Mice in the Shop...I Want Them Gone!

[Nate Carey]

I have mice in the attic of my shop. I've set conventional traps, sticky traps, joint compound buckets with bait; nothing has worked so far.

Most nights they will venture down to the work floor and leave evidence of their visit in things like tissue boxes and shop rags. I believe the little buggers came in with an antique sports car that I did some wood working on last winter. It's been an angst since then. Any advice?

[Mike Henderson]

D-con

Mike

[Nate Carey]

Thanks Mike...I've not used poison to date because of the farm animals and pets we have...but my patience is wearing thin...

[Lee Schierer]

Peanut butter on a conventional sprng type trap. Lash a bit of cloth rag to the trigger pan and then smear the peanut butter into the cloth (the cloth keeps them from just licking it off). Gets them everytime. Keep ressetting the traps until you get no more results. Place the traps along the walls.

[Stan Terrell]

Get a hungry cat!!

[Nate Carey]

...I have a very hungry barn cat but her foraging diet consists of squirrels, snakes, and small deer...she won't look twice at "shop mice"...

...just kidding about the small deer...

[Randy Cohen]

another cat or 2 would do it.

[David Epperson]

Peanut butter does seem to be almost irresistible to mice. Rats on the other hand don't seem too interested in it. Either way there is a product called "Just One Bite" that even rats will tear open the package to get to it. Of course the problem with it is that the pests will not share the poison and one animal will eat an entire bait location clean or carry it back to where ever it's denned up at. So you need to ration it out over time in several locations. I have even used it as bait in a live trap with fair results.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have two methods that work well

Years ago I preferred to go musrooming and get the Death Angel Amonitis A few of those crumbled up and soaked in vinegar or alcohol will give you an enormously effective tincture which you can pour on cheap bird seeds and leave out in little piles.
Works great and the toxins last forever so you can store the stuff indefinitely.

Another is peanut butter mixed into a little HAVOC. (get it at the farm supply store.
Not as immediately lethal as the shrooms but, effective.


The down side to killing a colony of rats in a building is rooted the potential size of the infestation. They rot and stink. I've had an over large population in an old building I bought in Maine. Their nest was next to one of the chimneys. When they died they stunk. If I'd known there were so many I'd have prolly used those sticky traps.

The sticky traps laid against the wall is effective 'cause rats like to touch something on their side as they travel. Make it even more effective by surrounding a wad of peanut butter with the sticky traps and in the morning you'll have some hungry rats.

[Joe Mioux]

black snake.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

First post in a long time - it's nice to be back :)


Black snake - Interesting choice....

Personally, i don't like poison. I know too many people that have successfully used poison to kill mice - which then end up trapped in a wall or somewhere else hard to reach yech.

First, you need to remove any/all food sources. We had a major issue with the open-top recycling bins (cans, empty food containers, etc) we had in our garage - until we got a barrel with a lid on it.

I like the old tried and true snap-traps. It kills them quickly, unlike sticky traps which then lead to a sticky situation (haha) aboout how to get rid of a still-living-but-sticky-mouse.

My preferred bait is a single black sunflower seed (from our birdseed supply), pressed into the release lever somehow; and then a small dab of peanut butter on the seed. They might lick the peanut butter, but the seed is too yummy to pass up (much like the 'cloth' suggestion above). So far it seems to be irresistable to them, but you need to keep setting and clearing out the carnage until they are all gone - and then keep a few traps set 'just in case', especially when the cold weather sets in.

[Curt Harms]

Get a hungry cat!!

It's strange but it seems cats have preferences about what they'll hunt. I'm sure they wouldn't if they were hungry. We have a Maine Coon rescue who's a lovable goof in the house but he's the bane of the local vole population and the occasional bird. I don't know that certain breeds are better than others but we were given a Siamese when I lived on the farm and had an infestation of mice in a hay loft. We put her in this hay loft and didn't see her for about 3 weeks. When she did reappear, no more mice were to be found.

[Rob Young]

I have mice in the attic of my shop.
...
I believe the little buggers came in with an antique sports car that I did some wood working on last winter. It's been an angst since then. Any advice?

So the mice brought you the car to work on??? :eek:

Seriously, a good mouser cat is the way to go. They will bring you the mice to contribute to the welfare of the pride. Be sure to have treats on hand. Also be warned, sometimes they don't bring you the whole mouse.

[Brendan McAreavy]

Another vote for peanut butter and conventional spring traps here - Irish mice love it too and it's the only bait I use now.

Brendan

[Brian Kincaid]

Maine coon... I had a friend with one of these. The cat would bring mice and line them up on the step to the house. A little startling to see a row of decapitated mice when you start your day!

Brian

[Eric Larsen]

Most nights they will venture down to the work floor and leave evidence of their visit in things like tissue boxes and shop rags. I believe the little buggers came in with an antique sports car that I did some wood working on last winter. It's been an angst since then. Any advice?

You hit it right there.

Mice want nesting material more than they want food. A bit of fluff in a trap is generally better than food as bait.

Remove as much nesting material as you can (or lock it away) -- tissues, rags, piles of sawdust, etc. You'll have better luck trapping them if you clear away most of what they're after.

[Dave Johnson29]

I have mice in the attic of my shop.

Gopher snakes. :) Works here. Can you lock them in the attic? You will need a few as they only eat about once a week, if that.

[Steve Clardy]

I take jar lids and set them around the shop.
Fill the lids with Coke or your choice of pop.
Keep them filled every few days.
Its sweet and the mice/rats really like it.
They cannot expel gas, and will kill them off in a few days.

No harm to the cats if they happen to find the coke.

[Dennis Peacock]

Its sweet and the mice/rats really like it.
They cannot expel gas, and will kill them off in a few days.

No harm to the cats if they happen to find the coke.

ROFL!!!!! I had no idea.!!!! I'll have to try that.!!! :)

[Scott Shepherd]

They cannot expel gas

Who figured that out? :D

[Steve Clardy]

My grandfather. :D

[Mark Hix]

I take jar lids and set them around the shop.
Fill the lids with Coke or your choice of pop.
Keep them filled every few days.
Its sweet and the mice/rats really like it.
They cannot expel gas, and will kill them off in a few days.

No harm to the cats if they happen to find the coke.


What happens when you pull their finger?:D

Peanut butter on a snap trap has not failed me yet.

[Guy Roland]

Another vote for peanut butter on a spring trap. I'd also like to add rodents are not stupid but are creatures of habit. When I've found evidence of mice I didn't change the area at all, no cleaning or moving their mess. By cleaning the area they will change trails and the traps may not attract them. If you're lucky enough to find where they're eating leave it alone and set some traps near the walls as they seem to want to follow the walls as opposed to crossing a floor. Good Luck

[Steve Clardy]

What happens when you pull their finger?:D




Not sure. They can't fart though. :D

[Brent Leonard]

I'm not big on the boxes of pelletized d-con... I'm always afraid of it spilling all over.
What I use are these little green blocks (1-1/2"x3/4"x3/4") of poison from the farm store that I pace under cabinets, in cubby holes and corners where the dog can't get them. After awhile you see how the mice are knawing away at them. They work great, and I've never had a smell problem.

I could see how rats and lots of rodents could cause a smell.

[glenn bradley]

...just kidding about the small deer...

You had me there for a second . . . man that must be some kinda cat . . . oh wait a minute, he's kidding.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Living on a farm brings requires a certain set of skills, one of which is dealing with vermin. I hate mice. The only good way to get rid of them is to completely clean your building, and make it unfriendly to mice. Seal holes to the outdoors and eliminate bedding, food, and closed spaces that they can nest in. After that, you can trap the survivors, but until your building is mouse resistant, its going to be impossible to catch, poison, cat, snake or whatever all of the danged things. They reproduce so fast, that you just won't win the battle unless you take it seriously.

That snake idea, ever stuck your hand into a bolt bin and grabbed a bullsnake? :eek: Sure pissed the snake off too!

[Harvey M. Taylor]

like someone else has said, Dcon. When I first noticed them, I set out dcon and went thru 5 boxes before they slowed down. The Dcon causes dehydration to set in. In their search for water, they leave the shop and die elsewhere. After 7 boxes of the stuff, I havent smelled one dead rat. I live in the country, so have an endless supply of new ones. It is worth the trouble of planting the bait where other animals cant get to it. I believe this is your best bet. Max

[Dave Johnson29]

That snake idea, ever stuck your hand into a bolt bin and grabbed a bullsnake? :eek: Sure pissed the snake off too!

Nope, never, but then I am almost on a first name basis with my boys/girls. Although a couple of them are light brown with a rattler kind of pattern and if startled will emulate a rattler. That can get the heart pumping a little until you check the head shape. They do the tail rattle thing, sit up, hiss and everything. No rattles of course but they sure know how to mimic one. The green ones do it also but it is pretty obvious with them. :)

I don't like the poison although it is very effective. I don't want my dogs and the local owls etc eating the dead'ns and suffering. One dog ate a dead pack-rat back when I used poison (d-con) and it was pretty ill for a few days. Diarrhea and vomiting blood. He survived but that's when I stopped using it.

I used to put the poison in small wire cages the mice could get through the mesh but none of the bigger critters could get to it.

I have to be real sceptical about the soda idea. The carbonation would be gone in a few hours in an open dish, so no fart popellant as I would see it. I can assure you dogs have no problem passing gas with or without soda. :eek::D:D

[Jim Sears]

[QUOTE=Steve Rozmiarek;1194621]Living on a farm brings requires a certain set of skills, one of which is dealing with vermin. I hate mice. The only good way to get rid of them is to completely clean your building, and make it unfriendly to mice. Seal holes to the outdoors and eliminate bedding, food, and closed spaces that they can nest in. After that, you can trap the survivors, but until your building is mouse resistant, its going to be impossible to catch, poison, cat, snake or whatever all of the danged things. They reproduce so fast, that you just won't win the battle unless you take it seriously.
QUOTE]


LOL...Good luck on "mouse proofing" anything. I don't know if these https://www.riddexplus.com/flare/next?tag=os|sm|go work or not. But it might be worth a try.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

[QUOTE=Steve Rozmiarek;1194621]Living on a farm brings requires a certain set of skills, one of which is dealing with vermin. I hate mice. The only good way to get rid of them is to completely clean your building, and make it unfriendly to mice. Seal holes to the outdoors and eliminate bedding, food, and closed spaces that they can nest in. After that, you can trap the survivors, but until your building is mouse resistant, its going to be impossible to catch, poison, cat, snake or whatever all of the danged things. They reproduce so fast, that you just won't win the battle unless you take it seriously.
QUOTE]


LOL...Good luck on "mouse proofing" anything. I don't know if these https://www.riddexplus.com/flare/next?tag=os|sm|go work or not. But it might be worth a try.

Yea, maybe mouse armoring would be a better term! Seriously though, just patch cracks in foundations, windows, walls, whatever. Then clean the place down to the bare wood structure. You'll find the mice as you do it, and eliminate their enviroment.

I'm off to wire in a new 25hp booster pump this morning, as a danged rodent chewed into one leg of 480 volt three phase. Mouse smoke everywhere. Yuk. Ruined the motor.

[Bonnie Campbell]

I think I'd rather have mice than the rats I'm dealing with :eek: When LOML was here he took care of vermin. Now I get to learn the 'tricks of the trade'. For the stinky ones you gob Vicks on you nose to dispose of dead ones lol Think I just about got them out of the shop now using poison blocks.

They DID get ticked off at me after the first toss out of poison blocks. They got up on my work benches knocking things off and chewed up every pencil in sight.

I'm going to win this fight though!

[Dave Johnson29]

I'm off to wire in a new 25hp booster pump this morning, as a danged rodent chewed into one leg of 480 volt three phase.

I had a pack rat make a nest on the intake plenum of the truck engine. As I drove off it got hotter so the rat must have got a bit excited and started biting wires. It chewed through the crankshaft signal to the computer and everything came to a coasting halt.

I opened the hood and a VERY fat rat ran out and gave me quite an indignant look as it scurried off into the bushes. One less rat for my place, so that had to be good. I got a friend to tow me home and then spent the next day soldering wires. If I could chain up a gopher snake I would have one permanently under the hood. :)

[Nate Carey]

Living on a farm brings requires a certain set of skills, one of which is dealing with vermin. I hate mice...They reproduce so fast, that you just won't win the battle unless you take it seriously.

Okay! This morning I’ve made stops at the farm supply store, humane society, grocery, and exotic pet store.

I’m now “armed” with one vacuum cleaner, two skinny cats, three poison mushrooms, four hungry snakes, five snap traps, six cans of Coke, seven jars of Jiff, eight Maine coons, nine kinds of seeds, ten yards of hardware cloth, eleven fence staples, and twelve Creeker friends.

…there Steve, you know I mean business now!



So the mice brought you the car to work on??? :eek:

...and Rob, no more old Morgan's in the shop 'til they're fumigated!

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Nate, I think you're ready! ROFLMAO!

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I had a pack rat make a nest on the intake plenum of the truck engine. As I drove off it got hotter so the rat must have got a bit excited and started biting wires. It chewed through the crankshaft signal to the computer and everything came to a coasting halt.

I opened the hood and a VERY fat rat ran out and gave me quite an indignant look as it scurried off into the bushes. One less rat for my place, so that had to be good. I got a friend to tow me home and then spent the next day soldering wires. If I could chain up a gopher snake I would have one permanently under the hood. :)

Dave, that image of a fat indignant rat glaring at you is a good one!

[Dave Johnson29]

Dave, that image of a fat indignant rat glaring at you is a good one!

Steve,

She actually looked like she might attack me! :eek: Too bad the dog was still inside the truck. :)

I can understand her issues. It was a very well constructed and elaborately adorned nest. Must have had a couple of admirers in there at times. Probably one from an automotive college that told her which wires to bite to stop the truck dead.

With the crankshaft signal gone, the computer thought everything had stopped so no sense doing anything at all now.

Don't get me started on the mice families in the well heads.

[Rob Cunningham]

We had mice in the attic of our house. You could hear them going through the walls at night. We bought some Riddex Plus devices. They seem to be working.
https://www.riddexpowerplus.com/flare/next?tag=os|sm|go (https://www.riddexpowerplus.com/flare/next?tag=os%7Csm%7Cgo)

[Mac McQuinn]

A Canadian Mouse Trap works very well. Cheap to make, no smell and deadly;)

Mac

[Nate Carey]

Four mice have met their demise since Saturday afternoon...the "peanut butter on rag in conventional spring trap" got all four...thanks Lee...

[Mark Patoka]

Peanut butter on a spring trap works for me every time we get the little buggers in the house.

[Zach England]

A Canadian Mouse Trap works very well. Cheap to make, no smell and deadly;)

Mac

What is a Canadian mouse trap? I googled it and found nothing.

[Mac McQuinn]

What is a Canadian mouse trap? I googled it and found nothing.

OK, Well I was at the gun shop yesterday talking to a friend about his trip to his rustic cabin up in Canada. Another guy came in and was just fuming about the mice getting into his local cottage. My friend told him to make a Canadian mouse trap. Here's how he described to make it.....

1)Get a 5 gallon plastic pail and cut two holes in it 180 degrees apart & about 5" down from rim. Make the holes big enough to slid a broom handle through.

2)Take a empty plastic 1 liter pop bottle w/o cap and drill a hole in the bottom big enough for the broom handle to slide through. Also drill several 1/4" holes in the fat part of the bottle all the way around.

3)Take a section of broom handle long enough to stick through an inch or so on the sides and slide it through one side of the pail. Now slid the pop bottle on the broom handle and continue on through the pail with the broom handle. Attach a hose clamp to each end to keep it from sliding out.

4) Center the bottle on the broom handle in the pail and cross drill a 1/4" hole through the handle about 1/8" from each end of the bottle. Slide a 1/4" dowel through with an inch showing on both sides.

5) Cut a 1-1/2" hole 5" from top rim. Make sure bottom of hole is flat across. This needs to be 90 degrees from other two holes. Take a yard stick and slide it into hole and position about 2" from bottle's edge and let the other end sit on ground. The top edge of yard stick should be even with top of bottle. Adjust accordingly.

6) put 3" of water in bottom of pail & add about 1/2" of engine oil. Slather peanut butter all over the bottle, pushing it through the drilled holes.

When the mice run up the "gangplank" to get to the peanut butter they smell, they take a leap of death to bottle which spins out from underneath them depositing them into the murky depths below. He stated he's got over 20 mice in one night with this contraption.:eek:

Mac

[Ed Labadie]

I'm not big on the boxes of pelletized d-con... I'm always afraid of it spilling all over.
What I use are these little green blocks (1-1/2"x3/4"x3/4") of poison from the farm store that I pace under cabinets, in cubby holes and corners where the dog can't get them. After awhile you see how the mice are knawing away at them. They work great, and I've never had a smell problem.

I could see how rats and lots of rodents could cause a smell.

Those work great for mice...but eventually they get carried off by rats.
Since those blocks have a hole through them...I screw em' to the wall. :D
No take out meals in Ed's barn.

Ed

[Bonnie Campbell]

Those work great for mice...but eventually they get carried off by rats.
Since those blocks have a hole through them...I screw em' to the wall. :D
No take out meals in Ed's barn.

Ed

Usually I'll run a wire through the blocks and they stay where I wire them. This last batch of rats I stood in the middle of the shop and just pitched them wherever lol I KNEW the rats were around. I wasn't taking the chance of being their climbing pole!

[Rod Sheridan]

Okay! This morning I’ve made stops at the farm supply store, humane society, grocery, and exotic pet store.

I’m now “armed” with one vacuum cleaner, two skinny cats, three poison mushrooms, four hungry snakes, five snap traps, six cans of Coke, seven jars of Jiff, eight Maine coons, nine kinds of seeds, ten yards of hardware cloth, eleven fence staples, and twelve Creeker friends.

…there Steve, you know I mean business now!




...and Rob, no more old Morgan's in the shop 'til they're fumigated!

Nate, I think I'll try singing that at Christmas.........Rod.