In the UK the Edible Dormouse is a non-native pest occurring in c.1000 sq.km of the Chilterns area, west of London, but it is spreading. It causes damage to biota in woodlands and is also increasingly present within buildings. Licenced humane culling (killing) is allowed in the UK and it is illegal to release them if captured alive. Poisoning is illegal. Several thousand are culled in buildings annually.

The results of capture trials of adult Glis within our research woodland in 2010, 2019 and in 2020 are reported. From 40 nestboxes, 126 individual dormice were removed over 10 continuous days in July 2010 and released on the nearest adjacent tree (>80% of all adults recorded there in that year). In 2019, 72 catching devices were added to 26 established boxes in a 12ha. semi-isolated triangle of woodland. In 10 days 169 were culled. Five weeks later, 68 were found (not culled), indicating 20/ha overall and a maximum cull of 72%. Since 2019 was a non-breeding year (when many long-lived adults do not appear in our trapping record) we hypothesised that some old Edible Dormice not seen in 2019 might be captured in 2020. In 2020 two 5-day trapping periods were undertaken. In early July 160 were culled and another 110 four weeks later. We captured 36 more adults later; in total representing 26.5/ha. In 2021 monitoring revealed a minimum of 63 adult Glis. The capture data, movements, cost effectiveness and implications for control are discussed.

Glis, damage, control, trial, culling

Roger Trout

Oral presentation at the 11th International Dormice Conference 2022