On Sunday I baked a small orange squash that looked like a Hubbard squash. I saved the tag but I can't find it. Anyway, I scooped out the seeds and separated them and put them in a bowl and set the bowl on top of the microwave to let them dry a bit before storing them. That was a huge mistake. Tonight I went to use the microwave and moved the stuff that was sitting on the top and the bowl of seeds has about a dozen whole seeds and a lot of chaff. On top of the microwave and behind it were more of the damaged seeds and evidence of a mouse. Now, we know what Chance was trying to tell us when she was sniffing in the corners and along the bottom of the cupboards and in the laundry room. Why didn't we listen? Tonight I will get out my mousetraps. I wonder what to use for bait? Squash seeds? Peanut butter? Cheese? What do you use to bait a mouse trap? Or do you have a better way to rid your house of a mouse or maybe more than one. dooley
It's not nice to have I have had more experience with little thingies like that. A mouse at my daughters bird seed. Used poison in a main drain pipe and behind her bathtub. They ate it like crazy. They must love it. they are all gone. In the greenhouse I had a bucket and water got in it after the automatic sprinklers went off. By the time I got out there I had 2 chipmunks floating in it. Poor thingies...... Out by the back building where we store the chicken feed in plastic cans with good lids we say some rodent poop. We used rodent poison and they gobbled it up like crazy. We found many many rats just laying out in the yard. 2 every day for a week or so. The dang little critters all over the place. That's why I always have rat poison out all year and use ant poison around the foundation Spring and Fall. I am usually into more natural remedies but no more. I even use dried blood, and fox urine and moth crystals all along the stone wall and gardens in front to keep deer and more chipmunks away.It definitely works. Barb in Pa.
Barb, sometimes we have to resort to Stinger missles to get rid of the rodents! We haven't had a mouse/rat problem in the barn since we got our chickens. "Stomp the mouse" seems to be their favorite game. We had field mice the first year we moved here--in the kitchen, running across the floors, and generally having a great time. Our cat just watched them and expected us to "handle it, handle it." We got sticky traps and put them about. That took care of the problem, and after we sealed up all openings to the house (pipes, air vents, etc.) we didn't have the mouse problem again. I've used peanut butter to bait traps for everything from opossums to raccoons to mice. Peanut butter attracts more than children, you know!
We get the odd field mouse in the loft. I use humane mouse traps to catch them - baited with a some sunflower heart seeds. We then take them well away from the house and release them.
Well Dooley, You and Chance may not agree, but cats really love to hunt and catch mice. We have 2 shop cats at work, and it's their occupation.
I use rolo's (or similar) smashed down tight to the "spring" plate. They have to actually grab hold of the caramel to try to take it.
"Stomp the mouse" Oh yuk I used to use sticky traps till my Yorkie got one stuck on the top pf his head. What a mess that was. It's sort of funny now but asure you it wasn't back then. eileen, I use humane traps for bigger things woodchuck skunk Barb in Pa.
Back when I lived in New Mexico and there was that threat of Hanta (sp?) virus... we had mice in the house. A friend's grandfather told us the best way to get rid of them without poison or nasty traps to handle. First, narrow down their favorite "hang out". Ours seemed to congregate under the kitchen sink. Get a bucket. We used a plastic one. You'll need one metal clothes hanger (or other pretty stiff wire). Then get one empty metal can (back then coffee still came in metal cans and was the perfect size). I guess a soup can would work also. Then poke a hole at the other end of the can and stick the clothes hanger/wire through it.. making sure the can will spin easily. Secure it to the top of the bucket with more wire or string. Put a dab of peanut butter on the can. Fill the bucket about 1/4th of the way with water and tuck away. When the mouse would run out there to get to the peanut butter, the can would spin and the mouse would drop into the bucket and drown since it couldn't climb out. Then just take the bucket outside and toss all contents way out of sight. Sounds a bit ghastly... but it worked. It was also very economical and best of all... no poisons or chemicals whatsoever. And no need to mess around with icky mouse traps.
I think a good old cat is the best method I'm pretty sure Philip would agree That is how I got Missy Mama at my office. That old tire store was crawling with mice and she took care of it :-o Missy Mama ( photo / image / picture from stratsmom's Garden ) I'm thinking of the board game Monopoly here...since you already have Chance (the orange cards) you could name your cat Community Chest (the yellow cards) I crack myself up sometimes, you have to forgive me, it was a long tough day! You could call your cat C.C. for short
I can just see us bringing a cat in the house and telling Chance she has to let it live here and share her bed. LOL I think I'm not so much bothered by the mice as the fact that they ate my seeds before they got dry. I only saved about a dozen out of the whole bowl. I must have had 50 seeds in that bowl or maybe more. I would have shared them. I'll have to look for another of those squash because it was good and I don't remember where I bought it and I can't find the label I peeled off of it. dooley
I have HEARD ( I just tried this out in the shed) That BOUNCE dryer sheets repel the mice. Put them wherever you don't want the mice and it is supposed to keep them from the area.
My cats are housecats, but allowed to go out on the porch. Two small critters have fallen victim to being "played to death" on the porch. I can't imagine one getting into the house and surviving too long. Long story short, my vote is cats. Meow. :-D
