The Battle Over The Chicken Shed: Me vs. the Mice

[Percheron chick]

Snap traps are the only thing that work for me.

 

[50-45-1]

The Bucket Trap Way To Mouse Control
Try this, be prepared to get lots of mice each night
Put your feed in steel garbage cans with tight fitting lids.
If you are actually dealing with rats you will have to attack this differently. Probably poison
You say there is scattered feed around for years which makes me wonder about your situation and the types of farm and livestock you have now.

 

[aart]

If I get my hands on some snap traps, I'll try this! Thank you!

If...I'd go get some now.
The old fashion kind, wood base with small metal trigger.
Yes they are harder to set, but they work much better than the plastic ones.

Snap traps are the only thing that work for me.

I've had fair luck with a bucket trap, when they're were lots of mice.
But, yeah, good old snap traps are the best.

 

[PioneerChicks]

The Bucket Trap Way To Mouse Control
Try this, be prepared to get lots of mice each night
Put your feed in steel garbage cans with tight fitting lids.
If you are actually dealing with rats you will have to attack this differently. Probably poison
You say there is scattered feed around for years which makes me wonder about your situation and the types of farm and livestock you have now.

That looks great! I have a couple places in mind where I can put it. Thank you!

All my feed bags are currently safe, whereas they weren't before. But there orange halves and apple cores and old pumpkins and such everywhere around the chicken yard and there's no way I could I could pick up every single thing.

 

[Tre3hugger]

But there are still enough crumbs and scraps around the chicken yard and compost pile to feed several families of mice for years!

I think until this is somewhat addressed the mice will keep coming back

 

[PioneerChicks]

Plan of action:

1. Set out bucket traps
2. Cats in the shed
3. Snap traps
4. Dig under the shed to let the cats at the mice
5. Use Mouse X

 

[PioneerChicks]

I think until this is somewhat addressed the mice will keep coming back

I could shovel away the majority, but there would always be bits around. I'll give it a try next sunny day!

 

[PioneerChicks]

@aart I got three snap traps and set them with peanut butter. I caught three nice that first night, one per trap! The problem is, I reset them and have had no luck.

The are all lined up in a row against a wall. On the second night, one for snapped but didn't catch anything. It has been nearly a week. Do I need to rinse the traps in water to get rid of the dead-mouse smell or are the mice just too smart?

 

[aart]

On the second night, one for snapped but didn't catch anything.

This is why I use a piece of grain or seed shoved tight into the trigger, make 'em dig for it. I also put 2-3 other pieces of grain on and/or near the trap.
No need to 'rinse' them.
Might move them to another wall tho.

 

[PioneerChicks]

This is why I use a piece of grain or seed shoved tight into the trigger, make 'em dig for it. I also put 2-3 other pieces of grain on and/or near the trap.
No need to 'rinse' them.
Might move them to another wall tho.

Thank you! I'll give it a try!