Need to kill off a lot of mice...asap.

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I had a terrible rat and mouse problem about 4 years ago. I mentioned this to several people at a poultry show in Peoria. They gave me a method to use poison and still have my poultry and family cats be safe. I use 2 foot sections of 3" pvc pipe. Drill a hole in the center of the pipe to pass a wire thru the center of rat bait bars. Wire the bar securely so it can not be pulled out. Pipe has to be open at both ends to get rats regularly where with mice it doesn't seem to matter. Rats want to see a way out. I placed them in the pens and near the entrance points to the building. It can be place safely along rat runways and you will see a difference in several days. It can be placed outside along side of buildings and under poultry sheds. I always have one out and have no problems anymore. Never have had any animal except target rodents hurt with this method. The other thing is to remove as much food as possible each day late so they have to eat the rat bait. I used almost 1 lb of bait the 1st night and 3/4 lb the next night then by the 5th night I wasn't getting any hits. I used 4 pipe bait stations initially.

 

[prairiehousewife]

So glad I found this. Thank you for posting! I left chicken feed in our empty coop all winter, which was great for keeping the mice out of my house, but now they know where the goods are, and I have a variety of mice with several entry points. I plugged several with steel wool already. My concern about bait bars is I've heard the mice after eating them look for water, and that's why they leave your house, so is this true? My concern is them coming into the coop for water, dying, and the chickens pecking them and dying. My chicks are about 5 wks old. Is it common for cats and dogs to eat the dead, poisoned mice? Do they die in the PVC pipe? Won't cats that hunt mice kill chickens? Or will they stay away from bigger chickens?

My final question is would a rooster do anything to get rid of rodents? I'm reluctant to get one because I can't stand the crowing, but would consider it to keep the rodents at bay.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I have seen hens peck mice to death. You don't need a rooster to keep mice away and they aren't big or tough enough to keep rats away (Cats don't even like to mess with mature rats). When the hens had killed it they just left it lay. Most poison killed rodents die where we never find them.

 

[paparootzi]

Quote:
Same thing! Worked great for me too!