Mice Deterrent Tips

[rew1953]

I found a product called "Rodent Sheriff" at local hardware store, it keeps rodents out of my engine bay(s).... It's basically diluted peppermint extract and water..... Make my own now from peppermint extract from grocery store.... Spray around engines with very light mist till surfaces are just damp about once every 2 weeks....

About 2 teaspoons of extract to 8 oz water in spray bottle....

Dale

Thanks for the info. I have had to rewire the 53 NAA twice due to rodents eating the wiring. I found out that the newer wiring uses soybean oil in the manufacture of the outer shield of copper wiring because it is cheaper than petroleum products. This started after the gas shortage in 1973 when the price of oil skyrocketed, so virtually any stranded wire today will include this natural rodent bait. Will try your solution as a deterrent.

 

[tradosaurus]

I tried every type of trap out there and caught plenty, but nowhere enough to make a dent in the populations. Same thing with poison. They ate it by the case, but all that just made my chickens sick when they ate the dead mice. And since I have over 100 chickens, and they make a mess out of their food, I had a massive mouse issue. That led to a massive snake issue where we killed over 40 snakes in just one year!!!! So out of desperation, we started getting cats. We kept them in my shop, and I put in a cat door for them to come and go, and within a few months, my wife and I both noticed that we hadn't seen a mouse in awhile. We went from seeing several mice every day in our 3 chicken coops, to not seeing any!!! The cats would stay in the coops all night with the chickens and there is no telling how much carnage that created. Now they rarely go into the coops, and we haven't seen a single snake in or around the coops so far this year. We are currently at 8 cats. Sometimes one will show up and sometimes one will disappear. Sometimes one that disappears will come back after a week, or even a few weeks, sometimes we never see it again. As long as they hang out, they get cat food, a warm, dry place to sleep and safety from what's out in the jungle. If they leave, it's their choice.

We found the same success with cats but only have two. I think my daughter will be bringing another one. I see a neighbors cat every now and then.

We only feed the cats once in the morning so that they aren't too full to want to hunt.

The only issues with cats is they like to get on our cars, putting dirty paws on the tops.

 

[mred2]

Funny, after the post from yesterday, about the cats and snakes. I got home and one of our cats had a run in with a snake yesterday. A small one. It had two holes on it's nose. It got a little sick, but will be fine. I didn't find a snake but maybe it won't come back.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

As a follow-up I had to take my cap top off again because only two of the vents on the left side were working after I adjusted the the environmental control this summer. While HVAC issue turned out to be a simple fix (one of the plastic thingies that hold the rod to the bellcrank that flips vents had popped off), I was also pleased to note that the Steel Wool Grade #00 had kept my cap top rodent free over the summer, a first for me since purchasing.

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[DieselBound]

Eric, did you stuff steel wool into the channels at the front of the cab as well?

I had my cab top off and found traces again. Stuffed the front channels this time: didn't think there's a way they could get up and under the cab top. Can't recall if there's a way in the centers or not (or if I stuffed those too).

Oh yeah, the spray crap obviously didn't deter. I'm still using it though (it "might" do something; I'll use it until it's gone).

 

[Oldpath05]

Put Mouse Blocker on my Jeep two months ago, if it works I might put one on my tractor etc, but think an automatic targeted lethal laser would work better but cant find one on Amazon, yet....... Amazon.com: Mouse Blocker MouseBlocker Pro - Ultimate 12V Ultrasonic Mouse and Rodent Deterrent with Dual Strobing LEDs for Your Vehicle, FBA_MBPRO

 

[Texasmark]

Anywhere I have/expect rat or mouse problems, I use the square Tom Cat bait, in the tub at your Ag. supply store. Super bait, works anywhere, weather resistant so you can use it unprotected out of doors. Keep putting it out till it quits disappearing, then check regularly. It has a hole down the center so you can mount it on a wire and hold it in place, or hang it on something just above the floor. Mice eat little nibbles. Field rats run off with the whole thing, or eat all that's there. I have cut the pieces in half because of quick disappearances initially, but after the menace had subsided, I started putting out the whole piece....thinking was that a fat rat just sat there and had a "meal on me" when he could have had a "snack on me" and I would have had the same effect. Don't know the answer to that one.

 

[NoTrespassing]

Anywhere I have/expect rat or mouse problems, I use the square Tom Cat bait, in the tub at your Ag. supply store. Super bait, works anywhere, weather resistant so you can use it unprotected out of doors. Keep putting it out till it quits disappearing, then check regularly. It has a hole down the center so you can mount it on a wire and hold it in place, or hang it on something just above the floor. Mice eat little nibbles. Field rats run off with the whole thing, or eat all that's there. I have cut the pieces in half because of quick disappearances initially, but after the menace had subsided, I started putting out the whole piece....thinking was that a fat rat just sat there and had a "meal on me" when he could have had a "snack on me" and I would have had the same effect. Don't know the answer to that one.

After 20 years on this property trapping and putting out pellet bait I finally went to the bait blocks last winter. We get mice in the house and the bait block seem to have done the trick. The pellets never seemed to work, they just piled them up in different locations for us to find later.

Prior to this year, my wife found one of her boots literally full of dog food in our bedroom closet. The dog food was brought into the house from outside.

Something ate the wiring on our Honda Crosstour last summer. It caused the car to shift weird and cost me a couple hundred dollars. That's at least the 5th time I've had wire damage on a vehicle. I think it might have been a squirrel. I have poison blocks in all of the vehicles now but I worry it might actually be attracting rodents.

Kevin

 

[CADplans]

I have poison blocks in all of the vehicles now but I worry it might actually be attracting rodents.

Kevin

I had some paper stored in a metal cabinet, but, there must be an entrance,, I lost some to "nests",,,

Well, the latest thing I have used, and it worked for two years now,, is a few whole cloves sprinkled on the shelf.
The mice must really HATE cloves,,

Cloves do not smell horrible, to me, and they are not a food attractant to the mice,, WIN! WIN!! :thumbsup: