Rats and mice

[Combustix]

Two cats and two rat terriers. Great combos the dogs work in tandem and the cats are loners. Havnt had mice in the barn or garage for a very long time

 

[crowbar032]

I don't understand the "release him alive" part of their traps. I'd nuke them if I could. Those bait blocks will also kill cats. Had a feral cat get in my garage and eat several bars of bait, it was dead when I found it. I should also state that it was completely accidental, I wasn't aiming for the cat.

I also think it's kinda odd that the ingredient in those bait blocks is the same thing that doctors give patients that are at risk for blood clots ie warfarin/coumadin.

 

[Dewbee]

Anytime I find a snake i pick it up n toss it in the barn..they normally stay around till the mice/rats are gone then leave..id rather have to move a snake off the tractor than fool with the mess of mice..

 

[Milo]

There is an old wives' tale around here - if you keep the hood open on your tractor, mice won't nest in there. I've been keeping my tractor's engine sidepanels off, and I haven't had anything get into the area. I have a LOT of critters running around in my barn too. Not to say it isn't just coincidence, but it's easy enough to try.

JayC

I was told this by my neighbor a few years ago and since leaving the hood up haven't had a mouse nest in my tractor since. Along side our garage is a carport, I leave the hood up on my truck when parked there for any length of time too. Otherwise they build in the airbox.

A couple months ago I had my car parked under the carport for *one* night w/o the hood propped open. Next morning I saw I had forgot to leave it open, I opened it to find a fist size nest of shredded paper and, what really made me mad part of my ShamWow towel, on a ledge under the master cylinder. A day or so later it was parked there (hood open so no nest). I went out in the morning, opened the trunk and set a piece of cardboard box on the floor. Then went in the garage and removed the battery in my Mule, probably 15 minutes, and set it on the cardboard and drove 25 miles to town. When I opened the trunk there was a black snake laying beside the battery. It must have crawled in while the trunk was open. Anyway I drove back to the garage, took Blacky out and instructed him in my sternest voice that he was to rid the place of vermin! Then I put him in the garage where he slithered under some shelving. Mice had eaten a corner of the rubber sweep off the bottom of the garage door so he could come and go with them. I must say I didn't noticed any new signs of mice until just last week.

 

[JSM]

Thanks for the tip about leaving the hood open. I will give that a try as well.

Joseph

 

[huskerhayman]

I use this in my hunting camp and lake house, seems to work and available at TSC

Fresh Cab® #1 Botanical Rodent Repellant, 10 oz. - 4205547 | Tractor Supply Company

I use this also in the cab but I don't know if it would work under the hood.

 

[Jim Shooz]

As stated keep putting out the baits;it does take a while.I have had good luck with TomCat from TSC.Strange thing this year had baits(large ones) disappearing nightly.Finally caught a possum in a live trap.I read later poisons don't work on possums.

I have been putting out baits for rats (Racumin paste in 'tea bags' which is Coumatetralyl which is an anticoagulant) but the possums have found them as well and get in and clean out 8 or 10 bags a night. I had hoped that if they ate enough it would work on the larger possums.Tried a trap but they managed to set the trap off, then pinched the bait !! I think they will be a little trap shy now.

Not too keen on cats as there are Californian Quail and Pheasants nesting (on the ground) and there are fewer and fewer each year while the neighbours cats are visiting my place more often. I'm working on a way of actively or permanently 'discouraging' them. :wink:nudge, nudge SSS

 

[PineRidge]

I guess some mice are just to smart for traps they have adapted to other means to get food.

 

[Deere Dude]

In our garden this year we had small critters eating the tomatoes. I set out a couple 5 gallon buckets with about 3-1/2 gallons of water in them. I took a 1x4 or a small tree branch and made a ramp so small critters can get to the top easily. Then I took a couple handfuls of sunflower seed and threw them in the bucket to get a nice layer on the top of the water. Then I sprinkled some seeds down the ramp and some more on the ground in order to entice them.

Mice and chipmunks couldn't get into the bucket fast enough. I have gotten up to 8 mice in one bucket by my wood shed over a day or two. Same with chippies. Of course every 2-3 days I would throw another handful of seeds in it because after a few days they sink. The mice and chippies will sink and after a while they float but that seems to attract more. I have a little kiddy sandbox rake to fish them out every now and then and fling them into the woods. It will take probably a few months to get rid of all of them that you have, but once they are gone it will take a long time to get repopulated again.

 

[john_bud]

I was told this by my neighbor a few years ago and since leaving the hood up haven't had a mouse nest in my tractor since. Along side our garage is a carport, I leave the hood up on my truck when parked there for any length of time too. Otherwise they build in the airbox.

A couple months ago I had my car parked under the carport for *one* night w/o the hood propped open. Next morning I saw I had forgot to leave it open, I opened it to find a fist size nest of shredded paper and, what really made me mad part of my ShamWow towel, on a ledge under the master cylinder. A day or so later it was parked there (hood open so no nest). I went out in the morning, opened the trunk and set a piece of cardboard box on the floor. Then went in the garage and removed the battery in my Mule, probably 15 minutes, and set it on the cardboard and drove 25 miles to town. When I opened the trunk there was a black snake laying beside the battery. It must have crawled in while the trunk was open. Anyway I drove back to the garage, took Blacky out and instructed him in my sternest voice that he was to rid the place of vermin! Then I put him in the garage where he slithered under some shelving. Mice had eaten a corner of the rubber sweep off the bottom of the garage door so he could come and go with them. I must say I didn't noticed any new signs of mice until just last week.

Curse ! I nearly threw my laptop across the room. Hate snakes. Hate hate hate.