Wildlife Welfare

Wild Wood Mouse Garden Welfare

Supporting wood mouse welfare in gardens and their importance to garden ecosystem health.

Key Facts

Wood mice are among the most abundant British mammals but are often overlooked in conservation
They are important prey for owls, foxes, and weasels, and seed dispersers in woodland ecosystems
Secondary rodenticide poisoning via dead and dying rodents is a major welfare concern for wood mice
Garden compost heaps, log piles, and wild areas provide essential habitat and foraging opportunities

Welfare Considerations

Wood mouse welfare in gardens is threatened primarily by rodenticide use, which causes painful internal haemorrhage and secondary poisoning of predators. Alternatives including snap traps and proofing of food stores provide effective rodent management without anticoagulant welfare harm.

What You Can Do

Avoid second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides - use snap traps or proofing instead
Create log piles and wild areas that provide natural habitat for wood mice
Appreciate wood mice as important garden ecosystem participants rather than pests