Can you ever get rid of mice?

scgargoyle · May 10, 2012, 06:30:37 AM

I arrived at my camp this spring to find the camper overrun with mice. I trapped 9, and haven't seen one for 3 weeks- until last night. The temperature dropped into the 40's, and they're back. I sprayed a nasty repellant, but evidently they prefer that to the cold. Any ideas on how to discourage them? There is no food in the camper; I store it off-site. They have a plug-in ultrasonic repellant- do those work?

This is an emergency- the wife visits on Monday! :D :D :D

thecfarm · May 10, 2012, 06:51:40 AM

No,I don't think so. BUT you can control them. My Mother always said, no disgrace in having them,just a disgrace not doing something about them.

sprucebunny · May 10, 2012, 06:59:39 AM

I've caught more mice under the plug in repeller than anywhere else :D

They are getting in somewhere. Go around with spray foam or tin patches.

I battled with them for 10 years in this house and just had my first winter without them 8)
But they have found a way into the walls of my camper.... lots and lots of traps slowed that down.

Norm · May 10, 2012, 07:28:41 AM

Before the first person tells you to use dryer sheets I'll keep you from wasting your time. We put them in the dozer and backhoe along with a trap in each. Caught just as many in the trap as without the sheets.

bandmiller2 · May 10, 2012, 07:56:38 AM

Don't think theirs any surefire way,except a hungary cat,but thats no good when your not around.The old bucket trick works to thin them out but will stink if your not there. Frank C.

easymoney · May 10, 2012, 07:56:56 AM

even companies like black and decker sells those plug in things that are supposed to repel pests. mice seem to ignore them roaches love them. i wonder what they repel?

Magicman · May 10, 2012, 08:05:47 AM

I just finished a mouse repair job yesterday. It climbed up the camper cover, entered through the frig vent, and proceeded to chomp paper towels and carry the bits to the top of the frig and build a nest.

I had to disconnect the LP line, power, remove the mounting screws, and then slide the frig out. I removed the nest, vacuumed, and then used handi-wipes to clean everything. It cut the flame meter wires, so solder and heat shrink fixed that.

Next, I pop riveted ½" hardware cloth over both of the frig vents to prevent a further invasion.

bugdust · May 10, 2012, 08:30:51 AM

It all ways seems campers are a magnet for mice. Cussed little buggers. A few years back my son and I arrived late in the night at the camp, and once hooked up turned on the furnace. Everything ok up to this point, that is until the furnace fan kicked on. Through out the camper shredded toliet tissue blew out every vent. Next day I filled every crack I could find with spray foam. That worked for for a while until they chewed a hole around the slide-out seal. I've decided there's only one sure way to get rid of the mice ........ sell the camper.

Den Socling · May 10, 2012, 09:36:18 AM

Maybe get this pair of mousers. http://www.wimp.com/catowl/

Bandmill Bandit · May 10, 2012, 09:49:53 AM

The only long term solution that I know of is cats. They will keep the mice under control and at bay for the most part.

Note; I did NOT say they would rid you of your mice. they will control them very effectively. The more mice you have, the more cats you need. When I was farming we had between 35 and 40 of the critters on the farm. They were just part of the livestock.

Only problem I found was that the bank wouldn't accept them as a valuable asset on our asset list. I know they saved at least a few thousand a year in feed and other damage that the mice over run would have caused if we hadn't had them.

Al_Smith · May 10, 2012, 10:04:21 AM

:D That film clips reminds me of the nursey ryme ."an owl and a pussycat in a pea green boat " Odd bed mates so to speak .I've been to two county fairs and one goat roping but I've never seen the likes of that for sure .

Mice,feret maybe or a Jack Russel terrier . You'd have to catch the feret though and the Jack Russel would destroy the cabin getting at the mice but sure as God made little green apples the little dawg would get-er-done .

ouachita · May 10, 2012, 10:35:24 AM

I used the stickey paper you can buy at hardware and big box stores. Mouse crawls over the paper and gets stuck. I take mouse and paper out to the front yard and wait for the resident hawk. Just like the National Geographic movies....dive....snatch....eat.

Charles Westmoreland CF, RF
Ivan Arkansas and Conroe, Texas

Chuck White · May 10, 2012, 11:11:30 AM

I think the only sure way to "not have mice" would be to not provide them with anything to eat or a place to hide!

When I move my sawmill into the garage in the Fall, the first thing I do is to remove all of the shields and covers!

doctorb · May 10, 2012, 11:41:58 AM

I know its not the green or the popular way to go, but if I had a place that I visited infrequently (and I do), I use DeCon (Warfarin). Put it out when you leave and pick it up when you arrive, so your pets don't get into it. Our cabin in Canada used to be a great winter hotel for the buggers. No problem now. Trapping only gets the mice that are there at present. New ones will always find their way in if there's food or shelter from the cold available. They reproduce very, very quickly. So, if I see signs of them when I arrive, I trap. But I always take Decon to leave out during my time away. They are too destructive to go untreated. Our mouse problem has been significantly lessened with this method.

hardtailjohn · May 10, 2012, 02:26:59 PM

I'll second the Jack Russell ! Cat's like to play with the mice and it seems like they never do want them all gone...the Jack kills right now, and is looking for more!
I find them all the time in airplanes, and the best solution there has been to take tin or aluminum sheet that's about 2' high and form a circle around the tires or anything that's hanging down for them to crawl up on. If it's high enough, they can't jump it and can't get enough traction to climb it, so they stay out.
There is no easy solution!
John

sbishop · May 10, 2012, 02:52:34 PM

I use the 5 gallon pail and peanut butter trick....instead of using water i use anti-freeze...no smell.

I don't think there is anyway of getting rid of them!

sbishop

scgargoyle · May 10, 2012, 03:17:55 PM

Hmmm- Not much I can do, I guess. I don't know how I'd seal up the camper- there are many openings, and they come in through the A/C unit, which I can't seal well either. I have the camper in my barn, but there's no way to seal that up, either. I don't really mind 'em, but if one crawls on me in the middle of the night, I'll scream like a little girl. :D

I have to live here for the next year or so while I build my house- I guess the war is on!

beenthere · May 10, 2012, 04:21:57 PM

I've found poison to be the best way to hold the population in check. And I don't wait until they have already infested (taken up residence) inside, as then they die inside.
Found that poison before residency is found and removed to where their residence is at, and they pack the poison off and as well, die there.
Once in, they die in and then stink until they dry out.

If already in residence, then I use traps.

sc
I think there is a lot you can do. ;)

Claybraker · May 10, 2012, 05:51:08 PM

+1 on chemical warfare.

It will take a few days, maybe a week or so, but the best I've found is something called Tomcat Ultra in the granular trays. The solid bait didn't seem to do much, as near as I could tell. The active ingredient is called Bromadiolone.

For an organic method, you could try a King Snake. The logic there is if you don't get rid of the mice, they are going to attract snakes anyway. At least you get to choose what kind of snake.

Al_Smith · May 10, 2012, 06:34:33 PM

Around these parts that serpent would be a 6 foot black snake .

There's one the house right now,mouse not snake .Lawdy were it the later Mrs Smith would beat it with her broom and probabley do more damage than a pack of Jack Russels in the process .

I set out the mouse traps .Just a matter of time,snap .

We have scads of red tail hawks and great horned owls .They're pretty good mousers ,squirrelers, occasionally catters .Small cats that is .Big ones they don't fool with .

scgargoyle · May 10, 2012, 07:14:12 PM

I have a couple glue traps in the camper, and I'll get some poison to use near the barn door. The glue traps work great, especially with a dab of peanut butter in the middle, but they do seem cruel. I think it would take at least a day for the poor mousie to die. I dispatch them in water the minute I get one. Maybe I'll build a bucket trap, too. I was going to before, but thought I was done with the little buggers.

Magicman · May 10, 2012, 08:53:06 PM

Today I climbed up and took the cover off of the RV AC. Yup, a nest in there also. I just used the leaf blower to rid myself of that. I now have little green pellets out everywhere,

and the RV cover will certainly be different.

PineNut · May 10, 2012, 11:08:21 PM

I have a problem with them in vehicles. They love the ignition wires on my truck. Usually have to keep the hood partially open so they are more exposed. Also have to set traps in the auto. Occasionally one will get in the house and the cats make short work of that one. Can't get rid of them but can keep them somewhat under control.

WildDog · May 11, 2012, 04:38:08 AM

Trapping, baiting and exclusion for mice control

Mice inspect their territory daily, set your traps where they run (usually along edges) if they've been there a while you may see urine tracks. Black light torches at night can show up urine. If setting single traps along a wall etc have them at 90 degrees to the wall with jaws facing in. Theres also multiple live catch traps and glue traps.

Baits: as Doctorb said anticoagulants are best and safest for pets, if theyre multiple feed bait ensure you keep the baits up to them, being neophobic they may take a few days to touch them and then at least 4 days to die, don't believe stories of certain baits driving them out to get water. They will die in there nest as they get lethargic and can't be bothered to conduct the daily inspection.

You can get enclosed bait stations for outside use that keep the baits out of the weather and stop non target species getting them.

Exclusion is the big thing, try raised weather strips on doors/windows, copper/tin/stainless steel/cement in gaps between pipes going into floor or walls/airconditioners/electrical conduit, they can get through small gaps, mouse mesh wire is only quarter inch square.

scgargoyle · May 11, 2012, 07:10:30 AM

I got one last night, and saw no activity other than that. I imagine the one i got was a survivor from the old camper nest I took out- otherwise, how did he run straight to the camper? I have glue traps set along the barn perimeter, where they run.

Exclusion would be tough. I guess I could try to seal up the camper, although there are a lot of openings. The barn is tight, except for the sliding doors. I don't see a way to get them tight enough to be mouse-proof. They warp and move as much as an inch day-to-day, depending on the weather.

I think my best bet is to maintain the traps in the traffic areas.