There’s a mink in my back garden, what to do?

[tearingmyhearout242]

I live in an area not far from where there used to be a mink farm years ago. It got shut down but many escaped/were let loose and it’s not unheard of to see minks in the local area.

The past week I’ve been waking up and finding remains of dead rodents in the garden. Often there isn’t much left. I thought maybe it was a local cat. Except yesterday evening I saw something black and slinky run across the garden. Having seen a mink in a local park before I recognised it as a mink.

DH went wandering around the garden and found a burrow, it goes underneath the shed. He left an old unused camera there overnight and we did in fact catch footage of it leaving the burrow and going back in later. It even sniffed the camera. It’s adorable, but we can’t just leave it when they are so dangerous to natural wildlife.

DH wants to try and catch it himself. But there don’t seem to be any mink sanctuaries etc we could send it to. I assume due to them being an invasive species. I just want to get an exterminator in to get rid of it humanely ASAP, especially as we are trying to move. I’m sick of all of the dead rodents.

That article is almost 20 years old however mink and otters can coexist. . Mink do have impact on water vole numbers and will destroy water fowl nests and eat eggs and young.
I don't think there is anything specific you can do to deal with it however. I don't think most pest control will deal with them and you would have to use a humane trap and then despatch it yourself. You may end up trapping the rats etc yourself instead

@Philisophigal

Obvious troll, get a life.

Your DH wants to keep it as a pet? Please tell me you're not serious. It's a wild animal. You can't capture it and keep it as a pet

Another here who says to phone the RSPCA for advice.

@Nitgel

Sings ' there's a mink in my garden what am I gonna do' (gets coat)

Thought it was just me 😅

@ArgonNeon

Leave the poor thing alone. Humans cause infinitely more destruction to wildlife besides I'd rather have a mink around than rats in my home. It's clearly helping to keep the local rodent population down. There's nothing humane about Mink traps.

Mink aren't wildlife. They're an invasive non - native species originally brought in from fur farms in the US. They are a threat to our wildlife and it should be killed. I doubt anyone would want to take it in, they'll wipe out a hen house and attack small pets even cats and dogs. They, are pretty vicious - cute though!

The best way to do it seems to be to trap it humanely and then shoot it. It might be worth contacting the council, we had them sort out our mouse problem and they were very good. They might be able to help or at least advise you. They should want to get rid of it due to it's nature.

Minks are the only animal which kills for sport. Not for food. Not for fear. For sport.

Bollocks, cats, dogs, foxes oh and humans to name a few.

Op I'm not sure what you are asking. If you want it killed call pest control, you can't rescue a mink. Personally I'd live and let live, and yes I'm rural.

@PukkaP

No my DS wants to keep it as a pet, firmly told no and explained why.

DH wants to catch it and send it to a sanctuary.

@tearingmyhearout242

It’s an adorable little thing judging by the crappy 5 second camera footage we got of it and DS wants DH to catch it so we can keep it as a pet. No thanks. He’ll be horrified if we get an exterminator in.

I know how destructive they are though. Literally never see rats but now constantly seeing them strewn across my back garden. Ergh.

I feel we owe it to local wildlife to just get rid of it ASAP.

The former Mercia Ferret Rescue in Coventry had two Mink that had come from the wild. They needed a license from Defra at the time to keep them (not sure that you need one anymore) and very secure enclosures.

The government website says to contact natural England. You can only trap and/or kill until March and then not until August so you need to decide quickly if you want to do something about it now. www.gov.uk/guidance/foxes-moles-and-mink-how-to-protect-your-property-from-damage

@Adeleskirts

They are vicious and highly aggressive . Call the rspca.

We got one in the house once, bugger ran in and dived under the sofa. Fortunately it left again,

Minks are the only animal which kills for sport. Not for food. Not for fear. For sport.

A bit like a tory then

@Philisophigal

I don’t think the OP is the one who has something wrong with her.

My garden isn’t a rat infested hovel ffs. It’s spotless and clean. But now the mink has moved in, is going out and bringing the remains of its dinner back.

We live in the countryside. The garden backs on to a FIELD. Obviously the odd rat will exist in the local vicinity.

I bet you guys have never even seen a cow in real life, either.

@Baystard

I'd rather have a mink than live rodents.

This 😬

Definitely get someone in to traps and cull it. They’re a destructive nightmare. We had a few on the estate I worked on as a student and they were caught in traps and destroyed. It’s the right thing to do for an invasive species.

Also mink are devastating to ground nesting birds, water voles, etc. Some of the emotional responses here are odd.

@ArgonNeon

Leave the poor thing alone. Humans cause infinitely more destruction to wildlife besides I'd rather have a mink around than rats in my home. It's clearly helping to keep the local rodent population down. There's nothing humane about Mink traps.

This definitely!

In the countryside you will get rats living in fields etc near your house.

It isn’t hard to keep them at bay from your actual garden. As long as you don’t leave rubbish (for them to live under) and food around, your garden is useless to them. The fields provide much more cover and food.

Definitely make a coat out of it. Maybe make one out of Philisophigal too while you're at it.

@ClariceQuiff because mink is an invasive species if a mink came into the RSPCA's care it would be put down.

@Adeleskirts

They are vicious and highly aggressive . Call the rspca.

We got one in the house once, bugger ran in and dived under the sofa. Fortunately it left again,

Minks are the only animal which kills for sport. Not for food. Not for fear. For sport.

Um many humans kill for sport. Not for food. Not for fear. For sport.

Plus that mink is only there because it’s ancestors escaped from a farm that presumably was there to produce fur for coats.

Having intervened in a honeybee/spider situation earlier this week and been distraught when the bee bloody died anyway, I'm not recommending any involvement with wild animals to anyone else - let the little f*ckers get on with whatever they're doing.