Mice invasion

[NH.Solar]

Like so many in this post rodents have become a real problem lately. The final straw was one day after getting into my work truck that had been sitting for a week and finding that mice had gotten in through the hvac system, chewed up a full roll of paper towel, and then proceeded to stink the truck up with their droppings ...then going to get my chainsaw chaps from a garden shed only to find that mice had chewed halfway through the waist belt ...and then to add additional insult to injury they had eaten a hole through the side of the chainsaw fuel can spout!
I used a variation of DT5150s solution (cut of the top of a beer can, smeared it with peanut butter and slid it over the stick) and netted ten mice the first night.
I refuse to use poisons because it is a particularly cruel death for the rodent, and there is also a chance that a predator might pick off a dying rodent, resulting in the death of the predator too. Two owls were calling back and forth last evening when I arrived home and I know my decision to avoid chemicals is sound.
Apparently though the squirrels and chipmunks are not that drawn to peanut butter, my solution there will be to get some fox urine to sprinkle on the corner posts of my sheds. It does double duty, the rodents sense it an move on, and it attracts foxes. I've used it in the past and had the additional pleasure of having a fox family nest in one of my sandy grassy areas. Have you ever watched young foxes playing? it's truly a treat

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by NH.Solar

Like so many in this post rodents have become a real problem lately. The final straw was one day after getting into my work truck that had been sitting for a week and finding that mice had gotten in through the hvac system, chewed up a full roll of paper towel, and then proceeded to stink the truck up with their droppings ...then going to get my chainsaw chaps from a garden shed only to find that mice had chewed halfway through the waist belt ...and then to add additional insult to injury they had eaten a hole through the side of the chainsaw fuel can spout!
I used a variation of DT5150s solution (cut of the top of a beer can, smeared it with peanut butter and slid it over the stick) and netted ten mice the first night.
I refuse to use poisons because it is a particularly cruel death for the rodent, and there is also a chance that a predator might pick off a dying rodent, resulting in the death of the predator too. Two owls were calling back and forth last evening when I arrived home and I know my decision to avoid chemicals is sound.
Apparently though the squirrels and chipmunks are not that drawn to peanut butter, my solution there will be to get some fox urine to sprinkle on the corner posts of my sheds. It does double duty, the rodents sense it an move on, and it attracts foxes. I've used it in the past and had the additional pleasure of having a fox family nest in one of my sandy grassy areas. Have you ever watched young foxes playing? it's truly a treat

The thought of purchasing urine just isn't appealing to me.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Biggd

The thought of purchasing urine just isn't appealing to me.

It’s just liquid that’s been filtered through an animal!
If you’ve ever had expensive shrubbery destroyed by foraging deer, a sprinkle of coyote (or other predator) pee might deter them from munching on your landscaping! Animals live by scent and pee is the one that they pay attention to.