Something is burrowing in my shed

wicklowtown · 28-05-2018 5:16pm #1

Hi, Im hoping someone can help me. I went to my 7 x 6 foot metal shed that has a wooden floor for the first time this year, I couldnt get the sliding doors to open and as the sheds in a shaded area of the garden i couldnt see what what preventing the doors from opening so I went and got a torch. When i shined it inside the shed most of the wooden floor seems to have rotted away. On top of the floor (or what was the floor) in different areas of the shed are big mounds of earth and im just wondering if anyone would have any ideas of what kind of animal is obviously living under the floor of my shed. Most of the floor is covered in earth but the actual mounds are around 1- 1.5 feet in diameter. To be honest im a bit scared to check it out as im a middle aged lady and though im not scared of many animals its the fact i dont know what this animal might be and thats whats worrying me. I should also add i have 6 small dogs and 3 cats who use my garden so i would have thought any animal would avoid taking up residence in my garden even if it is inside my shed. My dogs are house dogs but in good weather my cats often stay out at night. Any help would be appreciated as im extremely nervous to investigate these mounds of earth when i have no clue what i might be dealing with. Thanks
P.S I originally put this up in the interior design section so moving it here as i dont know what to do. Thanks again

deletthis · 28-05-2018 5:21pm

99% sounds like a badger. Nans been at war with her local stripy b***stard for years. Only thing keeping her sane.

wicklowtown · 28-05-2018 5:57pm

Badgers bite people dont they? Yeah that doesnt sound good. Do you know if theres anyone i can contact about it as if its a badger surely theres a society who would trap them and let them go in a field somewhere. I dont know much about badgers but i wouldnt like to hurt one.

Gravelly · 28-05-2018 5:59pm

wicklowtown wrote: »

Badgers bite people dont they? Yeah that doesnt sound good. Do you know if theres anyone i can contact about it as if its a badger surely theres a society who would trap them and let them go in a field somewhere. I dont know much about badgers but i wouldnt like to hurt one.

I know loads of people you can contact, but they won't be letting Mr. Badger go in a field somewhere......

Gravelly · 28-05-2018 6:01pm

deletthis wrote: »

99% sounds like a badger. Nans been at war with her local stripy b***stard for years. Only thing keeping her sane.

Are you sure that's a badger and not a traffic warden?

wicklowtown · 28-05-2018 6:10pm

you'd are very funny! No i dont like the idea of killing a badger even if its taken up home in my shed. I dont know what's more worrying to me as i was thinking it might be rats but the only time ive seen rats near my garden was when they were building the housing estate above my estate which was over 20 years ago. Or a badger. I dont want to go near my shed now!

Suckit · 28-05-2018 6:16pm

Are there any dung piles in your garden? Anything being moved around?

http://www.discoverwildlife.com/british-wildlife/how-identify-animal-droppings

Badger

Faeces can be very variable – soft and even runny when they have been eating worms, or solid and firm, like a large, fat sausage, when eating wheat or fruit.
Where badgers are common, these are generally deposited in shallow pits, but are more generally just left on the surface. Easily recognised by sweet, musky smell.

http://www.downthelane.net/garden-wildlife/identifying-animal-droppings.php

Glass fused light · 28-05-2018 6:58pm

Badger are a protected species in ireland, and it's illegal to kill them
Try locating your local wildlife ranger and ask to advice

http://www.irishwildlifematters.ie/animals/contacts.html#GO-NPWS

If you mail some pics to a mod they may post them up for,you

Day Lewin · 29-05-2018 7:48am

Badgers are strictly nocturnal, so look out the window at night if you want to identify your visitor for sure.
Also, they make latrines - scrapes in the ground for droppings: and they peel back lawn grass to get at earthworms, insects, bulbs etc. So there would be signs to see.

They do NOT attack humans unless provoked, eg during cruel and illegal blood sports.

They're also usually social animals with a colony: so your creature would be just passing through on teh way to setting up a home.

If you disturb the place, it will move on.

That is, if it IS a badger: what makes you so sure?

A fox would be much commoner, especially at this time of year with growing cubs.

And even rats can throw up big mounds of earth - I've seen them do it.

Please, please, do NOT take aggressive action before identifying the creature and considering humane measures if it really bothers you.

magicbastarder · 29-05-2018 9:28am

your location states you're in wicklow town - if you are in an urban/suburban area, i'd guess a fox is more likely too.

wicklowtown · 29-05-2018 10:06am

Thanks for all the advice everyone but to be honest im even more worried now foxes has been mentioned. I dont believe in hurting any animal so i wouldnt do anything like that even my daughter was appalled when i said i would probably put down snap traps if i knew it was rats so thats out as well. Ive phoned Wicklow County Council environmental department yesterday who said they cant help me and gave me the number for Wicklow Parks and Wildlife whom i phoned a few times yesterday but no one answered the phone so i emailed them yesterday early evening and as yet havent heard back from them. Im really at a loss as to what to do but all i do know is until i find someone who can give me advice and please god come out and take a look i think im going to just ignore the problem and keep my shed locked. I cant see anywhere around the outside of my shed thats been disturbed where an animal can get in and i do know my dogs alerted me to a hedgehog in my garden a few years back so i would assume if it was actually in my garden my dogs would be going nuts like they did with the hedgehog, we'er real big animal lovers but this is just too close even for us

Thanks again for everyones advice and thoughts and if i find out whats living in/under my shed i will let everyone know

magicbastarder · 29-05-2018 10:20am

you've nothing to fear from foxes. we get them in our back garden all the time.

Dial Hard · 29-05-2018 10:29am

wicklowtown wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice everyone but to be honest im even more worried now foxes has been mentioned.

I don't understand what you're so afraid of? What do you think is going to happen?

Gravelly · 29-05-2018 10:33am

Dial Hard wrote: »

I don't understand what you're so afraid of? What do you think is going to happen?

magicbastarder · 29-05-2018 11:09am

don't forget that if you've foxes, you're less likely to have rats in the area.

wicklowtown · 29-05-2018 5:54pm

I dont want to get bitten by a mother who at this time of year would probably have babies so would be more aggressive than normal. I dont think thats unreasonable. The only reason i would be worried about having foxes in my back garden is that they could very well attack my dogs or cats, my dogs only weigh between 4.5-8 lbs so i would think they are smaller than a fox. saying that ive lived here now for 23 years and ive never seen a fox in my garden or heard of anyone else on my estate seeing a fox in our area

wexie · 29-05-2018 7:26pm

I have to say I'm pretty curious, if there is no obvious way for something to have gotten in or under the shed.

Yet something is now inside?

Effects · 29-05-2018 8:51pm

wicklowtown wrote: »

Badgers bite people dont they?

Nope.

recedite · 29-05-2018 9:23pm

Day Lewin wrote: »

And even rats can throw up big mounds of earth - I've seen them do it.

I'm going with this simple answer, unless a badger has been seen.

Badgers have very poor eyesight themselves BTW, so if there was one in your garden you'd be quite likely to bump into it, or at least see it wandering around.

wexie · 29-05-2018 9:26pm

recedite wrote: »

Badgers have very poor eyesight themselves BTW, so if there was one in your garden you'd be quite likely to bump into it, or at least see it wandering around.

Is that why we're most likely to see them dead by the side of the road

Wouldn't mind seeing a live one at some stage I have to say

monty_python · 29-05-2018 9:40pm

Sounds like a vampire looking for somewhere to bury it's latest victim.

Call the bishop straight away.

recedite · 29-05-2018 9:47pm

wexie wrote: »

Wouldn't mind seeing a live one at some stage I have to say

I was out for a walk one evening, around twilight, when a whole family came out of hedge just about 10-15 metres in front of me. 2 adults and 4 or 5 cubs. I stopped dead in my tracks, and just watched them mooching about in the grass at the side of the road, looking for worms or whatever. Because I was upwind of them, they had no idea I was there, even though I was so close.
After about 5 mins a car came along and they went back through the hedge out of sight.

Great memory though. Hopefully you'll be lucky enough to see something similar some day.

Day Lewin · 29-05-2018 10:29pm

wicklowtown wrote: »

I dont want to get bitten by a mother who at this time of year would probably have babies so would be more aggressive than normal. I dont think thats unreasonable. The only reason i would be worried about having foxes in my back garden is that they could very well attack my dogs or cats, my dogs only weigh between 4.5-8 lbs so i would think they are smaller than a fox. saying that ive lived here now for 23 years and ive never seen a fox in my garden or heard of anyone else on my estate seeing a fox in our area

Please, let me lay your fears to rest!
At this time of years fox cubs are already half-grown up, and their mothers are not with them most of the time: but fox family groups still stay near the cubs but they do NOT attack humans.
I have seen many, many foxes in my garden over the years, once I even saw our small dainty cat eating from the same piece of wood as a male fox.
Foxes are not as big as you might think, and they run from dogs, not towards them: and they just peacefully co-exist with cats.
If you had foxes breeding you would see toys, feathers, food wrappers scattered around, and droppings.
Rat is still possible, even likely; and while most people don't like to see rats, they are actually found everywhere and are ignored as long as they stay out of sight. Removing all sources of food, and hiding places, would be the best treatment.

Please let us know how you got on - now that our curiosity is roused!

Glass fused light · 30-05-2018 6:54am

wexie wrote: »

Is that why we're most likely to see them dead by the side of the road

I would say its a combination of factors
They are animals who forage at night, and so are hard to spot but bigger so easier to hit in a car.
They dont have perdator so would not be as fearful as other creatures who would move off the road when they see or hear something comming towards them.
Their size compared to other nocturnal animals makes the body easier to spot on the roads and as carrion harder for other animals to move

Deub · 30-05-2018 7:51am

It could be a mole. I had one few years ago bringing up a big pile of earth as it was building a nest. It was in a kind of shed under a slab (20cm•20cm) made of plaster and it had no problem pushing it up. If the wooden floor is rotten, it could be a possibility.
It would explain why you don't see any entrances outside.
Pictures would definitely help.

Edit: Apparently there are no moles in Ireland so... No it is not a possibility.

Grab All Association · 30-05-2018 7:56am

You need a lizard

If the lizard doesn’t leave then you’ll need a Chinese needle snake

If the snake doesn’t leave you’ll need a gorilla

The beautiful part is when winter rolls around the gorilla will freeze to death

Day Lewin · 30-05-2018 8:00am

Deub wrote: »

It could be a mole. I had one few years ago bringing up a big pile of earth as it was building a nest. It was in a kind of shed under a slab (20cm•20cm) made of plaster and it had no problem pushing it up. If the wooden floor is rotten, it could be a possibility.
It would explain why you don't see any entrances outside.
Pictures would definitely help.

No moles in the wild in Ireland: I've never heard of one being found or even seen.
Seriously, I know the Irish mammals: the animals that burrow underground are badger, fox (rarely enough) rabbit and rat.
On a smaller scale, Things like ants, bees, mice may dwell underground in earth holes: but pushing up mounds would be too much for them!
Almost certainly rats.

TheShow · 30-05-2018 8:07am

Let us know how you get on. Post a few pics. I need closure!!

gozunda · 30-05-2018 11:10am

Day Lewin wrote: »

Badgers are strictly nocturnal, so look out the window at night if you want to identify your visitor for sure.
Also, they make latrines - scrapes in the ground for droppings: and they peel back lawn grass to get at earthworms, insects, bulbs etc. So there would be signs to see.
They do NOT attack humans unless provoked, eg during cruel and illegal blood sports.
They're also usually social animals with a colony: so your creature would be just passing through on teh way to setting up a home.
If you disturb the place, it will move on.
That is, if it IS a badger: what makes you so sure?
A fox would be much commoner, especially at this time of year with growing cubs.
And even rats can throw up big mounds of earth - I've seen them do it.
Please, please, do NOT take aggressive action before identifying the creature and considering humane measures if it really bothers you.

First of all - from the OPs description of the earth mounds etc and the lack of any sightings - I would say you probably have rats. With the amount of earth etc you may have a significant colony - that would be a serious h&s issue if that is the case. Maybe get in touch with a pest control company to verify thst the issue is or othercase and then decide what to do?

Personally I don't think it sounds like a fox. Not to make an issue of the above comment- however fox attacks on pets other animals and even children have been well documented.

http://www.freewebs.com/nwtf/03 Live stock & Pets Cat.jpg

https://davidjmobrien.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/fox-roe-fawn.jpg

http://www.bbc.com/news/10251349

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2276529/Fox-attacks-baby-First-picture-week-old-Denny-Dolan-finger-ripped-Bromley-home.html

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/irishman-killed-fox-stamping-death-9527344

https://metro.co.uk/2018/02/15/killer-urban-fox-attacks-baby-bouncer-sneaking-family-home-7314171/

https://amp.independent.ie/irish-news/news/elderly-woman-needs-twenty-stitches-after-vicious-fox-attack-34370130.html

Cantona's Collars · 30-05-2018 11:36am

Maybe it's an ass blaster?

Anyone that's seen Tremors will know what they are.

magicbastarder · 30-05-2018 12:44pm

gozunda wrote: »

Personally I don't think it sounds like a fox. Not to make an issue of the above comment- however fox attacks on pets other animals and even children have been well documented.

one or two of those sites are blocked in work - but four attacks document in the last ten years, across ireland and the UK.
i know more people who have been injured by babies than by foxes. not hard, since the latter is zero.

Something is burrowing in my shed

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