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In Russia, about 100 kinds of different mice... And they all pose a threat to farms, causing great harm to crops, fruit trees and shrubs.
Greatest loss agriculture suffers from three types of mice. These are house, field and forest mice.
Let's take a closer look at how forest mice harm farms and talk about measures to combat these rodents.
Description and photo
These are medium sized mice. They are larger than the brownie mouse... Their body length is 7-10 cm, tail is about the same length.
Her body weight ranges from 15 to 30 grams. The head is rather large in comparison with the body. Her muzzle is pointed. with big eyes.
This kind of mouse very long ears, they can reach the eyes, with her body 7-10 cm, the ears reach 2.2 cm.
Color, usually brown, but some individuals of yellow color and even red ones come across. Young animals have a dull color, over time, their color becomes brighter.
On the chest of some individuals there is a light spot. Such white spots are typical especially for individuals living in mountainous areas.
The peak activity of the behavior of wood mice is late evening, night and early morning... They do not go into hibernation.
As mentioned above, there are many types of mice. You can find information about some of them on our website.
Reproduction
Forest mice are capable of breeding as early as 2-2.5 months. If the conditions of their habitat are favorable, then reproduction takes place 3-5 times a year, in one litter the female is able to bring 5-6 cubs.
Distribution in Russia
On the territory of Russia, it is widespread, except for the regions of the Far North and permafrost... The favorite places of residence for this species are open areas of the forest.
The mixed forest in the river valley is an ideal place for the wood mouse to live.
They can make their nests in tree hollows, roots or dead wood. Often populated by man-made agrocenoses, that is, gardens and fields, creating a complex system of holes and passages under them.
Usually in such dwellings there are several chambers for nesting and storing food supplies and 3-4 exits. In winter time can move to warehouses and granaries, in search of an additional food base and shelter from the cold, especially if the winter is harsh.
What it eats, where does it enter the food chain
REFERENCE: There are cases when mice completely destroyed the seeds of beech, maple and linden in forestry. They can also destroy sown and germinated seeds of agricultural crops on a large scale.
This is what the forest mouse eats in the forest - this is deciduous tree seeds.
The second most preferred is berries and small insects, but green leaves are rarely eaten, only if they are very hungry. This usually happens in the spring, when there is an abundance of fresh greens, but there are no seeds and berries yet.
Since this species of mice is known to be active all year round, this makes them a convenient prey for predators.
Their the number is regulated by owls, ferrets and weasels... In winter, foxes can also enjoy them with pleasure.
IMPORTANT: Despite the significant harm they bring to green spaces, hedgehogs, snakes and birds of prey could not live without forest mice. For the latter, this is especially important in winter.
What causes harm and methods of struggle
The wood mouse very easily adapts to various biological conditions and can populate fields with crops of grain.
They do huge damage to farms, in large areas destroying winter and spring crops of cultivated and industrial plants, primarily rye, oats and wheat.
REFERENCE: As calculations have shown, if at the end of spring 6 pairs of mice live on arable land, then by the end of autumn, under favorable conditions for rodents, their number can reach 7-8 thousand.
They spoil crops at all stages of plant growth: they eat the sown grain in the ground, gnaw out young shoots, spoil the stems and leaves of plants.
But most of all destroy ripe grains cultural crops. One wood mouse per day eats an amount of grain equal to its own weight.
Burrowing holes in the ground, they spoil the root system of plants... In gardens and nurseries, mice gnaw the trunks, shoots and roots of fruit trees and shrubs, spoil and destroy the ovaries, eat ripe berries and fruits.
The problem is also that these rodents in a short period are able to settle and multiply on a huge area of cultivated land.
Mice build a complex system of burrows with a large number of passages and several storage facilities in which they store grains of oats, wheat, rye and barley for the winter.
IMPORTANT! Wood mice are carriers of dangerous diseases such as hemorrhagic fever and leptospirosis. Fleas carried by mice can be a very serious hazard to pets.
Methods of dealing with forest mice can be roughly divided into two ways: preventive measures and direct destruction.
Preventive measures include installation of various scarers and construction of barriers.
In small farms, this is the unfolding of plants, the smell of which scares away rodents: garlic and blackroot, and the installation of mechanical and electronic repellents.
For the destruction of mice in a small area of their burrows are filled with a special deterrent solution.
But with a massive invasion of rodents drastic measures must be taken. Destroying a mouse colony is not an easy task and requires an integrated approach.
For large farms with huge cultivated areas, it is necessary to contact special firms and organizations that conduct mass destruction.
The main methods of deratization:
- installation of ultrasonic scarers;
- installation of mousetraps with bait;
- glue traps;
- scattering poisoned grain;
- pollination of foci of mass settlement of mice with pesticides.
For effective destruction of rodents, you need to apply all measures to combat mice. Of great importance is also compliance with security measures: Measures to kill mice must not harm the soil or human health.
IMPORTANT! Mice pose a great threat to the harvested crop. Making their way to places of storage of crops, to warehouses with grain and flour, they destroy stocks, eating them and polluting them with waste of their vital activity.
Mice are not the only ones capable of causing significant harm to garden plots and vegetable gardens. We bring to your attention a series of materials about wild rats, shrews, bats, moles.
And also about insect pests: potato moth, bedbugs, Colorado beetles, May beetles, bear, ants, nematodes, spider mites, moths, locusts, slugs, butterfly scoop, aphids, thrips and cicadas.
Conclusion
Now you have met such a dangerous pest as the forest mouse, which, despite its small size, can cause huge damage to both nature and farmsdestroying the harvest of various crops.
The fight against forest mice should be comprehensive.
Video
You can see a forest mouse in the video:
