Placing cage wheels in water didn't deter mice from climbing.😠

[TobyTheQuail]

I received some great ideas on how to stop the mice from climbing up onto the quails' cage. In the meantime though, I still needed a quick fix so I dunked the wheels in water. I know...this is probably going to rust them but I'm desperate. It seemed to work for the first 45 minutes and then, I don't know how, they found a way back in. Arghhh! I would hate to find out that these little boogers can swim now. Can they??? Btw, that's a pic of him running off once I caught him.

 

[Nabiki]

Yes, mice and rats can swim. I'd set some snap traps around and get rid of him that way. Unfortunately, if you let them hang around, they're just going to multiply and carry disease into your quail's home and your home.

 

[SheaLoner]

Snap trap, glue traps, or cover the cages in 1/4" hardware cloth. You may be able to try coating the legs in vaseline, combined with the water it may keep mice out. But then they will just migrate to your kitchen.

 

[DougVC]

Cats are very good deterrents as well.
If that is not an option, I would second the glue traps and snap traps as a good option to get rid of them.

 

[TobyTheQuail]

Yes, mice and rats can swim. I'd set some snap traps around and get rid of him that way. Unfortunately, if you let them hang around, they're just going to multiply and carry disease into your quail's home and your home.

Snap trap, glue traps, or cover the cages in 1/4" hardware cloth. You may be able to try coating the legs in vaseline, combined with the water it may keep mice out. But then they will just migrate to your kitchen.

Vaseline it is.

 

[TobyTheQuail]

Cats are very good deterrents as well.
If that is not an option, I would second the glue traps and snap traps as a good option to get rid of them.

Cats are very good deterrents as well.
If that is not an option, I would second the glue traps and snap traps as a good option to get rid of them.

No, no and...no. But, ty anyway.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Mice unfortunately can swim. I always use cashews for my bait in mouse traps. If you have any, you could try that. If you have an empty cage, you could put a trap on there also.

 

[DigitalSuccubus]

Rub patroleum jelly or Vaseline all over them, the mice can't climb over it..

 

[Geckolady]

You keep wanting to be humane to the mice and rats. I'm guessing you must be new to dealing with them. They are relentless. They will destroy your property and coop, and can give you diseases. You can't worry about being nice to them. It's you or them. War. The longer you wait, the more they will multiply, and the more rodents you will need to kill. The most humane thing to do is to kill as few as possible, and that means kill them now before they multiply even further. You won't like that option, but I'm sorry, it's the only one.

 

[SheaLoner]

Looking at your cage set up while awake I can see a few other problems. I dont think just the vaseline will do. How high is the bottom shelf from the floor? Mice can jump UP a good 10" or so. And I would consider removing the wheels from the legs. It looks like the mice have been swimming over, standing on the wheel and jumping up to catch the shelf. I would consider finding a way to extend the legs to make it harder for mice to reach your birds, if you have the room to do so. If the wheels are threaded on you may be able to get a piece of threaded pipe or bolt that matches.

Or maybe just a deeper pot of water? So they cant get any traction to jump, but it would have to be low enough they couldnt reach the cage from the top of the pan.