Varmints in the machine

CDennyRun · Jan 28, 2016

We have two barn cats that take care of everything. Never have issues. They are hunting all day/night, every day. I spend about $10 a month on mice removal. One of them is serious about the job, and weighs about 23lbs. He'll catch swallows out of mid air.

Chris

Texasmark · Jan 28, 2016

CDennyRun said:
We have two barn cats that take care of everything. Never have issues. They are hunting all day/night, every day. I spend about $10 a month on mice removal. One of them is serious about the job, and weighs about 23lbs. He'll catch larks out of mid air.

Chris

I had a half breed Siamese neutered male. He used to sleep on the South porch in the warm sunshine in the months when the sun is over the southern hemisphere. It is pier and beam, 8' wide by 24 ft long, covered. One year a Mocking bird just couldn't stand the cat and kept at him. Just happened to be watching the day and time the boom fell.

The cat was lying in his usual position, but this time he had 1 eye open that I could see but the Mocking bird couldn't, coming from the other direction, thinking he'd come in on one side of the porch, take a nip at one of the cat's ears on a fly-by and go on down the porch and away.

Not this time. Bird got in the vulnerable spot and just as you said, one paw came up in a flash and wham. Bird was on the porch knocked cookoo. Feathers, the legs and beak are all that was left. I didn't call the sheriff either but probably should have as I was "aiding and abetting".....Mocking bird is the Texas State Bird. Grin.

MF283 · Jan 28, 2016

I've left the hood open on mine in the shop this winter, so far no varmint's. Last year the mice built a nest under the fuse box on the Deere, checked the ZTR & nothing there either with the seat up.
I'm happy.

Ronnie

bsamartini · Feb 1, 2016

I am going to try the WD40 on my wires. they always find something to chew.

The little grey field a.k.a. house mice we have here in MN. will crap on a dryer sheet and chew it up for nest material.

The 5 gallon mouse killer.. that should be a thread on its own. I think there are about 20 verities of home made mouse traps.

My favorite one was a 16 oz. pop bottle and a 5 gallon bucket. We used this as kids at a boy scout camp cabin that was overrun with mice. I poked a small hole in the cap and in also the exact center of the bottom. Ran a stiff wire coat hanger through it and placed it horizontally across the top of the 5 gallon pale. Put about 6 inches of water in the pail, and put some peanut butter on the bottle. The little guys are actually pretty nimble moving across the wire like a tightrope but when they try to scurry across the bottle to get to the peanut butter it rotates. The little guys look like a like a drunk lumberjack at a log rolling contest. Basically spinning them into the bucket to drown. I think we dispatched 12+ mice in one night.

I bet the mouse bait/poison with a hole in it could do the same thing! And they would never actually get to eat it. Keep costs down :laughing:

AxleHub · Feb 2, 2016

I use Messina's Animal Stopper (spray bottle) . They make a version designed for rodents. I use this to spray on some areas of lawn mowers and stored equipment etc. that are stored in the garage that is attachedvto the house.. It has a strong but pleasant scent that keeps rodents away. Unlike many other scents that may even smell similar . . It is made with a product that maintains the scent over a long period of time. And if a unit gets wet from being outside use . . Its simple to respray, not flamable, and does not attract moisture. Because it has no poison in it, I don't have to worry if a mouse gets gets in the house and gets caught by pets . . thatbthey could become sick. Then I use a couple traps where pets can't get at that mice can.

In the unattached accessory building . . I also use the spray . . I also use Tom Cat blocks (RED print on the pail). The red printed version of Tom Cat seems to work much better than the yellow printed version pails. The benefit of this product is they take little parts of it back to their nest . . So you take care if groups instead of singles and it seems to act very quickly from point of consumption so poisoned mice don't get a chance to "spread" and potentially endanger animals or birds. Also dampness from concrete or air doesn't de-grade. Experience wise I tried packets or loose pour products but dampness degrades . Also the red print version of Tom Cat uses a poison vetsion that critters can't develop tolerance to. It slso works on rats if that is an isdue.

A friend has a cut version Deere tractor and 3 times in 7 years mice chewed his spark plug wires to the tune of $1,000 repair each time. Apparently the mice like them because the coatings of the spark plug wires have a soy component in them.

k0ua · Feb 2, 2016

Texasmark said:
I had a half breed Siamese neutered male. He used to sleep on the South porch in the warm sunshine in the months when the sun is over the southern hemisphere. It is pier and beam, 8' wide by 24 ft long, covered. One year a Mocking bird just couldn't stand the cat and kept at him. Just happened to be watching the day and time the boom fell.

The cat was lying in his usual position, but this time he had 1 eye open that I could see but the Mocking bird couldn't, coming from the other direction, thinking he'd come in on one side of the porch, take a nip at one of the cat's ears on a fly-by and go on down the porch and away.

Not this time. Bird got in the vulnerable spot and just as you said, one paw came up in a flash and wham. Bird was on the porch knocked cookoo. Feathers, the legs and beak are all that was left. I didn't call the sheriff either but probably should have as I was "aiding and abetting".....Mocking bird is the Texas State Bird. Grin.

i loved your kitty and bird story.

davesl708 · Feb 2, 2016

DocDryden said:
I have 2 cats on guard duty 24/7 I have cat doors on all 4 of my outbuildings and the cats can come and go (no more mice)

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