Critter nests

A couple of years ago had 14 mice in the house. I trapped 13 using sweet chocolate for bait. .177 cal dead pill for the last one. Aimed low. Lucky shot to. Baby mouse at 12 feet. I have found the nest they made. Was in a large bramd new all in one printer. Chewed up wires and holes in it. Full of dog food. Thankfully next to no sign of them in the garage. Had one them mice crawl up my leg one night. Woke up fast. Also had to remove the rain gutters from the house to stop the squirrels from getting into the eaves. Squirrels do far more damage inside. Dont mind watching them outside packing apples and plums through the trees. Fruit trees reminded me of another pest. Bees and wasps. Had a large wasp nest in an apple tree in front of the house. Trying to mow the grass and they kept comming at me. Then i realized the nest right above my head as i bumping into a tree branch. Got out the either can. Spray into exit hole for a few seconds and light it. I also had few honey bee nest in a tree trunk and other places (truck frame) .
Jack
 
Ah, of mice and men!

Last year, I decided to overhaul my Miller Thunderbolt welder. I cleaned the mouse nest inside and the rest of the disgusting mess they made, cleaned off the resulting rust, lubed, reassembled, and acid cleaned the cover, sandblasted and repainted everything. Last fall, I had to use it and when I turned it on, tiny shreds of white paper blew out of the vents. I pulled it apart and put 3/16" mesh hardware cloth on the inside of all the vents. I am now mouse free.

We used to have a problem with mice getting into our 100 year old house. I couldn't find where they were getting in. I did some reading on-line where they claimed that if you could get a Bic pen into an opening, a mouse could get in. I went around the foundation remortaring every opening that a fly could get in. We are now mouse free in the house as well.

Now if I could only get rid of the flying mice in my woodworking shop........

Bob
 
When I first moved into my home... there were bees flying in and out of the crack between an outdoor motion light and the eve.
A bit more careful inspection (from a ladder, carefully), revealed cracks one could stick a pencil through.
Then I found them in the room just inside from that eve... ENOUGH!

Got out a caulk gun and started carefully (fully extended arm) closing holes. I am sure I do not need to discuss the minor anxiety of being on a ladder at the 2nd story eves... with my arm extended fully up, operating a caulk gun, wishing and hoping and praying the bees do not understand what I am doing... and seeking revenge... :eek:
Within a few hours, the bees were gone, and the ones inside the house all died by the end of the day.

Talking to someone from the county extension office, they explained the bees must have just started to next. If they had made honey... the bees inside would have lasted for a long time.

We have ground wasps here... one has to watch ahead of them when cutting the grass... Otherwise one may get a nasty surprise.
Speaking of the yard... I seem to have fire-ants... have not had them in many years.
Guess I am the luck one!
 
A couple of years ago had 14 mice in the house. I trapped 13 using sweet chocolate for bait. .177 cal lead pill for the last one. Aimed low. Lucky shot to. Baby mouse at 12 feet. I have found the nest they made. Was in a large bramd new all in one printer. Chewed up wires and holes in it. Full of dog food. Thankfully next to no sign of them in the garage. Had one them mice crawl up my leg one night. Woke up fast. Also had to remove the rain gutters from the house to stop the squirrels from getting into the eaves. Squirrels do far more damage inside. Dont mind watching them outside packing apples and plums through the trees. Fruit trees reminded me of another pest. Bees and wasps. Had a large wasp nest in an apple tree in front of the house. Trying to mow the grass and they kept comming at me. Then i realized the nest right above my head as i bumping into a tree branch. Got out the either can. Spray into exit hole for a few seconds and light it. I also had few honey bee nest in a tree trunk and other places (truck frame) .
Jack
 
When I first moved into my home... there were bees flying in and out of the crack between an outdoor motion light and the eve.
A bit more careful inspection (from a ladder, carefully), revealed cracks one could stick a pencil through.
Then I found them in the room just inside from that eve... ENOUGH!

Got out a caulk gun and started carefully (fully extended arm) closing holes. I am sure I do not need to discuss the minor anxiety of being on a ladder at the 2nd story eves... with my arm extended fully up, operating a caulk gun, wishing and hoping and praying the bees do not understand what I am doing... and seeking revenge... :eek:
Within a few hours, the bees were gone, and the ones inside the house all died by the end of the day.

Talking to someone from the county extension office, they explained the bees must have just started to next. If they had made honey... the bees inside would have lasted for a long time.

We have ground wasps here... one has to watch ahead of them when cutting the grass... Otherwise one may get a nasty surprise.
Speaking of the yard... I seem to have fire-ants... have not had them in many years.
Guess I am the luck one!
I was listening to NPR driving into town yesterday and at least up in northern climates, wasps and hornets die out each winter with only a fertilized queen to start a new colony. If you can locate a nest early in spring or summer, there will not be a a large number of insects. It is also wise to plug up any openings before they start the new colony.

I have had a number of run-ins with the critters in buildings and in ground nests. For the ground dwellers, I use a can of wasp spray. It works best if you get it when they are all inside, like night or on a cold,rainy day. I liberally spray the openings and block the passages so they have to dig through, the hope is that they get enough of the insecticide on them that it will do them in. On the house, I spray liberally and then caulk to seal them in.

Fortunately, no fire ants or Africanized bees up here yet!
 
The only novel i have ever read cover to cover. Good read. The many movies are good too. Had bunch of squirrels nested in my shed too.
Jack
 
I was listening to NPR driving into town yesterday and at least up in northern climates, wasps and hornets die out each winter with only a fertilized queen to start a new colony. If you can locate a nest early in spring or summer, there will not be a a large number of insects. It is also wise to plug up any openings before they start the new colony.

I have had a number of run-ins with the critters in buildings and in ground nests. For the ground dwellers, I use a can of wasp spray. It works best if you get it when they are all inside, like night or on a cold,rainy day. I liberally spray the openings and block the passages so they have to dig through, the hope is that they get enough of the insecticide on them that it will do them in. On the house, I spray liberally and then caulk to seal them in.

Fortunately, no fire ants or Africanized bees up here yet!
I have common black ants. Try evey year to get rid of them. Was given home recipe. Ant killer


Cream of weat
Borax
Icing sugar



Not much luck. Powder ant killer works about the best. I plan to cast an ant hill using aluminum. But i think the neighbors might look at me funny.
Jack
 
I knock down wasp nests at night. They won't fly at night, unless there are bright lights around. Just don't let the get on you, they still sting at night. Got fire ants too, but Bayer Ant killer (in the blue shake bottle) does wonders on them and harvester ants. Got trapjaw ants too. Those familial-fornicating sons of unwed mothers stings hurt like hell.
 
Yeah, I saw those big black ants with the huge pincers the other day... of all places the bathroom floor... must be the moisture.

There is a 'DIY' pest control place down the road a bit... they sell these plastic things that look like a syringe, about 1" in dia, with this dark brown paste in them. Put a little blob about the size of a BB in strategic places (where humans and animals will not come in contact). Stuff kills the bugs, slowly. The bugs eat it, go back to the nest, die, and the other bugs eat those bugs and die. Takes about a week... apply 2X/year... no bugs... which reminds me... time to apply.

Stuff costs around $40/3 tubes... each tube is good for 2X application around my house.

Also, there is this powder called 'demon'... it is a nerve toxin for invertebrates. I watched a friend spray it (from a LONG tube) into a paper hornets next. We came back about an hour later... many a hornet on the ground wiggling around in random motion. After a few more hours... all the hornets on the ground were dead, and no more flying to the nest.
One can also mix demon with water and spray around baseboards (allow to thoroughly dry before animal or human contact). The nerve toxin is harmless (when dry) to animals... only affects invertebrates... I am told.

Both the tubes and demon seem to work well for me.
 
My cat keeps the rats and mice out of my house and machine shop. She was upset with me when I converted the carport shed to a closed in shop. That was her favorite hunting spot. Until they chew some new rat doors, they'll have to come in through the front door now, like me.
 
Back
Top