 years. However, the female reaches puberty within a year after birth. At one time, she can bring up to 14 cubs, which begin their adult life in a couple of months.

Shrews live alone. Each individual has its own personal hunting area of ​​500-900 m2. These animals rarely dig minks on their own, since their paws are very weak. In the forest, they burrow into the bedding of fallen leaves. On the open areas can hide in mouse or wormholes abandoned. The sense of smell and touch in these animals is very well developed. Echolocation is another ability that the shrew has. How to deal with it, we will consider further.

How to get rid of shrews with poisons

Not too humane, but quite effective, can be called a method of dealing with these animals using poisons. In order to keep the shrews out of the area, you should buy poison for mice and pour it into each mink in the area. You can also lay out poisoned baits in front of the entrance to the dwellings of animals. Choosing this method, you should be as careful as possible. After all, curious children or pets can suffer from poison, for example.

Cats, by the way, in the heat of hunting passion sometimes catch shrews. However, they are never eaten. The fact is that these animals have special glands at the root of the tail that secrete a secret with a very sharp and unpleasant odor. This is enough effective protection from small predators, and, unlike mice, the shrew can boast of it. How to get rid of it without using poison? Consider another way to deal with this animal.

The use of special repellers

Today, in stores selling goods for summer cottages, you can buy special mole repellers. They are also suitable for the fight against shrews. Several types of such devices are available. All of them can be classified into three large groups- mechanical, electrical and electronic.

From mechanical means the most popular are tin or plastic "turntables". They work, of course, only when the wind blows. If you have a shrew in the country, purchase them and arrange them throughout the site. Of course, it will not work to immediately destroy all the animals on the site in this way. However, constantly experiencing inconvenience from noise, shrews, most likely, will prefer to move to another, more peaceful place.

The vibration of air and soil, which animals do not like, can also be caused with the help of electrical devices. Their principle of operation is exactly the same as that of mechanical ones. Only they function on electricity, and therefore are more manageable. You can turn them on as you wish.

The shrew, the methods of dealing with which are based on its dislike for noise, can also be bred using electronic devices. These devices are considered the most effective tool in the fight against this animal. Electronic repellers do not create ordinary noise, but low-frequency, even more unpleasant for shrews. The sound range in this case is usually within 400 Hz. A person does not perceive such noise at all. Shrews, on the other hand, will react to the operation of the device very quickly and leave the site. The range of one such device is about 20 m, so for large enough areas, you may have to purchase several of them.

Shrew. How to get rid of folk remedies

There are also "old-fashioned" methods of dealing with shrews. Manufacturers of devices to scare these animals consider them ineffective. Most likely, this is exactly the case. However, they can also be used as a temporary measure. For example, it is believed that shrews, just like moles, can be helped to get rid of products with a very unpleasant odor. For example, you can scatter rotten herring around the site. If you yourself are not embarrassed by a not too comfortable stay in the country for several days, try to do just that.

Also, according to some gardeners, the shrew can be brought out by flooding minks with water. But since this animal is very small, and there can be quite a lot of minks on the site (at 70 m - from 2 to 7 shelters per 1 individual), the effectiveness of this method is still in doubt. Of course, it is also absolutely useless to shoot at this little thing with a gun or launch poison gas into narrow minks. Sometimes deep digging of the site is used to combat shrews. This method is very laborious, but quite effective. However, do not hope that the animals will leave the site for good. Of course, the population in this particular place can be reduced in this way. Left without a home, shrews, who do not like to dig holes too much, may want to move to another place. However, this does not always happen. Most likely, soon you will again begin to notice in different places garden mink shrews.

What plants does not like a shrew

How else can a shrew be bred? How to deal with it by planting certain plants? It is believed that this animal does not like legumes and milkweed very much. Try planting more peas and beans in the area. Perhaps there will be fewer shrews after that.

In addition, ordinary marigolds are sometimes used to fight these animals. Plants are dried, finely ground and scattered before digging in the beds, in greenhouses and greenhouses. If you are afraid of using store poison, you can try this remedy. It is believed that shrews do not like the smell of this plant. Marigolds can also be planted along the edges of the beds so that the animals do not enter them. This plant is absolutely not whimsical, it does not require any care at all and, in addition, it can become a good decoration for the site.

So which way to choose

The shrew, the methods of dealing with which we examined above, is an animal that brings not only harm to the garden, but also benefits. After all, this small animal can very quickly save you from all sorts of caterpillars, beetles and worms that spoil the crop. However, since she is not averse to eating root crops grown with such difficulty, she will most likely still have to get rid of her. But at the same time, it is worth choosing a more humane method. The best remedy summer residents consider them to be expensive, but very effective electronic devices. Of course, you should choose them. Old-fashioned methods rarely bring results and are labor-intensive, and the use of poison in the garden, of course, is undesirable.

Well, let's talk a little more about this, albeit quite harmful, but still very cute and cute animal, like a shrew. How to deal with it, we found out. We hope you manage to get rid of it in the garden. However, the animal is quite interesting in itself. For example, it is very curious that shrew cubs, in order not to get lost when moving from one shelter to another, simply cling to each other's backs with their teeth. The first baby at the same time grabs the tail of the mother. So they travel by train.

because of bad smell small predators, like domestic cats, do not eat shrews. However, other dangers await these animals in nature. Young growth often does not survive the winter. By spring, only the strongest individuals remain. During the summer, the female shrew breeds and feeds two or three broods, each of which can have from two to fourteen cubs. The maximum population of animals in this particular place reaches in July-August (up to 40 individuals per hectare). Due to the high metabolic rate, these animals live for a very short time. In autumn, the number of shrews gradually begins to decrease, as old animals die. Females live about a month longer than males.

Shrews belong to the chordate vertebrates of the shrew family. Latin name species - Soricidae. The smallest varieties include the little-toothed baby and the shrew. Animals of these species reach a length of only 3-4 cm, and their weight does not exceed 2 g. In the largest shrew - a giant polydentate - the body length can reach 18 cm with a weight of 100 g.

In addition to insects, shrews can attack small lizards, frogs and even rodents. The secret secreted by the gland located at the tail of this animal is not only bad smelling, but also poisonous. Thus, the shrew belongs to a very small class of venomous mammals (besides it, only the platypus and the sandtooth are included in it).

Agricultural land and shrews

Large agricultural land shrew, the fight against which on personal gardens, of course, justified, paradoxically, brings more benefits than harm. The fact is that only one population living on a hectare of land can eat 102-210 kg of various kinds per year. harmful insects. No wonder this cute animal is sometimes called the most ferocious and voracious predator on the planet. The main occupation of shrews is precisely the search for food and its eating. Due to the high metabolic rate, this animal can live not only in middle lane Russia and Siberia, but also in the Far North, and even beyond the Arctic Circle.

Shrew habits

The shrew lives, as already mentioned, in mouse holes. During the day, the animals do not move too far from their shelters. Basically, their activity on the destruction of insects falls on the night period. The shrew differs in that it independently regulates the population of beetles, worms and caterpillars in its personal hunting territory. During the day, she never bypasses the entire area - she hunts only a small part of it. The next time the animal comes to this place only after a few days, when the insect population on it is restored. This avoids the depletion of the territory. Due to this, one individual usually lives in the same territory all his life, never leaving it.

Here is such an interesting animal - a shrew. How to get rid of it in the country, you now know. However, using the above means, do not forget that, perhaps, this animal will bring not only harm to your garden, but also benefit.