Mice invasion

[chasedawg]

Many posts are about squirrel road kill. I'm having a mice invasion. Three weeks ago we were out for a ride on one of our favorite sunset cruses when all of a sudden out jumps four mice running around on the deck of our boat. One ran up my wives arm. She screamed and I screamed don't know why but just did.

So after three weeks I have been setting mice traps every night. On average I have caught 5 mice every night for three weeks. That is over 105 mice just on our dock. Where on earth are they coming from. Googled mice nest and the number of mice in a nest could be in the hundreds. What? So I have 2 or 3 hundred more to go. Help! Any thoughts how this massacre could stop

[steve-on-mark]

We have 3 cats...all that's needed!

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[Sundancer320]

More details please! Where are you? What kind of boat?

[Biggd]

There seems to be a lot more mice this year. I've had them in both homes, mass and Meredith. I think I got them all in my mass home but still battling in Meredith. I went from traps to poison because there are so many.

[garysanfran]

Cut a slit on one side and then slip them over all your dock lines so the mice can't get to your boat. I am on Meredith neck. Use poison bates inside the home and have not seen a mouse in several years...This year my problem was flying squirrels...I'd rather have mice! I paid a lot of money to cure that ill.

[tis]

We had paper towels in the glove compartment of one of the boat and the mice chewed them. I kept traps in the house all summer and caught five or six so I think that kept them down. But yes, they have been terrible this summer. Everybody has had them. I would die if one crawled up my arm though. That is the most I have heard of.

[Hillcountry]

Little buggers are everywhere! Not in the house but in my tractor, the garage, and even in my tree stand! I went to tidy up the tree stand before deer season and install a new tree umbrella over my seat...got the umbrella put on and opened my seat to clear leaves and needles and lo and behold there were two of the cutest grey mice sitting there staring up at me. They had nowhere to go but 20 feet down to the ground so I alerted my dog who was sitting below waiting patiently for me and said see ya later guys and flicked them off the seat.
They landed softly in the leaf litter with the dog waiting for them. There was a commotion and I saw the dog bolt into the woods in hot pursuit!

[loonguy]

We used to have mice occasionally find their way into our house. We stuffed steel wool into all the cracks and crevasses that might give mice access and that solved the problem.

[upthesaukee]

Mice like bird feeders too. We bring in our feeders every night and put them back out in the morning. We keep them hanging on suspended from the center beam in the garage.
My wife went to put out the feeders a day or two ago, and as she reached for the platform feeder, there was a set of beady little eyes starting at her from the feeder. She swung it off the feeder, and it went flying, along with a few seeds.

Both the wife and mouse survived.

Dave

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

Mice like bird feeders too. We bring in our feeders every night and put them back out in the morning. We keep them hanging on suspended from the center beam in the garage.
My wife went to put out the feeders a day or two ago, and as she reached for the platform feeder, there was a set of beady little eyes starting at her from the feeder. She swung it off the feeder, and it went flying, along with a few seeds.

Both the wife and mouse survived.

Dave

That’s another place the mice wind up nesting...my wife built 3 bluebird boxes and hinged the fronts for easy cleaning. Yup...same two cute little grey buggers staring out as I opened the box...it’s funny, the expressions on their little faces when they are about to be evicted!

[Woody38]

I have electric sonic transmitters in the basement of the house. I bought these decades ago and they are going strong. Haven't seen a mouse since installing them. The first ones I bought turned out to be worthless so I got these from San Francisco. One is installed in the garage and there are extremely few spiders cavorting these days.

Sonic Technologies. Still in CA but not in San Francisco

------------------------------------------------

I am a retired workaholic and continuing aquaholic

[nhcatrider]

I have a gang of cats roaming my neighborhood. They meet every Thursday afternoon in my back yard. No one in my neighborhood has an issue with mice.

[steve-on-mark]

Originally Posted by nhcatrider

I have a gang of cats roaming my neighborhood. They meet every Thursday afternoon in my back yard. No one in my neighborhood has an issue with mice.

I station the cats up on the roof like prison guards. This high vantage point allows them to see the rodents clearly from a distance , minimizing any chance of escape!

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[gravy boat]

Could be the same situation as the gray squirrels - plenty of food and good conditions for reproducing?

One of our two indoor cats is an outstanding mouser. Earlier this summer he was leaving us a gift or two every other day. One morning we found three full bodies and two heads left for us. Needless to say we thank him and ask him to keep it up. Haven't seen a carcass in aa few weeks but with the cooler weather I am sure we will soon enough. Need to find where they are entering the basement and seal it up.

My husband keeps his Harley in a shelter near the house and one day in June as he started the engine he saw a few scatter from under the bike. As he drove away a few more ran for their lives. He has since kept mouse traps in the shelter and just yesterday found three. Altogether he has nailed upwards of 20 or so this summer.

GB

[tis]

It's true. Anybody that has been watching knows what a problem they are this year.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

Mice like bird feeders too. We bring in our feeders every night and put them back out in the morning. We keep them hanging on suspended from the center beam in the garage.
My wife went to put out the feeders a day or two ago, and as she reached for the platform feeder, there was a set of beady little eyes starting at her from the feeder. She swung it off the feeder, and it went flying, along with a few seeds. Both the wife and mouse survived. Dave

We've seen a few mice around our place. Mice like to shred paper and fabric for their nests, so we've largely eliminated those temptations. (Red Squirrels prefer the dried leaves of deciduous trees; of which, we have only a few).

Mice have taken up residence in plastic trash cans, and one remotely-stored and "sealed" boat.

After dark, I've seen them try to reach our year-round bird feeder. Daytime bird feeder depredations involve Chipmunks plus Red- and Gray-Squirrels. Only the mightiest of Gray Squirrels have made the leap! (But their small amount of theft prevent the nine pounds of sunflower seed storage from jamming-up, so they get a break).

Thought 1)
Since we find Chipmunks highly entertaining, we actively feed them. Adding Chipmunks to the competition for their similar diets (of grains) seems to keep the mouse population down.

Thought 2)
Besides, I don't know of any of our birds that eat the smallest seeds (millet) that come with bird feeder "mix". With birds' actively discarding millet seeds—that would seem to attract mice.

.

[tis]

I see you feed your chips "nuts". Sorry, couldn't resist.

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by tis

I see you feed your chips "nuts". Sorry, couldn't resist.

I bet they bolted right to them.

And in keeping with the thread, we are catching one or two per day.

Our indoor cat, who spends hours looking outside, would love to get out to catch a chipmunk, squirrel, or bird, but could care less about hunting down mice in the house. Our old cats would spend hours waiting to ambush a mouse that strayed from the confines of a closet.

Dave

[Biggd]

I gave up with the conventional mouse trap and finally put down Decon. It seems to have done the trick for now.

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I gave up with the conventional mouse trap and finally put down Decon. It seems to have done the trip for now.

Agreed, unfortunately the Decon that was so effective is no longer manufactured.

Here is one article about the agreement between the government and Decon.

https://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i23/...son-d-CON.html

Loved the pellets in their trays, convenient and easily deployed. Very effective.

So it's back to the traps. We have not had much luck with Tomcat.

Dave

[dt5150]

traps got a few for me, but since this is a shed, they also got red squirrels and chipmunks too which would often take off with the traps. i also tried decon, but would just find piles of the pellets stashed away. still had mice around. so.. i made my own contraption.. pretty simple. and it works, got 3 on the first day.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

Agreed, unfortunately the Decon that was so effective is no longer manufactured.

Here is one article about the agreement between the government and Decon.

https://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i23/...son-d-CON.html

Loved the pellets in their trays, convenient and easily deployed. Very effective.

So it's back to the traps. We have not had much luck with Tomcat.

Dave

I tried the Tom Cat, POS.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I tried the Tom Cat, POS.

Yeah the Tomcat ones trip too easily...hard to get them set but I have caught mice with them. Nothing beats the tried and true wooden snap trap in my opinion.

[tis]

I bet they bolted right to them.


Dave

[hd333]

Originally Posted by dt5150

traps got a few for me, but since this is a shed, they also got red squirrels and chipmunks too which would often take off with the traps. i also tried decon, but would just find piles of the pellets stashed away. still had mice around. so.. i made my own contraption.. pretty simple. and it works, got 3 on the first day.

Best mouse trap I have ever used. I did it last winter and got 10 the first night.

Just need to remember to empty it.....


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[John E]

Originally Posted by dt5150

traps got a few for me, but since this is a shed, they also got red squirrels and chipmunks too which would often take off with the traps. i also tried decon, but would just find piles of the pellets stashed away. still had mice around. so.. i made my own contraption.. pretty simple. and it works, got 3 on the first day.

I read about this type of trap years ago on a boating forum. I don't have a mouse problem, but if I did, this would be my solution, too. And if it is winter, you can use anti-freeze in the bucket so the water doesn't freeze.

[Woody38]

I found the site for the sonic repeller. I need to try them outside the house for the chipmunks.

https://www.sonictechnologyproducts.com/rodentrepeller

---------------------------------------------

I am a retired workaholic and continuing aquaholic

[tis]

I don't think there's anybody that doesn't have a mouse problem this year unless you have a cat that is a good mouser! You might not see them but most likely you have them.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by tis

I don't think there's anybody that doesn't have a mouse problem this year unless you have a cat that is a good mouser! You might not see them but most likely you have them.

Yup! Just like dingleberries!

[SAMIAM]

I bought one of the commercial sonic units. As I remember, it came from Northern Tool.....has 3 settings for different problems.
Used it in basement of an older home and it not only got rid of mice but never even saw a spider or a moth.

[Irish mist]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

Agreed, unfortunately the Decon that was so effective is no longer manufactured.

Here is one article about the agreement between the government and Decon.

https://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i23/...son-d-CON.html

Loved the pellets in their trays, convenient and easily deployed. Very effective.

So it's back to the traps. We have not had much luck with Tomcat.

Dave

You can still get real, full strength pellets. Go to the local tractor store or order online. All farm stores have an exemption & still sell the old mouse poison. Though it's not Decon, the stuff is just as good & comes in traditional pellet trays.

[Standbyme]

Originally Posted by dt5150

traps got a few for me, but since this is a shed, they also got red squirrels and chipmunks too which would often take off with the traps. i also tried decon, but would just find piles of the pellets stashed away. still had mice around. so.. i made my own contraption.. pretty simple. and it works, got 3 on the first day.

Many thanks dt5051. Fashioned my own wheel of death and well on my way to total domination.......15 and counting!

[dt5150]

great! go get em! and remember to empty the bucket and put fresh pb on there

[chasedawg]

Originally Posted by Woody38

I have electric sonic transmitters in the basement of the house. I bought these decades ago and they are going strong. Haven't seen a mouse since installing them. The first ones I bought turned out to be worthless so I got these from San Francisco. One is installed in the garage and there are extremely few spiders cavorting these days.

Sonic Technologies. Still in CA but not in San Francisco

------------------------------------------------

I am a retired workaholic and continuing aquaholic

Hi Woody...what sonic transmitter do you have? We now have flying squirrels in our attic. I bought a Ultrasonic pest defender at Ace hardware and it doesn't help

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by dt5150

great! go get em! and remember to empty the bucket and put fresh pb on there

Got tired of the Decon. I found dead mice but I think some died in the walls because it smells like dead mice now.

I made 2 of your mouse contraptions and put one in the garage and one in the basement. I sealed up some spot where I could see they were coming in.

I will be back up next weekend to see what I got.

[mcdude]

Originally Posted by Irish mist

You can still get real, full strength pellets. Go to the local tractor store or order online. All farm stores have an exemption & still sell the old mouse poison. Though it's not Decon, the stuff is just as good & comes in traditional pellet trays.

Tractor Supply in Ossipee.....sold out of mouse poison and most other things to get rid of mice......the shelves were bare! Must be a really bad year indeed

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by mcdude

Tractor Supply in Ossipee.....sold out of mouse poison and most other things to get rid of mice......the shelves were bare! Must be a really bad year indeed

I've never had them this bad. In past years maybe a few that an old fashion wooden trap would take care of. There are just too many this year.

[Irish mist]

Originally Posted by mcdude

Tractor Supply in Ossipee.....sold out of mouse poison and most other things to get rid of mice......the shelves were bare! Must be a really bad year indeed

You can go online & order it. Blain's Farm & Fleet has pellets with bromethalin. That's the stuff that works.

[Woody38]

Hi Chasedawg. These are the sonic transmitters I have. Mine have a dual sender. I just took one and put it in the attic since I believe we have a visitor which could be a squirrel or bat. My guess a bat. Need to put a bat house in a tree.

https://www.sonictechnologyproducts.com/rodentrepeller

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I am a retired workaholic and continuing aquaholic

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by mcdude

Tractor Supply in Ossipee.....sold out of mouse poison and most other things to get rid of mice......the shelves were bare! Must be a really bad year indeed

Well our trained crows love it. Us not so much. Between our travel trailer and the garage several traps a day have done the job. Out to the designated spot they are dropped. The two crows are watching and sound a caw or two. A few min later the mice are gone, soon to be recycled.

[DRH]

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

Well our trained crows love it. Us not so much. Between our travel trailer and the garage several traps a day have done the job. Out to the designated spot they are dropped. The two crows are watching and sound a caw or two. A few min later the mice are gone, soon to be recycled.

We are trapping 1 or 2 mice per day in our basement and throwing the carcases under a rhododendron bush near our basement door. The trained crows (which I thought were exclusively ours, Slickcraft !) pick them up and carry them away in short order. This is the worst year we can remember for mice coming into our basement.

[mcdude]

This is news to me..... Any advice on how I would go about training my crows?

[DRH]

Originally Posted by mcdude

This is news to me..... Any advice on how I would go about training my crows?

Sure, McDude - feed them mice!

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by mcdude

This is news to me..... Any advice on how I would go about training my crows?

Actually crows are very intelligent. It is we that have been trained


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[tis]

Or feed them anything. We used to feed them the excess fat off steak and they learned to come when called.

[loonguy]

Originally Posted by dt5150

great! go get em! and remember to empty the bucket and put fresh pb on there

Does the pb mean this contraption is only for use inside? Presumably, bears would be attracted by the pb if it is used outside?

[dt5150]

i have mine in a shelter logic shed/portable garage, no bears yet but i suppose it's certainly possible. your results may vary!

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by loonguy

Does the pb mean this contraption is only for use inside? Presumably, bears would be attracted by the pb if it is used outside?

Outdoor mice usually only become a problem when they get inside...thus the traps! As long as they stay where they're supposed to I don't give a rats ass...
That said, moving my tractor around yesterday, I saw at least one mouse make a dash for the woods after going for a ride with me...

[Dave M]

I was using PB on my wooden traps and the mice was licking the PB off
the trap without setting the trap. Went to Aubuchon Hardware and they have this black sticky substance(attractant) by Tomcat that replaces the PB/cheese. It works only on snap traps. Tried over the weekend, catching mice no problem, not that I want to. Wife is going ballistic. Set a bunch of traps yesterday, see what happens Friday when we go up.

Dave M

[donnamatrix]

We could not have gotten rid of these guys by ourselves. Got Alpha Omega Pest Control in Meredith to do it-amen. Now trying to eliminate the damn voles who are digging up everything. I am catching at least 3-5 mice/day outside with the Jawz/TomKat type traps - I also put them out for our resident crows and sharp-shinned hawk to eat. Another thing to use to try to keep mice OUT is peppermint oil. I got some at health food store in Meredith-soak some paper with it and put near edge of garage door (where it hits the floor)... they don't like mint.

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by Dave M

I was using PB on my wooden traps and the mice was licking the PB off
the trap without setting the trap. Went to Aubuchon Hardware and they have this black sticky substance(attractant) by Tomcat that replaces the PB/cheese. It works only on snap traps. Tried over the weekend, catching mice no problem, not that I want to. Wife is going ballistic. Set a bunch of traps yesterday, see what happens Friday when we go up.

Dave M

We use plastic snap traps and put the PB way to the rear of the orange trigger flap. To get way back there requires a foot on the trigger.
https://www.amazon.com/Tomcat-Traps-...=p_89%3ATomcat

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by donnamatrix

We could not have gotten rid of these guys by ourselves. Got Alpha Omega Pest Control in Meredith to do it-amen. Now trying to eliminate the damn voles who are digging up everything. I am catching at least 3-5 mice/day outside with the Jawz/TomKat type traps - I also put them out for our resident crows and sharp-shinned hawk to eat. Another thing to use to try to keep mice OUT is peppermint oil. I got some at health food store in Meredith-soak some paper with it and put near edge of garage door (where it hits the floor)... they don't like mint.

I tried the peppermint oil, didn't do a thing but least it smelled nice.

[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.

[Biggd]

I got 2 with the bottle and peanut butter trap. I know there are more. I repositioned the traps. We'll see next weekend.

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[Dad sold the C * C]

Last weekend I came up to check the traps. I had set six traps, had 1 mouse and 5 empty traps

I looked at the bucket trap on here and made one. Came up today and had 1 mouse in a trap . 1 trap missing ..... And, 7 in the bucket

THANK YOU !!!!

[dippasan]

I built one of the "brilliant" bucket traps with the bottle on a pivot pictured in this thread by dt5150 and placed it in our outside kitchen area at the camp. Caught 14 mice in 2 days. Unbelievable!! I used to use the bucket with bird seed on top of water which also worked very well but a lot more messy than this solution and bird seed cost money where this version is virtually free.

I also set one up at home in the backyard to catch chipmunks but it seems the squirrels simply stand on the edge of the bucket and lick the peanut butter clean. I think I'll try making a larger version with a large storage container.

Very effective trap.

Thanks for the pics dt5150!!!

[Slickcraft]

Splish splash they were taking a bath

We have been battling with mice in our travel trailer, have not found the entry point yet. Been trapping a few a day inside for quite a while. Put the water pail/bottle contraption under the rear of the trailer last night, two for the crows this morning. None in the traps inside.

[SAMIAM]

Originally Posted by dippasan

I built one of the "brilliant" bucket traps with the bottle on a pivot pictured in this thread by dt5150 and placed it in our outside kitchen area at the camp. Caught 14 mice in 2 days. Unbelievable!! I used to use the bucket with bird seed on top of water which also worked very well but a lot more messy than this solution and bird seed cost money where this version is virtually free.

I also set one up at home in the backyard to catch chipmunks but it seems the squirrels simply stand on the edge of the bucket and lick the peanut butter clean. I think I'll try making a larger version with a large storage container.

Very effective trap.

Thanks for the pics dt5150!!!

Same here....set up a bucket trap with a soda bottle.....caught 6 mice in two days
Was using the spring traps but some times they lick off the peanut butter and the traps don't spring.....they can be touchy

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

Same here....set up a bucket trap with a soda bottle.....caught 6 mice in two days
Was using the spring traps but some times they lick off the peanut butter and the traps don't spring.....they can be touchy

Yup, very touchy.

[gravy boat]

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

Splish splash they were taking a bath

We have been battling with mice in our travel trailer, have not found the entry point yet. Been trapping a few a day inside for quite a while. Put the water pail/bottle contraption under the rear of the trailer last night, two for the crows this morning. None in the traps inside.

We have caught well over 30 since July in hubby's motorcycle shed. Our hunting cat has nailed too many to count since Spring that made their way inside.

We were concerned about flying squirrels trying to get in but found that this year the mice have been climbing our log home to try to find entrance.

Not going the poison route due to our hunter cat and raptors that could be impacted.

Hubby built two bucket contraptions -- lets see how they do.

GB

[steve-on-mark]

I'm telling you...cats are the way to go...very cost effective!!

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[tis]

Oh no, up! Did you really do that with a trap? I always hate setting them, hold my breath until I know they are set. But I do keep my fingers away from them! Ouch! So sorry!!

I want to borrow one of those good mouser cats!!!

[gravy boat]

First catch from bucket set next to the house - 7 in one bucket, only 1 in another. Crows will be feasting today...

(Hope the photo posts)

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by tis

Oh no, up! Did you really do that with a trap? I always hate setting them, hold my breath until I know they are set. But I do keep my fingers away from them! Ouch! So sorry!!

I want to borrow one of those good mouser cats!!!

No, but I have jumped up in the air when a trap went off while putting it down.

Dave,

[tis]

Up, I know. They are awful. I hate setting them!!!!

[upthesaukee]

I'm just over a week, we have eliminated over 20 mice (23 I think) and 5 chipmunks. 2 buckets with the bottle on a coat hanger wire, one in our crawl space and one in the garage. Garage has 2 chipmunks and a few mice, all the rest from the crawl space.

Far better than the traps.

Dave

[Kamper]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

... some times they lick off the peanut butter and the traps don't spring...

I had a problem with disappearing peanut butter. Turned out to be ants.

I saw online the other day that 'Irish Spring' soap bars might drive mice away. Dryer sheets are supposed to work also. I had good luck with moth balls but the smell was unpleasant to people.

Fyi - If you use mothballs, put them in old socks. It makes them easier to find later.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

I'm just over a week, we have eliminated over 20 mice (23 I think) and 5 chipmunks. 2 buckets with the bottle on a coat hanger wire, one in our crawl space and one in the garage. Garage has 2 chipmunks and a few mice, all the rest from the crawl space.

Far better than the traps.

Dave

I thought I had a big mouse problem but I see it's not as bad as others on here. I've only caught about 6 in the bucket trap. I caught 3 the first time but now it's only one a week. Maybe I need to change the peanut butter.

[SAMIAM]

Caught over 30 mice in my bucket trap....what is it with rodents and turkeys this year? They are everywhere

[8gv]

It's clear to me that the bucket and other traps can collect plenty of mice.

What I question is from how far away do the mice travel.

Is it possible that the bait smell draws some mice to the trap that would never have ventured into the house or outbuilding?

[tummyman]

I am concerned to leave my bucket out at night due to potential for bear attraction. Do others have this issue?

[8gv]

Bears?


That’s going to require a bigger bucket!

[gravy boat]

No bears have been attracted to the bucket yet. We did realize that we have to reapply the peanut butter after dark as a plump gray squirrel has been consuming the peanut butter during the day.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by 8gv

It's clear to me that the bucket and other traps can collect plenty of mice. What I question is from how far away do the mice travel. Is it possible that the bait smell draws some mice to the trap that would never have ventured into the house or outbuilding?

A very astute observation.

They're like mosquitoes: you keep swatting at them without considering that your neighbor has a bucket half-filled with stagnant water.

Like the bucket, natural predators of mice can only take a few mice out of the picture at a time. (And also take out non-targeted critters).

Owls are good predators of mice, so if you hear them at night, they're "at work".

To most people, snakes are generally "unsightly", but they're probably the best predator of nests of mice.

Maybe pay a neighbor's kid $5-each to capture garter snakes, then release them under the most-likely structures?

BTW: A large garter snake can latch onto a finger, but are not poisonous, and seldom cause blood.

[SAMIAM]

Originally Posted by 8gv

It's clear to me that the bucket and other traps can collect plenty of mice.

What I question is from how far away do the mice travel.

Is it possible that the bait smell draws some mice to the trap that would never have ventured into the house or outbuilding?

Very good question and I have an answer.
I just had my monthly visit from J.P. Chemical. They are excellent at controlling pests and I've used them for over 30 years with great results.
The tech told me that bucket traps are the most effective right now because they get rid of numerous mice at one time although they use many other methods
He said that mice are nearly blind and have a sense of smell of only about 2 feet.....that is why they scurry and wander to find food. Not to worry that bait will draw them from a distance.
He also said that to be most effective, place the traps next to a wall because they follow walls as rather than traveling in the open.

[SAMIAM]

Originally Posted by gravy boat

First catch from bucket set next to the house - 7 in one bucket, only 1 in another. Crows will be feasting today...

(Hope the photo posts)

I have a family of ravens......they love mice

[dippasan]

Originally Posted by dippasan

I built one of the "brilliant" bucket traps with the bottle on a pivot pictured in this thread by dt5150 and placed it in our outside kitchen area at the camp. Caught 14 mice in 2 days. Unbelievable!! I used to use the bucket with bird seed on top of water which also worked very well but a lot more messy than this solution and bird seed cost money where this version is virtually free.

I also set one up at home in the backyard to catch chipmunks but it seems the squirrels simply stand on the edge of the bucket and lick the peanut butter clean. I think I'll try making a larger version with a large storage container.

Very effective trap.

Thanks for the pics dt5150!!!

Incredible!!
Caught 44 mice so far on our deck in the "bucket of death" since the beginning of October. the amazing thing is that we never saw mice inside the camp. Just a few droppings here and there. Our neighbors have set up buckets as well with good success. I keep thinking we've got them all but we keep catchin' em so I'm gonna keep on settin' it up with fresh Skippy PB.

[8gv]

I wonder if you can get a sponsorship from Jiff to tell folks that Skippy is for rodents.

[Biggd]

It must be a particularly bad season for mice. I walked into a Home Depot the other day and they had whole large display, just as you walked in, devoted to mice. No bucket traps though.

[Greene's Basin Girl]

We have killed 35 mice thus far in the lake house.

[upthesaukee]

We're about the same plus 4 chipmunks and a red squirrel.

Dave

[Biggd]

I seem to be down to one a week in my buck trap that's in my garage. I haven't seen any in the house bucket trap since I sealed up my basement.

[8gv]

Originally Posted by Biggd

It must be a particularly bad season for mice.

After reading about the trapping results here, I believe the mice would agree!