Good afternoon, my reader. A shrew is a miniature mammal of the order of insectivores, 3-6 cm in size and weighing no more than 3.5 g. It is very similar to an ordinary mouse, but differs from it in the structure of the muzzle - its nose resembles a proboscis, like an anteater. It is considered a predator, its main prey is insects, small frogs, baby mice. But, in fact, she is omnivorous.
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The habitat of the shrew can be different, it often settles near water bodies, but most of all it is attracted by summer cottages, especially vegetable gardens. The fact is that she looks for food for herself in holes, which she either digs herself, or uses the tunnels laid by moles. And digging holes in the soft soil of the garden is easier, and you can find much more food on it.
Some summer residents consider it a useful animal, because it eats any insects with their larvae, and loosens the soil. But most gardeners are well aware of the damage these harmless-looking and even cute little inhabitants of underground passages bring to the site. After all, paving its way in them, the shrew damages the root system of cultivated plants, and they are not averse to eating their fruits, which can significantly reduce the yield. At the same time, it often throws out the ground from the burrows to the surface, the piles of which spoil the entire aesthetics of the site.
There are two ways to get rid of a shrew: physically destroy it using traps or chemicals, or simply drive it out of the site.
Many summer residents choose the second, more humane option. To do this, you can use special ultrasonic scarers or even ordinary wind turbine ratchets, because the animal is very afraid of loud sounds (it can die from a heart break, even if you loudly slap in hands). She also does not tolerate pungent odors. Another very simple, rustic way of expelling it from the site is based on this feature of the shrew.
The essence of the method
The first step is to choose a material with a pungent smell, such as rotten fish offal. They are laid in the passages laid by the shrew, for which they need to be opened with a shovel. It is advisable to make similar bookmarks in several places so that the putrid smell spreads over the entire system of underground tunnels, and the shrew would have to not only leave them, but also leave altogether plot.
This method is good because it is simple and effective. Its only drawback is that there will be an unpleasant smell of rotten fish on the site for some time. But most summer residents prefer to feel it, rather than receive losses in the harvest, which will certainly would bring the presence in the garden of this miniature, but extremely voracious and active animal.
You can also find an alternative to fish giblets by using other materials with a pungent, but not so unpleasant odor. For example:
- naphthalene;
- ammonia;
- kerosene.
Rags soaked in any of these substances are laid out in the same way as in the version with fish. The effect will be the same - the shrew will leave the site and the harvest will be saved.
Do you know how to get rid of a shrew from a summer cottage?
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