Hole in Wall.. new baby chicks nearby

[izziebean]

Hi! My cats found a hole in the wall that was made in the last 24 hours. They kindly showed me. I know that it was not there yesterday when I went to bed. Here is a picture:




My question is.. is this a mouse hole or a snake hole? My chicks were born on Monday.. they are only three days old. I don't think a mouse would harm the chicks, but I do think that a snake would eat them. I have contacted animal control. They will not come out to the house to get a snake unless i have trapped it somewhere in the house. I contacted a few pest control services and I can't get anyone out here before Monday.

My chicks are nearby inside a brooder made of cardboard inside the shower in another room. There is no lid on the brooder. Do I need to build something with wire? I have tools and wire... but it would take a few hours. What do I do with the chicks in the meantime?

Please advise.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A snake won't make a hole like that in a wall. The culprit is a rodent. Mouse or rat.
A snake will make use of a hole made by a rodent, usually to eat the rodent.
For the time being, cover the hole with hardware cloth or a board.

 

[izziebean]

Will duct tape work? That's what I have on it now.

 

[chiques chicks]

I doubt a snake would make a hole.
I would suspect rodent, rat or mouse. They are probably after the feed.

I would set mousetraps and our rat traps, depending on hole size. Mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime. Dropping a few blocks of mouse killer in the hole where the chicks and cats get get it wouldn't hurt.

Wire protection is a good idea. Hardware cloth is best. As long as the cats can't get to the chicks, they aren't a bad deterrent, either.

 

[MissMonty]

yeah looks to me like a rodent hole as well. I'd use a hardware cloth over it. The culprit could just chew through duct tape just like it did the wall itself.

 

[izziebean]

Won't the rodent just make another hole in a nearby location?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes, hence the trap.

 

[izziebean]

O gosh.. sorry. Missed that part of the reply. I've got some of the no kill mouse traps that I've been trying to use in my garage with no success. My neighbor's cat pulled one mouse out of the garage last week. That is an awesome idea.. put mouse traps all around the brooder. I'm going to get the ones that will take them out since they are inside the house.

I may place some golf balls around the brooder too just in case a snake is somehow around. I thought I was prepared for the little ones arrival. Amazing how wrong I am.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

bucket traps work great
I've caught as many as 5 in a night in the same bucket
http://fivegallonideas.com/bucket-mouse-trap/

 

[woodboat]

Thank you for your post, after seeing the hole in your wall I will rethink my protection on my new coop and run.