Dewey's crusade against rodents (with pics)

[Dewey Torres]

Well folks…
Part of my "welcome to spring" was going out to the shed I had just finished before the first snowfall last summer. I opened the door and the place smelled like death, the floor was black and my lawn mower (and everything else) was covered in poop. Bird seed was strewn from one side to the other and potting soil was everywhere.

Field mice!

Had to get it cleaned up before they started to take residence in my house! Yesterday I lit up a cigar, cleaned the shed, and armed with a family pack of DECON bait and sticky traps, I set out to have war with the little guys. I am not trying to be mean but I love birds and these guys attracted 3 different cats to my back yard and one already caught one of the birds from the feeder instead of the mice. The bird and mice were after the seed.
Today was the first day the traps were put out. You can see in the shed pic where there is a small crack near the bottom left of the door I made to allow the door to open onto the wooden walkway I made which runs slightly uphill. That is where they got in as the rest of the building is air tight. I still have plenty of bait and 3 more traps.... Bring it on!
Dewey II
Mice 0

[Jim Rimmer]

Catch the cats and lock them in the shop.:eek:

[Bruce Page]

Dewey, I hate to tell you this bud but there’s millions of em out there. You’d be better off fixing the door.

[Dewey Torres]

Catch the cats and lock them in the shop.:eek:
I wish I could... not a big cat fan.


Dewey, I hate to tell you this bud but there’s millions of em out there. You’d be better off fixing the door.

Yes I know... any suggestions? They can squeeze into some awfully tight spaces so is there a way to do that?

I was just going to take the food (seed out of there and keep it in the house)

[David Christopher]

Dewey, get a BB gun and move into the shed.......that will show em

[Brian Effinger]

At least its not rats. I opened up my detached garage the other day, and found droppings that were too big to be mice. I noticed over the winter that something had chewed through the rubber gasket on the bottom of the overhead door, and I had assumed it was a field mouse. They don't bother me, rats do however.

Giving me the heebie jeebies just thinking about them. I've still got to pull out all of the lumber from an ongoing addition, clean up and get rid of the buggers.

[Dewey Torres]

Dewey, get a BB gun and move into the shed.......that will show em

I am about ready to do just that:mad:


At least its not rats. I opened up my detached garage the other day, and found droppings that were too big to be mice. I noticed over the winter that something had chewed through the rubber gasket on the bottom of the overhead door, and I had assumed it was a field mouse. They don't bother me, rats do however.

Giving me the heebie jeebies just thinking about them. I've still got to pull out all of the lumber from an ongoing addition, clean up and get rid of the buggers.

Yes... thanks I am glad they are not rats but they did a lot of damage non the less.:mad: Lowes has a good selection of rodent rid products when you get ready!:cool: Make sure to send pics and tally!

[Jim Kountz]

Dewey I cant stop laughing at the thought of you out there waging war against those mice. What a visual I got from that!!
I got you all camo'ed out with the black paint on your face and an M-16 standing guard. Oh man!!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Dewey..........it's always something!

Those sticky traps work great, so as far as the mice I would keep using them. For the gap in your shed - how about low expansion spray insulation? As far the cats....... lets just say I share your viewpoint and do not wish to offend any cat lovers.

[Greg Peterson]

Rodents give me the hebee-jebee's. Don't know why, they just do.

That said, when I've had rodent problems I use spring traps. It's generally more humane.

Just because I don't like 'em is no reason to be cruel to 'em just because they're doing what it is they do.

[Curt Harms]

..... As far the cats....... lets just say I share your viewpoint and do not wish to offend any cat lovers.

Is to remember this: Dogs have masters, cats have staff:).

[Lee Mitchell]

We had this problem. Solution: Keep birdseed in a metal trash can. Sweep up any spills. Mice might pop in for a visit but they won't stay when they find the kitchen closed.

Hope this helps.

Lee in NC

[Belinda Barfield]

Go get em' Dewey. We have two cats that patrol our shop at work. The folks at the Merita bread depot next door seem to be quite happy about that by the way. One day one of the cats came strolling through the roll up door with a rat - not a mouse, a big, ugly rat in her mouth. So, what does she do? She proudly brings it to me. She drops the rat at my feet . . . and the rat isn't dead. He takes off running and scoots behind a row of cabinets. The counter on top of those cabinets just happens to be my work surface. I spent the entire day just waiting for that rat to run across my foot, or up my leg. Yeah, I know he was probably more scared of me than I was of him, but that didn't make much difference. Rats . . . EEEEW!

[Jeff Mohr]

That said, when I've had rodent problems I use spring traps. It's generally more humane.

Just because I don't like 'em is no reason to be cruel to 'em just because they're doing what it is they do.

Yeah...snap traps are what I use. Something about the critter staying stuck and alive to a trap or eating poison which makes it dehydrate just doesn't sit right with me.

[Mike Wilkins]

Try placing moth balls around the perimeter of the building. I use it to try and keep the snakes from the property; may work for mice.
I had a neighbors' cat that loved to hunt-mice, birds, rabbits. Only problem is she loved to bring the results and lay them on my neighbors porch or deck. Even bought me a prize-did'nt know it until I began to investigate the smell.
Makes me wonder about those feline creatures.

[Brian Effinger]

Dewey, you might want to consider snap traps too. I've seen mice chew their legs off to get out of glue traps. :eek: Then they'll be leaving snail trails in the saw dust. :D

[Jerry Bruette]

Dewey,

When I bought my cabin it hadn't been used in a few years and the mice were camped out everywhere. Tried the D-Con pellets until I found out they would carry it away and store it.:( Then I went to bar bait, they don't carry it away. That worked for a while and then I made my own traps.

It's a 5 gallon pail with a rod going from one side to the other about 1/2 an inch from the top, on that rod is a piece of pvc pipe that can rotate on the rod. Then I put a piece of wood up the side of the pail for access to the rod. Then you put peanut butter on the pipe, right in the middle. Mouse goes up wood gangplank to pipe, out on pipe, pipe spins,:eek: mouse meets his demise in bottom of pail.:D


All you do is bait the trap and empty the trap. Now I keep the trap on the outside of my cabin and it's mouse free. No sense in inviting them inside to the bait or trap.

Good luck
Jerry

[Paul Greathouse]

Dewey, you've got double trouble now.

Being a woodworker the tree huggers are already after you. Now, with that picture of those poor little defenseless mice the animal rights activists are bound to be after you too.:D

[Pat Germain]

It would seem Jerry has quite literally built a better mouse trap. Has the world started to beat a path to your door? :D

Dewey, a friend of mine had trouble with field mice getting into her house a few years ago. She bought a gadget which supposedly generated an ultra-sonic sound that keeps mice away. I was pretty skeptical. By golly, my friend claims she had no more mice after plugging those things in around her house. I wonder if you could plug one into your outdoor outlet? I expect it would have to be protected from precipitation; all five inches we get each year in Colorado Springs.

[Frank Hagan]

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the most satisfying, easiest and most effective rodent killer known to man:

http://www.ratzapper.com/images/newClassic.jpg

The Rat Zapper!

Load it up with batteries, toss some dog kibble into it, and wait. The rodent sniffs around enjoying the proverbial last meal and then wanders inside ... and steps on the metal plate. Instantly, the rodent is executed in a method befitting the vermin. No blood, no gore, no squirming on a glue plate.

In the morning, you simply pick up the Rat Zapper and tip it into the trash can. If any children are present you can tell them the rodent is sleeping (they look so peaceful).

Beyond the Rat Zapper, removing any and all food from the shed will help a lot.

[Dewey Torres]

Ok folks... that last thing on my mind was trying to be humane about this.

I spent far too much money on the landscape and shed this past summer to see it ruined by mice. Not only that, but my house is only a few feet away from he shed and the last thing I wanted was them in the house too:eek:.

I am going to do the trash can idea for the bird seed and I will take up the traps after they stop catching mice. I can whack them in the head with a mallet if it makes folks feel better but I hope you know that Colorado had a guy die from the Hantaviris (http://health.yahoo.com/respiratory-overview/hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome-hps-topic-overview/healthwise--hw191133.html) which is contracted from mice poop. It is a nasty virus ... just click on the link and see.

Pat, jokingly said I am not bleeding from my eyes so I am ok. This was after I already cleaned the shed with no idea about the virus!
I am not a cruel person.

[Rob Cooper]

Be careful, I here the mice are fighting back!
http://granitegrok.com/pix/soldier_size_mouse_trap.jpg

[Dewey Torres]

Be careful, I here the mice are fighting back!



Good one Rob!

[Rich Stewart]

How can you not like cats? I love cats. Anybody want to exchange recipes?

[Belinda Barfield]

I'm just going to assume we don't have any PETA members on the Creek!
Oh wait, that would be Rich - People Eating Tasty Animals! :rolleyes:

[Greg Peterson]

Removing the food source is the best move. They'll move on to greener pastures.

[Mark P. Brown]

Cats I love them to, especialy the big newtered ones. Great for taco or chilie. MMMmmmmmmm
Mark