Holes in alloment and missing onion sets

Biggles200 | 15:51 Sat 21st Feb 2009 | Gardening

6 Answers

In the middle of my onion sets is now a depression with lots of disturbed soil and at the bottom a 3 inch diameter tunnel. There are about a dozen onion sets missing. What animal has done this as I thought Moles do not like onions?
There are some mole hills on the other side of the fence about 10 to 15 yds away.

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brenda

Some possibles-----

Rats
Rabbits
Weasel
or Moles

Rabbits look for their droppings
Weasel if you get down and smell the hole, very unpleasant smell.And you may find you have very few garden birds around at the moment.

My money would be on the rat.

Biggles200

Question Author

Brenda, I hadn't realised that rats dig tunnels. Do they actually live underground or are they just going from one place to another?

There are no Rabbits in this area, Hares yes, and there are plenty of garden birds and no unpleasent smell, so you are probaly right on rats. The hole is about 4 yds from the compost bins.

How do yo make a compost bin unatractive to Rats?

brenda

Does your local council have a pest control officer?

If so they may help you.Have had them last year to rats which had tunnelled under a garden wall, probably to have babies., and to keep them safe.

They put down a box containing some substance, which the rats could get at and then take into their tunnels.
The box is not dangerous to pets or children and theofficer comes back in about 10 days and removes it.

Have not seen any since, thankfully.

I know all the arguments about killinganimals but in this case had no choice, the wall was near to my back door ,and I have a young family.

There was no charge for this service in my area the N.East of England

Good luck.

Biggles200

Question Author

I am afraid the pest officer has been and said that I have to stop feeding the birds before they will come again. The hole is a very long way from the house and only yards from field of cows. There is a barn about 100yds away and I believe they are in there. The cat catches the rats. That is a better than letting them bleed to death - the pest officer way.

brenda

Biggles200, couldn't agree more with you about the method of killing--mine was an awful way, but I was terrified of them getting into the house.The pest officer also told me to stop feeding the birds which I have done.So fingers crossed for both of us.