Need your help with mice again

[supersurgilator]

I posted awhile ago because back in March, I found a dead mouse inside the doorway to my grandparents garage. I assumed it was just a stray because we have never experienced this before. Everything seemed fine until 2 weeks ago, I went out into the garage and there was a dead baby mouse laying side the doorway again. I went checking because we have corn out there in a tub for the squirrels, well it had been into, so I removed it from the garage, wrapped it all up in bags and sealed the tub. Again, didn't see any activity. Last Tuesday I went out into the garage over to a corner and saw something run out the corner of my eye. By this time we have removed the corn and I bought some traps, and set them Saturday. Checked them Sunday and Monday mornings, nothing, then today I went out there, the trap had gone off (its a no view one). I raised the main garage door and started sweeping in the corner, guess what saw a mouse inside a bottle. I got a broom and laughed it down the driveway, and 3 more babies came crawling out of it. I tried to shoo them away figuring they will jjust find their way back in. I went back into the garage and saw another one running around in circles up on a chair. I set out poison bait traps after that, so we will see.
I really didn't want to use the poision because I didn't want to pick up dead mice, but I didn't feel like I had any other option. I know they are getting under the garage door as the seal isn't very good, I just want rid of them at this point, because m grandparents would have a fit if they knew they had mice in their garage. Any other suggestions? The garage is not cluttered at all and thee isn't any evidence of droppings or naw marks etc. I just want to make sure there arent any more babies running around.

 

[danemodsandy]

Bruce:

The answer is metal. Mice and rats have a very hard time with metal, and when they encounter it, they'll usually wander off in search of easier pickings.

The seal at the bottom of the garage door can be improved by getting a piece of metal edge molding and screwing it to the bottom front edge of the garage door. What you're looking for is the stuff that goes at the edge of vinyl in your kitchen, where it meets other flooring. It's in the flooring department of Lowe's, Home Depot or Menard's. When you screw it to the front bottom edge of the door, make sure it contacts the floor of the garage (or the surface of the driveway) all the way across.

If you have feed corn on hand, it belongs in metal cans, not plastic. Mice can gnaw through plastic, and rats consider it one of the four basic food groups.

If there are any entry holes, a piece of sheet metal screwed in place over them is the best way to deal with them, at least until mice are taught to read "No Trespassing" signs.

Just remember, the little darlins' use their teeth for tools. Chewing on metal is about as much fun for them as it would be for us. Use that to your advantage.

The major exception is a big rat who is truly desperate for food. In that situation, all bets are off.

 

[launderess]

Well I Did Warn You, Didnt' I?

Very rarely is it a case of the odd mouse, just the one who was careless and you've seen. Or, got in and even if caught left a trail for others to follow.

Any sort of grain or foodstuffs should never be stored in anything that isn't rodent proof (read metal can) and well sealed. It must also be kept about foot or more off the ground. Even putting something on a shelf does not always work because most all rodents including rats and mice can climb very well. Bottom line if they know or sense there is food and or shelter in an location they will keep at it.

Previous poster's directions are spot on; all doors to the garage need a metal rodent-proof sweep at the bottm. In the case of mice it must be very near to the ground indeed as they can flatten themselves to get through small cracks/crevices.

You must also take *EVERYTHING* out of the garage and give it a good deep cleaning. At the same time examine every inch of the place (look above and towards the floor) for any holes, cracks, etc.. and seal them tightly. Rodents like clutter and areas which aren't disturbed often for nesting sites. Seeing a rodent or two is an excellent excuse to start cleaning out an area and throwing away "pack rat" (excuse the pun) clutter.

Using poison at this early stage may be premature. Clean the place out, seal things up then set out a few traps. Wait a few days, if they aren't disturbed move them about and wait again. If say after several weeks nothing has been touched and you've not seen or heard of anything including damage such as chew marks, shreeded paper, etc then you *might* be in the clear. You may also wish to enter the garage suddenly late at night and turn on the lights, or flash a bright flashlight. Rodents are most active from dusk until before dawn and generally set their internal clocks to knowing when the coast is clear, that is when the area has settled down for the night.

If OTOH you are seeing traps messed with and or signs of rodent activity, kick your game up a notch by using a combined attack of poison and traps.

Depending upon type of construction garages can be very hard to seal against mice. Rats because of their size are a bit easier.

Good luck!

 

[stan]

told you before

get a cat! LOL

think I remember you saying your grandparents have a indoor cat, let her OUT! or go and get a nice outdoor cat, she or he will earn their keep, and with the above suggestions, don't think you'll have any more trouble.

 

[mrb627]

Or...

Get a Rat-Terrier! They are bred to hunt rats!

 

[vintagekitchen]

Make sure they never come in with Peppermint Oil

As others have mentioned, poison and traps, as ell as metal or glass to hold all food items, and rubbermaid totes with lids for anything cloth or paper they could use for nesting material.

But a really good trick, since they have an obvious entrance, is peppermint essential oil. Mice cannot stand the smell, (personally I'm not that fond of it, sort of like being trapped inside a giant candy cane). Simply soak some cotton balls in peppermint oil, and scatter them about the garage. The mice should leave, and no more will enter. Just repeat as the smell fades.

My home is old and drafty, and surrounded on 3 sides by cornfeilds, so of course mice tend to find their way in. But by keeping the cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil in my cabinets, and refreshing them as needed, mice dont enter the cupboards at all. The only time one has ever got in them was when I got lazy, and didnt replace the dried up cotton balls with fresh ones.

 

[moparguy]

I hate to ask a silly question, but...

Kevin, where would I get peppermint oil? I am bracing for the fall mouse invasion and would love to have a solution to keep them out!

 

[westie2]

peppermint oil

Not Kevin here but can get at Health food stores like GNC or at some drug stores. 

 

[hunter]

natural food stores

You can often find essential oils at natural food stores. Or, you can find them online but you'll have to pay for postage.

I like the idea I will try it myself. I did not know this, thank you!

 

[dirtybuck]

Kevin:

You are reading my mind.

I discovered a few food packages in one of my cabinets had small holes in them. There were also some tell tale droppings. I knew immediately I had mice.

After doing some investigative work, I found out about peppermint and mice (little buggers can't stand it). I knew exactly where the little critter was coming in, so I put some crushed peppermint candies in a small shallow metal container.

Within a few days, the little bugger disappeared from my apartment.

 

[vintagekitchen]

where to purchase peppermint oil

I buy mine at the local amish store if I am going to be there for some reason, (I go a few times a year to purchase items I cant get otherwise), the rest of the time, I pick it up at the local drugstore.

Just make sure you get the strong kind, labelled essential oil. The stuff in grocery stores labelled flavoring oil or extract will not work as well, and it does not last very long either. The essential oil is actually strong enough to burn yoour eyes if you smell the soaked cotton ball, so you can imagine what it does to the strong sense of smell a mouse has.

As a side note, it does not seem to bother household pets at all. I have a friend who got a mouse in a storage closet, and noticed the cat lurking about the closet door a lot, waiting for the mouse. She tossed some of the mint oil soaked cotton balls in there to drive out the mouse so her cat could grab it. The cat went right back to lurking there waiting for the mouse, no issue at all about the mint oil. I guess maybe the smell reminded it of catnip..

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Some  people speak of mothballs working against mouse as long for snakes deers etc......not sure if they really works I just use it to put on wardrobe against moths! And this is the only use I do with them....never tried for mouse.

My father in the barn and cellars and everywhere just go with poison  and  tubes of mice glue  to make traps over a wood block with the old cheese piece or cracker in the middle, it works great, they does not die and so stink this way....you just pick up the block and drop in the garbage in a sealed bag...

He has 4 cats also there but in that huge farm they're just  not enough sometimes.......

 

[supersurgilator]

Yes you remembered correctly they do have an indoor cat, not sure if they would be willing to let her out there though LOL. We had a bad rainstorm today so I didn't get a chance to go out there, but I'm going to check the garage again tomorrow and see what is going on. I'm hoping that I don't find a bunch of dead bodies from the poision, but it was the only thing I had on hand, only had 1 more trap. Like I said I've never experienced them before, nor did I ever think I would have. I really wonder if there was a previous problem with this garage anyway, as they have only lived in this house for 2 years.
The funny thing is there really isn't any sign of feces or anything that I can see. There was a bag of garbage that has a little gnaw mark in it, but nothing major. Guess we will wait and see.
I also heard somewhere about the moth balls, but I think I may try some peppermint oil.

 

[stan]

peppermint oil

and the CAT !

 

[vintagekitchen]

NOOO CAT!!!

If you have been leaving poison about, whatever you do, make sure the cat stays shut up inside the house! If it eats a thoroughly poisoned mouse, (very likely as poisoned ones that haven't yet died make for easy prey), you will have a poisoned cat.

Even if you remove all the poison, the cat needs to be kept away from the garage for some time, to make sure any poisoned mice have died, and been found/removed. Otherwise, you risk killing the cat by mistake.

 

[mixfinder]

mouse anatomy

Do you know why mice have such small balls? Very few mice know how to dance. Old country remedy. Oats mixed with plaster of Paris and available water supply.

 

[launderess]

Cats & Mice

With all due respect to those suggesting a cat as the natural solution to a rodent problem, one begs to differ.

Here in NYC no self respecting animal shelter will allow anyone to adopt/purchase a cat if they even hint at they want it to catch mice or worse rats. Why? Because they fear and have seen what happens to purpose purchased pets when they fail to fullfill that use.

While it is true most all cats have the natural instincts to catch mice it is not by all means universal. To capture and kill mice (and rats for that matter) is a skill mother cats teach their kittens. While the running away by the mouse often triggers a natural response in cats, not all know what to do afterwards. Many just bat and play with the thing until it escapes, or simply dies from fright, exhaustion and or injuries from being swatted about.

Usually mice and other rodents will avoid an area with cats which makes sense as they are the latter's prey, that also is not universal. There are pictures all over the Web not to mention stories of cats happily sharing their meals with a mouse, or worse the things cuddling together sleeping. In short if a cat is not taught at a young age that the rodent is "food" not much is going to happen.

Another thing happens when cats enter an area with mice, the latter often increase breeding in response. Which makes sense as nature tells them that their numbers will surely decrease as they become victims of cats.

The only sure fire wat to get a cat that is a mouser it to find one that was brought up and or at least has lived in in an environment where mice were found (farm, grocery store, etc....), otherwise it can be a game of dice.

Persons have put cats into mice or rat infested basements, starved them and or otherwise tried to get them to do what they belived should come naturally with various results. It often ends badly for the poor cat.

It may have been true years ago when rodents were more common in homes that most all cats were mousers. This simply was because again the cat probably was exposed to catching and killing rodents as a kitten. However as rodent free homes have become the standard (usually) a cat could live it's entire life without ever coming into contact with one.

Here in NYC people get cats to "catch mice" not knowing their own actions towards the cat such as leaving food and water out 24/7 for the pet actually helps feed and thus increase the problem. There also have been stories of cats having been "trained" by their owners (usually via the water gun system) to stay off counter-tops, tables, furnishings, etc..) being found sat sitting staring at a mouse *on* such a thing. The mice have learned long as they stay where they are it is safe, the cat has been *stopped* by previous instructions from going after it's prey so you have a stalemate.

Poison for mice/rats:

Most rodents are nibblers, hunters, and gatherers, chiefly of grains, nuts etc. When they come upon an abundant supply of food they will have their taste but take portions away to stash elsewhere for lean times. This is why bat block poisons have a hole in center for attaching to the station, it keeps rodents from moving the stuff. For households it can mean poison stashed in areas besides where it was originally put, especially those pellets. This increases the chances of pets and or other animals getting at the stuff and ingesting.

Because mice eat so little and the poisons used domestically rather weak (to prevent pets and other animals including humans from being poisoned with one dose),it can take many days of steady consumption of the thing before a mouse succumbs. In that time should a cat, dog or any other animal catch and ingest the poisoned rodent, it will likely become ill and die.

Here in NYC there is huge amount of noise about how to deal with the rat problem. The city and property owners turn to poisons, however falcons, household pets and other animals often catch and ingest such treated rodents and become ill and or die. Was walking down a local street one day last year and saw a dead squirrel not too far from a rodent bait station placed near a building's rubbish bins. Poor thing obviously figured out there was "food" inside and thought it found a safe and steady supply, sadly it turned out to be his last meal.

 

[circlew]

Have friends with two cats. Samantha was obtained free as a kitten from a farm; Gracie bought at a pet store. Samantha is a great cat and spends much time outdoors, and she is a super hunter - catching mice frequently. However, Gracie is such a lazy indoor cat that if she sees a mouse, she won't even bother to get up. Launderess is right that they have to be taught by the mother cat to be good mousers.

 

[stan]

Oh far Gods Sake

must everything be so complicated! and condescending!

Where did I say that poison and cats should go together. Of couse not!
I didn't fall off the cabbage cart yesterday you know.
And while kittens do learn from the mothers, how dose "one" explain my 14 year old cat Iv'e had since she was 6 weeks old, thats still catching them out here in the country? I did'nt teach her... HUMM it must be INSTIENCT!

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