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Post by Rosie on Jan 21, 2020 11:44:51 GMT
I went over to the tunnel today, first time for a wee while and every pot of Begonias, fuchsias, gerberas..everything has been destroyed by mice. To say I'm upset is an understatement. I've had some of the Fuchsias for at least 8 years. All the bark is off the Chimonanthus, doubt it'll survive either. I just stood there and blubbed!!
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Post by roofgardener on Jan 21, 2020 14:18:39 GMT
Oh my goodness that's awful rosie. I didn't realist that mice could be so destructive I'm really sorry to hear about this.
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Post by Andrew on Jan 21, 2020 20:40:00 GMT
I'm really sorry to hear that Rosie. I had them in my greenhouse this autumn too. They ate my sunflower seeds which I was trying to save for this year, and tried to nibble my runner bean seeds too.
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Post by sweetpea on Jan 21, 2020 23:25:58 GMT
Do you want to hire out one of our cats rosie ? he brought in a mouse this evening.
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Post by grindle on Jan 22, 2020 6:09:34 GMT
that's such a shame Rosie they really are destructive little things, they got in my foxglove seedlings and dug most of them up. I hope you can manage to save some of them xx
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Post by roofgardener on Jan 22, 2020 8:52:50 GMT
I'd never even CONSIDERED mice in my polytunnel. I keep all my bird food there, including a bucket of seeds n' tha.
Perhaps I should start protecting stuff ? I've never REALLY noticed any sign of anything being nibbled... but then... I havn't been looking that closely.
I know that at least ONE mouse HAS been in the polytunnel since I moved to the new cottage, 'cos it got trapped in a bucket, and I had to rescue it.
Hmmm..............
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Post by SueA on Jan 22, 2020 9:41:02 GMT
That's a shame Rosie, can you not save anything from the fuchsias, bits for cuttings or just the roots to see if anything sprouts from them?
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Post by Rosie on Jan 22, 2020 10:22:04 GMT
Thanks everyone . sweetpea, I might just take you up on that!! SueA,I've worked through all the tubs..29 tubs, 4 troughs and a hanging basket all destroyed. I managed to salvage 1 Begonia corm. There are 2 Fuchsia stumps with a couple of roots attached. I'll try potting them up and see what happens. Luckily I took some Fuchsia cuttings that have come through winter really well so thats one good thing. roofgardener, we keep all our birdfood in plastic tubs in my shed, typically we never get mice in there. Its like wildlife is ganging up on me! First moles, then rats in the compost heap, more moles and now destructive mice. Oh and my Chimonanthus is fine...it was a Crinodendron that got marmalised
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Post by SueA on Jan 23, 2020 8:48:51 GMT
I seem to remember you saying that the mice all keep coming back from the fields behind you Rosie, they must see your polytunnel as a great big supermarket, I can imagine begonia corms being like giant pizzas to them! It's hard to think how you can stop them, perhaps you should take up sweetpea's suggestion & get a cat or two, a few nurseries we go to have a couple of cats to keep the mice away.
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Post by ladybird on Jan 23, 2020 13:36:40 GMT
Ah I`m so disappointed for you Rosie .
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Post by sweetpea on Jan 23, 2020 19:44:36 GMT
Par for the course rosie. think of all the other disasters over the years and you got through them and the ones yet to come which you will get over too. We're a resilient lot gardeners.
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Post by Cherry on Jan 24, 2020 18:34:22 GMT
Sounds hard, but I am with sweetpea on this one. Think of it as a whole fresh start so you can enjoy your garden again. Gardening wise, I have had to struggle with leaving my beautiful plants and learning that the beautiful bird bath which Terry gave me has been stolen, along with all my lovely pots, 2 Belfast sinks, and even honeycomb edging tiles. It hurt too much to mention it before. I have heard that the mice are now eating through the pipe which holds the water for the windscreen in the car, because the cat was run over a few months ago. The mice are causing devastation at the farm. I haven’t got over it, but I am giving it a go.
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Post by grindle on Jan 25, 2020 5:46:49 GMT
that's such a shame Cherry but I'm sure you will have a lovely garden again
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Post by SueA on Jan 25, 2020 9:38:46 GMT
So sorry to hear that Cherry, you'll have to try & keep looking to the future & hopefully things will get better.
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Post by jellibeans on Jan 25, 2020 10:15:18 GMT
Had a similar problem over at my Dad's last year mice got into his greenhouse and did a lot of damage to the plants that I was over wintering for him. Thankfully because I checked on them weekly most were able to be saved. Fuchsias are very easy to root, just put the bits you have left into a pot of water, I do that with all bits that I cut or find broken, they soon throw out roots. Little blighters!!!!!
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