How to get rid of a shrew and whether it should be done
Among the most common rodents, mice and rats are considered the most common. But there is a whole detachment - shrews, the population of which can harm gardeners, although the individual individuals themselves are not at all dangerous.
Content
Description of the shrew
Shrews are a whole family. Most often in our climate there is a shrew. This is a small predatory mammal that looks like a descendant of a mole and a mouse. According to the name, the rodent has red-brown teeth. But the title of a shrew is completely undeserved, she does not make holes herself, but prefers to use ready-made ones.
Features of food
Despite its very small size, the shrew is very voracious. The metabolism of the animal is very intense, so it does not get better, does not accumulate reserves. Shrew prefers:
- slugs
- bear;
- May Khrushchev;
- click beetles;
- leaf beetles;
- long-legged;
- scoop;
- worms;
- larvae;
- urine;
- spiders;
- ground beetles.
Very rarely, in extreme cases, in winter, a rodent can covet the seeds left in the ground.
Reproduction and life cycle
Walking small shrews.
It is the fertility of the shrew that is a threat to gardeners. They breed very actively in spring. The female gives birth to 5 babies at a time, which she bears for 2-3 weeks. Up to 22 days they are attached to their mother, and when sorties from the nest in a row, each hold on to the tail of the previous one.
The female can become pregnant while feeding offspring, so she can bear 3-4 offspring per season. Males die first, females live a little longer. The body ages rapidly due to intensive metabolism.
Shrews have sweat glands that produce stench. Therefore, they have no natural enemies. Moreover, the predator itself has an ideal sense of smell.
How to get rid of a shrew
Although the shrew itself does not cause harm, the large population on the site requires timely intervention. There are a number of ways to get rid of it. Often shrews are credited with gnawed roots. But it is not. The maximum that they are capable of is digging at the roots, where they look for food for themselves.
Shrews have an excellent sense of smell. They are easily driven off the site with scattered rotten fish.
Mouse with a long nose
Shrews are only slightly similar to mice, but have nothing in common with them. Shrews have higher legs, a tail covered with hair. Their nose, unlike mice, is long and mobile. And the number of teeth varies depending on the season.
Conclusion
Moves in the area under the ground should not be attributed to shrews. They are so busy looking for food that they prefer to use other people's passages. It is difficult to see them on the site, but when they come across with your own eyes, you get the feeling of accelerated filming - these animals are so nimble and fussy.
