Unwanted guests at night...

[CheeseSlice]

My home has recently been infested by hundreds of unwanted, squatting and troublemaking immigrants...

First there are the huge spiders that seem to be appearing in every corner of every room. Not forgetting the one that is the size of a rat that scurries across the lounge carpet and hides under the sofa by my feet.

Next are the tiny (but usually dead) mice that I keep finding in random parts of the lounge and dining room. Admittedly those were probably brought in by one of our two cats.

This evening I caught our female cat trying to leg it through to the hallway carrying a live mouse in her jaw. I headed her off at the door, then forced her to go back out through the cat flap into the back garden. As I followed her to the cat flap to ensure she had taken the squeaky critter outside, I could hear the little door swing open then shut, although couldn’t actually see her outside in the pitch black. Suddenly the security lights overlooking the garden flicked on, and I found myself staring face-to-face through the window at an adult 'fox', licking its lips standing close to the cat flap
It fled into the wooded area of the back of the garden, but I saw it again later chasing, killing and eating another mouse.

Thankfully both cats have been confirmed alive, but this is the second time in a week we've noticed a fox visit our garden, and I'm worried it has decided to live there

Anyone else have any recent critter problems or tales of the sort?

[DimPrawn]

I've got a giant owl that sits in the tree outside my bedroom window and hoots very loudly.

Then there's the red squirrels constantly scuttling around on the decking.

[AtW]

I've got a giant owl that sits in the tree outside my bedroom window and hoots very loudly.

Is that you Harry Potter?

[CheeseSlice]

I've got a giant owl that sits in the tree outside my bedroom window and hoots very loudly.

Two years ago I noticed a ghostly image or smudge in the glass of our patio doors.
It looked exactly like an owls face with the big eye circles, and long wings either side of the face.
I think an owl had its first experience of glass.

[ItsQuickerAntiClockwise]

I've got a giant owl that sits in the tree outside my bedroom window and hoots very loudly.

Then there's the red squirrels constantly scuttling around on the decking.

no such thing as red squirrels in this country any more.

[Wodewick]

no such thing as red squirrels in this country any more.

Various isolated woodlands still support red squirrels, plus the Isle of Wight.

Nutkins in UK

[NickFitz]

no such thing as red squirrels in this country any more.

Exceptionally wrong even by your abysmally low standards

[Saddo]

Re your spider problem. I haven't tried this solution myself, but I did read it on the Internet a matter of weeks ago and apparently it's a good 'un.

All you have to do is place conkers under your furniture or in corners which are out of sight. Apparently spiders absolutely hate them - must be the smell or something. You don't need to do any preparation or anything, just bog standard conkers which you can pick up from under a tree.

With regard to cats there is a similar solution, though you probably wouldn't try this indoors. You can buy dry pellets of big cat dung (Lions, Tigers etc) from garden centres or similar. Just scatter some of those pellets around the areas where cats are a problem and apparently little Pussy gets the message that big Pussy might be around, and little Pussy doesn't want to tangle with big Pussy so goes and does its business in someone else's garden.

Apparently big Pussy pellets don't smell or anythng, so they won't be a problem which could impact your use of the garden.

One last thing - how to deal with the fox. Slightly more difficult this one but you can get pellets for that problem too. They are made of lead, and you need a rifle to dispense them.

[Wodewick]

One last thing - how to deal with the fox. Slightly more difficult this one but you can get pellets for that problem too. They are made of lead, and you need a rifle to dispense them.

One old wives tale is to piss round the borders of your garden fairly regularly. Apparently this is similar to the Lion Tulip as the fox thinks something bigger and badder lives here!

It might be an old husbands tale as its supposed to be mans piss but this might just be because its easier for a bloke to discretely distribute the piss as required.

[CheeseSlice]

Re your spider problem. I haven't tried this solution myself, but I did read it on the Internet a matter of weeks ago and apparently it's a good 'un.

All you have to do is place conkers under your furniture or in corners which are out of sight. Apparently spiders absolutely hate them - must be the smell or something. You don't need to do any preparation or anything, just bog standard conkers which you can pick up from under a tree.

Sounds interesting, might be worth a go

With regard to cats there is a similar solution, though you probably wouldn't try this indoors. You can buy dry pellets of big cat dung (Lions, Tigers etc) from garden centres or similar. Just scatter some of those pellets around the areas where cats are a problem and apparently little Pussy gets the message that big Pussy might be around, and little Pussy doesn't want to tangle with big Pussy so goes and does its business in someone else's garden.

Apparently big Pussy pellets don't smell or anythng, so they won't be a problem which could impact your use of the garden.

The cats are actually our own and the best bit is that they always do it in someone elses garden rather than their own territory Its only when you 'don't' have cats you get that problem.

One last thing - how to deal with the fox. Slightly more difficult this one but you can get pellets for that problem too. They are made of lead, and you need a rifle to dispense them.

I was actually considering chasing it with a broom, but your idea sounds better.
I know that fox hunting was banned, but anyone know where we legally stand with killing foxes? All the scary stuff in the news about babies and adults being bitten whilst sleeping does make me wonder.