I seem to have a mouse problem here and it's breaking me buying mice bait. These thieves have went thru no less than 4 bags, each containing 16 packets of mouse bait. Believe me I put the bags out religously when I see all the baits gone but it only takes 2 days and that packet is gone.
It started last fall when I moved all the birds inside for the winter. I started noticed holes in the dirt floor and under the feed and water bowls. So I started putting out bait in places that was peafowl safe. I opted for the larger sized chunks,each one about as big around as a dime. I figured they would eat these where they found them, and I didn't have to worry about any birds getting the chunks themselves,and none did. But I couldn't put out as much bait at once to eradicate all of them.
Now that the birds are outside in their pens I've noticed dirt piles between the metal sight barrier where the mice has been digging to get from pen to pen and once again are eating the peas feed. I know if there is a steady supply of feed this will harbor mice and rats continually. All my feed is kept inside plastic 55 gallon barrels with lids that has a band around the lids to keep them on and tight. My problem is the mice follow the feed bowls of the peafowl and eat feed that is on the ground from when the peas scratch some out,or tip the feed bowl over.
I'm wondering if I took a new 5 gallon plastic bucket with a lid ($4.99 ea. at Big R) then cut an opening maybe about 1/3 of the way down from the top and then hung this bucket with feed from a wood post and away from the post about 12", if the peas would eat from it? Most of my breeding pens only consumes about 1 large scoop of feed every 2 days so it's not like the bucket capacity would need to be full all the time. I'm guessing one full scoop of feed would only amount to maybe 4-5" in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket,since it takes about 6 full scoops to fill one. If I bought buckets with lids even when it rained not much water would get on the feed inside of the opening I cut wasn't too big. If the bucket is about 8" off the ground and not next to anything a mouse could crawl up,to get inside or on top of the bucket I wonder if lack of a food source will drive them away? Or starve them out?
Last night in my bssp pen I picked up and dumped their water bowl and about 5 adult mice took off scrambling and there was 5 little blind naked mice all curled up in a ball under where the water bowl was.. The bait costs about $19.00 for a bag of 16 individual packets. I'd rather use that money to buy pea feed because either there is hundreds of mice I'm not seeing, or the bait isn't working. Anyone use a hanging feeder? Wonder if the peas watch me put feed into one how long it will take them before they investigate and learn to eat from one?
It started last fall when I moved all the birds inside for the winter. I started noticed holes in the dirt floor and under the feed and water bowls. So I started putting out bait in places that was peafowl safe. I opted for the larger sized chunks,each one about as big around as a dime. I figured they would eat these where they found them, and I didn't have to worry about any birds getting the chunks themselves,and none did. But I couldn't put out as much bait at once to eradicate all of them.
Now that the birds are outside in their pens I've noticed dirt piles between the metal sight barrier where the mice has been digging to get from pen to pen and once again are eating the peas feed. I know if there is a steady supply of feed this will harbor mice and rats continually. All my feed is kept inside plastic 55 gallon barrels with lids that has a band around the lids to keep them on and tight. My problem is the mice follow the feed bowls of the peafowl and eat feed that is on the ground from when the peas scratch some out,or tip the feed bowl over.
I'm wondering if I took a new 5 gallon plastic bucket with a lid ($4.99 ea. at Big R) then cut an opening maybe about 1/3 of the way down from the top and then hung this bucket with feed from a wood post and away from the post about 12", if the peas would eat from it? Most of my breeding pens only consumes about 1 large scoop of feed every 2 days so it's not like the bucket capacity would need to be full all the time. I'm guessing one full scoop of feed would only amount to maybe 4-5" in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket,since it takes about 6 full scoops to fill one. If I bought buckets with lids even when it rained not much water would get on the feed inside of the opening I cut wasn't too big. If the bucket is about 8" off the ground and not next to anything a mouse could crawl up,to get inside or on top of the bucket I wonder if lack of a food source will drive them away? Or starve them out?
Last night in my bssp pen I picked up and dumped their water bowl and about 5 adult mice took off scrambling and there was 5 little blind naked mice all curled up in a ball under where the water bowl was.. The bait costs about $19.00 for a bag of 16 individual packets. I'd rather use that money to buy pea feed because either there is hundreds of mice I'm not seeing, or the bait isn't working. Anyone use a hanging feeder? Wonder if the peas watch me put feed into one how long it will take them before they investigate and learn to eat from one?
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