Mouse proofing... anybody tried this?
- Thread starter zippyslug31
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MushCreek
Well-known member
Back to to the original idea- mice will dig through sand like crazy. I would backfill with large gravel. Small enough that they can't wriggle in between the stones; big enough that they can't easily move them. I've read where the right size material is an effective termite barrier for the same reasons. Obviously, a mouse would need much larger size material than a termite, but you get the idea. The gravel won't hold moisture against the building like sand will. It's either that, or bury galvanized wire cloth.
robin1731
Well-known member
I have not but have any of you tried Grandpa Gus' mouse repellant? I've seen it on facebook and saw some at my local rural king.
Effective mouse proofing....
Quite the contrary, it's a terrible mouser.
Let's count the ways:
- Cold-blooded = depending on location, it's Inop 3-4 months out of the year; even in FL they go dormant in cold weather - right when you need it the most. The OP is in central OR.
- Cold blooded = pretty energy efficient. Which means they don't need to eat much. Normal once a week; more when coming out of hibernation or young and growing. One mouse/week isn't gonna solve any mice/rat problem.
- They are snakes - who TF in their right minds would want to purposefully deal with snakes? Hey, let's contract cancer to get rid of a cold! No thanks.
- Last but certainly not the least: Cold-blooded = Lack of Intelligence. Only with intelligence comes the Thrill of the Kill. All the great predators of the world, including humans, are warm blooded. Which means they kill for both food and for the fun of it. Exactly the 24/7/365 solution you need for a mice/rat infestation.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
I'm a big moosh when it comes to any animal, but I have no problems with any sort of mechanical mouse trap that kills them, except sticky traps. Damn cruel things. I can't count how many times I've worked somewhere and found a half dead, struggling critter on a sticky board. Finding them dead with appendages chewed off is a bummer, too.
The anticoagulants are cruel, too.
Tommy
The anticoagulants are cruel, too.
Tommy
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Robbie B
Well-known member
Effective mouse proofing....
That’s a beauty of a Rat snake. I’d love to see him hanging around the yard. We occasionally get black snakes but mostly copperheads.
Robbie B
Well-known member
I’m the same way. My mother in law got some one time and caught a mouse on them. Poor thing was struggling trying to get free and just tearing itself up in the process. I put it out of its misery with a brick and then promptly went up one side of her and down the other about using something so cruel. If your gonna trap them use a trap that gets it over and done as fast as possible because they do suffer on the glue traps.
MushCreek
Well-known member
I tried glue traps, and the first thing it caught was a bird. The thing was hopelessly tangled up in it, so I had to put him out of his misery. I continued with them a bit longer, putting them under benches, and the next morning, the peanut butter would be gone, with only a few hairs stuck on the trap. We have deerfoot mice, which are quite a bit bigger than a house mouse, and I think they were able to reach across to the bait without getting caught. I had good luck at first with bucket traps, but I guess they figured them out, because they stopped working. Tightening up the barn doors seems to have eliminated the problem.
OP
zippyslug31
Well-known member
Gravel doesn't work; I already know this. I have compacted 3/4-minus under one of my doors and they still burrow through it over time. As I've indicated, I do have traps set around this (and other) door openings.
Can you elaborate on your experience with mice digging through sand like crazy?
OP
zippyslug31
Well-known member
This is my thinking with the bucket traps. I'd rather kill 'em quickly with old my old school traps instead of letting them drown.
OP
zippyslug31
Well-known member
Man, you nailed it on a number of points! Yeah, where I'm at it can get very cold. We do have some snakes in my area, but they have a "limited run" from around now until Sept. And, as you correctly indicated, I wouldn't trade one headache for another anyway.
MushCreek
Well-known member
I had a pile of sand in the front yard while I was doing stucco, and it had holes in it, and I saw a mouse go in one of the holes. I don't know if he dug the hole or not. Wet sand won't collapse like dry sand will.
Perhaps 3/4" gravel isn't big enough?
Perhaps 3/4" gravel isn't big enough?
58Yeoman
Well-known member
Yeah, you gotta be humane with those little varmints. They don't really want to chew up your wiring, furniture, car interiors and **** and piss everywhere and stink up everything they touch, they're just providing for their many, many offspring that will do the same thing. EF 'em.
OP
zippyslug31
Well-known member
Let's be real clear - I don't want any animals out there shitting, digging, and generally living out there in the barn. I have too much "soft goods" (think camping gear) that would likely get destroyed over time.
It boggles my mind why people think you either have to have cats OR mice. I'm taking to go for option C - neither.
Same here. I have a few of the Victor electric traps that use two metal contact plates to instantly kill them when they cross to get the bait.
For a quick spout in winter we had gotten maybe 14 or 15 mice in the span of a couple weeks in our basement. Ended up finding any gaps/holes in the siding and foundation and stuffing them with stainless steel wool and I haven't seen any more signs except for last night I saw one run away from some water that had collected from recent rain we got.
This prompted me to pull all the rechargeable batteries from the traps so I can charge them and re-bait.
Just a reminder on contracting diseases from mice. Seems the world has forgotten about Hanta virus now that Corona has the spotlight.
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/hantavir.html
I wear a mask when cleaning or accessing materials where they have lived.
Hanta progresses very fast. Many times the victim dies B4 medical support diagnosis it. Even then, no cure.
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/hantavir.html
I wear a mask when cleaning or accessing materials where they have lived.
Hanta progresses very fast. Many times the victim dies B4 medical support diagnosis it. Even then, no cure.
rlitman
Well-known member
Not that I'm advocating glue traps, but a humane way to remove an animal from one is the generous use of cooking oil. The oil releases the glue quite easily.
Leaflessshadetree
Well-known member
Just spreading it around doesn't work, nor does it work in open areas.
It has to be placed strategically, like a fox marking it's territory.
I think your absolute best bet is a multiple deterrent.
Maybe some outside poison sprinkled around.
Stainless steel wool stuffed in holes.
Baited Victor style traps.
Make sure you leave no food source laying around. Place your camping supplies in totes, atleast what you can.
I don't think anything is 100% mouse proof.. . within reason.
Maybe some outside poison sprinkled around.
Stainless steel wool stuffed in holes.
Baited Victor style traps.
Make sure you leave no food source laying around. Place your camping supplies in totes, atleast what you can.
I don't think anything is 100% mouse proof.. . within reason.
Because that is the reality in rural/barn-type settings. Sorry to bust your bubble.
I put the green bait blocks in 1-1/4 PVC pipe bout foot long with caps drilled 3/4" offset to keep the rain out, lay them around the perimeter of the buildings and in the shed, started this a couple years ago had to repair about once a week for the first month. Has tapered off to 6 months for rebaiting.
Inside I use rat zappers, haven't had an inside kill since few months after I started with the bait tubes.
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Inside I use rat zappers, haven't had an inside kill since few months after I started with the bait tubes.
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Absolutely don't put sand up against your siding (metal, or otherwise). It will certainly rust away. Here is a photo I took of the metal siding on my building after the previous owner let the sand accumulate. This is creek bottom, well drained sand you're looking at (Creek is where all those trees are in the distance). You can see the rust line along the building. That area cracks and crumbles if you apply pressure.
This photo also helps illustrate my mouse prevention.. I had a mouse (and bat problem), with mice getting in the bottoms of the ribs of the metal siding, and bats getting in the top ribs of the metal siding. Good times.
My solution was low expansion foam (buy yourself a "pro" foam gun, you'll appreciate it), backed with about 1" of coarse stainless steel wool. I hired a 17 year old kid, and he cut and foamed about 1000 openings on this 40x100 building. I could have placed the proper flashing at the bottom, but not along the top ridge, or ridge vent areas easily.
This photo also helps illustrate my mouse prevention.. I had a mouse (and bat problem), with mice getting in the bottoms of the ribs of the metal siding, and bats getting in the top ribs of the metal siding. Good times.
My solution was low expansion foam (buy yourself a "pro" foam gun, you'll appreciate it), backed with about 1" of coarse stainless steel wool. I hired a 17 year old kid, and he cut and foamed about 1000 openings on this 40x100 building. I could have placed the proper flashing at the bottom, but not along the top ridge, or ridge vent areas easily.
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BlindViper
Well-known member
Old guy I used to work with said to mix finally broken glass with drywall compound.
jsaw
Well-known member
Is that meant to control digging? or to be a non toxic rat killer?
I have heard similar, Plaster of paris mixed with corn meal. Also place a container of water next to it. after eating the corn meal mix, the rat will be thirsty and will drink the water, leading to a fatal case if indigestion.
Only problem is where is the rat going to die and cause a smell
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rburke65
Well-known member
Mouse proofing? Ya...that will happen. Only in a concrete bunker.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
I did the same basic thing. I got some stuff like Xcluder from a friend in the pest industry and did the entire perimeter of the house and garage. Haven't had a mouse in the house since. Still had one or two come and go in the garage, but since I patched some low spots under the roll up door bottom seal there hasn't been any in the snap traps.
Tommy
BlindViper
Well-known member
The drywall mud is just a medium to support the pieces of glass. They cant chew thru it.
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And I'm not sure about that either.
There were rat traps and bait stations inside the 100K clean rooms at the Space Station manufacturing area in the 4708 building at MSFC and at the Space Station Processing Facility at KSC.
These were human-occupied virtually 24/7/365 and have access to professional eradication services. They still had rats and mice inside the clean rooms.
Trying to keep rats and mice out of a barn and/or shop? Good luck.
Monza Harry
Well-known member
I would LOVE a pic', link, whatever you can find to share! I have a few new neighbours and a new to me problem, rodents, I am fighting the war but any small victory seems far away like a couple of years after my neighbours move. I've lived within about 3000' of here since 1964 and never seen a Rat here until about two years ago.
. A mouse can fit through a hole as small as 1/4" Dia. so sealing has to good and impervious to teeth, ie: Steel, Aluminum [not thin either, they will chew bend it otherwise] or concrete. I am a softy for sure for animals I keep dog treats in my truck for all of the dogs being walked by my place, cats I can live without and I don't get too bothered by a mouse in a sticky trap not one bit. We won't go into Racoons, Opossums, Skunks and the likes they are even more destructive, and dangerous. Harryflathead dave
Well-known member
Used to do this for a living.
A mouse can get through a 1/4" opening. The only bone is their skull and they can flatten out and squeeze through and a rat only needs a 1/2".
Best thing to do is to find all of the holes in the pole barn and place steel wool or screen the holes closed.
The mice will come in through the bottom of the doors if you don't have the stripping at the bottom. The rafters, beams, eaves...
Glue boards are great as long as the mice aren't wet. If they
are wet, they can walk right across the glue board and not stick.
We used to use a tracking powder. But you have to be very careful with it. Can't breath it or use where other non target animals will be walking and keep it away from food sources.
Once the mice injest the powder when they preen, they'll ulcerate and bleed out.
I used fruit flavored bait stations around my garage and customer's homes.
Can make a mouse/rat trap with a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 filled with water. Place a small walk up that leads to over the water and the mice will fall in and drown because they can't climb the plastic to get out of the water.
Cats also work.
A mouse can get through a 1/4" opening. The only bone is their skull and they can flatten out and squeeze through and a rat only needs a 1/2".
Best thing to do is to find all of the holes in the pole barn and place steel wool or screen the holes closed.
The mice will come in through the bottom of the doors if you don't have the stripping at the bottom. The rafters, beams, eaves...
Glue boards are great as long as the mice aren't wet. If they
are wet, they can walk right across the glue board and not stick.
We used to use a tracking powder. But you have to be very careful with it. Can't breath it or use where other non target animals will be walking and keep it away from food sources.
Once the mice injest the powder when they preen, they'll ulcerate and bleed out.
I used fruit flavored bait stations around my garage and customer's homes.
Can make a mouse/rat trap with a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 filled with water. Place a small walk up that leads to over the water and the mice will fall in and drown because they can't climb the plastic to get out of the water.
Cats also work.
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johnnyradiant
Well-known member
flathead dave;8524144 Glue boards are great as long as the mice aren't wet. If they are wet said:
flathead dave
Well-known member
It's an anticoagulant.
We used a few different powders over the years. The best one I thought is Rozol.
Another good thing about the powder is that it dries the carcass quicker so there is hardly or no odor.
Here is a you tube video showing the application of a tracking powder.
We used a few different powders over the years. The best one I thought is Rozol.
Another good thing about the powder is that it dries the carcass quicker so there is hardly or no odor.
Here is a you tube video showing the application of a tracking powder.
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Pics of my bait traps
I first tried open end pipes but coins managed to get the block out. Theses get tossed around by them but they don't get the goodies.
I never find or smell dead mice any where.
Holes are offset to keep the rain out.
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I first tried open end pipes but coins managed to get the block out. Theses get tossed around by them but they don't get the goodies.
I never find or smell dead mice any where.
Holes are offset to keep the rain out.
Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk
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dguzzi
Member
You gotta squeeze those coyotes!
After you tackle 'em.
After you tackle 'em.
PassnThru
Well-known member
Testify!!!!!!
Wait - what
Wait - what
rlitman
Well-known member
Not exactly. These size holes are absolutely not large enough for them to fit their entire body through. However, they are large enough for them to get their head into the hole and then use their teeth to enlarge it. And they can gnaw though wood and even some concrete with those teeth.
Kaizen
Well-known member
Pics of my bait traps
I first tried open end pipes but coins managed to get the block out. Theses get tossed around by them but they don't get the goodies.
I never find or smell dead mice any where.
Holes are offset to keep the rain out.
Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk
Can you explain this? Hole in side for drain and open top for them to enter? Assume “coins “ was a spelling error?
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Coins should be *****.
Caps are drill to 3/4" for mouse entry, pipes are layed against the wall/ foundation , 2 way traffic.
Holes are drilled slightly offset when layed out they go down toward the ground to keep the rain out
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flathead dave
Well-known member
Yes, exactly. I knew someone with zero knowledge would try to challenge my statement.
Here's a lesson for you...
The only bone in a mouse is it's tiny skull. The rest of the body is cartilage.
The head can and does fit into a 1/4" hole and the the mouse can and does flatten it's body to get through openings.
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