Mice

[DustyRusty]

Seems that this year has a bumper crop of mice. I have been setting out bait for the mice since last spring, and I thought that I finally rid myself of any mice, until this evening when I saw one run across the garage floor. I checked my bait areas, and there wasn't a block to be found. I usually put out about 9 or 10 blocks at a time, and they were lasting almost a month with no activity. Looks like I have a new family that moved into the neighborhood. A month or so I found that they chewed the cover of the 5-gallon plastic pail that the mouse bait comes in just to get to it.
What do you do to keep the mouse population down?

 

[leveraddict]

Yes lots of mice this year! I just keep feeding them poison blocks! I have a bucket trap outside but its frozen now.

Dont feed the birds and animals outside! The food source will just keep them coming!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Cats : 2 Mice : ZERO

 

[jimh406]

Snap traps and bucket traps. In winter, use rv antifreeze in the buckets.

 

[mikester]

Cats

 

[bbxlr8]

Hate them and constant war - they get into storage area, stored cars and even chewed through my Jeep soft top while off over the winter.

I use the refillable bait boxes, snap traps when it gets bad - due to dogs, other options are out. Cat are great but outdoor ones don't work for us

edit - And metal tight cans for feed, seed, etc.

 

[Fordtech86]

 

[pigdoc]

Switch brands (active ingredients) of rodent baits.
With continual use of a single product, you will select for resistance to the active ingredient.

Here is a commercial rotation:
Hombre (October thru January)
Revolver (February thru May)
Jaguar (June thru September)
Gunslinger (clean-out)
Tom Cat Liquid: for rats or high numbers of mice.

Gotta love those brand names!

-Paul

 

[Mark_BX25D]

If you are considering a cat, see if you can find an American Curl. You might be able to pick up a neutered "pet grade" cat from a show breeder. Those cats are fantastic mousers, and very acrobatic. Also known for being very affectionate.

 

[My Barn]

Fool proof a cat...We try everything to keep them in check?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

One Calico Cat, Several Wolves, and several electronic traps.

 

[Daren Todd]

One Calico Cat, Several Wolves, and several electronic traps.

Our pooches were decent mouser's. Although if they were inside, gypsy would just watch them Outside she would walk up to one hiding and just scoop it up. She's not much of a chaser, but all about an easy snack

Our late jack Russell would drive you absolutely nuts with a mouse or lizard in the house.

Zeuss, you would usually find a soggy dead mouse when you stepped on it in bare feet He ran a tight ship with his back yard. No invaders allowed!!!! Unless it was a female skunk. Then he would try to sniff its bottom.

 

[jkrubi12]

Last year was the first year that I had a mouse problem. Bought a number of snap traps on amazon (plastic 'no touch' resettable), baited the traps with peanut butter. In the first week I caught 7, then during the rest of the entire winter season only caught 3 more. Haven't seen any yet this year. All but one were 'deer' mice, brown & white instead of gray 'field' mice.

I tried several variations of snap traps, and eventually decided that the larger ones were the preferred traps as they had the (unintended) option of being set with a 'hair trigger' which worked well. The smaller variety did the job but occasionally the bait would be eaten without tripping the trap; I'd recommend the larger, so-called 'rat' traps based on my experiences. A 4-pack on amazon was around $10 iirc.

 

[Sparky Prep]

2 cats, no mice. No mice in the house, no mice in the feed shed, no mice in the barn. Cats, my friend, cats.

 

[fried1765]

2 cats, no mice. No mice in the house, no mice in the feed shed, no mice in the barn. Cats, my friend, cats.

I am away for the entire Winter (6 mos.)
Will cats be satisfied with eating ONLY mice for 6 months?

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I've heard/read that peppermint oil repels vermin like mice. If I went away,I'd SPRAY it all over wiring,engine,seats, etc....LOTS of it, even around doorways, ..

hmm.. wonder if candy canes would work ? will be real cheap in a week, EASY to hang onto stuff !!!

 

[Sparky Prep]

I am away for the entire Winter (6 mos.)
Will cats be satisfied with eating ONLY mice for 6 months?

Yes, they will. They might not be very friendly when you get back, though. LOL.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

I've heard/read that peppermint oil repels vermin like mice.

I've tried it with zero results. Several other "repellents", too.


The only success I have had with any repellent has been the urinal cakes (moth balls in another form) I keep inside the small plastic shed where we keep our trash until it's time for a dump run. It's worked perfectly in keeping the mice, squirrels, raccoons, and bears out of our trash. But then, it's a small, enclosed area, so the smell permeates everything in it. If they come sniffing all they can smell is moth balls.

In open areas? Fuggedaboutit.

 

[Trapper Bob]

Cats work for me as well.

 

[Lil Foot]

All of this talk reminds me of being a kid and visiting my paternal grandparents. There was a feed mill across the alley behind their house, and there were rats everywhere, even in broad daylight. The mill boss would pay us 5 cents for every rat we killed, so we sat in the alley and went to war with our BB guns.
I remember filling 5 gallon buckets with rats, then using the money we earned to buy Dreamsicles & candy (and BBs) at the corner store. My parents loved it because we were quiet & occupied.
Good times.
Note the target peep sights.