Its that time of the year again, and Ineed help before this becomes a problem!!

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nharkey85

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had one get in the house while i was working out of town back before christmas. spread a few mechanical traps out where it was leaving evidence, baited with peanut butter. 1st night sucker got lucky and cleaned out a trap without tripping it. 2nd night it got greedy and i got rid of my intruder
 

BeenChevy

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I feel ya. Found a bundle of insulation mix packed down into the top of the block a few weeks ago and it was not fun trying to get it all cleaned out. Lil critter had 4 hours tops to build it's masterplex 4 bed silk station complete nuzzle down and must have had some help cause it looked like a multi-level snuggle factory. Feel bad for the guy who lost his down flannel.

I put decon near the gap in my utility door but have seen cat track's through the yard and no more mouse evidence. It's possible the -28F killed em off without that fancy engine quadraplex. Better luck next time sucker.
 

CountryBoy19

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RE the weatherstrip on the garage door... that should help, unless you have mice like me. I put new weatherstrip on and the evil things chewed new holes in the weatherstrip within 2 days. I was PISSED! I drove all around town looking for that weatherstrip; apparently it's proprietary to Overhead door brand and it cost $2/ft for enough to do a 10 ft door on my shop and two 8-ft doors on my garage...

I gave up on that and just started putting out copious amounts of mouse bait. The bastards started dragging the chunks of bait out through the holes they had chewed in the weatherstrip... this left the bait outside where the kids or dogs could get to it... I don't know what to do... I stuff steel wool in the weatherstrip? I've heard they don't like chewing on steel-wool...
 

swathdiver

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left the bait outside where the kids or dogs could get to it... I don't know what to do... I stuff steel wool in the weatherstrip? I've heard they don't like chewing on steel-wool...

The kids and dog will only mess with a mouse trap once, so leave them outside and finish them off with a bb gun. Don't forget the bucket method either:


 

CountryBoy19

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The kids and dog will only mess with a mouse trap once, so leave them outside and finish them off with a bb gun. Don't forget the bucket method either:


I've used those before. I've found that mice are very finicky about the placement and ramp angle use to get up to the rim of the bucket. Too finicky for me to keep dickering around with it.
 

PG01

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Have been in my house for 12 yrs... from the one corner of my house to the woods is maybe 60-70 ft......i find mouse houses and droppings outside, close to the house, in an old dodge w250 pickup i used to have, in some kids stuff left outside for the winter etc. I plugged 2 of these (or similar) in my garage and 2 in my basement... when i moved in plus glue traps and snap traps along the walls where they like to run. I have yet, in 12 years, found any evidence of droppings or houses, in my garage or basement. I also see many natural predators of mice roaming my yard at certain times so maybe that helps also. There is a pet shelter through the woods so there are cats and dogs getting out every so often. I also have a bunch of deer, red fox, racoons, beavers, ground hogs, opossum, rabbits, squirrels, chipmonks.... you name it, i got it.... its like a freakin disney movie out there. B3B3E311-5B66-4EDF-A49B-4EED16793B9B.png

One day i got in my dodge to go to the dump and as I'm driving down the road and i had 2 mice run across my lap, i damn near wrecked the thing because i had no idea wtf was on my lap.....
 

swathdiver

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We just shoot them with BB guns and let the hound chase them and kill those the BB guns don't get. Haven't had a problem in a while, they know to stay in the woods now.
 

grouch

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I'm coming in a bit late but I just recently joined. I'm an olde pharte who has fought meeses (look it up, snagglepuss)I have quite a few tricks to deal with the little cheese thieves.

In a car or something that sits closed up, put fabric softener sheets inside. A couple in the trunk, 3 or 4 in the cabin. Under the hood they won't work because of air flow. Sprinkle Cayenne papper around. This won't bother birds as I put hot pepper suet cakes out for them in the winter but the squirrells will only mess with them once. Wash your hands before you touch your eyes or face. (You'll only forget once.)

Just stuff steel wool with cayenne pepper on it in the tail pipe and air intake for the engine. (Take it out before you drive.)

For the snap traps, I use the Victor ones with the curled metal tang. Press peanut butter into it but DON'T set it. When they take the bait, rebait but set it with a piece of tooth pick sticking out. They will be leery the first time but come right in the second time. The 1/4 inch or so of tooth pick with peanut butter smell is irresistable and when they gnaw it, SNAP. When I don't have mice, I leave a couple baited but not set and check them from time to time. When Mr. Mouse moves in, he or she, (mustn't be sexist) will hit the buffet. I'll rebait and see if it's taken again. Next time it's set and usually that's it.

I never, EVER use poison. Partly because they die where you can find but also because Spot or Fluffy might eat it before the mouse dies and will ingest the poison.

victor mouse trap.jpg
 

CrashTestDummy

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Pest control needs to be a multi-pronged effort. First of all, certainly stop entry. Seal doors and cracks as much as you can. Then bait close to any points of entry, and repellant around/in your vehicles/storage. There are now baits that contain some sort of cellulose product that when the rodent consumes it, it coats their stomach, making them feel full, so they stop eating/drinking. Put that near potential points of entry, and along any walls, preferably under stuff to help keep the pets and kids from messing with them.

Note that if they're already 'home' and have started reproducing, when you kill momma and poppa mouse, their kits won't last long, and really stink up the place.

After that, you want to try to keep them from wanting to come in. I've read mixed reviews regarding the 'sonic' devices, although am about to try them myself. I've had fair luck with dryer sheets. The trouble is, you have to keep swapping them out. If you can't smell them, you're close to the point where they won't repel the rodents, either. If you have any vehicles/machinery that doesn't have a catalytic converter, stuff sheets up the tail pipe to keep the little monsters from making a home in the cylinder head, or cylinder. They can, and their urine is very corrosive.

I've also had problems with the critters creating nests in the hood liner, so now leave the hoods up for the long-term storage vehicles. I've had chewed, or ruined hoodliners in three different vehicles. They LOVE to nest there.

Good luck!
 
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