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Grrr ... Mice
- Thread starter woodchucker
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2018
- Messages
- 1,612
Ok, you're enjoying this extermination stuff too much. I'm calling Peta on you
Wait 'til you hear about my PETA person traps! **WHAM**!! Yummy dead PETA persons!
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2018
- Messages
- 1,612
This is because Deere was stupid enough to make their wire insulation out of soy (it "saves" the environment...) instead of petroleum, so of course, rodents are going to have a feast with the wires.
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2014
- Messages
- 2,612
I have them too and have accepted the fact that humans have been fighting mouse infestations for 1000's of years with no 100% solution. Simple fact is dryer sheets, peppermint oil, poison, closing up cracks, etc. may lessen their intrusions, but they will always find a way back in. If there was something that worked 100% of the time, that'd be THE method sold to us folks dealing with infestations. My "theory" is that mice know their place; they're a prey animal, not a predator. They are looking for food and shelter. They stay out of sight as best they can because they are a prey animal. They get comfortable with an environment; disrupt that with odd smells (peppermint oil or dryer sheets), they may look for a more comfortable place to hang. The nests I've found in the shop are loaded with bedding and reek of mouse pee; so they are repelled by the smell of dryer sheets but relish the smell of ammonia?
Below are some of my infestations in the shop. Worst one was in the insulated wall of the shop, buggers chewed through the 1/2" foam insulation panel, up the skirt board at the "outie" in the barn steel and into the wall. My shop is in a 40x56 barn that was later extended by 40' (40' x 96' now). The original was built without a mouse guard at the bottom of the steel, addition had it put in though it's little deterrent as the 40' x 40' addition has two 16' slider doors with 3" openings under (dirt floor). I ripped pressure treated 2 x 4's in half and screwed the 2 x 2's under the steel panels on the original barn which (I believe) has done a good job keeping them out of the finished walls.
I use TomCat poison in block form in the corners and under shelving. Again, my theory is that they stay in the shadows as they are prey and know it. I also have a few multi-mouse traps that don't need resetting. Those are stuck in behind racks and shelves, I usually catch a couple dozen through the winter, not too many in the summer.
Good luck! If you find a 100% solution, patent it and become a billionaire!
Bruce
A funny sound while running my drill press. Go figure, maybe ran up the table rack and somehow got into the top side?
Clausing lathe "sounded funny"; turns out the belt drive works well as a mouse shredder. I leave the under-headstock door open and have TomCat poison in the base under the motor.
Original barn where they chewed through the 1/2" foam sheathing under the barn steel and got into the wall.
Barn addition mouse gaurd
2x2's screwed to the skirt board butted up to the bottom of the steel panels on the original barn.
Multi-mouse trap, flip open the top and add seed. My record is 14 in the trap though it's an inauspicious record!
Below are some of my infestations in the shop. Worst one was in the insulated wall of the shop, buggers chewed through the 1/2" foam insulation panel, up the skirt board at the "outie" in the barn steel and into the wall. My shop is in a 40x56 barn that was later extended by 40' (40' x 96' now). The original was built without a mouse guard at the bottom of the steel, addition had it put in though it's little deterrent as the 40' x 40' addition has two 16' slider doors with 3" openings under (dirt floor). I ripped pressure treated 2 x 4's in half and screwed the 2 x 2's under the steel panels on the original barn which (I believe) has done a good job keeping them out of the finished walls.
I use TomCat poison in block form in the corners and under shelving. Again, my theory is that they stay in the shadows as they are prey and know it. I also have a few multi-mouse traps that don't need resetting. Those are stuck in behind racks and shelves, I usually catch a couple dozen through the winter, not too many in the summer.
Good luck! If you find a 100% solution, patent it and become a billionaire!
Bruce
A funny sound while running my drill press. Go figure, maybe ran up the table rack and somehow got into the top side?
Clausing lathe "sounded funny"; turns out the belt drive works well as a mouse shredder. I leave the under-headstock door open and have TomCat poison in the base under the motor.
Original barn where they chewed through the 1/2" foam sheathing under the barn steel and got into the wall.
Barn addition mouse gaurd
2x2's screwed to the skirt board butted up to the bottom of the steel panels on the original barn.
Multi-mouse trap, flip open the top and add seed. My record is 14 in the trap though it's an inauspicious record!
Last edited:
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2015
- Messages
- 9,677
I don't use poison bait because of our dog but also because I don't like finding mummified mouse carcasses or locating the dead bodies by smell. A cat was a good solution in the past but my wife has a phobia about cats so that one is out. A ferret might be a solution but then I have to deal with feeding and care of another critter. I tried the glue traps once but tossed them when I found a pile of mouse fur but no mouse on the trap. So old fashioned traps it is. I have seen several DIY designs for multi-critter bucket traps as well as some commercial versions. One advantage for these is that properly done, they can be a 365 day a year deterrent. My problem is that after I catch the current horde and have no activity for a while, I get complacent about setting the snap traps.
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2015
- Messages
- 8,533
BTW, mice generally don't like Rockwool... a very good insulation.. water repellant , sound proofing...
The damage done to my vintage motorhome by mice cannot be overestimated. I finally kept them out by finding every single ingress location and stuffing it with stainless steel wool scrubbies.
So far, I've not had mice in my new shop, and partly I think because of the wildlife we have around us helps control the mouse population. That wildlife includes foxes, coyotes, neighborhood cats, and even the occasional bobcat. Oh, and black snakes.
If I get them in the shop, I will probably build a bucket trap--a round coffee can horizontally on a stick across the top of a 5-gallon bucket, with a ramp going up to the stick. Cover the coffee can with peanut butter. Close the ends of the can, obviously. The mice crawl up the ramp onto the stick to get onto the can, and it spins, dropping them into the water in the bucket. They say drowning is a peaceful death.
Keeping the grass mowed and the bushes well away from the shop helps, too.
Rick "bought five cases of those stainless scrubbies" Denney
So far, I've not had mice in my new shop, and partly I think because of the wildlife we have around us helps control the mouse population. That wildlife includes foxes, coyotes, neighborhood cats, and even the occasional bobcat. Oh, and black snakes.
If I get them in the shop, I will probably build a bucket trap--a round coffee can horizontally on a stick across the top of a 5-gallon bucket, with a ramp going up to the stick. Cover the coffee can with peanut butter. Close the ends of the can, obviously. The mice crawl up the ramp onto the stick to get onto the can, and it spins, dropping them into the water in the bucket. They say drowning is a peaceful death.
Keeping the grass mowed and the bushes well away from the shop helps, too.
Rick "bought five cases of those stainless scrubbies" Denney
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2015
- Messages
- 9,677
Menards, a regional DIY sent a flyer out today with an ad for A roller/drop 'em in the bucket trap for $2.99. It seems like a simple enough project for anyone with a lathe though. https://www.menards.com/main/outdoo...-a085-01-aa1us/p-1642874303801659-c-10120.htm
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2015
- Messages
- 8,533
weird, they say no kill, but they show water in there for killing them.
mice can jump out so water is a good idea.