Cascade Crew

Twilightoptics

So I have a project I'd like to do this winter, but the shop I have access to, the mice do also.

Last winter I dried moth balls, drier sheets, etc. Decon kills em, but they usually die in the cars!

How do I keep them out?

My best idea right now is:
Wheels off.
Put the car on jack stands.
Put the large floppy cutting boards between the stand and car.

Hopefully this way the mice run up the jack stands, but can't climb upside down on the slick large cutting board to get to the car.

Yes? No? Maybe?

aaron_sK · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 11:45 am Post subject:

Traps get younger ones, older ones learn and stay away. Still should throw some down.

If you put out Decon put out shallow water dishes, or just make sure they have access to water. That s*** dehydrates them and they'll die searching for liquid.

Scent stuff like the lilac pouches mothballs, ect. is BS. Don't waste the money.

They make electrical traps now too. They have two metal pads on them and when the rat shorts the two pads together he gets a big surprise. My Dad got one in his basement with one of those. Pretty clever.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 2:32 pm Post subject:

Wouldn't you want them to not have water if the decon dehydrates them?

Aaron you've been there.... it's wooded. I'd go nuts setting traps everyday.

I caught close to 20 alone last year. I don't mind them around, just not in the car....

chevymad · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 4:56 pm Post subject:

The water makes the decon swell up so they cant eat or anything. Thats what kills them. I actually have good luck with the Bounce drier sheets. Even keeping my cars in the barn. But we threw a bunch of them around the inside of the formula.. and left the rest of the box in there as well. I must have killed 15 of the damn things last year in the house though. BAAAD year for them. Used sticky traps and some bait that we bought at a feed store. The feed store stuff really worked awesome. Worst thing was when one died under the hot tub where I couldnt get to it though. Sad

Those nasty little buggers are complete acrobats. Other then hanging the car from the ceiling, I doubt you can prevent them from climbing in. Even then I bet they'd climb down the ropes LOL

I'm hoping this year isnt as bad, but 2 days ago I backed the truck up and there was a huge rat.. about 10" long with a 7 or 8" long tail dead under it. Some critter had gotten ahold of it and it had crawled under and died.

Good luck.

Just looked. The bait that nailed them is called "Just one bite: bait chunks"

Twilightoptics · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 5:07 pm Post subject:

Ahh okay so I'll put some water out there. Though there is no shortage outside lol.

Don't think the cutting board trick would do it?

Talking about hanging from the ceiling.... was thinking of the large ball on ship ropes that the rats can hold onto..... same idea with the cutting board.

chevymad · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 5:27 pm Post subject:

It may work Paul, but I know those little things can do amazing stuff. I've even had trouble keeping them out of the drawer under the fish tank. Seems they like fish food.

QwkTrip · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 5:47 pm Post subject:

A farm cat?

aaron_sK · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 6:00 pm Post subject:

I'd be curious to see if the cutting boards stop them. but I wouldn't count on it. I have seen them run upside down before.

A cat is a great idea if you can find one with the right volition. My neighbor has one I call H-K. We hardly ever find them alive anymore. Wink

chevymad · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 6:17 pm Post subject:

The problem i've had with cats is that they do more damage then the mice. They love walking on your paint with dirty paws, and even worse.. sliding off a nicely waxed vehicle. Even with a car cover, when the cover moves the cat digs in and now you have nice parallel lines scratched into your car.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 6:20 pm Post subject:

There is a farm cat around but doesn't seem to help.

Yeah they crawl upside down.... was hoping a big enough space they physically can't grab onto would work.....

Al Hasse · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 6:26 pm Post subject:

I've had good luck with the "Tomcat" brand green bait blocks available a Lowe's. Put them out along the fence line in back and in tunnel openings that they've dug. Recently, I had a hard time finding it without a bait station included. I put it out every day per instruction until they stop disappearing

QwkTrip · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 6:51 pm Post subject:

iansane · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:18 pm Post subject:

Always had the best luck with good ol' fashioned snapper mousetraps. Little bit of PB and the guys go nuts.

chevymad · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:06 pm Post subject:

I had good luck with the snap traps too.. but last year i guess there were smarter mice! lol

flea · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 10:45 pm Post subject:

Dewey316 · Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 12:03 am Post subject:

Fred is a terrier, right? They were bred to catch rat and mice. Put the freeloader to work! Laughing

We had mice in the basement at the beach house. The decon worked, but you then find dried out mice in the weirdest places. The old snapper traps actually work alright if you stay up on the bait. Other than that, I have no great information other than those little buggers will find their way into or onto anything.

IROCDave · Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:09 pm Post subject:

As already mentioned, get a young cat, or better yet two ( male and female). They may sleep on the car cover, but atleast you wont have mouse and rat piss / droppings in the car.

About 15 years ago I had a problem with a neighbors tom cat getting into my house. The tom pissed on my pillow, key board and mouse, and the final straw was gettinto a cat fight with my wifes two cats on our bed at 2:00am one night. I had installed a cat door on the outside wall of the garage and one in the door from the house to the garage.

I noticed that my cats would sprint to the door, then stop and push the door with their nose, then blast through it. They did this becuase sometimes I would slide a peice of masonite in the channel behind the vynil cat door.

This is how I detered the tom cat from coming back. I placed an old hibatchi grill on the ground under the cat door then wrapped the cat door with alluminum foil. I cut the end off of an extention cord and hooked one wire to the foil and another to the grate. The device was tested with a outlet tester, it worked. I made sure my cats were inside and left the booby trap for one night. I didnt see or hear it happen, but it happened. That cat did not come within two blocks of my house for 5 years.

You could do something similar, sheet of alluminum under the tires with a little electricity going to them.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 9:24 am Post subject:

Hehehe that seems evil!

What about some kind of perimeter spray like one does to keep ants out? Is there anything like that out there?

Looks like I need Fox Urine!

BluFbdy · Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 11:01 pm Post subject:

What about coolant? I know dogs and cats will drink it, so wouldn't a mouse be attracted to it as well? The only run in with a mouse I've had lately was one that decided to post up in an Audi I was putting a system in, I saw him, tripped out cuz it was out of the corner of my eye and it startled me, he booked and burrowed into the car, long story short I had to use fritos to flush him out lol but that's only one, you obviously have an infestation..... line the floor with metal under the car and put 12 volts to it!!! Leave the tires on obviously lol like an overly large drip pan hooked to a battery charger or something

Edit:
Dammit.... I didn't read Dave's post... great minds think alike apparently lol

chevymad · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:00 pm Post subject:

Whatever you figure out.. .this customer of mine today needs some of it! Laughing