mice

[Leahs Mom]

So I went with the electronic kill device.. That's pretty good ratings and a plug in. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WRR9RR6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATLPOUSTVTHOI&psc=1

@EggSighted4Life

Thanks for posting that link. I've not seen one that works on electric. The one I had was battery only and it didn't last long enough to make me happy.

I'm thinking an electric one will be much more long-lived! I may have to try one.

I'd still put it into a rubbermaid-type container with a hole cut in it as I'd hate to see someone reach their hand...or a chicken foot, etc....into it and be shocked while plugged into electric. Seems like a child could get hold of it and put a hand inside really easily.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

@EggSighted4Life

Thanks for posting that link. I've not seen one that works on electric. The one I had was battery only and it didn't last long enough to make me happy.

I'm thinking an electric one will be much more long-lived! I may have to try one.

I'd still put it into a rubbermaid-type container with a hole cut in it as I'd hate to see someone reach their hand...or a chicken foot, etc....into it and be shocked while plugged into electric. Seems like a child could get hold of it and put a hand inside really easily.

I hope it comes today and I get report my first catch in the morning!
I think the shock put out will still be the same as batteries but without the hassle of batteries. But yes, I don't even enjoy the shock from a 9 volt battery to my tongue. I definitely don't wanna accidentally get myself. Or anybody else!

I agree around kids/pets it could use some extra protection.

I didn't let hubby "bait" his free feeding station last night.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

OK, so within the first hour or so of setting the device with a couple of peanuts inside, I saw a rat run across the road and thought hey I'm gonna go check. Sure enough, I could see the blue LED light glowing and there was a tail hanging out the back... none of my peanuts were missing.

I reset the device without cleaning the dead rat smell out. Didn't catch any more, so don't know if it was because of the smell or they just weren't ready to hit it again yet. I could see some streaks on the metal plate, like smeared grubby hands. I will likely reset it in a new "high activity" area tonight. Last night was just random placement in the middle of the barn among piled boxes.

Interesting that people are all like we shouldn't let them smell the human on it because they will avoid it. IDK, those little rat bastards are following me around and I touch everything. Doesn't seem to deter them, IMO. Maybe for other animals that aren't all up in the human space it would be more important.

If I thought I had a good enough problem, I would totally go with these guys.. https://humboldt.craigslist.org/grd/6141002382.html

 

[Leahs Mom]

Yay!!! When I had my electronic trap it was like that and I didn't have to wait forever for them to go in. Just gave them some food and put it along a wall where they tend to want to run.

Keep updating us!

 

[tyster19]

Do you still have any mice problems?

 

[Leahs Mom]

@tyster19
I think you were asking me?

My chickens are in a pole barn for the last couple of years. I didn't have any mice in my "hen shed". There was not a good way for them to enter.

But in a whole barn it is not tight like they re in now, mice and chipmunks, etc. can get in. I'll copy my post from page 2 of this thread to show what I'm using now.

But I'd consider getting another electronic if this one would last longer than the other brand I had. I'd put them all out.


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Post from page 2:





I used one of the zap traps in my run but not with chicks present. I put it into a "rubbermaid" container - the one that's the size of a shoe box - and cut a little entrance into it on one side. That was so that it could be out in the rain without harm. It worked well, but the trap only lasted about 1.5 year before it quit.

I now use these, but I don't use the bait when they are in the chicken area. I use the traps inside them. They work great - I keep one in the barn near the pens and one just outside the door.

These are locked with a key to enter so even someone picking it up and trying to open it can't get in. Only thing I don't like is that you have to open it to see if you've caught anything. (I use the rat traps as my original issue was with chipmunks, but I've also set mouse size traps inside as well.)


http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/proteca-evo-ambush-bait-station

http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/trapper-t-rex-rat-snap-trap

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Here is the tin cat. I use clear top so you know when you've caught them. I have to take them for a drive to release - or you can sell to a pet shop for snake food if you desire.:
http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/victor-tin-cat-mouse-trap

 

[EggSighted4Life]

OK, I'm a little annoyed to report that after spending $50 on a trap... I caught 1 the first night. The second night I moved it to another location, and... the rodents did enjoy eating the bait and left foot prints around the area.

I did clean it off with alcohol because in my reasoning, even if it didn't smell like "dead" rat since the rat was removed right away, I thought it might smell like crispy rat skin. Then questioning did they avoid it due to smell, I remembered to check bait.. which was some flock raiser pellets and the original 3 peanuts. When I looked inside, I could see pieces of the bait sitting on the the metal plates half way in.

@tyster19
I think you were asking me?

My chickens are in a pole barn for the last couple of years. I didn't have any mice in my "hen shed". There was not a good way for them to enter.

But in a whole barn it is not tight like they re in now, mice and chipmunks, etc. can get in. I'll copy my post from page 2 of this thread to show what I'm using now.

But I'd consider getting another electronic if this one would last longer than the other brand I had. I'd put them all out.


***********************
Post from page 2:





I used one of the zap traps in my run but not with chicks present. I put it into a "rubbermaid" container - the one that's the size of a shoe box - and cut a little entrance into it on one side. That was so that it could be out in the rain without harm. It worked well, but the trap only lasted about 1.5 year before it quit.

I now use these, but I don't use the bait when they are in the chicken area. I use the traps inside them. They work great - I keep one in the barn near the pens and one just outside the door.

These are locked with a key to enter so even someone picking it up and trying to open it can't get in. Only thing I don't like is that you have to open it to see if you've caught anything. (I use the rat traps as my original issue was with chipmunks, but I've also set mouse size traps inside as well.)


http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/proteca-evo-ambush-bait-station

http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/trapper-t-rex-rat-snap-trap

************************
Here is the tin cat. I use clear top so you know when you've caught them. I have to take them for a drive to release - or you can sell to a pet shop for snake food if you desire.:
http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/victor-tin-cat-mouse-trap

View attachment 1041679

What do you mean by "take them for a drive to release"?

Seems like if it's dead it can be released into the trash can. Other than that relocating animals is illegal in most locations as well as inhumane to the animal itself who is in a new location where it now has to find shelter/water and might be in the territory of another animal so must fight for its' life, maybe left a family behind that it was providing for.

So the first dead rat I caught and dropped right next to my trash can in the drive way stayed there over night. Then mid morning yesterday I noticed it was gone, just shortly after I was wondering "what do I have to do to feed these out to other wild life", I noticed it was gone! I figure it was probably a vulture or a crow since both of those are in my sky everyday with the occasional raven. And last year some workers had dispatched a gopher and before they could show it to me a crow came and stole the carcass.

I noticed those guys on the ad I posted yesterday said that poison was actually outlawed in Ca recently. Still thinking I MUST employ more than one method of abatement to combat this issue.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

So after my first catch and an obvious 1 that got away, foot prints were greatly reduced.. but not fooling me. Continued setting it up in the run at night to no avail. But saw little rats jumping out of my hay mid day. Rushed in to get my trap ready for new placement and returned thinking the coast was clear. But when a rat jumped out again... made me scream like a little girl! My family heard me but ignored it since they knew I just said I saw rats. Yes, I will be the one that jumps up on the table. Of course these are the offspring of my first catch. So I sat it up in the hay, and nothing the same day. Left it anyways. Next day, mid afternoon I heard an audible sound when walking through my barn and saw the blue light glowing! Included my shoe for size comparison. These are babies.

Again, I left these guys by the trash can and they were gone this morning. I know for a fact there is at least 1 more as I saw it run through my coop last evening.

I probably could have gotten these with snap traps and maybe even all in the first night. Not worth $50 so far. But if I never have to buy another trap maybe! I will say that the reviews on amazon were much better than what my FIL saw when he found it on Ebay... and Ebay was much cheaper by $10-15 including shipping. I'm not fond of Ebay for various reasons... but I may at least check there for more reviews of future purchases.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks for keeping us updated. I appreciate your updates!

On the snap traps in the closed boxes that I showed previously, I continue to catch 2 chipmunks daily setting just outside the 2 barn doors. (I have 2 set.)

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks for keeping us updated. I appreciate your updates!

On the snap traps in the closed boxes that I showed previously, I continue to catch 2 chipmunks daily setting just outside the 2 barn doors. (I have 2 set.)

Caught what I think is my last juvenile rat last night.

Was thinking about my comment about probably just as effective to use snap traps. Seeing the baby rats reminds me of why I didn't want to got that route.. I don't wanna catch a tail of an incorrect size rodent in my trap. But seems like the enclosed ones posted snap more like a gator mouth that snaps the head instead of possibly over the whole body and getting just a leg or something.

One time a kangaroo rat got into the house before chickens, with a pair of tongs. So we caught it and took it outside to release... it played dead a couple different times!