BajaNomad

Cute Little Field Mice

DianaT - 8-10-2007 at 11:50 AM

OK, they are really cute and the nests they can build in a matter of a couple days are engineering marvels. But they are destructive and they only come when we are gone for a couple of days or more and they are destructive.

Our carpenter traps his with have a heart type traps which we would like, but that would be really cruel when we are gone for a few weeks---a snapping trap is more humane than starving. So, we trapped a couple of them. Sad.

Now, how do you keep them out? We are having new doors made and they will have the rubber on the bottome, but our carpenter tells us the mice chew little doors in the rubber and come on in and make themselves at home.

So, how do you keep them out? Please don't suggest a cat. Having the dogs seem to do a good job while we are here.

Thanks
Diane

Cypress - 8-10-2007 at 01:05 PM

A good mouse-eating snake could put a dent in your rodent population.:)

Martyman - 8-10-2007 at 01:08 PM

stuffing steel wool into any holes works well. I'm not sure what to do about under the door...

DianaT - 8-10-2007 at 01:20 PM

Besides holes, maybe we will try stuffing steel wool under the door when we leave---have to bring more down.

Cypress, not a bad idea, but it could start a whole chain!

Diane

backninedan - 8-10-2007 at 01:49 PM

My two cats said they were yummy.

DanO - 8-10-2007 at 02:51 PM

The steel wool definitely keeps them out, but if you have any that have taken up residence inside, traps and/or poison are a must. As to the ones who set up camp in my water heater, all I had to do was fire it up.

:lol:

or build a better mousetrap

woody with a view - 8-10-2007 at 03:47 PM

just add peanut butter to the can and 6 inches of water in the bucket. within a week you will have cut down most of the family tree with this beauty.......put it on the porch so you don't have to listen to the "splash" every hour......:no:

build a better mouse trap (Small).jpg - 40kB

Cypress - 8-10-2007 at 03:52 PM

woody in ob, Nice little mouse drownder.:yes:

Al G - 8-10-2007 at 04:04 PM

Woody...most ingenious...will most likely be upsetting to...oh well let's not go there...seems like a great thing for Baja...
I brought back ants...tiny little bastards...c-ckroaches...big a** bastards...and some real cute rodents...
Forgot to mention I travel in a MotorHome:lol::lol:



[Edited on 8-10-2007 by Al G]

BajaWarrior - 8-10-2007 at 04:14 PM

As far as those door bottoms Diane, they should be of the lowest profile possible (rubber wise). If a mouse can get his head in, he can squeeze the rest of his body in. Thresholds (aluminum) are important too, the type with a 1/4"to 1/2" "step" just inside the door prevents them from getting in if they were to chew a "little hole" in the rubber on the door bottom (called a sweep, aluminum and rubber)

I also like Woody's idea as a backup. Genius.

[Edited on 8-11-2007 by BajaWarrior]

woody with a view - 8-10-2007 at 06:46 PM

just make sure your "sweep" is TIGHT to the threshhold....like you GOTTA PUSH the door to make it latch....the tighter, the better...or so it seems!

Iflyfish - 8-11-2007 at 03:05 AM

I one had a neighbor lady who kept cats, lot of them. They dearly loved using my window boxes as their personal toilet......grrrr.

At any rate I purchased a small box that emitted a high pitch sound, beyond the human range that worked great at keeping the cats out......till she got a deaf one.......no, I am not kidding.

Anyway, the device was designed as a rodent deterant.

Now, Woody's has it's own charm and there is the saddistic pleasure that one can gain by listening to the high pitched squeals of terror as they go down for second time and realize just how bad things are for them. Up peanut butter creak without a paddle eh??

There is also something really efficient and dare I say ecological in using the beer can, string and bucket. Good one woody!

Iflyfishwhennotplottingthedemiseofratusratiorhiscousinratone

Capt. George - 8-11-2007 at 05:29 AM

D, they make great tacos........you never know, the cost of living in Baja just keeps rising?

woody, what, no jelly? things tight for you too?

Bob and Susan - 8-11-2007 at 05:32 AM

that's an "expensive" beercan :lol:

Bajagypsy - 8-11-2007 at 06:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody in ob
just add peanut butter to the can and 6 inches of water in the bucket. within a week you will have cut down most of the family tree with this beauty.......put it on the porch so you don't have to listen to the "splash" every hour......:no:


We use to do the same thing with our cabin before we left it for a long period of time, except we used antifreeze instead of water so that it didn't have the dead mouse smell when we got back.

[Edited on 8-11-2007 by Bajagypsy]

meme - 8-11-2007 at 07:40 AM

We have used the bucket of water trick(peanut butter not needed) so yes, it works but if you have to listen to them splashng around before drowning it's kinda not so nice.:(:(
We now buy a poison called Just ONE Bite. Just drop it into a nest or hole in the ground , they will soon eat it, not come back & no smell.
BTW_ it is not sold in Ca. but you can buy it online or in Az. Az. is where we first bought it as we had trouble with Pack-Rats, works great on them also!

rhintransit - 8-11-2007 at 10:06 AM

for packing any holes around pipes or such, the steel wool works but when I had a cabin on the Washington coast there was a lead wool (?) product...hardware store item...which was more dense and sealed tightly around those little spaces. harder to pull out with tiny paws than steel wool.

Bob and Susan - 8-11-2007 at 10:16 AM

i don't think "lead wool" would be allowed in california any longer:lol:

the enviornmentalist have "moved in":lol:

DianaT - 8-11-2007 at 12:57 PM

Some good ideas. Thanks for posting the picture, Woody.

We have no thresholds down here---probably should buy some in the states.

We got rid of the couple that had taken up resisdency---peanut butter and old fashion traps. I hesitate to use poison as my aunt lost a dog who just licked a poisoned rat. As long as we are here with the dogs in the house, the mice seem to stay away, but maybe we will use the bucket trip while we are gone---have to think about that.

IFYFISH, did that sound thing really work for cats? Could use that at our other home!

Thanks for the ideas, as always -----
Diane

Diver - 8-11-2007 at 02:25 PM

Glad to hear you're avoiding poisons, neighbor ! :D :yes:
Our pooches will thank you ! Rita is a mouse catching lab !

Marie-Rose - 8-12-2007 at 11:35 AM

Lee Valley (www.leevalley.com) sells rolls of copper wire that work well for plugging
any holes or drains, under doors etc.

DianaT - 8-12-2007 at 11:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by lencho
Quote:
Originally posted by jdtrotter
...my aunt lost a dog who just licked a poisoned rat.

Jeesh! Happen to know what the poison was?

--Larry


No, but I think things like D-Con contain cummiden (sp) which is a blood thinner. The animal bleeds out----

Diane

DCon

bajaguy - 8-12-2007 at 11:55 AM

If you know that your dog (pet) ingested DCon, have the vet administer vitamin K shots. My vet also recommended attempting to mix spinach (vitamin k) in the dogs food.