Hi everyone - I do not have chickens, but my neighbor did so I hope I'm not out of line joining this forum. The neighborhood convinced me that the chickens were the source of the mice than invaded the neighborhood. I barely care from whence they came - but they've arrived.
1. Please understand that for circumstances that are too long and complicated too explain here that elimination of the mice is the #1 priority. Not human lives
, not property - nothing matters more. I'm looking of the last options before I have to bulldoze the property.
I did not find out there were mice on the property until 18 days after they arrived. From what I've learned that was enough time for them to have 9-15 more. I'm told they are in the walls and will remain. That the best the professionals can do is to REDUCE the numbers. But which ever ones are left can have 9-15 babies every 15-21 days!!!! They are masters of this game. They take dumps on the 3-4 brands of glue traps. They largely ignore the various brands of bait - some coated w/ peanut butter and some not. I bought bacon for the 1st time in my life for these guests. I now have 6 cameras on the property. Once we determine their paths we eventually lined the entire area with various traps; they find another way. Each time. I would be fascinated and impressed except for the extreme detrimental hardship this has had.
So, I'm talking to a fireman. He explains how many people they cart out b/c of carbon monoxide. That starts my mind to rolling. I research CO & find out thousands of mice are killed this way each year. 1st idea was to back a car up to the property and run a hose in the house from the tailpipe. Getting a car to the house will be v. difficult (but not impossible should that be necessary), so we discussed other methods and I settled on a generator. I went to Home Depot & rented the Honda E8 3000C. The property is relatively small - three stories 300-500sq feet per floor so, approx 1350 total. I leave the generator in the basement w maybe 3/4 tank of gas. The instructions said it would run up to 9 hours on a full tank. A couple of hours later I see mice on the camera.
WTF? Try a few more things and a few hundred to thousand dollar later I rented two more generators and put on one the lower floor, one on the main floor. Opened all the doors and filled both generators with gas & let them run. I left the choke out on one and it ran out of gas after a few hours. Ran in, grabbed, dragged it outside, filled it with gas and pushed it back in. It ran at least another 5 hours. Few hours later the mice come out!!!! WTF. I've read - CO def kills mice. Sure they were in the walls in their nest, nestled in the insulation. Two fireman are confused - saying people die in hours on just failed pilot light or whatever.
The property isn't particularly drafty. Is the generator not emitting enough CO? How is that possible? Is there something else I can use? I heard newer cars don't even produce as much CO as older ones; could this be the same w generators?
I want to drill holes in the walls on each floor but can't think of how to get CO to run through a hose to the holes. I can't hook a hose to the generator, right? If I use the tailpipe option - how long should the car run and how do I get multiple hoses hooked up to the same contraption to run one hose on each floor and to have a couple hoses taped to the holes that I'll drill in the walls. What is the best producer of CO. Should I do something to the hot water heater or stove to duplicate the conditions that kill people. How can a stove kill a person, but two generators can't kill mice!?!?! Do I just need to get more? Let me run longer? Get older generators? Use something else?
And what am I hearing about anhydrous ammonia & is there anyway to get any delivered to a residential area?
But seriously, these mice need to die, especially before the newest litter has its litter.
I think these are field mice - grey w/ a tail. I've read dozens or articles, and even more reviews. Some people swear by products that my mice laugh at.
Anyreasonable sensible more likely than not, idea that will work will be appreciated. I need proven methods. Clearly no idea too outlandish. What say you?
1. Please understand that for circumstances that are too long and complicated too explain here that elimination of the mice is the #1 priority. Not human lives
, not property - nothing matters more. I'm looking of the last options before I have to bulldoze the property. I did not find out there were mice on the property until 18 days after they arrived. From what I've learned that was enough time for them to have 9-15 more. I'm told they are in the walls and will remain. That the best the professionals can do is to REDUCE the numbers. But which ever ones are left can have 9-15 babies every 15-21 days!!!! They are masters of this game. They take dumps on the 3-4 brands of glue traps. They largely ignore the various brands of bait - some coated w/ peanut butter and some not. I bought bacon for the 1st time in my life for these guests. I now have 6 cameras on the property. Once we determine their paths we eventually lined the entire area with various traps; they find another way. Each time. I would be fascinated and impressed except for the extreme detrimental hardship this has had.
So, I'm talking to a fireman. He explains how many people they cart out b/c of carbon monoxide. That starts my mind to rolling. I research CO & find out thousands of mice are killed this way each year. 1st idea was to back a car up to the property and run a hose in the house from the tailpipe. Getting a car to the house will be v. difficult (but not impossible should that be necessary), so we discussed other methods and I settled on a generator. I went to Home Depot & rented the Honda E8 3000C. The property is relatively small - three stories 300-500sq feet per floor so, approx 1350 total. I leave the generator in the basement w maybe 3/4 tank of gas. The instructions said it would run up to 9 hours on a full tank. A couple of hours later I see mice on the camera.
WTF? Try a few more things and a few hundred to thousand dollar later I rented two more generators and put on one the lower floor, one on the main floor. Opened all the doors and filled both generators with gas & let them run. I left the choke out on one and it ran out of gas after a few hours. Ran in, grabbed, dragged it outside, filled it with gas and pushed it back in. It ran at least another 5 hours. Few hours later the mice come out!!!! WTF. I've read - CO def kills mice. Sure they were in the walls in their nest, nestled in the insulation. Two fireman are confused - saying people die in hours on just failed pilot light or whatever.
The property isn't particularly drafty. Is the generator not emitting enough CO? How is that possible? Is there something else I can use? I heard newer cars don't even produce as much CO as older ones; could this be the same w generators?
I want to drill holes in the walls on each floor but can't think of how to get CO to run through a hose to the holes. I can't hook a hose to the generator, right? If I use the tailpipe option - how long should the car run and how do I get multiple hoses hooked up to the same contraption to run one hose on each floor and to have a couple hoses taped to the holes that I'll drill in the walls. What is the best producer of CO. Should I do something to the hot water heater or stove to duplicate the conditions that kill people. How can a stove kill a person, but two generators can't kill mice!?!?! Do I just need to get more? Let me run longer? Get older generators? Use something else?
And what am I hearing about anhydrous ammonia & is there anyway to get any delivered to a residential area?
But seriously, these mice need to die, especially before the newest litter has its litter.
I think these are field mice - grey w/ a tail. I've read dozens or articles, and even more reviews. Some people swear by products that my mice laugh at.
Any
I'm not advocating using poison but I did eventually when I had a rat infestation in one of my coops. I know that's not the same as having mice. I'm not sure why you have mice but I don't believe it has to be because of chickens. As you said you don't have any birds but you neighbor does. Somewhere they found a nice cozy place to live. If you have other pets and if the feed is left out, it can attract the varmints. I tried most everything when I first discovered rats to no avail. When I renovated my coop taking out the ceiling and walls, dozens of rats of all sizes poured poured out. I discovered several nests in the process. I bought some rat bait stations. The rats didn't care for the bait that came with the bait stations so I bought one that the feed store up the road used and the rats seemed to love that bait. The bait stations I use have a little window above the bait so I can check it often. I never found any dead rats laying around but they did have tunnels around the coops. I assume they went into their tunnels and died. As far as secondary poisoning, most pets that have consumed a mouse or rat may get sick but it's not usually fatal. Eating the poison directly may be fatal. There are responsible ways to keep pets and other critters away from the poison. I put the bait stations in a pet carrier so the only things that can get to the bait is the mice or rats. There is a patrician down the middle of the bait station that the rats have to go around to get to the bait. I keep the bait stations loaded with bait and check them often. I haven't see any rats in a very long time and the baits haven't been touched. Whatever you decide to do, good luck...
