Let’s talk mice…

[Chapap]

With roaches, the best method (along with various sprays) is to use a slow acting bait. Roach eats, goes back to the nest, baby’s eat their poison poop and everyone eats the poison body when it dies. Probably similar tactics with mice? Might need a slow acting bait that a few mice can share with the whole colony.

I get all my insect stuff from here. They have the industrial, concentrated stuff. Never had to look into mammals tho.

Do It Yourself Pest Control Products & Supplies | Do My Own

Free Shipping and Expert Advice on a wide range of do it yourself pest control, lawn care, gardening, equipment, and animal care products. From professional pest control supplies to pro-grade equipment, we have everything you need to DIY like a pro.

www.domyown.com

 

[dashhho]

We have an assortment of traps. Not many of the old snap traps, but a pile of the black plastic version. I took to using the covered traps in the trucks. Bait everything with peanut butter. I have one of the tin cat traps (metal repeater) but in all the years I’ve had it, it’s never caught one mouse.

My parents house is solid concrete from the footer to the roof. We built it using ICF blocks, foam blocks that you fill with concrete. The exterior is clad in brick. Both myself and dad have been around the house multiple times and can’t find the tiniest hole, but somehow we always have mice in the attic. Only thing I can think of is that maybe they got in during construction and we just never managed to kill them all.

Brick is very rough and porous which makes it easy for mice to climb. They may be getting in through the fascia in the roof - have you checked up top? I would think it would be hard for a mouse to get into the attic through the walls in the house but who knows these little houdinis pull off..

 

[Jazzer]

I had a pair of waders in a box on a shelf in the garage 2 feet above anything else, and when I went to use them, they were riddled with mouse holes and nesting. Fuquers climbed the drywall I guess.

-Jazzer

 

[tw205]

I had a pair of waders in a box on a shelf in the garage 2 feet above anything else, and when I went to use them, they were riddled with mouse holes and nesting. Fuquers climbed the drywall I guess.

-Jazzer

Ahhh! Put an inner tube patch on em. It’ll be fine.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I had a pair of waders in a box on a shelf in the garage 2 feet above anything else, and when I went to use them, they were riddled with mouse holes and nesting. Fuquers climbed the drywall I guess.

-Jazzer

In my experience there are two kinds of waders. Ones that leak and ones that are about to leak.

 

[superj]

My house and garage are concrete, also. They climb the trees near the house/garage and get onto the roof and than it's easy access for them. They also will climb the ac lines and enter where the lines go into the attic. Those suckers can climb anything. I used to find them scurrying along the ceiling rafters of the garage after they climbed the concrete walls.

 

[tw205]

In tellin ya , cats cats cats. Sleep all day. Out all night. I live in farm country surrounded by fields. When I moved in 8 years ago I had mice in the house. Two months in, no mice. I’ve seen 1 live one this year. Dozens of dead ones the cats leave on the porch or in the driveway. I keep 4 trucks 3 in the barn all winter. Never had a mouse in them. Not 1 turd not 1 chewed wire. Nothin. Now them damn ladybugs and stink bugs is a different story.
Sonsabitches.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Brick is very rough and porous which makes it easy for mice to climb. They may be getting in through the fascia in the roof - have you checked up top? I would think it would be hard for a mouse to get into the attic through the walls in the house but who knows these little houdinis pull off..

Yup, checked up top. Soffit fits pretty tight to the brick and is mostly caulked to the brick. Everything is pretty tight or has been filled. Doesn’t make sense. We have even gone on the roof looking for possible places for them to get in

 

[97RangerXLT]

neat bit of trivia that my bug/ pest guy told me.... all a mouse needs to gain entrance is a hole 1/4" in diameter or larger. A rate needs 1/2" diameter or larger... so when you say it is sealed tight, is it sealed 1/4" tight all the way around and all points?

as I said, a couple of cats. if the cats aren't doing their job, plan on getting a wok and having stir fry that night, and get another cat

AJ

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

neat bit of trivia that my bug/ pest guy told me.... all a mouse needs to gain entrance is a hole 1/4" in diameter or larger. A rate needs 1/2" diameter or larger... so when you say it is sealed tight, is it sealed 1/4" tight all the way around and all points?

as I said, a couple of cats. if the cats aren't doing their job, plan on getting a wok and having stir fry that night, and get another cat

AJ

Can’t find any holes over about 1/8 inch at most, one year we went around and got anything we saw that looked any bigger. We were going to do everything, but there has been setbacks. Like me ending up with two concussions in 5 days. Kinda hard to be on a ladder when you’re already having a dispute with the ground. Feels like being drunk 24/7 without the euphoria part, the fun part. Not that I ever really liked that feeling anyway, but that just means I like the current even less. Hopefully in a couple/few months I can get more back towards normal.

Anyway, about the cats. The mother was feral but we still had plenty of mice. Managed to catch the daughter young who quickly took to us, well, to mom anyway, within like 2-3 days. Daughter kitty likes to go out and hunt during the day, but it doesn’t seem to make much dent in the mouse population. Mom kitty decided to become house kitty and refuses to go outside for long. Both have attached to mom, so as much as I like some General Tso’s, it’s not happening without eating out. I would get another shepherd and a cat or two, but that can’t really happen till I can square my own place away.

 

[97RangerXLT]

A few corn snakes maybe in order to supplement the cats

AJ

 

[Jazzer]

Or black rat snakes, they’re good hunters.

 

[gaz]

lil blue Ford,

I don't normally have any rodents to speak of but last year there was a large home construction project across the street from my place and one was upon me.

I can handle a mouse but I have ill feelings towards rats. I am not unfamiliar with the common spring rat traps but bought several feed stations and even an electronic rat traps to win the situation (a neighbor with an actual problem caught over 40 in a 4 month period in 3 electric traps, so they work).

I have found a method of rodent control that is both cheaper and more effective, though the neighbors eventually called the professionals. The exterminators mentioned that rodents do not care fir the smell of peppermint. After catching 3 or 4 outside and my trusty cat putting twice as many in the grave, I wanted my place to be less appealing to the vermin

I was tooling through The Walmart, took a short cut through the candle isle for no reason in particular when it occurred to me...Sensi burners!

I checked and The Walmart brand, Peppermint scented Sensi wax was only $2 a pack. I smelled it and while not my #1 with bullet favorite, if it worked I could live with it.

I set up the Sensi burner on a stool near the air inlet to me homes heater. It pumps Tha scent throughout the house for about 2 weeks on a half a pack. I use a half pack every 2 weeks.

Neither I or the cat have seen a rodent or evidence of one since!

 

[Blmpkn]

"Spicy" essential oils, like peppermint.. good at keeping pests away. And smell good. Spray some wherever the mice have ingress and they'll stay TF away because the crap is so strong it'll "essentially" wreck their little tiny lungs by being near it and breathing it in.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

lil blue Ford,

I don't normally have any rodents to speak of but last year there was a large home construction project across the street from my place and one was upon me.

I can handle a mouse but I have ill feelings towards rats. I am not unfamiliar with the common spring rat traps but bought several feed stations and even an electronic rat traps to win the situation (a neighbor with an actual problem caught over 40 in a 4 month period in 3 electric traps, so they work).

I have found a method of rodent control that is both cheaper and more effective, though the neighbors eventually called the professionals. The exterminators mentioned that rodents do not care fir the smell of peppermint. After catching 3 or 4 outside and my trusty cat putting twice as many in the grave, I wanted my place to be less appealing to the vermin

I was tooling through The Walmart, took a short cut through the candle isle for no reason in particular when it occurred to me...Sensi burners!

I checked and The Walmart brand, Peppermint scented Sensi wax was only $2 a pack. I smelled it and while not my #1 with bullet favorite, if it worked I could live with it.

I set up the Sensi burner on a stool near the air inlet to me homes heater. It pumps Tha scent throughout the house for about 2 weeks on a half a pack. I use a half pack every 2 weeks.

Neither I or the cat have seen a rodent or evidence of one since!

Interesting. My parents house isn’t forced air, it’s radiant heat through the floor. But the problem is the vehicles and the attic so maybe there is some way to have a fan blow the smell around the attic or something. I’ll have to talk with dad on this because my brain isn’t working so well these days, maybe he will have some ideas