It's mice season. Set your traps

[Bhigdog]

With the first frosts here in PA it's mouse season. Just a reminder to set your traps. Between my shop and two garages I'm catching at least one sometimes two a nite. That's not counting the one our cat caught behind the wood stove. I find the good old Victor wood and wire trap the best. Inexpensive and effective. They work very well and last a long time......Happy hunting.........Bob

[SC38dls]

These guys have a rodent problem too, a couple large mice! 

Edited October 7, 2020 by SC38DLS (see edit history)

[ArticiferTom]

No , meesies up here Bhigdog .  But three  weeks ago ,  the wife caught 5 snakes, on the front porch and myself two in house in one day . How do they know when it is time to come in . Cats enjoys snakes more , not as fast I guess .

[Bhigdog]

55 minutes ago, ArticiferTom said:

No , meesies up here Bhigdog .  But three  weeks ago ,  the wife caught 5 snakes, on the front porch and myself two in house in one day . How do they know when it is time to come in . Cats enjoys snakes more , not as fast I guess .

I hate those meesies to piecees..............Bob

[Joe in Canada]

I got a mouse in a spring trap a few years ago and it dragged the trap into a warfarin bag. I guess it was bound and bent to die. 

[1937hd45]

Those 5 gallon buckets with soda/beer can on a wire Wheel of Death work well. YouTube has to have a few how to videos'  on making one. 

[Fossil]

I finally had to use 30 lb braided fishing line to keep my traps from being drug off. Mice can't chew through it. Was getting tired of tracking down the traps after a mice hauled them off before dying. 

[John Bloom]

The aluminum roller with peanut butter on a five fallen bucket is savage.   It will draw them in, wipe them out, and you won’t see them anymore. 

[rocketraider]

I have better luck with glue traps. Mouse gets on that, he's stuck. The ones in the garage catch meece, crickets and lizards. 

 

The blue-striped lizards are pretty much harmless but I've found lizard turds all over the car covers this summer. Ergo, glue traps. They also think my back porch is a grand place to live so there's glue traps there too.

 

And there's always the green pellets, which poison them but also dehydrate them so they don't stink up the place...

 

The cat eats too well to bother with catching mice and lizards. Maybe I should cut back the Meow Mix rations.🙀

[rocketraider]

Pontiac bud just sent me pics of a 3 foot copperhead that his 16yo son killed in their basement just after midnight. It was right at the bottom of the steps and he nearly stepped on it.

 

Even more reason to get the meeces out. Serpent won't stay where there's no food.

 

Damn a snake especially if it's close to your living quarters.

[ericmac]

My problem has been chipmunks. Might have to try the bucket trick.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

2 hours ago, ericmac said:

My problem has been chipmunks. Might have to try the bucket trick.

We are overrun this year.  Gotten worse every year since the passing of Hobbes the Impaler... 😾😁

[rocketraider]

I was bush hogging a couple years ago and something hit under the deck like it was coming apart. There was no heavy brush there, so I figured grass clumps had dropped off the deck as it was wet when I started that morning.

 

Made another round and where all the commotion was, there laid a 5 foot black snake chopped in 3 pieces. I never saw it. Must have been old, sick or ready to molt because the rumble of a tractor usually sends serpents scurrying. I looked at it and said well, old boy, the Bush Hog won.

 

Sent pics to some friends and one says man you killed your rat catcher! Had he seen all the field mice and chipmunks in that field he'd have realised Mr Serpent wasn't earning his keep in the first place.

 

I'll usually leave a non-venomous snake alone long as it's not too close to the house and outbuildings, but a copperhead has to go. And if you keep vermin out, well, snakes stay away too.

[Jim Bollman]

Whatever kind of trap you like, if the mice are dragging them around, double face tape them to a piece of cardboard so they can't get their feet on the floor to push. I do this with my sticky traps, I just double over a piece of 2" tape to make a loop and stick them down, since I usually don't have double face tape handy.

[Laughing Coyote]

The field mice have been bad this year. Nothing has changed around here either. I bought some humane traps that catch them and you can release them, but we all know they come back so after I would catch them I would submerge the trap in a bucket of water and then release them back as coyote snacks. The other big problem is the pocket gophers. Had a lot this year tearing up the yard and putting holes every where. I decided to give them a sporting chance at the same time giving me some fun too. 10 pumps and at 35 yards I can take an eye out.  Even has a flashlight and a red dot.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 30, 2020 by Laughing Coyote (see edit history)

[Fossil]

 

With one pump I can do the same but at 15 meters. FWB-300. Works especially well for English Sparrows in the Purple Martin houses. Would work well for mice and rats also. 

14 hours ago, Laughing Coyote said:

0 pumps and at 35 yards I can take an eye out.  

With one pump I can do the same but at 15 meters. FWB-300. Works especially well for English Sparrows in the Purple Martin houses. Would work well for mice and rats also. 

 

[knee-action]

Our family cat is a stone killer, but isn't showing any interest at all this year. Suggestions? 

[Doozer]

4 hours ago, knee-action said:

Our family cat is a stone killer, but isn't showing any interest at all this year. Suggestions? 

I’ll give this a shot. First off I’m going to assume that you have already given the kitty a good talking to. But, did you stress the importance of this year in particular. Sometimes cats assume that your just handing them the same old tired line of BS that they have heard a million times before. They DON’T like that, won’t work. You must add some interesting lies to the Pep talk to garner interest. You want to instill a sense of urgency, desperation and fear in your cat. It also doesn’t hurt to remind them that mice love to eat their food. Good luck

[knee-action]

Great advice. Thank you. "Mice eating his food" should do the trick. 

[rocketraider]

I usually catch a couple in the house every year and had successfully used Victor snap-traps for years. 

 

Heard the trap snap in the kitchen about 0430 one morning. Got up to check and sure enough, little brown and white mouse in it with the wire on its neck, eyes bugged out and blood on its mouth. I didn't feel like getting dressed to take it outside so I thought, I'll dispose of it in daylight.

 

Got up at 0630 and when I went to the trap it was GONE! Mouse and all. I never did find that trap. That's when I started using glue traps.

 

This summer I was having a time keeping tree rats off my bird feeders. There's too many buildings, neighbors etc close by to use my rifle, so I set a cage trap to get them and then let 'em hold the .22. 

 

Caught one that looked for all the world like Scrat in Ice Age movies. Around dusk so figured I'd do the dirty work next morning. Went out to get the paper 0700 and once again trap, squirrel and all had vanished. Haven't found it yet. I figure either the neighbor's idiot dog or coyotes dragged it off.

 

And if 🐿 get into your attic or barns, they're worse than 🐀!

[padgett]

For the house I have cats, periodically they pring me "presents". Cars in garages have not been an issue (all sealed and connected to house. Occationally I have to put a car in the grotto for a while. Just brought out one that has been there since July. Found nesting material scattered around engine compartment but no actual nests. Don't think they like the moth balls for long. I just cut holes in a few cream cheese containers, add moth balls, and place around the engine. Seems to work.

 

Also have a solar mini float charger (12v/15w, in grotto usually measure 500ma. Plenty.

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

Try this.....leave a radio on in your shop/garage 24/7. I have done this fro 31 years now in the two shops I have had over these years an I have NEVER had a mouse in my shop. Really. I learned this from an old time mechanic in my town. In the many times I have touted this I have only known one person who tried it. He has not had a mouse in his shop since. 

[auburnseeker]

Not sure if that will work as I always having Music playing in the house/ especially my office and have caught mice even in here.  Of course doesn't help we are in the woods so this is the best looking shelter to them in sight.  Even if they have to put up with eclectic taste in Music. 

[Fossil]

3 hours ago, Jeff Perkins / Mn said:

I have done this fro 31 years now in the two shops I have had over these years an I have NEVER had a mouse in my shop.

You know of course those Norwegian mice are a little daft. The rest of us have to put up with normal mice. 🐭 

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

1 hour ago, Fossil said:

You know of course those Norwegian mice are a little daft. The rest of us have to put up with normal mice. 🐭 

Ya, you betcha!

[Bhigdog]

6 hours ago, Jeff Perkins / Mn said:

Try this.....leave a radio on in your shop/garage 24/7.

 

EGADS!........ I'd rather have the meesies. But then, when I'm working I like the sound of silence or the sounds of whatever I happen to be doing.................Bob

Edited October 5, 2020 by Bhigdog (see edit history)

[Bhigdog]

Jack Russell?......bob

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

5 hours ago, auburnseeker said:

.  Of course doesn't help we are in the woods so this is the best looking shelter to them in sight.  Even if they have to put up with eclectic taste in Music. 

My friends often tell me it’s  the Radio station I listen to that drives them away!
I live in the woods....I also have a 10 x 12 shed behind my shop for the lawn mower etc and I do get mice in there so they are around the area. The 5 gallon bucket device works very well there.

 

[SC38dls]

19 minutes ago, Ben P. said:

Traps? Don’t need ‘em.

 

Or won’t rather...  Once he reaches full size - 10 or 11 pounds. Not saying what he is yet, but this guys, is the most serious ratter ever bred. He’ll also be my full time co-pilot.

Meet Teddy. Not too photogenic yet, his eyes opened for the first time the morning of this picture.

He was born on September 11th and I’ll have more pictures around November 20th. (That is actually a clue as to breed.)

But I doubt anyone can guess.

A real killer. Pure killer. Have been told the entire yard will need to be deeply fenced to keep larger critters away from him because he’ll be incapable of backing down.

Rat terrier 

[padgett]

I don't live in the woods but my property backs on a county park.

is that breed illegal in some states ?

[John348]

In NYC the rats eat the mice, and even some........ pizza 

[Bhigdog]

Wookies........bob

[Fossil]

They look like Yorkshire terriers. I have a Yorkie Cockapoo cross and she is murder on mice on up to rabbits. 

[Doozer]

Wow 🤩 how great for you, congrats. Vermin go bye bye. 55 gal drums of dog treats sold separately 🤣🤣  The season of the Witch!
 

Edited October 6, 2020 by Doozer
Spelling error (see edit history)

[John348]

20 hours ago, Ben P. said:

Alright, I dragged it out too far. Suspense drives me personally up the wall.

This internet lifted picture of 10 week old pups should give it away. Not an ancient breed, a stable owner had bred them as ratters and they became a fad at a certain British University when students began keeping them as pets in their rat infested dorms.

 

ADORABLE! 

 

[Walt G]

Even though my neighbor on two sides is a major horse race track, with acres of open land, fields etc and the stables are a mile+ away I do see mice here - it depends upon the season and if there is a lot of activity. I use glue pads. had to dispose of one today as it had a visitor that stayed and couldn't leave. I have regular spring traps I set in the garage.

Need to get some moth balls into the cars for the winter too but with a touring car with no side curtains up it may not be the best solution.

Walt

Edited October 7, 2020 by Walt G
typo (see edit history)

[ch1929]

Went to start the push mower part weekend and would not start. Did not have traps in the shed.

[Fossil]

There ought to be a law against mice. 🤬

[CHuDWah]

After we moved into our new house, we found mice had gotten into the HVAC vents when it was being built.  I've heard mice can get into any opening their skull can go through - I believe it as I saw one go between the slats of a 4x10 register like this:

Anyway, I was going to d-CON them but my wife was afraid they'd die and stink up the place.  So I put Victors in the vents and tied them to the registers so the mice couldn't drag them off.  I'd catch a couple every day but wasn't making much of a dent in the population.  I finally got tired of running my trapline and told the wife it was either the d-CON or I'd put a couple snakes down there - she opted for the d-CON.  🤣  Never saw, heard or smelled another mouse.

 

As for cars, I put a box of d-CON under each one and small cottage cheese tubs of moth balls in the interior, trunk and engine compartment.  Never had mouse trouble - course we also had a feral cat (more like a mini-panther) that lived in the woods behind the house.  😉

Edited October 7, 2020 by CHuDWah (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

D-con is effective but if you're worried they'll stink up the place use Ramik Green pellets. It dehydrates them so they become little mouse mummies and don't smell. Most farm supply stores have it and some claim it works on squirrels too. And I know the little @#$%^&! like it, because they broke into an unopened bag and helped themselves. I couldn't smell it thru the plastic bag, but they could.

 

God in his wisdom had a reason for every critter he put on earth, but why venomous snakes, stinging insects, mosquitos, ticks, and sharks? Add meeces to that list.🙄 I mean, honestly, what good is a rodent? What do they do besides mess up your stuff?