I have never had mice before, but this year both my houses have them.

The farm house / renovation project its expected, and we have caught a
few in traps. The "edge of town" house, which I have owned 10 years
has never had them before, and I only found them as a drain pipe has
started leaking after 9 years of good service - now I know why !!

Is this a problem year for mice for some reason ?

My dilema is that I don't want to poison them and have dead mice
rotting in the walls somewhere, but trapping a whole family of them
seems to take for ever, are these my only two choices ?

Thanks
Rick

Rick wrote:
My dilema is that I don't want to poison them and have dead mice
rotting in the walls somewhere, but trapping a whole family of them
seems to take for ever, are these my only two choices ?

Get a cat.

Or two.

Owain

"Rick" wrote in message
...
I have never had mice before, but this year both my houses have them.

The farm house / renovation project its expected, and we have caught a
few in traps. The "edge of town" house, which I have owned 10 years
has never had them before, and I only found them as a drain pipe has
started leaking after 9 years of good service - now I know why !!

Is this a problem year for mice for some reason ?

My dilema is that I don't want to poison them and have dead mice
rotting in the walls somewhere, but trapping a whole family of them
seems to take for ever, are these my only two choices ?

Thanks
Rick

AFAIK there is no known way of deterring mice or rodents in general.
You either live with them or kill them.
Cats are good and in a farm environment work very well with little
intervention. Of course regular care, feeding and veterinary attention is
required.
Traps I have always found inefficient and messy.
Bait works well as they prey become dehydrated and go outside to seek water
before shuffling. I don't like using it but it is a necessary evil these
days. Never had a problem with carcases rotting within doors. If using
bait, be careful how and where you place it.
The above may sound rather inhumane. I don't like doing it but it has to be
done.

Cats are my preferred option but they have at least 2 other downsides - (1)
trophies, or remains of, left proudly on kitchen floor for me to play
twinkletoes with at 05.00. (2) A good mouser will probably also kill birds.
If they took on pies & jays I wouldn't mind. Recently we have had a
throstle and a robin. I detest that.

Guid luck
Archie.

My dilema is that I don't want to poison them and have dead mice
rotting in the walls somewhere, but trapping a whole family of them
seems to take for ever, are these my only two choices ?

Get a cat.

Or two.

This sounds sarcastic but is actually the very best advice, provided you get
the right breed of cat (ie not a docile pedigree). Trouble is that it's a
bit of the "nature, red in tooth and claw". On the other hand, it's just
nature running it's course. Didn't you say that you're renovating a
farmhouse? Well, killing things is probably one of the ways of getting into
the country spirit

Other than that, getting in Rentokill is the best option. These guys are
professionals and will wipe out the mouse population for you. I would say
you should stick to a larger reputable company than a smaller pest control
bloke-with-some-traps, but others might disagree.

My dilema is that I don't want to poison them and have dead mice
rotting in the walls somewhere, but trapping a whole family of them
seems to take for ever, are these my only two choices ?

Get a cat.

Or two.

This sounds sarcastic but is actually the very best advice, provided you
get
the right breed of cat (ie not a docile pedigree). Trouble is that it's a
bit of the "nature, red in tooth and claw". On the other hand, it's just
nature running it's course. Didn't you say that you're renovating a
farmhouse? Well, killing things is probably one of the ways of getting
into
the country spirit

Forgot to mention - if you get a cat then you should keep it hungry so that
it feels the need to catch mice...

In article ,
Rick wrote:
The farm house / renovation project its expected, and we have caught a
few in traps. The "edge of town" house, which I have owned 10 years
has never had them before, and I only found them as a drain pipe has
started leaking after 9 years of good service - now I know why !!

Once you've got rid of them, you'll need to find out how they've got in.
And also try and stop them being able to move around the house and having
somewhere safe to nest.

You can get rodent protection mesh - which will still allow ventilation
but stop them getting past. So check all ventilators or grilles etc to the
outside - IIRC, anything more than a 10 x 10 mm hole lets them in.

In the house, their likely paths are where heating and waste pipes etc go
from floor to floor. If a semi, etc, don't forget to check party walls if
possible.

--
*Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Archie wrote:
Cats are my preferred option but they have at least 2 other downsides -
(2) A good mouser will probably also kill birds.
If they took on pies & jays I wouldn't mind. Recently we have had a
throstle and a robin. I detest that.

However (according to the RSPB website) cats aren't actually having any
negative effect on bird numbers and generally kill the oldest and
weakest, which wouldn't survive anyway.

My cat soon worked out that feathers didn't taste nice and transferred
his attention to the local rabbit population.

Owain

Stinkoman wrote:
Get a cat.
Or two.
This sounds sarcastic

wasn't meant as such

Forgot to mention - if you get a cat then you should keep it hungry so that
it feels the need to catch mice...

Not true, cats hunt for enjoyment. To get a good hunter though you have
to train them from an early age (if mother doesn't do it for you)
playing with them to encourage an interest in moving objects and chasing
things.

Owain

"Archie" wrote in message
...


Cats are my preferred option but they have at least 2 other downsides -
(1)
... A good mouser will probably also kill birds.
If they took on pies & jays I wouldn't mind. Recently we have had a
throstle and a robin. I detest that.

What's the difference between thrush/robin and magpies/jays?

As for mice, in our experience if you trap a couple the problem disappears.
They're not daft, the faily moves out.

Eventually more will move in but that will happen no matter what method you
use to kill the ones which seem to both you currently.

Mary

On Fri, 08 Apr 2005 21:38:38 GMT, Rick wrote:

I have never had mice before, but this year both my houses have them.

The farm house / renovation project its expected, and we have caught a
few in traps. The "edge of town" house, which I have owned 10 years
has never had them before, and I only found them as a drain pipe has
started leaking after 9 years of good service - now I know why !!

Is this a problem year for mice for some reason ?

My dilema is that I don't want to poison them and have dead mice
rotting in the walls somewhere, but trapping a whole family of them
seems to take for ever, are these my only two choices ?

Thanks
Rick

Hi,

Try using scrunched up paper to find which holes they're using to get
in, then block the holes with something more permanent.

cheers,
Pete.

Stinkoman wrote in message
...
My dilema is that I don't want to poison them and have dead mice
rotting in the walls somewhere, but trapping a whole family of them
seems to take for ever, are these my only two choices ?

Get a cat.

Or two.

This sounds sarcastic but is actually the very best advice, provided you
get
the right breed of cat
snip

Tortoiseshell are the best killers, always female,
odd coincidence that.

--
Mark§
This is an automatic signature of unknown origin

"Mark" wrote in message
...


Tortoiseshell are the best killers, always female,

Do you mean that all tortoiseshells are female?

That's not true.


Mary


odd coincidence that.

--
Mark§
This is an automatic signature of unknown origin

"Mike Tomlinson" wrote in message
...
In article , Pete C
writes

Try using scrunched up paper to find which holes they're using to get
in, then block the holes with something more permanent.

They'll eat their way through paper.

I thought that was the idea, it would show which holes were being used.

However, once those holes are blocked others will be exploited ...

Mary

On Sun, 10 Apr 2005 10:44:03 UTC, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"Mark" wrote in message
...


Tortoiseshell are the best killers, always female,

Do you mean that all tortoiseshells are female?

That's not true.

No, but very nearly. They are almost always female.

--
Bob Eager
begin a new life...dump Windows!

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net

Try using scrunched up paper to find which holes they're using to get
in, then block the holes with something more permanent.

They'll eat their way through paper.

I thought that was the idea, it would show which holes were being used.

However, once those holes are blocked others will be exploited ...

I thought the idea of the paper was to fill the hole sufficiently to
stop the permanent repair (cement compo) falling down it.

If you have mice, you can track their paths with dust such as talc. They
also leave "scrabbling" tracks on emulsion paint. (They can climb
straight up a smooth brick wall.)

Trace where they are coming from and kill the neighbours who have just
moved in next door. The mice will then stay in that house until they
have eaten the corpes. That should buy you enought time to sell the
house and perhaps leave the country.

Stopping them coming in is going to be impossible if there is a shared
attic or whatever. Cats won't do the job in my opinion. And they can
stink too.

Clean bins, gardens and other rubbish collection points and empty
bird-tables and other food sources. Rod and flush drains empty gutters
of leaves and other detritus.

Then spread poison everywhere. Then dispose of the poison after a few
days (or collect for re-use later.) Rotate the types of poisons you use
too. Carry out poisoning excersizes regularly.

It is a major catastrophe having mice. Mice spread an illness caused
Hantovirus. (I wonder if this disease was the plagues of yore?) It's a
periodic event when the rodent population gets out of control. The
unusually warm spring may have caused a surge in the population.

You need to keep everything in tins until the mice are eradicated. Wash
the tops of tinned food before you open cans. (You should do that anyway
as you don't know what conditions were like in the factories, warehouses
and shops before you bought them.

http://www.hantavirus.net/info1.html

The disease itself is considered rare, as the virus is not very
infectious except under certain circumstances. As such, when someone
contracts HPS, the incident is frequently considered to be a random
"freak accident".

In this regard, contracting the hantavirus is very similar to being
struck by lighting: (a) it doesn't happen very often, (b) it is worth
avoiding, and (c) it can be prevented very easily if you understand how
it works.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"Michael Mcneil" wrote in message
news:380253df6d4f801ad6e97a54b7d2827f.45219@mygate .mailgate.org

http://www.hantavirus.net/info1.html

How about this:

Keep your dwelling clean.

Always store or dispose of your food, including uneaten pet food.

Keep your garbage cans tighly sealed.

Close all holes with wire screening, steel wool, or cement.

Set spring-loaded rodent traps around your home, inside and outside.

Clear the immediate area around your house foundations. Remove all
grass, scrub, and garbage. If necessary, install a barrier or metal
flashing (going at least six inches underground) for extra protection.

Keep potential nesting sites (woodpiles, debris, etc.) at least 100 feet
away from your house.

My favorite: Encourage snakes (and other natural predators) to live
nearby.

http://www.hantavirus.net/info3.html#info3c

I wrote my little essay on the fly. I was going to suggest keeping a
small snake but thought it was a little OTT. How about a weasle?


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"Michael Mcneil" wrote in message

It is a major catastrophe having mice.

Oh come on!

Mice spread an illness caused
Hantovirus. (I wonder if this disease was the plagues of yore?)

No, it wasn't.

It's a
periodic event when the rodent population gets out of control. The
unusually warm spring may have caused a surge in the population.

You need to keep everything in tins until the mice are eradicated. Wash
the tops of tinned food before you open cans. (You should do that anyway
as you don't know what conditions were like in the factories, warehouses
and shops before you bought them.

Talk about overkill!

http://www.hantavirus.net/info1.html

The disease itself is considered rare, as the virus is not very
infectious except under certain circumstances. As such, when someone
contracts HPS, the incident is frequently considered to be a random
"freak accident".

In this regard, contracting the hantavirus is very similar to being
struck by lighting: (a) it doesn't happen very often, (b) it is worth
avoiding, and (c) it can be prevented very easily if you understand how
it works.

As can road accidents. But they happen very often ...

.... and humans carry all sorts of infections. Should we poison all of them
too?

Mary


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

In article ,
Mary Fisher wrote:
Tortoiseshell are the best killers, always female,

Do you mean that all tortoiseshells are female?

My bestest ever cat was a tortoiseshell male. More intelligent than many
humans. And better company too. Just thought you'd like to know that. ;-)

--
*No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver,purple

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Mary Fisher wrote:
Tortoiseshell are the best killers, always female,

Do you mean that all tortoiseshells are female?

My bestest ever cat was a tortoiseshell male. More intelligent than many
humans. And better company too. Just thought you'd like to know that. ;-)

So was mine ... he went for his last visit to the vet when he was 21, we
were both surprised at how it affected us, We wept as we buried him and that
spot is still known as Pippin's. We shall never have another cat.

Mary

In article ,
Mary Fisher wrote:
My bestest ever cat was a tortoiseshell male. More intelligent than
many humans. And better company too. Just thought you'd like to know
that. ;-)

So was mine ... he went for his last visit to the vet when he was 21, we
were both surprised at how it affected us, We wept as we buried him and
that spot is still known as Pippin's.

Mine got run over. He was the sort of cat who would wander into any open
house and say hello - completely unafraid of humans. And let kids pick him
up. Unfortunately there were some feral cats living in the old hospital
grounds and they seemed to go for soft domestic ones - a neighbour who saw
the accident says he was being chased by one. Suppose he was seen as
competition - which he wasn't after a visit to the vet. ;-)

We shall never have another cat.

I would, but it would have to be a kitten born into a loving home. They
need to be with humans from day one to be the best pets.

--
*Honk if you love peace and quiet.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Mary Fisher wrote:
My bestest ever cat was a tortoiseshell male. More intelligent than
many humans. And better company too. Just thought you'd like to know
that. ;-)

So was mine ... he went for his last visit to the vet when he was 21, we
were both surprised at how it affected us, We wept as we buried him and
that spot is still known as Pippin's.

Mine got run over. He was the sort of cat who would wander into any open
house and say hello - completely unafraid of humans.

Oh Pippin hated men, especially the dustmen. As far as we know he'd never
been mistreated, we got him as soon as he was weaned. When he heard the
dustbin vehicle he fled.

He was a great mouser and a wonderful ratter. One blow across the head and
they fell, permanently. He hated other cats. He also picked up wasps with
his 'hand', looked at them and eat them.


We shall never have another cat.

I would, but it would have to be a kitten born into a loving home. They
need to be with humans from day one to be the best pets.

I agree. A stray adopted us but we had to give him away because he was
bullied by Pippin and was too daft to run away,. And yet he was a danger to
dogs ...

Mary

Mary Fisher wrote in message
. net...

"Mark" wrote in message
...


Tortoiseshell are the best killers, always female,

Do you mean that all tortoiseshells are female?

That's not true.

Ok Insert
"Almost"
The vet who neutered mine said she had yet to see a *true* male
tortoiseshell.
I took that to mean it was a chromosome/genetics thing.

--
Mark§
This is an automatic signature of unknown origin

"Mark" wrote in message
...

Mary Fisher wrote in message
. net...

"Mark" wrote in message
...


Tortoiseshell are the best killers, always female,

Do you mean that all tortoiseshells are female?

That's not true.

Ok Insert
"Almost"

OK, but why not say that in the first place?

The vet who neutered mine said she had yet to see a *true* male
tortoiseshell.
I took that to mean it was a chromosome/genetics thing.

.... and yet she neutered yours??? Why bother?

I take to mean that she can't tell the difference between males and females.

Mary

In article , Mary
Fisher writes

I thought that was the idea, it would show which holes were being used.

You're right, I mis-read Pete's post, sorry.

--
..braincells on vacation
(Fat Freddy's Cat gets his revenge)

In article , Rick news@pen-
y-geulan.com writes
I have never had mice before, but this year both my houses have them.

The farm house / renovation project its expected, and we have caught a
few in traps. The "edge of town" house, which I have owned 10 years
has never had them before, and I only found them as a drain pipe has
started leaking after 9 years of good service - now I know why !!

Is this a problem year for mice for some reason ?

My dilema is that I don't want to poison them and have dead mice
rotting in the walls somewhere, but trapping a whole family of them
seems to take for ever, are these my only two choices ?

Thanks
Rick


FWIW We have a building out in the sticks which has gaps along some of
the walls about an inch or so above the ground. Someone suggested that a
temporary and cheap mousy prevention measure was to put some gravel
along the gap so that if mousy were to tunnel the gravel would
immeaditly collapse and mousy would either give up or get trapped in the
gravel.

Dunno what might be better pea shingle or something larger?....
--
Tony Sayer