Rodent Abatement: What's Your Preferred Method?

[warren]

Fortunately, no issues with smaller rodents, just squirrels and up. I’ve successfully trapped and relocate many over years… 2 this week.

Take 'em miles away or they get back before you do. With live traps I mark 'em with a bit of spray paint. You'll be surprised. I take live trapped to a marshy area with ton's of predators. I tolerate three on the property, maybe four, so as to draw owls and other winged predators. I am a photograper after all and bit of baiting never hurts.

 

[warren]

Found some really good info on this. Checking on my scrap wood options and then getting this project underway soon!

Research bat houses for the skeeters and other bothersome insects if these are a bother.

 

[mso489]

Mama cats, or females that have been mamas, are a somewhat sure bet. As long as they've spent time with mama, males are also adept, but they have to be taught. We had a little female that lived to be about 20, and she didn't get along with our two male sibling rescue cats, bottle fed, but she did teach them to hunt, after watching their futile efforts with disgust and disdain. I guess she figured they were orphans. The boys thought it was a soccer game. She had down the ambush to a professional level after living partly outside on a large property. She didn't chase anything. She just located the meal and waited, and then boom, it was over. No need to withhold food. In fact, food gives them energy. They'll hunt whether they're hungry or not. Once they've had their fill, they bring you presents. Now the boys pretty much take care of the problem.

 

[kschatey]

Research bat houses for the skeeters and other bothersome insects if these are a bother.

Bat house has also been on the list, but never thought about an owl house. To your point though, they are both going to get made now! Thanks for the idea and encouragement!

 

[rmpeeps]

The ballot.

So how’s that going for y’all ?!!

 

[warren]

So how’s that going for y’all ?!!

So far the "great experiment" is doing well, better than any of the known alternatives in my opinion. It is being seriously challenged right now though.

 

[rmpeeps]

So far the "great experiment" is doing well, better than any of the known alternatives in my opinion. It is being seriously challenged right now though.

Has been and currently will continue to be rightfully challenged.

 

[Reggie]

My Rat Terrier Trudi is an expert at rat eradication. Here she is in the loft of my chicken house listening for movement.

 

[Tbaggins]

https://www.amazon.com/Ultrasonic-Repelling-Electronic-Repellent-Squirrels/dp/B081F5WL6W/ref=asc_df_B081F5WL6W/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=385115732332&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2582078984548856001&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021117&hvtargid=pla-849915470801&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=80078690378&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=385115732332&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2582078984548856001&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021117&hvtargid=pla-849915470801

Pick up a few of these, they work like a charm. I live in a subdivision but very near to fields and farmland and mice have been a constant plague here. I have one in the garage and one downstairs on the low setting. The one in the garage is on high setting and the times I smoke in the garage and forget to turn it back on high I’ll end up with mice In the house. When it’s on high there’s no sign of them ever. I have snap traps and a cat but the best preventative is the plugins.

 

[karam]

We had a lot in our field, we could see them running on the fence and in tbe trees in the daytime, they had gotten in the roof and were chewing on the ventilation pipes. We called a guy who set up a perimeter of bait stations and the problem went away.

 

[Sir Yak]

Sweets the Cat keeps the mice and moles at bay?

 

[Latakia Dave]

Also called horse apples and Osage oranges.

View attachment 125230

They also are good for keeping spiders at bay!

 

[Latakia Dave]

If you want fun, get a 410.

pellet rifle works great as well! even indoors

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

No real answer to help you here. However my factory I work at has little alluminum boxes where the mice go in, and magically don't come out. When I was younger I used to help my grandpa with yard work, which included setting them rat traps. No fingers lost in the process, but I was pretty scared doing it most days. Then one day he started live trapping them, which I thought was much better. Untill he had me take one of the traps with a live mouse in it, over to a big 50 gallon drum of water.....

Well needless to say I told him I was never doing that method ever again. ?

Just ask how many cats he's drowned, probably quite a few.

Lucky for me we have a healthy coyote population and stray cats don't last long enough to be a bother.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

pellet rifle works great as well! even indoors

Got one for my grandson this Christmas.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I live in town, I have a very powerful air rifle!

We love to shoot air rifles. I wouldn't actually use a 410 for rats. I live in town now, but used to live in the country with lots of varmints like coyotes, mean feral cats, gnawing squirrels, and stray mean dogs.

 

[sasquatch]

Irish Spring soap. Wipe it at doorways/entrances, and leave a few bars around. No idea why mice don't like it, but they don't.

 

[Latakia Dave]

Got one for my grandson this Christmas.

Great way to get them started out in the shooting sports.

 

[Pipeoff]

If you want fun, get a 410.

My 410 buck shot loads would prove rough on the interior walls.

 

[Pipeoff]

Take 'em miles away or they get back before you do. With live traps I mark 'em with a bit of spray paint. You'll be surprised. I take live trapped to a marshy area with ton's of predators. I tolerate three on the property, maybe four, so as to draw owls and other winged predators. I am a photograper after all and bit of baiting never hurts.

My wife makes me live trap and take to local rural state park. A resident hawk had a good lunch upon release, ended the live method.