There's a moose, loose, aboot ma garden!

I have last years strawberries in a reusable growbag (about 9 inches deep) along with a number of others stacked along the fence on the patio.

For the past week or so, every time a strawberry has gotten anywhere near ripe, we have come out the following day and found it partially munched away.

I was bemused, as I didn't expect slugs/snails to be interested in the fruit, but put down more slug pellets just in case.

Last night, I caught the dog bouncing around on top of the strawberry bag, tail in a frenzy, and then realised that we must have a four legged visitor.

About five minutes ago, I went out to see him going bananas again and this time behind some pots of tomatoes in the corner of the house - I moved the pots, and then a slab that was propped up in the corner, to see a wee mouse scurry away along the fence behind the growbags; a game of "to you, to me" then ensued between the dog and I with the mouse shuttling between me at one end of the bags and the dog at the other.

I have since come in, but the dog is still out there 'hunting' - he has no chance against a mouse though, too quick and clever for him.

Anyway, whilst I don't really mind outdoor mice, I would actually like to eat some of my own strawberries this year, so what are my options short of a neck-snapper and some peanut butter?

 

I'd rather not see him come to any harm if I can avoid it. I have got some pond netting over the strawbs at the moment, but he is obviously getting in the at the back near the fence.

I will try and get it tucked down the back of them tomorrow - assuming of course that pond netting has got a small enough mesh to keep a mouse out?

 

I'm wondering if it could partly be due to the positioning of the bag, which is up against a fence which has a wee gap behind the bag where the mouse/mice can scurry along behind - I know this because this was the routing he took last night in our wee game

So, I am thinking of pulling the bags out, moving the onions to the back, and putting the strawberries at the front - hopefully he will be less inclined to come out into the open?

 

Well, bags are moved round, so even if it slows the wee blighter down a wee bit, it will be a start.

Found a tub of poison in the shed, but I'd rather not use it to be honest - - different story if it was in the house.