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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