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Field Mice Attack

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Glenn Fitzgerald
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2003-10-01          65251

Over the last 3-4 weeks my cabin has been raided by mice. I've killed a total of 10 over that period. I found were they entered the basement and blocked it off,next day or two they re-entered at the same spot. They're beginning to do some damage to the basement door and they found their way into the eave above the porch.I have 5 traps set and poison in a couple different places. What else can one do? Why my cabin basement? We don't have any food stored?

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Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2003-10-01          65255

They are looking for a warm place to hole up for the winter. There may not be any food there now but I am sure they will carry you some later.
Moth balls will tend to make the space less attractive. Making the place mouse proof is near impossible unless it was tight to start with.
We had mouse wars in our cabin every year. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-10-01          65257

There is a liquid called, I think, Ropel which is supposed to deter them from nesting in areas where it's sprayed. I haven't used it but it might be worth a try. ....

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2003-10-01          65258

2 words .......... manx cats. In addition to what Eric and Ken stated, these animals are mouse hunting machines. I have two. They are always catching mice, moles, and voles, even an occasional rabbit or two. Other measure you might want to take are to make sure any food or food stuffs you have in the basement are sealed/wrapped up or in substantial containers to keep the mice out of it. Even then, like Eric said, they are near impossible to keep out. Best I have been able to do is keep them at bay. ;-) ....

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AC5ZO
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 928 Rio Rancho, NM 87144
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2003-10-01          65265

Ro-pel will keep them from chewing on the door. It is a taste deterent and does not affect animals that don't chew.

I use a combination of traps and poison. There are also electric zapper traps that are supposed to be very effective. Mark put up a link a while back on the electronic traps.

Cats are a good alternative if they know what mice are and what they are supposed to do with them. Some cats think food only comes from a can, so it is good to get a farm cat. ....

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2003-10-01          65272

Mike,

Good call on the farm cats and the electric zapper! May as well get some retribution and satisfaction out of it too! ;-) LOL! ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-10-02          65284

Stuff openings with steel wool. Mice don't like it and won't pull it out. We had our high mouse population a few years back. A neighbour rigged up a pail of water with a ramp and bait on a tin can strung on wire across the top and that got about 50 mice that fall. Works pretty well for mass production unless you're adverse to mouse drowning. Our yard weasel did it for us that year. ....

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2003-10-02          65288

Tom, what is a yard weasel??? Sounds interesting enough. ;-)Leaves me with pictures in my mind of a pet weasel in place of the watch dog. LOL! Definitely a fistey critter! ....

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AC5ZO
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2003-10-02          65289

I am not sure what it is either, but I think I need one. LOL ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
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2003-10-02          65291

We have the same problem every fall here too, maybe the mice are feeling older, it seems that every fall they've had enough of camping outside and think of me as a wonderfull host.

Luckily I am blessed with a Jack Russell terrier who thinks it's great hunting the little critters. He even takes it upon himself to keep our little patch of the world as free from squirrells and chipmunks as possible. With the exception of one rather tenacious chipmunk who lives in the landsape rocks out by the pool, he has mostly established about a 75' wide critter-free zone. Now if I could just get him to spend a little more time in the shop, and a little less time curled up by the fire....

Seriously, use the ultra-sonic devices, they work very well and take no attending to like traps or poisons do.

Best of luck. ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-10-02          65292

I call it a yard weasel tongue in cheek since we only saw it once although it likely was hanging around most of the fall. If you find a pile of dead mice tucked away somewhere, it's almost certainly is the work of a weasel. They really can go through mice, and they store them for later use.

The weasel was pretty funny when we saw it. It had turned white for winter and fit for a king's robes but the lawn was still green. The weasel comes around the side of the house and my shepherd starts barking at it from his run. The weasel freaks and runs under my truck. Then it tries to get from the truck across some lawn (no camouflage) to some pine bush and every time it tries the dog barks. The weasel's courage failed, it spun around in circles on the lawn and ran back under the truck a half dozen times before it bucked up courage enough. The dog was definitely entertained but I imagine the weasel was in ill humor. I suspect they're in ill humor generally and it would be sort of like having a Don Rickles with teeth for a pet.

Having livestock (especially chickens) or small pets is about the only reason I can think of for not wanting a 'yard weasel.' They are real hard on rodents. Our yard bear 'also tongue in cheek' is more entertaining (some people have to watch TV) but there are plenty of reasons for not wanting to have a yard bear. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
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2003-10-02          65296

LOL, I need an Attic Weasel to chase the squirrels away! I trapped 10 Douglas tree squirrels living in the attic but the California Gray ground squirrels living up there are proving to be a tougher lot. ....

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AC5ZO
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2003-10-02          65299

This sounds like one of those late night TV commercials. LOL

"Get your Yard Weasel now before they are all gone! Only $19.95....NO wait....If you call in the next ten minutes we will also include the Attic Weasel. Send those rodents packing! Both for only $19.95!" ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
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2003-10-02          65301

I don't know about Yard Weasels or Bears, but my Jack Russell is certainly more entertaining than DirectTV is.

Yesterday was physics day, we determined that it is far easier for a Jack Russell to climb a tree than to come back down. Momentum, mass and speed can negate gravity to at least a branch at the height of 8'. Considering he is about 18" at the shgoulder this is quite an achievement, it's also a long way back down for the little fellow.

I think he can do better, and the wife thinks that I should KNOW better, oh well, we're in trouble again. At least he likes riding with me, the Kubota, the truck and the TLB are all on the approved list as far as he's concerned.

Best of luck. ....

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kwschumm
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2003-10-02          65302

AC, are you sure you don't freelance as a copy writer for those TV commercials? LOL! ....

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
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2003-10-02          65303

I'll take an order of a half dozen of those "Yard Weasels" AC! Does that come with the Gin Sue knife set? ;-) ....

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MIFarmin
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 34 Michigan
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2004-04-18          83535

I too used the bucket method to catch mice one winter in a cabin I locked up for the winter. I used antifreeze instead of water. When I returned in the spring I had around 20 well preserved dead mice. Tom F. ....

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NHDaveD
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2004-04-26          84311

All this talk about mice in the fall sure sounds funny although that is when mine probably moved in. It wasn't until mid-March that we saw any signs of them on the pantry shelves in the basement.
I guess that they just wanted a change in diet. They seemed to have been snacking on the bird food and grass seed that was stored down in their little corner.
In the next 1-1/2 weeks following their discovery I trapped 12 - 7 in the first night. This weekend while my wife started to clean out their living quarters she found 3 more that didn't quite make it.
While the cat is probably a great idea, if they're properly trained, I'm not too akin to them. The "Yard Weasel" on the other hand sounds like an intersting and possibly exciting alternative. ....

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yooperpete
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2004-04-26          84324

I have between 15 and 30 farm cats depending upon the season and mating time. I haven't seen a live mouse in years. They even hunt in the fields and keep about 20 acres clear as well as my neighbor who is about 500 yards away. They're proud of their hunting skills and show them to us at times. ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
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2004-04-26          84328

Well, our yard weasel was around a bit last winter but sort of deserted us. Got to find it and beg it to come back. There weren't too many mice around but those that were found a way into my 1/2-ton, chewed up some floor board insulation and dragged it into the heater. Now when I turn on the blower I get a hint of mouse pee--my wife says more than a hint. Dang I don't want to tear off the blower and clean everything out but suppose I have to. Where are those weasels when you need them--probably off voting in more regulations?

Pete: An adjacent rural township amalgamated with a town--big mistake. The resulting town council voted in a by-law that limited the number of cat a household could have. They recognized the arrangements of cats and farmers so allowed more cats outside of town, but they had to be licensed. I don't think I've heard of anything quite as dumb as licensing barn cats--might be interesting trying to put collars on them. Might as well license the yard weasel too, but at least our council haven't taken leave of their senses--nothing but country people here. ....

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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
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2004-05-02          85019

I found where they were coming in my house last fall too.
Seems it took them 3 years to figure out how to get in, then they told all their buddies. It took me 6 months fo find out where and how. The little buggers figured out if they crawl up the bottom opening of the corner channel of my viynle sidding they can get into the sofit, from there they have full range of the attic, from there they crawl down the walls and come thru the openings I left on purpose at the bottom of the walls. A bit of foam and whala No field mice for the last 7 months (again, till the next genious moose comes along. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
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2004-05-02          85020

I foamed a gap to the outside in our unfinished basement that was used by mice to enter the house. Within a week they chewed a perfectly round hole in the foam and were coming in again. Blocking it with a small piece of wood fixed that problem. ....

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
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2004-05-02          85021

Good grief! They chewed through the foam!!!

I am in big trouble. ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
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2004-05-03          85037

Steel wool works great. Little buggers won't touch it at all. It may rust but it's about the easiest thing for sealing some openings but not around electrical wiring. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
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2004-05-03          85054

I was told by a local contractor doing some work on my cottage that there is only one fool-proof way to stop mice chewing spray foam insulation.

Powdered hot peppers, Oleoresin Capsicum-a pure derivative of cayenne pepper, the active ingredient in Pepper Spray works best, but be careful with it.

He claims if this stuff is CAREFULLY sprayed on the foam before it dries it soaks right in and is sealed in there, just waiting for some hungry mouse to taste test it later.

I guess they do their imitation of Speedy Gonzales after they get a mouthful of that stuff.

Best of luck. ....

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kwschumm
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2004-05-03          85062

I wouldn't advise using steel wool in areas that may get wet due to rust problems, but they do sell bronze and copper wool that won't rust. We stuffed bronze wool behind one of our gutters where some bats were roosting and it's held up fine with all the rain. ....

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