Mice

[Stelth]

We live on the edge of a little canyon, so every year or two, we have a mouse invasion. I don't like to poison them and have little mouse carcasses rotting in the walls, so I use traps. The best so far is a live trap made by Victor. The snap traps have to be set perfectly, or you just feed the mice. Of course, then you have a live mouse to deal with. In the past, I've shot them with a pellet gun or flushed them down the toilet, but now I've begun my Mouse Relocation Program. I just put them in the big trash can that the truck picks up. That way, they can go off to the landfill where they won't hurt anything, assumed they're not smashed in the truck.

Last night, I was showing my wife that I had caught another one in a live trap, when somehow the door of the trap came open, and the mouse shot out like a furry little missile at my wife, who was sitting in her recliner. Boy, was she surprised! I think she still loves me, although I haven't had the nerve to ask.

 

[Fleetmon]

Yeah, I have a pretty good invasion this year too. I throw them into one of our meadows out back. We have two cats but unless they play with them to death, the mice live through it. I like your idea of the MRP!

Earlier this Spring I went to fire up our '47 Farmall and the starter made about 1/2 revolution and locked up tight. When I removed the starter, mom mouse was caught up in the starter drive and her nest (the size of a basketball) was tucked in behind the flywheel.

I try not to kill any of the critters around our place but this year the groundhogs would not leave the front of my house alone and I ended up shooting eleven of them.

 

[spasm3]

So far the best natural defense for mice is outdoor cats. I have 2 that keep my outdoor areas picked clean. No mice in my camper or truck. Prior the the cats. I drove my avalanche to the gas station a mile away( rarely driven truck). as i was filling it up, the engine compartment was heating up and mice ( at least 5) were dropping out from under the truck and running around the parking lot. With the cats, no mice at all.

 

[Coprolite]

Originally Posted By: Fleetmon

I try not to kill any of the critters around our place but this year the groundhogs would not leave the front of my house alone and I ended up shooting eleven of them.


I hope you don't live in Punxsutawney.

 

[DoiInthanon]

Originally Posted By: Coprolite
I hope you don't live in Punxsutawney.

 

[Fleetmon]

I shoot their shadows too

 

[DoiInthanon]

I had mice in a farmhouse I occupied during college. That is until some blacksnakes moved in. At first I freaked. Upon further review, I decided it was cool. They kept out of sight. Didn't make much noise. Seem to be relatively clean. Occasionally one would coil up on a kitchen chair that was comfortably under the table. I would try not to disturb the snake until I could get someone to come over for some reason. Then offer them some coffee or something. Good fun. But the word got around quick.

One down side was the snakes would climb from the first floor to the attic in the walls. As near as I could determine the main route ran right up the inside of the wall next to my bed. It sounded like they braced their body on the studs or wall boards and struggled their way up. Lots of scraping and scratching. But finally the snake would make it to the top and then it went quickly. It really didn't take long, because at least three of them were six feet long. Just stand up in the wall cavity and then push up a couple of feet to get a grip on the top plate or something. Anyway, no mice. Try it. Your Thanksgiving gatherings will be long remembered.

 

[wkcars]

They can spread disease. I say kill them and put them in the trash.

 

[Donald]

I use the snap traps and do not see any empty of the bait (peanut butter) but un-sprung. There are the plain snap traps and some similar ones where you put the bait on a yellow piece of plastic rather than metal.

I need to toss my cat out once and awhile to hunt. He is in the house now for the winter if he has his way.

With an IR camera you can see them in the walls, kind of neat.

 

[Smokescreen]

Peanut butter makes awesome bait. I have caught two mice at the same time in snap traps many times. They can't resist it.

 

[eljefino]

I set up several snap traps right near each other. Mice are smart and can steal the PB off the first one, or jump out of the way, or something. But then the next trap gets 'em.

 

[Donald]

I sometimes screw the trap to a small 2x4 so if the mouse only gets their leg caught they do not drag the trap away.

 

[Hermann]

Probably going to be a bad winter, if they are moving in already.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: Stelth
Last night, I was showing my wife that I had caught another one in a live trap, when somehow the door of the trap came open, and the mouse shot out like a furry little missile at my wife, who was sitting in her recliner. Boy, was she surprised!


Too bad you didn't get this on video.

 

[Artem]

I found what looks like rat droppings in the attic earlier this month... this reminds me to go do something about it. Thanks guys!

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Artem
I found what looks like rat droppings in the attic earlier this month... this reminds me to go do something about it. Thanks guys!

I would get a small Havahart trap for rats. Easier to fry up if you catch them alive.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: wkcars
They can spread disease. I say kill them and put them in the trash.
Humans spread disease, same solution? Too many humans now, anyhow.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted By: wkcars
They can spread disease. I say kill them and put them in the trash.
Humans spread disease, same solution? Too many humans now, anyhow.


Too many humans? Soylent Green.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Why are women afraid of mice? Are they morons?
I had a girlfriend that had a pet rat. Great pet, very affectionate and friendly (the rat), but it died in 3.5years of ovarian cancer.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Stelth
I just put them in the big trash can that the truck picks up. That way, they can go off to the landfill where they won't hurt anything, assumed they're not smashed in the truck.


They could get out and come back before the truck pick them up, or get out of the truck and go to other people's house.