mouse deterrant.....winters coming

[dusty3030]

One more for a cat. We've got three spayed females. They kill em for fun.

 

[5030]

I find dead mice, moles, shrews and other bits that are unidentified from various creatures attempting to gain access to house and garage. My two barn cats are killers and work better than any trap I ever set

Problem with barn cats (we have about 30 or so), is they wee on everything in addition to keeping rodents in check, a very undesireable side effect. A good mouser is also a good wee'r I've found.

What we do here when we put tractors up for the winter is put a couple dryer sheets in the cabs or on the floorboards if it's an open station.

That keeps the rodents from building a home in places that you deem undesireable in the spring, air cleaners, under seat cushions, in the dash, under the hood and everywhere else you would presume they would never build a nest.

 

[Combustix]

5030. So for no indoor leaks. I built them a sandbox with a roof for when it rains. Just need to keep the box clean or they use the gravel driveway. Everything we have gets neutered which is how you get them from a shelter. We have had good luck with free cats on cl as well.

 

[CTMassey]

Thanks everyone, we have 2 indoor/outdoor cats that leave me "gifts" regularly, but the shed is 250 feet from the house, I've heard of the dryer sheets, and also peppermint sprigs, but not the oil. I will probaly use both and maybe some enclosed traps as well as the kids/dogs/cats may get into them......any more input is appreciated..!!

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I'm almost afraid to ask... Other than building nests, whoat do the mice do?

I have guineas, chickens and ducks, Barn cats are not likely right now.

At the moment, my tractor is outside, but I'm going to store it an a big metal shed once I make the door opening large enough.

I did not know I needed to fear mice...

David

 

[North Country]

I'm almost afraid to ask... Other than building nests, whoat do the mice do?

I have guineas, chickens and ducks, Barn cats are not likely right now.

At the moment, my tractor is outside, but I'm going to store it an a big metal shed once I make the door opening large enough.

I did not know I needed to fear mice...

David

The nest is the problem. In addition to chewing up anything that you find dear to make the nest (seat stuffing, wire insulation, etc) they **** and **** where they sleep and corrosion becomes a problem.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Rats smell the oils on anything you handle (like wires) and chew it thinking there is food under the insulation, seat covers, etc.

 

[RickB]

They like D-Con better than wiring & insulation here. I started feeding them about 2 weeks ago. Our cats will catch birds, small rabbits and moles, but rarely bother with mice. Go Figure.

 

[Mace Canute]

Ever notice that mice never build a nest where it isn't well hidden? They don't like their nests to be exposed to open air at all! Doing everything you can to eliminate choice nesting sites helps a lot, like leaving the hood raised.

Strangest place I ever saw a mouse nest (and it definitely was a mouse nest...not a bird's nest) was in the head of a street light atop a 30 foot steel standard. The mouse gained access to the inside of the standard where the underground wire came into the concrete base from the trench and then had to have crawled up the Norlex conductor inside the standard to the head! Quite the feat considering the number of trips needed to accumulate enough material to build a good sized nest!

 

[jimmyj]

I am going to try the peppermint thing this winter as the mothballs did not work too well for me. Our cats eat a lot of them, but if you can lay your hands on a weasel, now that's a mouse killer!

I hate mice, they mess on everything and chew wires etc, rotten vermin.

In our chicken coop we use a poison bait station but our best controller is a skunk who keeps them totally in check. He steals a few eggs but not many so it's a cooperative deal we have with him.