Getting voles/move out of green house

[Hinotori]

I use traps and dogs for rodents. Winter here means lots of rain which also helps flood them out since we're right by marsh and pond.

I've had a few easter egger hens that have liked killing smaller rodents to eat. Interestingly it's the little silkies that go after rats in a horde. This isn't helpful when the german shepherd is trying to kill it since she doesnt want to hurt them. I have occasionally found a dead rat in their pens.

I think you can only count on non-hatchery silkies and cochins as broody breeds.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Good article @YourRabbitGirl . However, I noted: the article states that D-Con is based on an anti-coagulant. At least in my location, I can no longer find the anti-coagulant based rodenticides. D-Con HAS or is in the process of changing all of their rodenticides to the Vitamin D3 formulation (chlorcalciferol). When buying ANY rodenticide, it's important to know exactly WHAT the product is, and how it works, as well as the risks to it's handling and use. You must know how the product works, how quickly it works, if there is risk of secondary poisoning (should an animal eat a poisoned rodent), and how quickly it breaks down in the environment. You also must use it in such a way that it can't be moved from the application location or accessed by a non target animal.

 

[flowerbug]

Wow!
That’s a lot of info. Thanks a lot!
Here’s me thinking vegetable gardening would be an easy feat!
Been nothing like that since we started 5 years ago.
If anything I think it has invited more wild animals into our yard including deer and a woodchuck living under our shed!!
🙄

it gives you chances to learn about them and their habits. how to discourage them and encourage their predators.

for deer only thing that works well enough that i trust is a good fence (7-8ft). this will also help with rabbits and groundhogs. it takes some work to do them right, the fencing needs to be put down on the ground and laying out a ways so that they won't figure out how to easily dig under it.

for chipmunks that's a whole different issue... and then climbers (raccoons, squirrels, possums, ...). if you are attempting to grow sweet corn (we don't bother with it) you'll need to be set up very well with an electric fence that has no other means of them getting through or over.

some people have guard animals. we don't do that here.

 

[FarmerJamie]

A friend of ours who maintains the repeater for the local HAM club found that sprinkling gum killed off the rodents very efficiently. He uses Big League Chew, and just sprinkles it around. I don't think it has Xylitol in it, which would be a hazard for any dogs.

I also recently found out that Buckeye chickens are as good as cats about hunting and eating mice...

Good old Wigley Juicy Fruit

 

[DelcoMama82]

a good sturdy wire mesh. all around and underneath.

rat traps with apricots as bait.

Chicken wire or so I need to get my arms all scraped up using hardwirecloth?
And by underneath do you mean dug under the earth? Like 8-12 inches below what is growing?
Any advice on mesh on top that will be secure but also open easilywhen I need to weed or harvest?

 

[CrealCritter]

I'll tell you what I used to do in NC, but it is not safe. Long copper rods and electricity. They had a socking experience... Probably not the best solution for a greenhouse though. Good luck...

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I also recently found out that Buckeye chickens are as good as cats about hunting and eating mice...

Please, @Britesea , tell that to my Buckeyes. I bought them based on that reputation. I've put dead mice, squished mice with innards hanging out, and wounded mice in my chicken run. All the birds will gather around and talk about the rodent. But... NONE of them will touch a rodent, including the BE's.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

My dog is death on mice, and has killed one or two rats. She's a Jack Russel mix. Unfortunately, she also likes to see chickens run. When she was a pup, and during her second summer, I trained her with a behavior modification shock collar set on vibrate mode. It worked very well, requiring only a couple corrections. Then, it broke. So... now... she likes to see them run. I really need to buy an other behavior collar for her.

I once found a mama mouse moving slowly across my back yard. She was dragging a whole litter of mouse pups along, each one firmly attached to a teat. I can't imagine how that must have felt! Well, I scooped Mama and babies into a bucket and presented the mess to the chickens. They stood around for about 15 minutes, having a meeting about what to do with these invaders. Finally, I took care of them myself, instead of giving them a chance to get out of chicken OR boot reach.

 

[DelcoMama82]

Good old Wigley Juicy Fruit

Someone else suggested big league chew... how does that work exactly?

 

[FarmerJamie]

Someone else suggested big league chew... how does that work exactly?

My understanding is the digestive system can't process it, so it basically plugs everything up.