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Small Cabin Forum / Nature / Most effective mouse removal ideas
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FishHog
Member
# Posted: 3 Oct 2014 10:24
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bought a cabin that has been abandoned for 4 years, with the exception of the mice. Obviously wasn't the food that attracted them, since there was none, but good shelter.

I've been trapping some, but doesn't seem to be enough impact yet. Placed some poison around a month ago, but still having issues.

just looking for your best ideas to get rid of them.

thanks,

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 3 Oct 2014 10:32
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Problem with poison is that you effectively start killing predators too, they eat the poisoned mice.

I think the best things to do are seal the building as best as possible and be persistent with traps. I've had good luck with a small Hav-a=hart trap for mice.

Have you seen the sticky pads that trap them as they walk?

ColdFlame
Member
# Posted: 3 Oct 2014 11:22
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I've had good luck with Nooski traps.

They use a latex o-ring that is stretched out. When the trap is triggered, it frees the o-ring. This is safe for children, predators, and pets, but unfortunately you do have to buy the o-ring refills (which aren't very expensive). At the very least it's another option to consider.

Steve961
Member
# Posted: 3 Oct 2014 11:32
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While I haven't tried one myself, I've heard good things about bucket traps. All you need is a 5 gallon bucket, a suspended/rotating tin can coated with peanut butter, a ramp, and some antifreeze for them to drown in.
5545128.jpg
5545128.jpg


FishHog
Member
# Posted: 3 Oct 2014 11:37
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I've used bucket traps for years. At my old cottage they seem to be the solution. Somehow the mice at my new cottage are smarter and I'm not having much luck with them. Can't figure that one out. The nice thing about them is they work all winter and the antifreeze preserves the mice. Even after 6 months, there is no smell and you can hardly tell the difference from one caught that day.
I just can't figure out how they aren't working for me at the new place.

machzman
Member
# Posted: 3 Oct 2014 12:15
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the bucket trap works great my hunting camp this yr was infested with mice i set up the bucket trap and now they are almost gone
the mice this yr are all over

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 3 Oct 2014 12:15
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Must be the new 'smart mice'

Smawgunner
Member
# Posted: 3 Oct 2014 18:15
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They will keep coming until the end of time unless you find out how they are getting in.

SandyR
Member
# Posted: 4 Oct 2014 07:40
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Get a cat to bring out with you? My cat eats the critters at our home.

tcmatt
Member
# Posted: 4 Oct 2014 21:20
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When I built my place I stuffed,steel wool in all the cracks that I thought might be big enough for a mouse to get through with a small flat head screw driver. Haven't had any problems yet. Three years in.

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 4 Oct 2014 23:28
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I used a full footing/stemwall and sealed it tight. Never a critter or even a bug. I added the fine screen at my bir blocks then the course screen because I know bird peck out the screen. They tried it already, no luck. I have used the bucket trap many times in the past, it works great (not at my cabin)

If you have a post/pier foundation, wrap the wooden columns with tin or stove pipe so they cant crawl up. If its too close, cover the underside with a wire mesh. Best to do during the built process. Just stay severl steps ahead of them.

Ajz418
Member
# Posted: 7 Oct 2014 00:31
Reply 


5gal bucket trap is by far most productive..you can collect dozens of mice over a weeks time and because RV antifreeze is used in bucket it keeps smell down if trap is left over long periods.

CootersShabin
Member
# Posted: 9 Oct 2014 12:43
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I too like the 5 Gallon Trap. Very effective.

Cooter

LastOutlaw
Member
# Posted: 9 Oct 2014 23:34 - Edited by: LastOutlaw
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I had a mouse problem last year. I put out natural deterrents, snap traps, buckets and poison. I killed quite a few for a couple trips with the snaps and then no more in the traps on the third trip. I figured I beat them! I didn't see one mouse. Then I found this snake in the shower drinking and realized this was my mouse trap.
buzz...buzz...RATTLER!
buzz...buzz...RATTLER!


FishHog
Member
# Posted: 10 Oct 2014 09:10
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Mrs fishie no longer wants a shower

LastOutlaw
Member
# Posted: 10 Oct 2014 11:46
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Quoting: FishHog
Mrs fishie no longer wants a shower



Awwwe. This is just a baby one. Two rattles. outdoor showers are great until you get in one and find this underfoot. Will make you get back out right away.
I am in the process of buying one to go inside the cabin.

if you have an outside shower in the Southern US just insure the bottom is closed off.

When it gets dry out, critters come to the water.

Smawgunner
Member
# Posted: 12 Oct 2014 18:47
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Did you kill it?

LastOutlaw
Member
# Posted: 14 Oct 2014 14:12
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Yes, I shot it. If it had been found away from the cabin I probably wouldn't have. I have a small child that is at the cabin with us. The last thing I need is a one hour drive to pavement with a poisonous snake bit child.

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 14 Oct 2014 19:43
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I don't know if you're living there all of the time or if you want to keep animals but I'm planning to have guinea fowl at my cabin. They're awesome. They eat rodents, snakes, and feast on the worst insects, especially deer ticks, beetles, roaches, etc. They're also great eating, if you want them for food.

They are cheap to keep because their diet is comprised of insects and such. The trick is keeping them near the homestead and away from predators because they do fly, like to sleep in trees and will go wild unless you establish them at your place as home base. Raising them from keets and training them to come back home and sleep in a coop at night by offering them each a handful of tasty feed every evening works, from what I've read. Drastically, you can clip part of their wings when they're keets (pinioning) so they can't fly but I'd rather not do that. It takes away their defenses from predators.

Smawgunner
Member
# Posted: 15 Oct 2014 18:39
Reply 


Why the antifreeze ..won't water do the trick?

FishHog
Member
# Posted: 15 Oct 2014 18:51
Reply 


antifreeze basically preserves them if your leaving it for a long period of time. I've had them for 5 months at my cottage and they don't smell and seem like they just fell in yesterday. Plus it works all winter if you live where there are freezing temps.

Water works fine, just dump it lots to avoid smell.

LastOutlaw
Member
# Posted: 1 Nov 2014 19:49
Reply 


Mice kept me up off and on all night.
Was trying to figure out how to eliminate mice on the go at night in the cabin.
Came up with this. Somehow didn't hear one mouse that night.
Nightvision on a Daisy
Nightvision on a Daisy
Nightvision on a Daisy
Nightvision on a Daisy


nik870
Member
# Posted: 3 Nov 2014 20:04
Reply 


Night vision on a daisy, awesome. Sounds like a whole nights worth of fun.

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 3 Nov 2014 20:12
Reply 


When I first read 'night vision on a daisy' I thought you were observing nocturnal nectar eating insects. Boy, was I wrong.

Alan K
Member
# Posted: 4 Nov 2014 17:54
Reply 


Had problems with mice around my area due to area construction.... One reason I want to hurry up and build. Anyways, back to mice issues.

Two things I've found out and seems to work... Just don't know if it's a combination of the two or only needing one.

1) Pure Peppermint Oil - I guess mice hate the smell, Plus it helps the area, especially if it has been closed up off season.

2) Lowes / Home Depot has these (I guess you could call a transmitter) - Plugs into an electrical outlet, creates a varied frequency pitch (That doesn't bother Humans or Pets), But causes enough of a problem for the rodents to "Move On".

Hope this Helps

Gregjman
Member
# Posted: 4 Nov 2014 21:15
Reply 


Most effective wife removal tool, mice.

Found a bunch in my shed at the land the other week. She will not go back in there at the moment.

TheWildMan
Member
# Posted: 7 Nov 2014 13:57
Reply 


catch them in live traps, put 5 in a a barrel, then drop in a kitten, keep doing this then let the kitten on the loose, it will be a mean mouse hunter

LoonWhisperer
Member
# Posted: 7 Nov 2014 14:04
Reply 


Quoting: Alan K
1) Pure Peppermint Oil - I guess mice hate the smell, Plus it helps the area, especially if it has been closed up off season.


I will second this. Got a "recipe" off the internet and keep a bottle up at the cabin. Before leaving I spray all around and (touch wood) have not seen a single one. Plus, spiders hate it as well.

TranquilMan
Member
# Posted: 18 Feb 2015 21:30
Reply 


I've had my place for 20 years and I have been on a mission to eliminate the mouse population for 20 years. My cabin is on an island and hadn't been lived in for several years before us so the mice had taken over. I spent a lot of time crawling around sealing cracks up and finally made the place mouse proof. I trapped them out but these mice are pretty smart. They hang around the doors at night waiting for someone to come out so they can sneak in - and they are quick. I have baiting stations set up outside and they clean the poison out in a few nights. If I set 6 traps outside with peanut butter, I get 6 mice a night. One night I got up when I heard a noise and they were climbing on the outside wall and window screen. I counted 16. That was it - all out war so I progressed to the bucket trap outside. I used a 5 gallon pail with peanut butter smeared around the rim. This worked great and I could sometimes get 14 in a night. I have a mouse graveyard in the bush out back. But I don't use the pail anymore! I left it set and we left for a few days. When I came back my cabin had been broken into! A bear had happened on the pail outside my cabin, knocked it over and licked the peanut butter clean. Then, thinking there was more of the good stuff inside, proceeded to rip all my screens looking for a way to get in. He ripped the window out of my newly installed door and proceeded to have a good time inside. I still can't find my honey jar. Chewed up cans of coke, tonic water and beer sure do make a mess. But the peanut butter pail does catch mice. And yes, the bear did come back.
Next year I am going to try peppermint oil which I have been told does work. For the bear, I'm trying solar powered LED motion lights. I'm hoping they might even scare mice. Good luck everybody.
- TranquilMan

creeky
Member
# Posted: 19 Feb 2015 09:24
Reply 


mice are sneaky. they're getting into my attic again and I don't know how. i battled with bats, mice, ants two years ago. thought I had 'em all beat.
temporarily I guess. I started trapping this winter when I heard the scurry scurry scurry. now they've figured out how to hold the trap switch, clean the bait off and then leave the unbaited trap. man. and i cement the cheese piece in with peanut butter. so it's not easy to get that cheese out.
going to go buy some peppermint oil. sounds worthwhile.
tranquilman. my grandmother used to warn us about mice waiting by the door out on the farm. glad to hear somebody else has had the same experience. brings back many good memories.

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