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Barnyard Buddies:  Mice--not nice  |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 14 2010 : 9:52:08 PM
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I was cleaning in my very neglected basement and found a mouse nest. Now I'm wondering what is the best way to get rid of them? I've never had any success with traps, but I don't like the idea of using poison. They haven't ventured into the living areas of my house, but I want to stop them before they do. How do you get rid of mice?
Cindy |
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cajungal
True Blue Farmgirl
2349 Posts
Catherine Farmgirl Sister #76
Houston Area
Texas
2349 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 04:32:26 AM
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All I've ever used is the poison stuff. We'd get mice in the attic and I was nervous about using poison and then going in the attic and having little skeletons all over. But, they never died in the attic but left the attic looking for water and died outside. I don't know of any "green" way to get rid of them.
I'm sure someone will have some ideas. I hope you conquer them!
One of the best compliments from one of my daughters: "Moma, you smell good...like dirt." |
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LakeOntarioFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
933 Posts
Brenda
North Rose
NY
USA
933 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 05:57:31 AM
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A cat!
Brenda
FarmGirl # 711
Nothing we achieve in this world is achieved alone. It is always achieved with others teaching us along the way. Lee J. Colan
http://theviewfromhere-brenda.blogspot.com/ |
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peapicker
True Blue Farmgirl
716 Posts
texas
USA
716 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 06:01:08 AM
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I agree with Brenda.... a cat does wonders. We have one cat that stays in most of the time in the winter and two that sleep in the garage. We have ony had one mouse this year.
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
Robert Brault |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 06:51:28 AM
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Need some cats? I have great mousers. Where do you live? I'll ship them Fed X.
I actually have a cat that stays in the house and she's just useless. She will hang out in the kitchen and act like she's going to get something, then wanders away to something more interesting. So I do use the green D-Con pellets under the stove. They seem to like it there. And under the sink, too. I don't like mice in the house.
But the outside cats are always hunting.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
Edited by - kristin sherrill on Jan 15 2010 06:54:09 AM |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 06:56:42 AM
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We once rented a house that we later found out was mouse infested. I couldn't get them to go into the traps for the life of me so I had to resort to poison. The poisoned ones went outside to die and I only had one die inside. I did find out that the knock off brand of mouse poison doesn't do as well (not as attractive to mice) as the name-brand.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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Ingrid
True Blue Farmgirl
432 Posts
Ingrid
BC
Canada
432 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 08:41:47 AM
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Cats work wonders. They will also kill spiders, and bugs in your house. I usually have tons of spiders in the house but now our cat (19 years old) is inside all the time and this winter I didn't have spiders either.
Give thanks to yourself everyday for all the wonderful things you do! |
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Faransgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
895 Posts
Beth
Houston
Texas
USA
895 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 09:13:05 AM
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A good mouser works wonders. We have three but they can only get the mice in the areas they can get to. They don't do any good if the mice are in cabinets etc. Ferrets work pretty good too. But, they come with problems of their own. We had fewer problems with mice coming in when we had the ferrets. They would go under the cabinets and stuff and the mice just avoided the house all together. If you really don't want to kill them you can get humane mouse traps and take them out to a park or something a turn them loose. You can usually get them at Wal-Mart or the local feed store.
Farmgirl Sister 572
May the force of the horse be with you. |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 09:56:47 AM
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A great no-kill mouse trap is "Tin-cat", they get in, and can't get out, you bait with what ever works best, and change it often, cause they get bored of the same food all the time. Then you take your inmate out side and do what ever with it, let it go (but warning, they will get back into your house), kill it, take it to another area, etc. Wash said trap, re-bait and start again. I never use poisen anywhere on my place, I will not take that chance with my animals.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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emsmommy5
True Blue Farmgirl
1547 Posts
Angie
Buckley
WA
USA
1547 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 11:06:39 AM
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We use poison in the garage and attic. But our cat has been the very best deterent. I don't like cats, which is ok, because our cat doesn't like people. lol She is a fantastic mouser and that's why we put up with each other.
Do what you love, love what you do. |
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Moodene
True Blue Farmgirl
353 Posts
Nadine
Devers
Texas
USA
353 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 11:55:07 AM
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We use glueboards cuz I am allegic to cats..lol..I put them along the baseboards, dark closets,near feed bins(mud room),laundry room etc. My mini pin will go right to the boards to let me know if a mouse or mice is stuck on it. I pick the boards up and put them in outside trash bin that all my trash gets burn..
The glueboards can be folded to make a box and ya won't have to touch any part of the sticky..lol..they go in but they cant get out..lol..
Love me like I am. farmgirl #801
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 5:55:23 PM
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Oh yes, I would like to have a cat---but my dog has other ideas. I've thought of trapping them and turning them loose but they'd probably freeze to death. I had a mouse in a rented house once and I used the poison but it gives me the heebie-jeebies. I'm not afraid of my animals getting into it since they never go in the basement. Plus the nest I found was up near the ceiling (my basement is unfinished and has concrete block walls and no ceiling panels). So if I put the poison up that high, only the mice would eat it. I'll probably end up going that route, but I really do wish I could have a cat. The kitten I gave to my brother last summer has turned out to be a gorgeous long-haired tortoise-shell with a very calm disposition. My youngest niece can pick her up and carry her around and Nala doesn't mind. Maybe someday Boxer will come to accept a cat in the house but i doubt it. I can't handle the idea of glue traps--so I guess it's to the drugstore and the little green mouse crunchies.
cindy
"Dog is my co-pilot"
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Beverley
True Blue Farmgirl
2707 Posts
Beverley
atlanta
Michigan
USA
2707 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 8:25:22 PM
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Well I just found out recently that peppermint oil on cotton balls placed all around keep mice out cause they don't like it. I haven't tried it but the lady I got the info from says it works wonderfully!!! not the extract but oil!! can't hurt to try it I guess.
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett Beverley with an extra E...
http://bevsdoggies.googlepages.com/ |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 10:53:37 PM
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Peppermint oil on cotton balls does sound interesting, but I'm not sure where they're getting in. I have a LARGE basement so it could take a lot of cotton balls! Good idea, though!
Cindy
"Dog is my co-pilot"
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 11:04:38 PM
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Alee--I first saw "Dog is my co-pilot" in a doglover's mystery book that I was reading. I don't know who first coined the phrase but it seems to fit. A dog named Dog--at least if he gets lost, everyone will know his name. 
Cindy
"Dog is my co-pilot"
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2010 : 09:01:20 AM
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Useing poisen is dangerous even if your pets CAN'T get to it because, if they eat the poisened mouse, they are then poisening themselves, and mouse poisen causes a breakdown of their natural clotting and their blood will not clot, inother words they bleed to death internaly
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2010 : 8:24:20 PM
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Teresa---I don't think I have anything to worry about because the mouse (mice) aren't in the area that Boxer is in. And even if he found a dead mouse, I've never known him to eat anything that was dead. He just sniffs it and walks away. But thank you for your concern, I will keep an eye out for any dead mice and remove them immediately. I had this problem once before and the mouse died and I found it and Boxer never saw it. I think he's safe.
cindy
"Dog is my co-pilot"
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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caro
Farmgirl in Training
37 Posts
Carol
Princeton
Indiana
USA
37 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2010 : 12:27:35 PM
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| Cindy: we found an electronic "thingy" at a hardware store that is supposed to repel mice. You plug it into a receptacle and the vibrations--or whatever (I'm electronically challenged)--make them run for the hills. Outside the house. This seemed to work in a house we lived in last winter while our new house was being built. Can't remember the brand but check a hardware store for their mice eliminators and hopefully they'll have them. |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2010 : 3:05:15 PM
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I've heard of the "thingy" that electronically repells mice, but I worry that it might affect my dog and birds as well. I'll check and see if the vibrations are harmful to other animals, as it sounds like a good, humane solution. Thanks!
cindy
"Dog is my co-pilot"
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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Barnyard Buddies: Mice--not nice |
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Mice--not nice
