How to keep the mice away?

[Brent B3B]

On September 22, 2017 at 10:24 AM, Plymouthy Adams said:

..I still prefer little neck snapping traps along with some well hidden and away from access any domestic animal, the bait/pellet extermination packs.  Also of late I have had some excellent results with the electronic devices...some work, some do not...the cat would be to me more of a nuisance than the random mouse...

I use "one bite" left in the package, in my shop. They eat through the box, through the plastic eat the rodenticide and look for a water source. 

We have cats, chickens and cows and had pigs. None of them can get to the rodenticide or have interest in a dying mouse or rat. 

[ropaul]

I've had good luck with using mothballs.

[pflaming]

"A friend once told me he didn't mind mice because when they're suddenly gone it means you have rats,"

Some time back I read that: a study of rats was conducted and determined two major items, 1) rats live in a radius fron it's den that provides it with its necessities to survive. Say the radius is 50', the rat never goes beyond that radius, yet if nothing is changed and the rats' radius is increased to 75' or whatever, that rats' radius will now be 75'.it is called "The Rule of The Rat".  2) Rats are very selective eaters, and eat only the best food available, usually grain and thus rat meat is very healthy meat. If the poor would accept a rat meat diet, they would have a very healthy diet. 

What a youngster experiences at age 10 is his "rule of life". Most people live within a radius of 50 miles from home, unless they are. forced out "armed forces" "college" of that circle, even then, they remain intensely loyal to that initial local.  It was an interesting read.

[Plymouthy Adams]

8 hours ago, ropaul said:

I've had good luck with using mothballs.

did you use these moth balls say, with a pea shooter or did you use them in a sling shot?  I just noticed today when I took the 54 out of the barn, first time this year if I recall correctly....that the moth balls needs replenished in my prescription bottles...they do seem effective...took the opportunity to wash the car, clean the WWWs and take it for about 15 mile jaunt.  

[ropaul]

14 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

did you use these moth balls say, with a pea shooter or did you use them in a sling shot?  I just noticed today when I took the 54 out of the barn, first time this year if I recall correctly....that the moth balls needs replenished in my prescription bottles...they do seem effective...took the opportunity to wash the car, clean the WWWs and take it for about 15 mile jaunt.  

I use some small plastic cups and put a few mothballs in each, and then place around the compartment and in every corner of my garage.

[40plyrod]

A friend of mine from Alberta swears by this stuff https://www.earthkind.com/fresh-cab/ They use it in their combines and it keeps the rodents away also keeps it under the seat of his 54 Olds.

[MackTheFinger]

I used Pine-Sol in empty water bottles with wicks inserted one winter. I put several of them out in various places in the shop. I won't claim that it worked but it did seem like there were less mice.

[wayfarer]

Try the Victor 'Rat Zapper'.    I have a couple of them and they keep the little bastards under control. Rats, mice, chipmunks, anything that can crawl in gets hit with 7,000DC volts.  The TomCat folks also have the  'tin-cat' trap and I have had as many a 5 mice in one trap at one time.

[ggdad1951]

Puma, my shop cat has kept them out of my shop for the last 2 years and the 5 years before with the PO.  Bait traps tend to actually ATTRACT rodents...its a food source....take away from that what you may, but I'd not put a bait out.

[Dan Hiebert]

My knucklehead cat, Ollie, is a really good mouser.  But last night as I was out piddling around with the snow blower (yes, it's that time around here) in the shop, the little turd brought a live mouse into the shop.  He must think I'm a lousy cat that can't catch my own mice.  Wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't plopped it down right next to me, so that it could run under me to hide from the cat.  Since I didn't immediately scarf the little critter down, I got a look of feline disdain just before he pounced on it, killed it, played with it a little while, and ate it.  So technically, Ollie de-moused my shop, although he's the one that re-moused it... 

[lonejacklarry]

Yes cats are that way.  I used to have an old tom cat that liked to bring critters into the house.   I finally figured out that I needed to look at his front feet..  If his front feet were in a normal stance, I would let him in.  On the other hand, if he were standing there with his front feet together, he was stranding on something, i.e., a mouse, a rabbit, a squirrel, etc.  When the door opened he would grab his prize with his teeth, dash into the house and spit it out.  Then the chase was on IN the house.

Edited October 13, 2017 by lonejacklarry

[JerseyHarold]

I had a cat that would bring me 'presents' on occasion.  I read somewhere that it's  a sign of affection from the cat.

[Plymouthy Adams]

cats show no affection...they just use these tricks to gain affection from you....if something were to  happen to you the cat would be sucking up to someone else immediately...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

you got to sit back and laugh now and then.....