Mouse in the House

Trying2keepitReal

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What are your best tips for mouse-proofing a farm house?
Ugh we have this problem too. Are they in the basement, main floor, etc?

We have done the bottle on a dowl on a 5 gallon bucket over water-put a ramp and some peanut butter on the bottle and they spin and fall.

We got a kitten this summer and haven't seen any upstairs this year.

DH also made a mixture of dry peanut butter and plaster of paris. They eat it and when they drink their inside hardens up and they die. We have never seen any of these as we don't have water in the basement (that I know of anyway)
 

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Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸
 

tortoise

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Ugh we have this problem too. Are they in the basement, main floor, etc?

We have done the bottle on a dowl on a 5 gallon bucket over water-put a ramp and some peanut butter on the bottle and they spin and fall.

We got a kitten this summer and haven't seen any upstairs this year.

DH also made a mixture of dry peanut butter and plaster of paris. They eat it and when they drink their inside hardens up and they die. We have never seen any of these as we don't have water in the basement (that I know of anyway)
DH found an irregularity in the sill plate, possibly a cavity? It's inaccessible from indoors and outdoors, so we're not sure what is going on or how to shore it up. We think the basement mice got in this way. It seems they had a nest outside because we were able to find a food source, trap and eradicate. Had they nested inside the problem would have been ongoing?

I'm not sure how they get into my kitchen. I plugged gaps in my under sink cabinet with steel wool a couple years ago. DH filled the rest of the gaps between cabinets this year so they can't move from one cabinet to another. I have seen mice run between my laundry room and under the fridge. I'm not sure how mice get into the laundry room. In the past they were stashing dog kibble inside the walls - we found it when remodeling. We put new walls up and all the vents are sealed now. (The heat vent was previously wide open and gaps around it).

IDK.
 

Alaskan

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What are your best tips for mouse-proofing a farm house?
Sorry to laugh.... it is NOT funny....

But well... my house is a more-on house... so built like a seive. Rodents come and go as they please. If we wanted to stop rodents coming in we would have to blow up the house and build a new one.

So.... ALL food must be in rodent proof containers, or up where they can't reach.

Luckily we don't have rats... just little rodents, tiny shrews, mice, and voles.... so heavy plastic is enough security for food.

Where they like to nest... like IN THE STORED AND FOLDED BEDDING.....all stored bedding is now kept in containers.. just cloth ones with lids...but the rodents haven't crawled in...

And other "housing" choices...like under the boy's bunk beds we try to clean out once a month so they don't nest there.....


Spouse is super allergic to cats...


Trapping and poisons only work until the next wave moves in...

However....being very careful to reduce all food... means we have WAY fewer rodents now.... close to zero actually.

Having older kids helps hugely... since food is no longer all over the floor.
 

tortoise

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Controlling food mess is a big part of the problem here. One of my dogs has a swallowing problem so food falls out of her mouth while she eats and she regurgitates frequently. When my other dog eats he stops chewing and food falls out of his mouth when the first dog or my husband walk by (anywhere, not even close). Both dogs flip the bowl over so it's easier to eat out of. Uggh. Sweeping daily is not good enough to manage this mess.

I need to check my baking ingredients. Anything in that cabinet that's not in a sturdy plastic container (or glass) tends to get chewed on. I'm usually good about keeping it mouse proof, but it was over-ful lately so it's probably not all stored correctly now. TY for the reminder!
 

Hinotori

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I have to keep all food in secure containers. Lots of 5 gallon tubs with Gamma lids. Plus side is they are airtight as well so stuff stores better. Dog and cat food is in Vittle Vaults which have Gamma lids. Stuff I use a lot is usually in half gallon and quart mason jars, or nice big Snap Lock containers as the local asian grocery sells huge ones for a good price.

We had an issue with a big rat population boom for about two weeks after it warmed up. Not much food outside as all chickens have treadle feeders now. We have an old house and they got in. Not much food to find inside either, but they found my stash of plastic grocery bags and shredded them. It was a lot of bags so a right mess.

The Tom Cat black rat traps work very well. I have old fashion Victor snap traps as well but they arent as effective. Caught 7 field mouse sized young rats in 12 hours. I know there is an adult that is here somewhere but that sucker avoids the traps.

Cats have been no use as they only hunt outside usually. The dog is too old to get them, though she has sniffed for me. I need a younger dog to help with that. Dogs are very good at killing rats.
 

Hinotori

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😁 :idunno. No such place.

They dislike peppermint. It can help, not a 100% result. Does help them not want to stay around. Put drops of peppermint oil in drawers, along baseboards, etc.

Not actually true. They ate a bunch of peppermint life savers I had on the counter a few weeks ago and a bar and a half of Dr Bronners peppermint soap. They ignored the bars of Dove sitting next to the Dr Bronners. That stuff makes sensitive skin burn slightly from the peppermint oil.

We used to feed peppermint patties to our pet rats when I was a kid. Well until Mom saw and yelled at us for giving them chocolate.

They do seem to not like the smell of fresh catnip and prefer to avoid it, but will go through if there is no easier way.

I've disolved menthol crystals in oil and smeared spots. They just went around it or leaped over for a few days until the scent died down. I tried added sugar and put drink caps of it in spots hoping they would lick it up because menthol is toxic. The package came with warnings because stupid humans have tried to suck on crystals and poisoned themselves.

I've considered putting my male cat in a crate with a potty pad and taking him for a drive as he doesn't do rides well. Then I can cut up the wet pad and stuff them anywhere I think a rat can get in. Cat pee is a deterrent unless the rats have toxoplasmosis.
 
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