Rodents!

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

How kind of you. i have taken meece for a ride to the country when they looked especially cute.

 

[j3707]

Quote:
I'm with you there. I use a couple different trap styles so I can rotate them. It only takes one or two caught before they catch on and ignore the trap. Then I wait, switch it out for another style and catch another one. They completely ignored the Rat Zapper.

Slow going, but I've been working harder on rat-proofing than rat-trapping.

The live trap with a little bowl of fruit or chicken feed has worked best for me over the long run. I dispatch them with a pellet gun.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i set out a couple of sticky traps tonight, baited with peanut butter and dry cat food. i set them on the path i have seen a rat (or rats) travel. i made a deal with my husband that he shoots them and i'll pick them up and put them in a plastic bag and then the trash.

 

[Animalian]

I only caught ONE mouse! traps have been re-set!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Good for you! That's a start. Mice aren't too wary, so you should be able to catch more.

Nothing on my sticky traps this morning. Though, one had traveled part way across the yard. i suspect it caught something bigger than a rat.

 

[CandiceN]

I think I need to set traps under my coop, and then block it off. It's just up on cinder blocks in the corners, and I'm almost positive there is a mouse nest under it. Blech!

 

[kareninthesun]

pepperment oil works well, put some on cotton balls, or put the cotton balls inside the wirey pads,that way they won't blow away. However, you have to stay up on keeping the oil current. I've planted peppermint around the coop, but also have the electronic traps that zap. They're a little pricy, about 24 dollars each, but two or three will take care of them all. Just put a little bit of peanut butter in, turn it on (batteries last for about 50 rats/more for mice) and it kills the parents first, so no sweat, plus you don't have to look at the bodies, just carry the metal domed tent out and dump it out. I HATE the gummed ones, slow torture. I've had them stick to the inside of the trash can, on the butt of my puppy who didn't know what was happening, and backed up into the gauzed drapes. Lots of fun trying to unglue those. Rats are very smart and will MOVE poison pellets, including where other pets are. Won't use them.

 

[j3707]

Quote:
I'd think twice before blocking off (your) access to under your coop. The mice/rats will find a way in and you'll end up with a whole city down there.

 

[Animalian]

I've caught a total of four now!
And I saw one watching me empty and re-set the trap tonight...cheeky bugger.

The night after the first one I caught nothing, so the next night I covered the wooden part of the trap in sand from the bottom of the coop, caught one and the other trap set off on nothing. Di the same the next night and caught two!

I also position them with the trigger end up against the wall because I figure that mice run along walls anyway so they might set it off whether they are after the bait or not. Seems to be working.

One thing I found interesting is that they've all been female so far...

 

[Animalian]

up to 9 mice caught.

I extended my run last week. Noticed this morning that a certain creature had discovered a weak spot and bent a nice fox sized hole in the wire! Luckily the girls were lock up in their coop and were safe. Can't wait till it's all extended properly, nice of Mr fox to teach me a lesson! I wish he'd try to eat the mice instead.....