Opinions on mouse control

[3KillerBs]

Since then I use sticky traps in places other animals can't get into.

Glue traps are horrifically cruel -- the mice die of starvation and dehydration. They are vermin, but we have no right to make them suffer.

Snap traps are the swiftest and most merciful.

Poison can be used in a safe and careful fashion and some kinds are not dangerous to pets.

@Thanera What does your run look like? Do you have it wrapped entirely in hardware cloth with either an anti-dig apron or a trench burying hardware cloth 12" down? Find the way the mice are getting in and block it off because that same 1/2" gap could admit snakes and weasels.

 

[Vacman]

Whatever you decide on, don't use poison. Too many possible problems with other animals. I have looked for signs of mice coming into my coop shelter at night but haven't found any. At this point, if there were some mice coming in, I wouldn't be concerned unless there was some damage cause by them. The sticky traps do work though. You can now buy some plastic mouse traps on Amazon and they work well, better than the old style mouse traps.

 

[Thanera]

Snap traps with peanut butter has always worked well for me. Have a jar that expired last year that I store in the cabinet above the stove so I don't accidentally contaminate the good jar and wrote mouse trap all over it so no one eats it. One evening they were snapping the traps faster than I could set them when the neighbors were moving, after a week I wasn't catching anything anymore and haven't seen any since.

I went out and purchased two catch and release traps and use peanut butter in them and I actually caught four mice. I drove at least 2 miles away and release them into a sort of wild park green space. That way that I don't have to kill them and nature can sort itself out. I haven't caught any more for a few days so hopefully I got rid of the population I have, fingers crossed

 

[3KillerBs]

I agree but also disagree. If I dumped them in my neighbor's yard that would be really messed up. The place I use is public land, no homes, business, or places of human congregation for at least 2-3 miles. You can't really say there isn't already field mice in a wild area like this.

It's still not yours and you have no right to treat it as if it were yours.

It's just like dumping trash on public land.

 

[glib]

It is well known that mice disappear once guinea fowl are added to the flock. They hunt at night too.

 

[Al Gerhart]

The thing about not being able to afford a treadle feeder is that you are already paying for the feeder without having the benefits of saving feed from waste and rodents. If your budget is stretched they start at $36.00 for one of the guillotine style feeders made out of galvanized steel, with some of the same type made, made in China out of aluminum (not good at all) can be gotten for $55.00 including the shipping. As a last resort, make one out of wood until you can scratch up the money for a good one.

Bringing feed inside just makes the mice eat during the day. Your best bet is to feed twice per day, around an eighth of a pound per per bird each time.

As far as trying to make a coop rodent proof, very expensive and time consuming to pull that off, might work if the coop and run is always closed off and you watch for holes being chewed. Trapping and poison work for a few times and the rodents get smart and avoid both. Good luck!

 

[GC-Raptor]

Warning; photo of mouse on sticky trap.
I use sticky traps too.
I like the CatchMaster glue boards. They are very sticky. I get them from my local Stop & Shop.
I tried another brand from TSC and I've found fur on surface, but no mouse, doesn't seem as sticky.

My coops are rodent proof when pop door is closed at night, but mice and chipmunks come around during the day.
I don't get many mice in coops as my chickens will eat them. I only caught two in coops this year.
When I see rodent droppings I put out a glue board.
I put inside coop in storage area (blocked nest box) that I keep large coffee cans of feed and scratch and up high above windows in my bought coop.
If you have a wire dog kennel (broody breaker) put that inside coop overnight with a couple of glue boards inside and Scratch Grains or feed in between.
I check boards every time I visit coops.
If I find a mouse alive I step on it.
I found droppings in my car earlier this week and put a couple of glue boards inside and caught this.

GC

 

[Katanahamon]

Oh man, no disrespect to people who use glue boards, but I don't think I could bring myself to use those. I know mice are pests but that method seems to just be prolonged suffering for the thing. I've also found too many other animals trapped in them before like Gardner snakes etc. I appreciate everyone's opinion though, thank you

I use them occasionally inside the house as an early warning, but, I dispatch the poor things in a bucket with CO2 from a brewing tank so they don’t suffer for long..

 

[Katanahamon]

They're fine if you take food out during the night.

Yes..bring food in at night.

 

[AOrchard]

I live trap the mice and feed them to my indoor cats. Pulling feed works, but that's one more chore on my list, and I'd rather not have to deal with that. So, I trap every two months or so, for a couple days at a time until the trap is out a full day or two without catching anything.