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AIBU?

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Original poster

What's happening to my apples?

46 replies

Silvershroud · 01/12/2021 03:12

We moved to a new house a few weeks ago. Last week I noticed an apple in a bowl on the kitchen counter was partly eaten. Today when I got home, in the bowl one apple had quite a bit taken out of it and a few other apples had small slivers taken. I searched the kitchen for signs of mice (chewed wood, droppings) but there was nothing. No other signs of infestation or wildlife. Anyone have any idea what is going on? Poltergeist?

What's happening to my apples?
OP posts:
Notimeforaname · 01/12/2021 03:16

Has to be a mouse or rat. Sorry. 😫

Lussekatt · 01/12/2021 03:19

I honestly can't think what else it could be..

Unless you have kids who are playing a prank on you. Or a ghost with a ghost pet rat (he is responsible for the small bites).

kleew1 · 01/12/2021 03:19

Definitely rat or mice. Supposedly rats prefer fruit to mice. We also had mice and hardly had any signs. They didn't touch our fruit tho!

FluffyBooBoo · 01/12/2021 03:28

@kleew1

Definitely rat or mice. Supposedly rats prefer fruit to mice. We also had mice and hardly had any signs. They didn't touch our fruit tho!
I would prefer fruit to mice too, tbf.
Original poster
Silvershroud · 01/12/2021 03:34

Obviously I don't want it to be mice! As I say, I looked under the kitchen units, there was not droppings or urine and no sign of small rodents. There are a few apple trees in the garden, we saw a squirrel eating an apple a few days ago. We always keep a kitchen window fanlight open just a small crack- could it be a squirrel? Sneaking in and out?

OP posts:
GiltEdges · 01/12/2021 03:34

I would suspect rats from the eating of the fruit... 😱

GiltEdges · 01/12/2021 03:37

@Silvershroud

Obviously I don't want it to be mice! As I say, I looked under the kitchen units, there was not droppings or urine and no sign of small rodents. There are a few apple trees in the garden, we saw a squirrel eating an apple a few days ago. We always keep a kitchen window fanlight open just a small crack- could it be a squirrel? Sneaking in and out?
Cross-posted. Could plausibly be an opportunist squirrel!
PissedOffNeighbour22 · 01/12/2021 04:22

We've just had a mouse infestation cleared. The pest control bloke said it usually takes months to notice you have them.
I was suspicious we had them so tested out leaving bits of food on the floor - they were never taken. Then one day I heard scratching in the walls in the middle of the night. Then a couple of pieces of poo appeared by the kitchen door.

We paid the council to deal with it and they were great. Cost approx £35 per visit.

caketiger · 01/12/2021 04:54

Set up a movement activated camera, do you have a ring doorbell? Use that.

steff13 · 01/12/2021 05:00

Stupid question - but could it be a kid? When my daughter was a toddler she had a habit of taking nibbles out of the fruit and putting it back in the bowl. It looked just like that.

JazzHandsYeah · 01/12/2021 05:12

We have had a cheeky squirrel squeeze through the smallest open window and eat fruit before. Only happened once but the sight of a grey bushy tail fleeing out the kitchen window was hilarious.

SpamIAm · 01/12/2021 05:31

We had a mouse and there were no signs of it other than we saw it in the cage with the pet mice and then there were 9 mouse babies...

Just close the window for a few days and see if it stops?

steff13 · 01/12/2021 05:42

@SpamIAm

We had a mouse and there were no signs of it other than we saw it in the cage with the pet mice and then there were 9 mouse babies...

Just close the window for a few days and see if it stops?

Oh my gosh, I kind of love that. He just integrated himself with the domesticated mice.
SpamIAm · 01/12/2021 05:45

It was a strange moment as we stood there like "but...how can a third mouse have got in the cage..." and then he just dashed out between the bars and was gone.

Thursdaymiami · 01/12/2021 05:57

Rat

picklemewalnuts · 01/12/2021 06:04

Squirrel is very possible. Someone I know had a squirrel nest in her airing cupboard. She only noticed it because of the fruit issue.

purplesequins · 01/12/2021 06:21

squirrels can be very sneaky.
if mice there would be droppings in the bowl.

do you have other food openly outside? put it in containers.

look for holes mice/rats can come through. in skirting boards, next to radiator pipes, under the kitchen unit again mear pipes.

any hole/opening that you could push a pencil through.

and screen that window.

btw apples are better off in the fridge, they lose nutrients quickly in room temperature.

DoctorSnortles · 01/12/2021 06:25

Rat or child.

(Love the advice from @purplesequins about your fruit storage. Next someone will be along to tell you apples are simply full of sugar and you should be eating kale instead.)

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 01/12/2021 06:57

Could be an Elf, you get them this time of year and sometimes they get a bit peckish.

I believe we have one but it only seems to eat the purple Quality Street chocolates. Hmm

Kippersfortea · 01/12/2021 07:17

I have some apples in my fruit bowl they look like that and it was my toddler.

SmallProvincial · 01/12/2021 07:29

Rats.

Rats like fruit.

Rats only poop in specific areas so you rarely see their droppings unless you find their poop zone (mice are incontinent so poo everywhere).

In good news if you have rats you don't have mice (they rarely coexist).

In bad news, you have rats.

LindaLooky · 01/12/2021 07:32

Yuck. Definitely get a wildlife camera to see what's going on.

Elieza · 01/12/2021 07:35

Sprinkle flour or talc lightly all over the work surface for about a foot round the bowl. Turn the fruit upside down so there are no marks. Then you will see footprints if it’s vermin and more chunks out of the apples tomorrow.

You can presumably tell by the size of the prints if it’s rats or mice/young rats. Or squirrels. If no prints and the apples are still attacked then it’s birds or kids. Or something else 👻

BigHeartyTruffle · 01/12/2021 07:38

When I moved into a new house a few years ago, I left out a punnet of blueberries that were gone the next morning. Turns out we had a rat.

I just put a trap out loaded with peanut butter. Next morning the rat was in it. We found a small hole under the sink where the cold water pipe came in. Apparently the only way to stop them coming back is wire wool and expandable foam - they can gnaw through anything but hate the feeling of wire wool on their teeth.

Good luck - it’s not very nice I know! If in doubt, call in the pros

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 01/12/2021 07:46

Do you have a toddler in the house? When DD was 3ish she would take teeny tiny bites out of each apple in the bowl. Just one or 2 bites per apple then put them back for me to find later.