Keeping mice out of your tractors engine bay over the winter and summer too.

[ultrarunner]

Barn cats do wonders... but some will be list to predictors.

On the dairy farm a barn cat can be in constant motion...

 

[kenmbz]

i took a pail, filled it with water, made a ramp from scrap wood to the top.
Added a top rail with a cardboard tube with sundflower seeds taped to it.
4 mice so far,
none in car or tractor, so far.

 

[Alan46]

i took a pail, filled it with water, made a ramp from scrap wood to the top.
Added a top rail with a cardboard tube with sundflower seeds taped to it.
4 mice so far,
none in car or tractor, so far.

I made something similar, worked for squirrels using Blackoil sunflower seeds floating on about 3gl Water in a 5gl bucket.
Can you post a picture of your top rail, I would like to try that, sunflower seeds don’t float for to long before sinking! Thank you

 

[bdhsfz6]

i took a pail, filled it with water, made a ramp from scrap wood to the top.
Added a top rail with a cardboard tube with sundflower seeds taped to it.
4 mice so far,
none in car or tractor, so far.

I use this trick too until the weather gets cold. My barn isn't heated so the water freezes. I'm looking at adding antifreeze or an electric heater.

 

[dlctcg]

Been using bucket traps for years, but stopped floating birdseed a long time ago. The seed doesn't float for long & the bucket get nasty after a few catches... (bird seed gets expensive) & I find it is not needed.

Been making these for years & they work great: (& cost me basically nothing)
(1) 4.5 - 5 gal bucket, I usually get them from a construction site for free. Two small holes drilled at the top across from each other big enough for the dowel listed below
(1) small wooden dowel; I've actually been using fiberglass driveway markers I get for free from a plowing / landscaping company when they have damaged ones. Just cut it long enough to be 2 -3" wider than the bucket you using.
(1) Plastic Water Bottle with cap - drill holes in the bottom & the cap just slightly larger than the dowel above.
(1) Scrap piece of wood for the ramp (usually a piece of scrap plywood)
(1) Rubber Band - to hold the ramp, so they don't knock it off



Basically after it is assembled I add very small amounts (dabs) of peanut butter to the center of the bottle & stick a few bird seeds to the peanut butter... (sometimes I will put a small smear of peanut butter on the inside of the bucket opposite ramp).

Add the water (I will use the RV non-toxic antifreeze in cold months) to the bucket & it done. They never get the peanut butter or the seed before dropping in.

The only thing to make sure during assembly is the water bottle spin super freely....

Oh & I hang a piece of scrap wire on the side of the bucket to pull the mice out of the bucket... save me from always dumping the bucket.

 

[check]

Why not just use snap traps? They are very effective, kill quickly, thus reducing the suffering, very cheap, and reusable.

 

[kenmbz]

Why not just use snap traps? They are very effective, kill quickly, thus reducing the suffering, very cheap, and reusable.

I found it rare they work right and attract other critters if you don't empty them.
They also only take out 1 at a time, vs. the bucket where I have found 2 at a time.

I try to repel them and don't have any food as first line of defense though.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Lots of them on YouTube

 

[dlctcg]

Why not just use snap traps? They are very effective, kill quickly, thus reducing the suffering, very cheap, and reusable.

I use snap traps also, they are cheap & reusable... but as @kenmbz stated they are a one & done if your not checking them daily (or more often). There are times I'm away from the garage & outbuildings for days do to work (or life) & the bucket traps just keep working.

 

[Alan46]

Been using bucket traps for years, but stopped floating birdseed a long time ago. The seed doesn't float for long & the bucket get nasty after a few catches... (bird seed gets expensive) & I find it is not needed.

Been making these for years & they work great: (& cost me basically nothing)
(1) 4.5 - 5 gal bucket, I usually get them from a construction site for free. Two small holes drilled at the top across from each other big enough for the dowel listed below
(1) small wooden dowel; I've actually been using fiberglass driveway markers I get for free from a plowing / landscaping company when they have damaged ones. Just cut it long enough to be 2 -3" wider than the bucket you using.
(1) Plastic Water Bottle with cap - drill holes in the bottom & the cap just slightly larger than the dowel above.
(1) Scrap piece of wood for the ramp (usually a piece of scrap plywood)
(1) Rubber Band - to hold the ramp, so they don't knock it off

View attachment 848783 View attachment 848784 View attachment 848785

Basically after it is assembled I add very small amounts (dabs) of peanut butter to the center of the bottle & stick a few bird seeds to the peanut butter... (sometimes I will put a small smear of peanut butter on the inside of the bucket opposite ramp).

Add the water (I will use the RV non-toxic antifreeze in cold months) to the bucket & it done. They never get the peanut butter or the seed before dropping in.

The only thing to make sure during assembly is the water bottle spin super freely....

Oh & I hang a piece of scrap wire on the side of the bucket to pull the mice out of the bucket... save me from always dumping the bucket.

View attachment 848786

Thanks for the pictures, love the idea of the dowel and not using much seed. The hanger is a game changer!