Even a dormouse needs a home. In the wild, that’s a hole in the tree. In the vicinity of human dwellings mostly the attic. This offers him warmth and plenty of protection. The nocturnal animal is rarely sighted. But the noise and stench quickly betray its presence. How can you get rid of the rodent? Because not every helpful means is allowed.
Table of Contents
The natural habitat
The scientific name Glis glis somehow fits a cute little animal like the dormouse. From his looks alone, he would make an ideal pet for small children.
- it resembles a squirrel in shape
- but has gray fur and is smaller
- like a mouse
- has big black eyes
- and a long bushy tail
But the dormouse is a “wild” animal that only lives freely in nature. But this is being pushed out more and more by human settlements. It is therefore unavoidable that its habitat increasingly overlaps with ours.
Roof trusses are conquered
Glis glis is an excellent climber, which is why its original habitat, the forest, is made for it. It hides in tree holes during the day and forages at night. But the dormouse is a flexible animal. So he gets along in the middle of a village or even on the outskirts. Because his feet with suction cups allow him to climb walls effortlessly. Thus roof trusses and attics have replaced the missing tree holes. But in it he comes very close to us. In the long run, no resident can escape this. Because the small animal makes itself felt through its way of life.
Notes on dormouse
The Glis glis leaves the house at dusk to roam the surrounding area. Our pantry is rarely threatened. He looks for his food in the great outdoors. Since we are asleep in bed when he is wandering, we will hardly see him. But he can still rob us of our sleep. The dormouse makes a lot of noise in the attic! This is the first sign of presence that he gives. Over time, an unpleasant odor will also spread, which comes from his increasingly numerous legacies.
Toleration is not recommended
Not only that he disturbs the peace in the house at night. The dormouse can also cause significant property damage to the house. The rodent gnaws on everything that seems tempting to him. His droppings and urine also leave traces. In the worst case you have to reckon with this:
- Material damage to the house insulation
- Holes in the insulating film caused by gnawing
- Rainwater can get inside
- the walls get soaked
- Mold can spread
- destroyed electrical wiring
- Common rooms are soiled by feces and urine
- there may be urine stains on the ceilings
For the above reasons, the small animal is one of the most annoying uninvited roommates. The longer he stays on the roof, the worse the effects. The noise pollution is the lesser evil. The cost of repairing the damage can be immense. For this reason, the dormouse should not be tolerated a day longer than is necessary for its expulsion.
intervention is required
The dormouse does not leave his home voluntarily. He chose it for good reasons and will live in it as long as he likes it. If orchards in the immediate area provide it with plenty of food, it will even breed diligently. So it may be that you are not just accommodating one, but several dormouse in your attic. In order to drive this animal guest out of your house, you have to act in a targeted manner.
Legal Protection
If you can clearly see from the tracks or at least suspect that a glis glis has nested in your attic, you should get rid of it as soon as possible. Using poisons is not an option for an animal lover. But it is also not allowed by law. The dormouse is threatened with extinction throughout Europe and therefore enjoys legal protection. A glis glis may not be hunted down and killed. Not even if it becomes a plague and “destroys” the house. However, they are allowed to drive the dormouse out of their house.
Drive away dormouse
This project is easier said than done. There is no known means with which you can drive the dormouse out of the house effectively and permanently. There are a few recommendations circulating on the Internet that desperate residents resort to. Also because they hope for a cheap and simple solution.
- Ultrasonic devices are designed to drive away the pest
- but he only leaves the house during the sound reinforcement
- later he returns
- fumigation with strong scents can also drive it away
- for example incense, joss sticks, cleaning products
- success is only short term
- as soon as the scent fades, the dormouse returns
- therefore this must be repeated at regular intervals
- this is labor intensive and tedious
In order to drive a dormouse out of your house forever, you have to catch it alive and take it far away.
Glis glis fangen
This animal may only be caught with a live trap. Other types of traps could injure or even kill him. Both are forbidden. There are no live traps specifically designed for him. Nevertheless, you don’t have to make a trap yourself to drive the animal out of the house. You can use a commercially available specimen, which is also used for rats and mice. Depending on the model, a trap costs between 10 and 30 euros.
- Trap is set up with one side open
- the dormouse can enter it
- it triggers a locking mechanism
- the trap is closed immediately
- the way back is blocked
- the animal is trapped in the cage and can no longer escape
Before doing this, inspect the attic. You can use the tracks to tell whether you are dealing with one or more glis glis. You may need to set more than one live trap or the trapping action will be protracted.
Traps are not always allowed
If there is a nest with young in the attic, traps should not be set. Because if you caught the young animals and drove them out of your house, they would have to starve without their mother. Since they are under species protection, this must be prevented. In general, dormouse caught in winter must not be released. There is therefore a narrow window of around five months for setting up the traps. From May to September, when the dormouse breaks its hibernation.
No bait, no catch
A live trap is nothing more than a bare cage made of metal bars. The dormouse will notice this new addition to his attic. But it is questionable whether he enters it at all. It is too intelligent and suspicious for that. Only really tempting bait can change his mind. It should be something the animal likes to eat. For example:
- a few apple wedges
- peanut butter
- raisins
Daily inspection rounds
Once you’ve gotten a trap, set it up and baited it, patience is required. It can be days before you can catch and get rid of the dormouse. Until then, you must check the trap daily. If a dormouse has triggered the trap and is crouching in it, it should be taken to another location as quickly as possible and freed from there.
- expose at least 20 km away
- otherwise you cannot drive it out permanently
- the animal finds its way back
- release into a forest not close to residential areas
Even if the dormouse hasn’t had a chance to recognize the temptation yet. It is possible that a mouse, squirrel, marten or rat has stepped into the trap set up in the meantime. Then the pest must be removed and the trap set up again. The bait also needs to be replaced occasionally. Dried apple slices are not exactly inviting.
Hire a pest control company
If you want to get rid of the dormouse without doing anything on your own, you can hire a pest control company to do the job. But even professional pest hunters are not allowed to kill the dormouse, but only drive it out of the house. When he will fall into their trap cannot be predicted. Daily checking of the traps is mandatory and, above all, time-consuming. That drives up the bill. At least a nearby company should be commissioned to keep the travel costs lower.
prevent resettlement
It is not enough if you recognize the presence of a dormouse, catch it and get rid of it. As long as the attic of the house continues to be an ideal shelter, another Glis glis can soon move into the house. Prevention is therefore the next logical step. It is important to recognize and close possible access points.
- Grill ventilation openings in the gable
- as well as windows and chimney openings
- Check roof waterproofing
- close small cracks and joints
- repair damaged roof areas
Cats as natural enemies
Where cats roam, dormouse do not settle. Because these are their enemies. You can effectively prevent colonization of the attic by adopting this pet. The intelligent dormouse will recognize the lurking danger and run away or enter another house.
