Hi,

We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer
has been terrible. So far we've trapped 10 of the little pests
with more still running around the kitchen. Our cat can't be
bothered - and its his food that they are mostly after!

Before my wife calls any exterminator is there a safe and
humane way of ridding ourselves of these pests? (Safe to
us, our cat, and the chipmunks and squirrels that share our
land.)

Thanks,
Gary

Gary Brown wrote:
Hi,

We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer
has been terrible. So far we've trapped 10 of the little pests
with more still running around the kitchen. Our cat can't be
bothered - and its his food that they are mostly after!

Before my wife calls any exterminator is there a safe and
humane way of ridding ourselves of these pests? (Safe to
us, our cat, and the chipmunks and squirrels that share our
land.)

Thanks,
Gary

If your cat does'nt catch and eat mice then I would recommend poison.
I have all of the above creatures in our crawl space and barn and I
hide
a dozen of the poison cubes and no more mice for 6 months. The
chipmunks and squirrels appear to not eat it as they are all over the
barn now. Our dogs eat only fresh mice from the field and don't touch
dead ones so it has worked well in our environment.

Bob

Gary Brown wrote:
Hi,

We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer
has been terrible. So far we've trapped 10 of the little pests
with more still running around the kitchen. Our cat can't be
bothered - and its his food that they are mostly after!

Before my wife calls any exterminator is there a safe and
humane way of ridding ourselves of these pests? (Safe to
us, our cat, and the chipmunks and squirrels that share our
land.)

Another cat. The one you have is defective.

Or is taking bribes.

One cat, Towser, during her life caught 29,899 mice. Plus a few rats and the
odd rabbit.

Gary Brown wrote:
Hi,

We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer
has been terrible. So far we've trapped 10 of the little pests
with more still running around the kitchen. Our cat can't be
bothered - and its his food that they are mostly after!

Before my wife calls any exterminator is there a safe and
humane way of ridding ourselves of these pests? (Safe to
us, our cat, and the chipmunks and squirrels that share our
land.)

Your post reminded me that I wanted to find a strategy for fending off
my neighbors cat who thinks my flower bed is his personal **** box. I
stumbled across this site:

http://www.bugspray.com/articles/main.html#

"Gary Brown" wrote in message
...
Hi,

We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer
has been terrible. So far we've trapped 10 of the little pests
with more still running around the kitchen. Our cat can't be
bothered - and its his food that they are mostly after!

Before my wife calls any exterminator is there a safe and
humane way of ridding ourselves of these pests? (Safe to
us, our cat, and the chipmunks and squirrels that share our
land.)

Thanks,
Gary



Stop feeding the cat food

In article , "Gary Brown" wrote:
We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer
has been terrible. So far we've trapped 10 of the little pests
with more still running around the kitchen. Our cat can't be
bothered - and its his food that they are mostly after!

Stop feeding the cat.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

I have seen live traps for mice but have had poor luck with them.
There is one that has been recommended here before, called "The Tin
Cat," that looks like it might do the trick. Of course, you have to,
#1, take any mice caught FAR away before releasing them, or they will
just beeline it back into your house; #2, figure out where they are
getting in and fix it, or others will take advantage once you've
removed the early adopters.

I once had a cat that wouldn't catch mice and asked a hardware store
man for help finding a live trap. I explained that I wanted to make
sure it was something that wouldn't hurt my cat. He looked at me
blankly, and then said, "You have a cat AND you have mice? Lady, you
need to be at home talking to your cat, not here talking to me!"

Jo Ann
PS: BTW, the poster who said not to feed the cat is wrong. Cats
either catch mice or they don't, and those that do, do a much better
job of it if they are well fed and healthy. Since you know you have a
recurrent mouse problem, you might want to consider adopting a second
cat from known mousing lines. I now have two, and have zero mouse
problems.

Gary Brown wrote:
Hi,

We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer
has been terrible. So far we've trapped 10 of the little pests
with more still running around the kitchen. Our cat can't be
bothered - and its his food that they are mostly after!

Before my wife calls any exterminator is there a safe and
humane way of ridding ourselves of these pests? (Safe to
us, our cat, and the chipmunks and squirrels that share our
land.)

Thanks,
Gary

First you MUST find their entry holes and plug them good. Metal plate
is one possible solution, metal shavings down hole etc.

Once ypou plug the entry minimize food sources laying around. all extra
dry cat food in sealed metal container. cat food dish to new location
far from original local//

then get a live mouse trap, put along walls, not open area. mice have
learned open areas lead to death.

Then some peanut butter in trap empty at least twice a day. mice freak
when trapped all but the oldest will survive trapping.

Now before you complain I released mine about 50 feet from the house.

Most arent coming and going knowing the way in, their mom snuck in
somehow, and they were born, most probably live out their entire life
in your home....

warm dry food source, they dont go to the beach

The live trap WORKS, One time I evicted over 38 mice were mouse free
today near as I can tell....

when we remodeled the kitchen I cemented around all openings to the
basement since the mice appeared to use too large holes around water
lines as expressway.

give the live trap a chance, at least reduce the number you poision.

LIVE TRAP WORKS!

I tried poison once. I put a couple squares out to see if they would eat
it. Next day I checked on it they not only ate all the squares but they
also ripped open the box that contained the rest of the poison and ate that
too. The basterds didn't show up again after that.



"bobl" wrote in message
ups.com...
Gary Brown wrote:
Hi,

We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer
has been terrible. So far we've trapped 10 of the little pests
with more still running around the kitchen. Our cat can't be
bothered - and its his food that they are mostly after!

Before my wife calls any exterminator is there a safe and
humane way of ridding ourselves of these pests? (Safe to
us, our cat, and the chipmunks and squirrels that share our
land.)

Thanks,
Gary

If your cat does'nt catch and eat mice then I would recommend poison.
I have all of the above creatures in our crawl space and barn and I
hide
a dozen of the poison cubes and no more mice for 6 months. The
chipmunks and squirrels appear to not eat it as they are all over the
barn now. Our dogs eat only fresh mice from the field and don't touch
dead ones so it has worked well in our environment.

Bob

Before my wife calls any exterminator is there a safe and
humane way of ridding ourselves of these pests? (Safe to

Another cat. The one you have is defective.

Or is taking bribes.

LOL. Snowy is too spoiled and lazy to mouse. He nailed a
few one winter but soon lost interest. Our dear Abby, who
died much too young, was a phenomenal mouser.

Gary

Gary Brown wrote:
Hi,



Before my wife calls any exterminator is there a safe and
humane way of ridding ourselves of these pests? (Safe to
us, our cat, and the chipmunks and squirrels that share our
land.)

Thanks,
Gary


Get a rat zapper. You can get them on ebay. They go inside and zap
they're dead. Then you just pick it up and take them out to the trash.
I had problems with mice and tried all kinds of stuff and I've found
that the rat zapper works the best.

In article .com, " wrote:

PS: BTW, the poster who said not to feed the cat is wrong. Cats
either catch mice or they don't, and those that do, do a much better
job of it if they are well fed and healthy.

Nonsense. A well-fed cat doesn't have any motivation to eat mice.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
m...
In article .com,
" wrote:

PS: BTW, the poster who said not to feed the cat is wrong. Cats
either catch mice or they don't, and those that do, do a much better
job of it if they are well fed and healthy.

Nonsense. A well-fed cat doesn't have any motivation to eat mice.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

bah, my, well fed cat completely eliminated mice here before she was 6mo
old.. and never ate a one... actually was bringing them to us, and then next
to the trash once she saw where they went.. it's not about food, it's a
sport.. sat back and watched her tease one for a half hour once, cornering
it, giving it an opening, then pouncing and cornering again... she had quite
a good time.. I've actually considered buying some and letting them loose
here for her now that they're gone.. she enjoyed the hunt so much..hehe

On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:38:14 -0400, "Gary Brown"
wrote:

Hi,

We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer

You have a serious mouse problem, they are probably doing lots of
damage in your home.

Yet, you want to be HUMANE ???????

I'll be humane with dogs, cats, birds, horses, goats, sheep, cattle,
even raccoons, but mice and rats get anhilated, beheaded, chopped to
bits, poisoned, shot, exploded, burned, drownded, trapped, beaten, run
over with the lawn mower, poured on with acid, and anything else I can
do to kill them. They are destructive rodents who only serve one
purpose in life. They provide us with something to destroy and
release our aggressions in the process.

(Doug Miller) wrote:

In article .com, " wrote:

PS: BTW, the poster who said not to feed the cat is wrong. Cats
either catch mice or they don't, and those that do, do a much better
job of it if they are well fed and healthy.

Nonsense. A well-fed cat doesn't have any motivation to eat mice.

Sure they do. Sport. One of my former [well fed] cats would only
catch the outdoor critters-- mice, chipmunks, an occasional squirrel,
a few rabbits, and even a mink one Mother's Day. But he would never
touch the indoor mice. When we threw out 'his' old chair it was
stuffed with about 10 lbs of cat food. Apparently they had a truce
of some kind.

Jim

wrote:

On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:38:14 -0400, "Gary Brown"
wrote:


Hi,

We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer


You have a serious mouse problem, they are probably doing lots of
damage in your home.

Yet, you want to be HUMANE ???????

I'll be humane with dogs, cats, birds, horses, goats, sheep, cattle,
even raccoons, but mice and rats get anhilated, beheaded, chopped to
bits, poisoned, shot, exploded, burned, drownded, trapped, beaten, run
over with the lawn mower, poured on with acid, and anything else I can
do to kill them. They are destructive rodents who only serve one
purpose in life. They provide us with something to destroy and
release our aggressions in the process.

You'd probably like my favorite trap:
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product...ducts_id=11582

--
Grandpa

What is that dripping from my fingers?
Why it looks like time.

Doug Miller wrote:
In article .com,
" wrote:

PS: BTW, the poster who said not to feed the cat is wrong. Cats
either catch mice or they don't, and those that do, do a much better
job of it if they are well fed and healthy.

Nonsense. A well-fed cat doesn't have any motivation to eat mice.

Which has nothing to do with "catching" mice, same as the catch-and-release
fishermen and big game hunters.

It's the hunt that's important -- to cats or Teddy Roosevelt.

Do you think cats chase mice for food? Well, then, here's a tip that can
literally save your life.

When confronted with a large cat in the wild (cougar, lion, etc.), DON'T
RUN. Running triggers the cat's chase reflex. If you don't run, you may or
may not be attacked, but you will be killed, for sure, if you DO run.

No, it's the chase that's fun for the cat. We have a device we call the "Cat
Exerciser." It's a simple laser pointer and the kitties will chase the dot
for hours. They love it. Evidently.

Gary Brown wrote:
Hi,

We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer
has been terrible. So far we've trapped 10 of the little pests
with more still running around the kitchen. Our cat can't be
bothered - and its his food that they are mostly after!

Before my wife calls any exterminator is there a safe and
humane way of ridding ourselves of these pests? (Safe to
us, our cat, and the chipmunks and squirrels that share our
land.)

Thanks,
Gary



Let's drop the "humane". Don't torture meese, but please consider the
fact that they are creatures that can bring disease into the home. Clean
everything like mad (crumbs in cupboards and under the fridge, etc.).
Feed pets once or twice a day, but don't leave food down on the floor,
at least until mice are gone. Plug every minute opening that you can
find - around hose bibs, dryer vents, gaps in siding, etc. Meese like
warmth - gas appliance pilot, fridge motor. My favorite places for
mouse traps, which usually kill instantly, are behind stove and fridge,
where pets can't get to them. Put all cereal and grain (pet food, too)
in hard containers with tight closure. If you have clothing and pet
food stored in garage, it is likely they have set up housekeeping there
- very cozy. Trash cans in garage with tight-fitting lid? If a mouse
has the misfortune to be caught in trap and not die immediately, it is
less of a misfortune than pets or family getting something that mice or
their fleas carry.

Try an instant lighting propane torch.

I like your writing style. I'm much the same way about woodchuck
(groundhog).

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

wrote in message
news
I'll be humane with dogs, cats, birds, horses, goats, sheep, cattle,
even raccoons, but mice and rats get anhilated, beheaded, chopped to
bits, poisoned, shot, exploded, burned, drownded, trapped, beaten, run
over with the lawn mower, poured on with acid, and anything else I can
do to kill them. They are destructive rodents who only serve one
purpose in life. They provide us with something to destroy and
release our aggressions in the process.

(Doug Miller) wrote in
m:

In article .com,
" wrote:

PS: BTW, the poster who said not to feed the cat is wrong. Cats
either catch mice or they don't, and those that do, do a much better
job of it if they are well fed and healthy.

Nonsense. A well-fed cat doesn't have any motivation to eat mice.



Bull****. A cats predatory instinct is to hunt. May not eat it but the
preys movement triggers instinct. If the prey stops moving it will often
stop and do nothing further. When it moves again, it's ass is grass.

"Gary Brown" wrote in news:Nx1Dg.29$KV3.21
@newsfe03.lga:

Hi,

We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer
has been terrible. So far we've trapped 10 of the little pests
with more still running around the kitchen. Our cat can't be
bothered - and its his food that they are mostly after!

Before my wife calls any exterminator is there a safe and
humane way of ridding ourselves of these pests? (Safe to
us, our cat, and the chipmunks and squirrels that share our
land.)

Thanks,
Gary




Get yourself a Great Horned Owl.They well eat the rodents plus (and I'm
not kidding) that lazy ass cat and any small yappy-ass dogs.

wrote:
On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:38:14 -0400, "Gary Brown"
wrote:

Hi,

We have a serious mouse and ant infestations this year. We
usually get a few mice as winter approaches but this summer

You have a serious mouse problem, they are probably doing lots of
damage in your home.

Yet, you want to be HUMANE ???????

I'll be humane with dogs, cats, birds, horses, goats, sheep, cattle,
even raccoons, but mice and rats get anhilated, beheaded, chopped to
bits, poisoned, shot, exploded, burned, drownded, trapped, beaten, run
over with the lawn mower, poured on with acid, and anything else I can
do to kill them. They are destructive rodents who only serve one
purpose in life. They provide us with something to destroy and
release our aggressions in the process.

mice clean up and remove all sorts of leftovers of others including
people and animals. they are natures garbagemen. leave behind
fertilizer.

as long as they arent in my home I dont care, and if they get indoors I
trap and relocate back outside.

key is to seal home well so they cant get back inside easy////

In article .com,
wrote:

wrote:

I'll be humane with dogs, cats, birds, horses, goats, sheep, cattle,
even raccoons, but mice and rats get anhilated, beheaded, chopped to
bits, poisoned, shot, exploded, burned, drownded, trapped, beaten, run
over with the lawn mower, poured on with acid, and anything else I can
do to kill them. They are destructive rodents who only serve one
purpose in life. They provide us with something to destroy and
release our aggressions in the process.

mice clean up and remove all sorts of leftovers of others including
people and animals. they are natures garbagemen. leave behind
fertilizer.

as long as they arent in my home I dont care, and if they get indoors I
trap and relocate back outside.

key is to seal home well so they cant get back inside easy////

I would seal the house as best as I can. I won't torture them. But
those that come in should not expect to reproduce and pass on any genes
that carry any instinct that a house is safer than the outdoors where mice
are food for wildcats, owls, snakes, and other predators.

What I have heard works well and had some positive experience with:
snap traps with peanut butter, or peanut butter and popcorn.
It can help to handle the traps with gloved hands to avoid leaving your
scent on them. I would throw away used traps and get new ones - they are
cheap enough, and some mice will avoid a trap that has the scent of
another mouse dying there.
Take advantage of the fact that mice like to run along walls and put
traps in their way. Sometimes a mouse is caught by a trap not because the
trap was attractive but because the trap was in the mouse's path and the
mouse thought it was safe to run over the trap. Mice like to run along
walls because it is harder for owls to catch them there.

If I was going to deport mice rather than kill them, I would make a
homebrew trap including an automatically actuated shop vac. Given my
impression that most animals fear vacuum cleaners as badly as anything, I
think a critter that got inhaled by one and survived will avoid the vacuum
cleaner trap, and preferably the house that had it and houses in general.
I have heard that deported mice like to come back.

Mice will not only steal your food, but also contaminate it (and
anything else) with their urine and their droppings. They will pee and
poop *anywhere*, sometimes even in a container of food. And they will sit
on things, after not using toilet paper. And they carry diseases, meaning
any food in any containers that they got into has to be thrown out.

- Don Klipstein )

I use Victor Tin Cats. A live catch trap that works very effectively. Cost
about $15 each. Simple, simple, simple.

Humane?

I toss the trap, mice and all into a bucket of water. Let sit for five
minutes.

I have a rule at my property. If you can live outside and not cause damage,
disease, or be a nuisance, you can stay. If you wanna tear stuff up, come
in and crap and pee everywhere, or just be a PITA, you're going to die.

One thing to address is the source of the rodents. You are probably
surrounded by them, and getting the ones that come into the house, or around
the house helps, but like water, more flow into the empty spot. You could
just be having a bad year with a lot of feed and thus a big hatch of mice.
Perhaps you could contact the county agent or cooperative extension and they
can give info or actual help with the problem.

Rodents carry diseases that can be fatal to humans. When something may kill
you, being humane is a weak response.

Steve

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
Try an instant lighting propane torch.

I like your writing style. I'm much the same way about woodchuck
(groundhog).

--


Google Rodenator and look at the videos. Some impressive elimination of
burrowing animals.

Steve