Mystery Boxes in a hedgerow

[+CathyLesleyMichael]

These small boxes recently appeared in a hedge near to our caches in south Bucks and are causing some confusion to searchers who assume they are the cache. Does anyone know what they are used for?

At first we thought they might be containers for grey squirrel poison but this is only allowed between 15 March and 15 August. We therefore assume they provide a refuge for certain insects which are then monitored. Has anyone seen them elsewhere?

 

 

[+abiherts]

I've heard of dormice boxes in certain areas, these may be a possibility?

[+abiherts]

I've heard of dormice boxes in certain areas, these may be a possibility?

[+MaxiP]

I would have thought squirrels as well - especially as there is a 'ramp' into the box (which insects wouldn't need). Perhaps nesting / hibernation boxes - do you have any Red Squirrels in the area or just the vermin grey (IMHO) ?

[+Malpas Wanderer]

I've seen some before probably in Wiltshire but was unsure what they were for.

[+niknrich]

I've heard of dormice boxes in certain areas, these may be a possibility?

 

I was going to suggest that. Signed log, took dormouse!

[Ephemeral Moment]

I've heard of dormice boxes in certain areas, these may be a possibility?

 

I was going to suggest that. Signed log, took dormouse!

 

Hope it was trackable...

[+Lovejoy and Tinker]

They are for dormices.

 

This website shows exactly the same type of tube and a sweet picture of a dormouse and explains all about them.

 

Quite satisfyingly a google search for "tubes in hedgerows" bought this website up as the first result. Good old Google.

[+CathyLesleyMichael]

We searched for 'boxes in hedges' - not quite the same, obviously.

 

Many thanks for solving the mystery. We now have a bigger problem - we might need to move some of the caches!

[+Lovejoy and Tinker]

We now have a bigger problem - we might need to move some of the caches!

Think you might have to. People don't read cache pages so no good saying on there not to touch the tubes hanging in the trees.

 

And if the little mice do make their homes in those tubes and a bunch of eager caches tries to grab one to see if there's a log book in there .....

Doesn't bear thinking about.

 

That one on the website is so sweet.

[+Ant89]

We searched for 'boxes in hedges' - not quite the same, obviously.

 

Many thanks for solving the mystery. We now have a bigger problem - we might need to move some of the caches!

 

At the least put a clear note on the top of the cache page stating that the boxes are not related to the cache, putting somthing like "Please read" in the name should help draw attention to that detail.

[+Yorkie30]

I think the idea may have come from wardens collecting old tree guard tubes that had blown off trees only to find doormice using them has homes a few years ago.

On the likes of Box hill in Surrey the wardens now leave them on the floor of the woods if they have been there a while for the door mice to use. A bit of staw, braken and grass makes a nice cosy home.

[+NickandAliandEliza]

We now have a bigger problem - we might need to move some of the caches!

Think you might have to. People don't read cache pages so no good saying on there not to touch the tubes hanging in the trees.

 

And if the little mice do make their homes in those tubes and a bunch of eager caches tries to grab one to see if there's a log book in there .....

Doesn't bear thinking about.

 

That one on the website is so sweet.

 

Dormice are very susceptible to disturbance. Better to move the cache. Not everyone reads the cache page in it's entirety.

[+Lovejoy and Tinker]

Not everyone reads the cache page in it's entirety.

Or even at all. Especially if they just pop the coordinates into a non paperless GPS.

 

Those tubes make great nest boxes I would think, and the material is biodegradeable (or the green ones are) so environmentally friendly too.

 

Can't help thinking they are very obvious and low down though - in those pics in the OP - no ones is going to know what they are and surely curious folk are going to start poking aroud to work out what they are. Even if they're not looking for a cache.

Not good if the mouses are sensitive to disturbance.

 

Still, I expect the naturalist folk know what they're doing. Couldn't know less than me about such things

[+currykev]

Move the cache please.

And all the other cache owners that have boxes near Badger's sets. That goes for you too.

[+keehotee]

We searched for 'boxes in hedges' - not quite the same, obviously.

 

Many thanks for solving the mystery. We now have a bigger problem - we might need to move some of the caches!

 

Presumably the owners of the dormouse tubes had to get permission from the same person you would have - I'm surprised they didn't let you know....

[+Lovejoy and Tinker]

Presumably the owners of the dormouse tubes had to get permission from the same person you would have - I'm surprised they didn't let you know....

Probably different planning rules for 'social housing'

[+Palujia]

Makes a change from Hamster caching !!

[+the family bu]

Please consider moving your caches - I am a member of the Wildlife Trust and one of the big things at the moment is the re-introduction of the dormouse into the wild - see this linky for the Cheshire project http://www.cheshirewildlifetrust.co.uk/proj_dormouse_1.htm . I would hate to see these little creatures disturbed through our game.

[+CathyLesleyMichael]

Thanks to everyone for their comments. We hope to check all the caches this afternoon to see which are in close proximity to dormouse boxes (tubes) and plan a course of action.

 

It seems odd that the boxes are not better camouflaged or hidden. The two we photographed were just attached to branches in full view of the footpath with no information signs or stickers along the route asking walkers not to touch them. I'm sure many people must examine them and their contents out of curiousity. If they'd given the job to geochachers the boxes would have been much better hidden and only the dormice would have found them.

Edited October 10, 2010 by CathyLesleyMichael

[+3funboys]

If its of any help and if you didnt already know, I think it may actually be illegal to disturb dormouse boxes. Not sure whether (like newts) this would also include disturbing the surrounding habitat (ie cachers caching in the nearby vicinity)

[+abiherts]

Here is an incident of dormice making a home near you, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...ay-station.html I've gone walking in the Chilterns quite often and heard about dormice boxes at Aston Rowant so thought this maybe the use of the above boxes.

[+BullTerrors]

We came across some of these whilst Geocaching in Hampshire on Saturday. I wasn't aware what they were and a few people had commented on them in the log. I will let the cache owner know so they are at least aware.

[+CathyLesleyMichael]

Here is an incident of dormice making a home near you, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...ay-station.html I've gone walking in the Chilterns quite often and heard about dormice boxes at Aston Rowant so thought this maybe the use of the above boxes.

 

Thanks abiherts.

 

This appears to be the edible dormouse (Glis glis) rather than our native common dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius). I don't think anyone would put up boxes for the edible variety but I might be wrong.

[+CathyLesleyMichael]

Making use of yesterday's fine weather we checked our caches which may have had dormouse boxes placed near to them. Obviously it's impossible to be 100% certain until the leaves fall but, after a thorough hedgerow search, we only found one cache (GC2C1Z0) which had boxes nearby and we moved it to a new location.

 

Graculus has kindly updated the coordinates and the cache is now approximately 30 yards from the nearest dormouse box. Additionally we have placed a photo and warning text on the appropriate cache pages.

 

We'll try to find/contact the box owners so they are aware of our caches just in case they decide to move/replace any in the future.

 

Thanks to everyone for their input.