Tips to get rid of mice

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timmmay

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# 173716 3-Jun-2015 08:07

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I went into my shed drawers last weekend, I expected to find drills, drill bits, and such, and as well as finding that I found a fairly large amount of mouse droppings. I broke out the old mouse trap, the slightly more humane kind that crushes their entire head not just maiming them, and I've caught three but I know there are more. I use a bait that's a sugary gel, I got it from the hardware store a few years back.

Some of the little buggers have gotten smart - they eat the bait without setting the trap off. Either they're very delicate, or they're working as a team, one holding the trap open while the other eats. It's probably the former though, eating delicately.

Does anyone have any good tips on getting rid of mice?

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# 1316555 3-Jun-2015 08:19

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There is a poison you can buy at hardware stores that makes them go and search for water, so they go outside before they die. Make sure you nail it to a post or something so you can make sure they are eating it.

EDIT: Apparently that's a myth. Was what I was told at the time of buying it, and it seemed to get rid of the mouse problem anyway.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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# 1316557 3-Jun-2015 08:22

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We've not had a significant mouse/rat problem here, just a few over the years. I've used a mixture of traps, when I confirm a rodent is there, and poison in the roof space and under sheds etc. (where cats can't get to). The important thing is to monitor the bait and keep replacing it until it no longer disappears.

I've found some mice seem to be able to defeat the modern traps with plastic levers that surround the fixed food location. The old style traps work best - the ones which are almost impossible to set without going off and either trapping your finger or flying from your hand.

surfisup1000

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# 1316558 3-Jun-2015 08:34

I bought a humane trap from bunnings (the one where they walk in and get trapped inside) -- has not caught a single one.

This works...

Caught 2 the first night we put it in our garage, and none since. We've never really had a mice issue, I think a couple came in when the nights got a little colder.

Fred99

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# 1316560 3-Jun-2015 08:36

A bit of lightly cooked bacon tied on to the trap works well as bait.
I've been using cheap black plastic traps bought in packs of 3 at the hardware store. They are pretty sensitive - need to be careful with weight of bait or they can't be set. Have caught 6 so far - but no sign of any more for the past couple of weeks.
There seem to be a lot of mice around this year - other people I know in Chch have had problems with them. Possibly the long warm dry summer was good for their numbers, and they're looking for somewhere warm with a ready supply of tucker handy to spend the winter.

nathan

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# 1316562 3-Jun-2015 08:41

hmmmm bacon

timmmay

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# 1316563 3-Jun-2015 08:41

Thanks all, I'll go find the different bait at the hardware store. Fortunately they're just in the shed, which isn't attached to the house. I'll be a bugger to clean up the place after I get rid of them.

DarthKermit

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# 1316565 3-Jun-2015 08:48

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Do you have a cat? If not, I could hire one of mine to you.

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bongojona

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# 1316569 3-Jun-2015 08:59

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I normally take my dead mice to a tech recycling bin...

geekiegeek

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# 1316572 3-Jun-2015 09:03

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Get a couple of cats. Companionship and love in return for a bit of food and they catch the mice for fun :-)

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kiwitrc

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# 1316584 3-Jun-2015 09:08

nathan: hmmmm bacon

SNAP!

1101

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# 1316588 3-Jun-2015 09:11

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DarthKermit: Do you have a cat? If not, I could hire one of mine to you.

Yep, they catch the rats & mice , then bring them into the house, still alive, to play with .

dusty42

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# 1316592 3-Jun-2015 09:17

Fred99:
There seem to be a lot of mice around this year - other people I know in Chch have had problems with them. Possibly the long warm dry summer was good for their numbers, and they're looking for somewhere warm with a ready supply of tucker handy to spend the winter.

You're not wrong. This summer was a beech mast year where the beech forests flowered - leads to a huge increase in mouse numbers. There was a lot of extra predator control this year as a result.

Sounds like you're enjoying the hangover as they head inside for the winter.

One side effect is also unusually large trout who grow fat from stuffing themselves on swimming mice.

MikeB4

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# 1316594 3-Jun-2015 09:18

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Motion sensing lasers

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timmmay

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# 1316599 3-Jun-2015 09:21

Trout eat mice?

You can tell it's a slow news day when a mouse thread gets this many comments!

Jase2985

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# 1316600 3-Jun-2015 09:21

ive had this problem, they are too smart for traps, just eat the bait out of them.

ive resourted to poison, and it seems to have worked, i just check the locations regularly to ensure there is no more being taken.

what i want to know it whats the best way to stop them coming back? there is no food or anything out for them to eat so im not sure where they are feeding from.

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