Mice!

[MjrTom]

I can empathise with you guys and gals.

Not had any mouse problems but I have seen my fair share of rats.

With me living on the edge of farmland they decided that under my garden shed would make a good new home right opposite my well stocked bird tables.

Sadly to say they had to go and dispatched eight of them by the good old fashion means of a rat trap.

Heart breaking for me to do it but they had to go!

Ratty by Mark S Payne, on Flickr

Oh No! Time to go! by Mark S Payne, on Flickr

[Tribal-Wolf]

Well I know they don't like vacuum cleaners in my garage now lol, I do think these ultra sound things work though I tried leaving food on the floor in the garage and it still there, well until the dogs see it that is. My daughters toy poodle would get them if she could squeeze through the small gaps, she goes crazy. As for humane, well there are only certain places you can legally let them go and you're probably giving someone else your pest, I'll protect my castle anyway I can and if that means death to mousey then death it is.

[Ad Astra]

Mice are easy to get rid of. Take an old fashioned snap-trap, and a slice of a chocolate tootsie roll. Super glue the slice of tootsie to the trap trigger, set it and forget it.

The mouse will not be able to get the bait off the trap (it's glued on!) and gets snapped every time. The bait remains uneaten, and the trap can just be set again. The tootsie treat never dries out or rots, even the ants aren't interested in it - but the chocolate fragrance brings the little furry critters in every time.

My school is next to a dairy farm, and (being California) all the kids eat outdoors every day. A fantasy land for attracting rodents! The 'Tootsie Traps' keep my room (and scopes!) free of mouse droppings and other litter and damage.

Good luck!

Dan

[Tribal-Wolf]

Sounds good but we can't get chocolate tootsie roll over here

[Probablynot]

Apparently you can. Try looking up Cybercandy, who import it. Not cheap, but ...

[MjrTom]

Mice are easy to get rid of. Take an old fashioned snap-trap, and a slice of a chocolate tootsie roll. Super glue the slice of tootsie to the trap trigger, set it and forget it.

The mouse will not be able to get the bait off the trap (it's glued on!) and gets snapped every time. The bait remains uneaten, and the trap can just be set again.

Dan

Funny you should say that I was using jammy dodgers split down the middle using the jam to stick it to the trap trigger.

Worked every time, well until it rained and turned to goo which we have our fair share over here

[Tribal-Wolf]

I stuck raisins on and they managed to eat them without setting the trap off. They've gone now though thanks to this sort of thing.

[Nexus 6]

named him houdini

excellent

nice to read he warranted a place in the country to call his own

always new you were a dirty rat Mark

[SeedyF]

When I was a teenager we had lots of mice - we let rabbits and guinea pigs run free in the conservatory and it was like a small rodent free for all

I came down one morning to find the fattest mouse ever in the kitchen shuffling around with a snap trap on its head. When I freed it the poor thing was in a bit of a state so I clubbed it to death with a wellie. By far the saddest thing I ever had to do. No more snap traps for me. I used to catch them in a humane trap after that (my mice weren't very clever so stayed in it!) and drove them out of town on my motorbike to release them.

[MjrTom]

always new you were a dirty rat Mark

Don't tell everyone it might get around

[LukeSkywatcher]

I think even rats are cute. Its their long bald tails that i hate. At least mice do not spread disease. My local pet store sells both as pets. I love going down there if i am in the area and seeing them.

Its the damn talking parrot in the shop that annoys me. He/she has picked up some very colourful language over the years. Its not for sale, it belongs to one of the people working there.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

We use peanut butter to bait traps. It takes so much time to get it of the trap that the trap almost always snaps.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Just be thankful that you do not live in Australia.

Check out the size of the mice over there:those are logs in the background.................not twigs.

[MjrTom]

At least mice do not spread disease.

I would have to disagree, I think most rodents are just as bad in that respect.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I would have to disagree, I think most rodents are just as bad in that respect.

It wasn't mice that brought the black death to europe.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

It wasn't mice that brought the black death to europe.

It was humans , worst plague of all

[LukeSkywatcher]

It was humans , worst plague of all

Fair enough.

Now back on point.

Mice WILL eat through electrical cables etc just as much as rats. I THINK though that mice just sharpen their teeth on the copper wire inside.......wheras rats will actually eat the stuff.

Either way, its spiders i fear more.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Many German panzers in Russia were parked in barns during winter. Many were rendered useless by mice gnawing the (often linnen) insulation from electrical wiring (presumably to make nests). This rendered the tanks immobile.

[imarcs]

Either way, its spiders i fear more.

Whilst living in New Orleans many years ago, i once left my car for a month without using it. Upon opening it i discovered it was infested with Cockroaches..

EVEN WORSE, i was told by the exterminator that the cockroaches had come from hundreds of eggs laid between empty unused flattened take away pizza boxes, and it happens all the time (my ex roommate was a delivery driver)

I never drove the car again and stopped eating take away pizza.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Whilst living in New Orleans many years ago, i once left my car for a month without using it. Upon opening it i discovered it was infested with Cockroaches..

EVEN WORSE, i was told by the exterminator that the cockroaches had come from hundreds of eggs laid between empty unused flattened take away pizza boxes, and it happens all the time (my ex roommate was a delivery driver)

I never drove the car again and stopped eating take away pizza.

I am not fond of roaches................but i dislike pizza even more.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I do not mind spiders very much (maybe because my sister was terrified of them). I once had a very useful jeweled garden spider make its web across a little window pane in my bedroom. It captured any mosquito trying to enter through it.

Mosquitoes are my least favourite creature EVER!!

[Nexus 6]

Mosquitoes are my least favourite creature EVER!!

Too fight! we get our fair share of flying biting insects round here. The only downside to the variety of wonderful wildlife that is evident everyday. Members of North Lincs Astro will testify to this.

[JonnyP]

Funny you should say that I was using jammy dodgers split ........

Jammy dodgers??

Be careful, you might find me in your mousetrap.

<Wanders off to check that there are still 2 packs of JDs in the cupboard...>

[JonnyP]

I once shared a flat with a guy who was into thrash metal type music and used to go out every Friday with his hair waxed into spikes.

We knew we had a mouse problem - food being eaten on the surfaces in the kitchen, etc.

We discovered it was a large rat problem when Chris, the flatmate, woke at 5am one day to find a rat on his pillow nibbling the wax off his hair! Chris moved out shortly after that, to be replaced by a huge rugby prop.

Not long after, we were moving a decrepit armchair - taking it to the tip - when a rat jumped out of the chair onto the rugby player's head and shoulders. I've never seen a rugby forward move so quickly...

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

LOL