A creature in the garage bit the bottom of a new bag of nuts and seeds Quickly we tipped them into the birds bin. Sorting out shopping bags today, found two all chewed up. Two heavier bags had seeds completely covering the bottom. Now, what we cannot see is, if the creature took so much time and trouble to pinch the nuts etc, why didn.t he eat any. cheers Penny

Might be one of those creatures that hoards foo for later, like a squirrel.

Unlikely to be a mouse. I had a mouse broach my bird seed and it, she, simply set up home within the bag. Depends on the species perhaps.

Thanks very much Laurie, we did think of a squirrel but how do we find him?, will start searching tomorrow. cheers Penny.

If you have a squirrel in the garage Penny WHERE is he getting in?

Just what we keep asking ourselves. No doors are left open. quite a puzzle. cheers Penny.

If It's a squirrel I hope it's our native red not the imported Grey Tree Rat.

If it's the former it should be encouraged, even to the extent of putting up an artificial drey. We had a family living in the garden of our married quarter in Germany,and they were quite charming. The youngsters, in particular, are very confiding and will interact with humans (not just in alarm).

If, as I suspect, it's the latter, like any other rat it is disease carrying vermin, and is contaminating everything in your garage. It will bring lingering and unpleasant to any native reds trying to re-colonise their native land.

It should be treated the same as any other rat. In my case that means death. We are their only natural predators in this country.

I can hear the howls from nature lovers from here, but remember, this non-native species is just coming up to its own season of bounty. It likes nothing better than a clutch of native blackbird or robin eggs for breakfast, and if eggs are not available then brood of live nestlings are just as welcome! Since this is not a natural predator the birds ha no natural defence.

Just had good clean up in garage, no sign of any creature at all. Have hung all bags up and seed is in lidded bins. As for a squirrel, they come in the mornings with the birds so don't think it could have been one. No way he could get in garage, it is a double, with utility room at end leading out to a conservatory, which is always kept closed as we have to keep birds out. Well, we will see what happens now everything is hung up/ Thanks for interest , I will let you know if anything else happens in the garage. cheers Penny
.

I do agree that encouraging of the Red Squirrels must be protected because they are beautiful and so rare in their home country, my son was stationed in Germany during his army posting and I spent a while there watching those little creatures, eating food and fun in their back garden which had a wooded area behind.