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Monday, September 17, 2012

MOUSE PROOFING WEEKEND



This past weekend was a mouse proofing weekend at the farm.  After our RECENT MOUSE TROUBLE, and asking you all for advice, we saw another mouse in the house.  The time had come.  We devised a multi-prong plan of attack.
  
Ortho mousetrap
First we got these mousetraps, the Ortho Kill and Contain traps.  They will keep the mouse body inside and sealed up until we get there to dispose of it.  We put six of them around the house, baited with peanut butter and a little vanilla (apparently mice love the smell of vanilla).

Great Stuff Pestblock
Then we found this awesome stuff at our local hardware store.  The guy there highly recommended it.  I remembered that several of you said that mice will chew through the regular foam sealant.  This is the "Great Stuff" brand but it's called Pestblock.  It contains a bitter tasting and smelling additive.  The guy said he had a mouse coming in and out of a small hole in his house, he used this and never saw the mouse again.  Pretty ingenious of them to come up with something like this to prevent future chewing.  We'll see how it works at the farm.  I spent the day sealing up all the little gaps and holes I could find.
Hey, if nothing else, we're sealed up for better a/c and heat operation!

Fresh Cab by Earth-Kind
Next, we got 8 of these.  Based on some of your suggestions for "smells" that repel mice, I did some googling and found a company that makes these.  They are called Fresh Cab and were invented by a farmer's housewife.  Supposed to work great because they are filled with the smells mice don't like.  I put one in each closet, a couple under the two sinks, one under each bed and one in the living room where we saw the mouse.  We shall see.
Ro-Pel Rodent Repellant
Lastly, we got this.  It also came recommended, and we used it on the external part of the house.  I sprayed it around the front doors, and then all along the porch, the stairs, and then sprayed it all around the perimeter of the house.

We've, hopefully anyway, made it miserable inside for mice, created a barrier outside for those wanting to come in, sealed up the entrances, and for those unfortunate enough to be stuck inside, they will meet their demise.
Fingers crossed that we've done enough to nip it in the bud!


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15 comments:

  1. That is an incredible diverse plan of attack. I can't imagine a mouse even approaching your house with all that. Good luck.

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    1. Ha, that's what we're hoping. We're going back out midweek to see how things are. Thanks!!

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  2. Glad I'm not a mouse at your house. You should seriously adopt a feral cat from the local animal shelter. They will stay around your place and mouse kill for you without all the chemicals. Look into the pro=gram.

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    1. We would if we were out there enough. LOVE cats. I'd feel be about leaving it with no food just in case there weren't enough mice, ha. We WILL have them at some point, no doubt about that.

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  3. Wow, you really have all the bases covered for rodent control! You have layered your coverage and the mice will probably be running to the nearest neighbor's homes instead of yours!

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    1. IT MUST have cost you a bloody fortune to buy that lot!

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    2. Ha, we can only hope! Well, not the neighbors homes of course, ha. But they can head for the hills, LOL!

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    3. John, it wasn't cheap, probably $100 total, I'd rather have $100 worth of seeds or something, ha. But we have to sort of do overkill (no pun intended) because we aren't there full time to keep them at bay. We can't afford to have them spending the week eating up pillows and towels and such. So we're hoping this takes care of it. :-)

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  4. I know how they feel,my last house I caught 9 in one night in traps.Then the squirrels came,thank goodness we moved after that.It was rough for a while,I got tired of standing on the edge of the bathtub screaming!

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    1. Oh goodness, don't tell me that, ha. NINE? Then squirrels? Then you moved? Ha. I didn't scream but I was, shall we say, "startled".

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  5. When reading your tactical plan for operation NoMouseintheHouse, I swear I could hear The Warrior Song playing...so thought I would share it with you, haha

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTs6a0ORdQU

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  6. Every year we deal with the fall "invasion" of mice. We have been unable to locate where they are coming in at--they can fit in a hole as small as a keyhole. But, we found the perfect place to set a trap, and after a week or so, we are clear until the following fall. I love your "arsenal" --best of luck to you! Mice are a misery, if you're not there full time to deal with it!

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  7. I will bring Lucy and all 5 of her kittens to the farm and let them enjoy!!!

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  8. I am so happy to know I am not alone in the battle of mouse proofing! Thanks for sharing your experience, and I hope you have success!

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  9. Got the pestblock this morning.exterminator recommended it. Cought 4 of the little bas...s over the past two weeks with snap trap and peanut butter. Mouse killer said I didn,t have a nursery in the attic.none on first 3 floors. Buggers were coming up the AC pipes, so I'm blocking that highway

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