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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you if there's something under my deck?

62 replies

AwfulMaureen · 26/12/2013 20:18

The dog keeps sort of tracking something under the deck at night. Always about this time of night...she sniffs the boards and then appears to be following "something" around as it moves about beneath....I can't see under it or access it really....there's a bit of a gap at the sides but you can't peer under or anything.

I can't stand the thought of setting traps....would it be mice do you think? Or something....bigger? Confused

I can't be calling out any exterminators to check...they;ll kill things...what if anything should I do? The deck leads directly off my French windows into the sitting room...we sometimes leave bin bags of rubbish there when the outside bin is full...not for long...about a day or two at most...could this have brought meeces?

OP posts:
NinjaBunny · 26/12/2013 20:19

More likely to be rats.

Sorry!!

Original poster
AwfulMaureen · 26/12/2013 20:20

Why? Why more likely to be rats? Shock

OP posts:
RedLondonBus · 26/12/2013 20:22

Rubbish left out? That's gotta be rats then

Original poster
AwfulMaureen · 26/12/2013 20:23

Don't mice like rubbish?

OP posts:
FandangoLaLaLaLaLaLaLaaaa · 26/12/2013 20:23

Yep, my first thought was rats.

NinjaBunny · 26/12/2013 20:23

Why? Why more likely to be rats?

Too cold for little mouses. They've either died or fecked off to hibernate.

Rats are 'ard.

And they love a nice tasty bin bag.

Snardvark · 26/12/2013 20:24

Rats or hedgehog.

FandangoLaLaLaLaLaLaLaaaa · 26/12/2013 20:26

Ninja your post made me think of little cockney rats. Like Vinny Jones in rat form Grin

MarianneEnjolras · 26/12/2013 20:27

It's obviously a Snipe. Put some chocolate out for it.

Original poster
AwfulMaureen · 26/12/2013 20:28

OOH NOOO! I googled. Apparently decks have provided loads of space for rats....recently...as they've been built in so many gardens.

I thought hedgies but they're all hibernating now and the dog runs one end to the other after the "things" very fast...and hedgies don't run much do they?

What shall I do?? The rat is my Chinese birth sign! I can't kill the ratties!

OP posts:
Original poster
AwfulMaureen · 26/12/2013 20:28

What is a Snipe?

OP posts:
RedLondonBus · 26/12/2013 20:29

Mice all came indoors weeks ago! We've sold so many traps at work

Original poster
AwfulMaureen · 26/12/2013 20:30

I've not seen any mice...and I've a cat too! He's very lazy though and would probably just say "Hi!" to any other creature that came in...the dog however would snap it up...is there some way to tell if it's rats?

OP posts:
ImperialBlether · 26/12/2013 20:31

Have the bin bags been ripped open?

WildThong · 26/12/2013 20:31

Or a baby fox? Rats are always suggested (usually by people with no decking Wink) but they also like to hide under garden sheds or gaps in garages, they've been around for ever. Get your torch out and be brave!

Original poster
AwfulMaureen · 26/12/2013 20:31

Imperial the last lot were but by the dog...so I couldn't see any small teeth marks.

OP posts:
Original poster
AwfulMaureen · 26/12/2013 20:32

Wild would it live there on it's own? A fox I mean...

OP posts:
NinjaBunny · 26/12/2013 20:33

Actually hedgehogs can move quite quickly when they want to.

They don't tear open bin bags though.

Just stop feeding them and they should fuck off.

Original poster
AwfulMaureen · 26/12/2013 20:36

Not if they've got babies under there they won't! They'll find food elsewhere and fetch it back! Plus I feed the dog there....oh...that's it! We've only had the dog for three weeks...she's a rescue...her food has boright them!

OP posts:
howitis · 26/12/2013 20:36

Same thing happened with us!
Turned out to be a slow worm (huge thing) that I thought was snake!

MarianneEnjolras · 26/12/2013 20:36

Sorry, rubbish joke. I've been watching Up today and the snipe is the thing the kid is asked to track and it leads him under the old guys porch. I was hoping someone else would get the reference.

A snipe is actually a bird (didn't know that myself until I just googled looking for an Up relate link)

MoreBeta · 26/12/2013 20:37

Decking is known as 'rat nursery'. It is partly responsible for the explosion of the rat population in towns.

Do not leave your patio doors open.

Original poster
AwfulMaureen · 26/12/2013 20:44

How I found one of those at the bottom of the garden in summer...he was living under an upturned window box....could be one of them!

MoreBeta aw..."Rat Nursery" Grin perhaps all the Mummy and Daddy rats leave the babies there...and then trot off to their little ratty offices and shops...working all day and then returning to collect later...Aunty Rat takes care of the babies all day...bless her.

OP posts:
OnTheBottomWithAWomansWeekly · 26/12/2013 20:47

Not something - some one...

YouTheCat · 26/12/2013 20:47

Yes, definitely a rat creche. Call OFSTED asap. Grin