Do you actually know what a dormouse looks like? Probably not, because the animal species with the Latin name Glis glis is one of the native nocturnal mammals that rarely venture near humans due to their suspicious nature. Once the animals have settled in, the loud noises of communication, faeces and urine can disturb the peace in your own four walls. Here the question arises: is it allowed to catch dormouse?

dormouse in the house

The Glis glis is a rodent in the bilchee family (Gliridae), which at first glance looks like a mix between a mouse and a squirrel. Since the species is endangered in many parts of its original range, including Germany, there are dormouse under conservation. Nevertheless, it is permissible to catch and resettle the dormouse if you only use live traps with the appropriate bait. Even private individuals are allowed to do this and do not even have to inform the authorities for this undertaking. However, catching it is much more difficult compared to mice or rats, since the animals are much more cautious in comparison. In addition, the following measures are prohibited during combat:

  • capture without live traps
  • hurt
  • kill

Of course, these prohibitions also apply to the young animals, which normally see the light of day in September. In addition, you must not remove the breeding sites or shelters, for example the winter quarters, from nature. All these regulations can be found in the 1st Annex of the Federal Species Protection Ordinance (BArtSchV) and in the event of violations of these, you must expect fines of up to 50,000 euros, depending on the federal state in which the offense took place. However, you do not have to worry if the animals have settled in your house. Although the possibilities for catching the rodents are limited, this problem will resolve over time.

tip: If you do not manage to catch the animals on your own, the exterminator is usually the last resort. Although this may also only use live traps, experience in this area is effective for the animals.

catch dormouse

As mentioned above, there are not many ways to curb the settlement of the dormouse. Private individuals without a permit may only catch the animals with live traps. This project must only take place indoors, since the animals outdoors have no effect on humans. For this method you need two things:

  • live trap
  • bait

With the live trap, you either have to rely on one that is made entirely of ABS plastic or fine-mesh wire. The length of the trap must be between 30 and 50 centimeters so that the dormouse can still move around sufficiently after being caught until they are resettled. The flap must also not reach all the way down, otherwise the long tail of the animal will be trapped, which could lead to greater panic and considerable pain. You can also use live traps for mice and rats. The average cost is 10 to 25 euros per trap, depending on the equipment and quality. Depending on the size of the colony, it is worth setting up several traps. As bait you can use:

  • Apples (animal favorite)
  • local fruit varieties
  • domestic nuts
  • special bait mixtures

A special bait mix that is very popular with dormouse consists of peanut butter, non-alcoholic raisins, rolled oats and water to mix. These are formed into lumps with a spoon or gloves. Why gloves or cutlery? Edible dormouse have an excellent sense of smell and will not dare to use baits that smell like humans.

manual

Once you have the live trap and bait ready, it's time to catch:

  1. Locate the settlement of the animals based on the nocturnal noises, smell of faeces or urine and traces of food. Knowing which floor they are on is quite enough as the bait is enough to lure the dormouse into the trap.
  2. Now place the traps in the house and place the bait in the trap. The best time to do this is early in the morning as the animals are not active at this time.
  3. Now it's time to wait. Depending on how suspicious they are, the glis glis will not touch the bait at first and it is often the case that you have to replace it with fresh ones. Over time, however, these animals will dare to use the traps and be caught.
  4. Then relocate the dormouse promptly. It should be noted here that the new habitat is at least 20 kilometers from your house. It is even more effective when there are natural obstacles such as mountains or forests in between.

tip: Repelling using home remedies, such as using noise or ultrasonic waves, is not really effective on the dormouse. Once the animals have been driven away, they are usually in the attic for the next few days, holding their nightly concerts and arguments.

Prevent

You can prevent colonization by the animals with the following methods:

  • Cover windows, openings, chimneys
  • use close-meshed grids for this
  • Remove climbing plants on the house wall
  • Spread mothballs
  • use incense
  • Use incense sticks

Odor prevention needs to be applied consistently to work. Leaving furniture polish out in the open can also help. However, the variant with the grid is particularly effective.

tip: The use of cats as a defense against rodents is not recommended, since the hunting successes are usually only weak, apart from a few specimens. This increases the risk that the velvet paws will kill birds and other animals that you did not necessarily want to harm.

Category:

Animals in the garden