Mice -- A Tutorial

[FedoraDave]

Duncan let me know this morning that there was a mouse in the basement. It had been caught by its foot, so it was still alive, and when I tried to get it, it slipped free of the trap and sat there hiding in a small gap between the top of the foundation wall the sill plate. I knew I couldn't get it, so I rebaited and reset the trap, put it close by, and figured it would get caught later. It did. The Bhoy-o called me later in the morning to tell me that Duncan was running around with the dead mouse and trap, so he got it, put it in a plastic bag, and dumped it in the can outside.

But this got me thinking: It's getting to be mouse season, and a lot of us keep grain in our basements, garages, etc., where mice may be able to get to it. My particular mouse was caught just above my brewing/bottling bench. In fact, my grain mill is right there. I always cover the opening of the mill with a book. But as a professional pest-control technician, with nearly 20 years of experience, I figured it would be a good idea to post a few mouse facts in the best interests of The Borg.

Mice can get through an opening no larger around than a dime. You may be able to find and seal some of the obvious access points, but don't think you can find them all.

Mice have very poor eyesight, but very good olfactory senses. They navigate their way by staying close to vertical surfaces, relying on their whiskers, and by following the scent trails of previous mice. These scent trails consist of the body oils left behind, and urine. They have no set area where they void themselves, leaving urine and fecal droppings wherever they happen to be. Look for droppings against walls and especially in corners, where they will back themselves when they eat, so they can't be attacked from behind.

Now, as far as treating for mice, let me stress this: Do NOT use poison bait! When mice find a food source, they don't just sit and eat; they carry a lot of it away and hide it in various places, to be retrieved and eaten later. They will do this with poison bait, which means they may hide it in your 2-Row. They may hide it with your pots and pans. They may hide it where your dog or, God forbid, your child can find it and ingest it. Also, there's no guarantee where a mouse will be when it dies from ingesting poison. I've seen many instances where a mouse died inside a wall, with no hope of retrieving the carcass. The smell only lasts four or five days, but it's nasty, and it's overpowering.

Traps let you know you caught something, and can just be discarded. Glue traps should be placed against walls where evidence of traffic exists. The drawbacks to glueboards, as I see them, is that many of the ones you buy in stores don't have a whole lot of glue on them, and mice can escape from them. If they accumulate too much dust or debris, they're no longer sticky enough to hold a mouse if it steps on it. They also rely on the mouse just running across them; in other words, they usually aren't baited, unless you put a dab of peanut butter in the center of them. They're a little hit-or-miss, IMO. Also, the mouse doesn't die right away, so if you're tender-hearted it may distress you a little.

I prefer the old-fashioned snap traps. Quick kill, you bait them with peanut butter, so there's an enticement, and they just plain work. But you need to know how to use them properly.

Use only a small dab of peanut butter. You're not trying to feed them, you're trying to draw them. A little bit won't allow nibbling, but will force them to put weight on the trigger. Again, place them against walls and near to corners, where there is evidence of traffic, or where mice are likely to travel.

Now, here's the important bit: Don't place them parallel to the wall, like this: = Place them perpendicular to the wall, like this: T with the trigger closest to the wall. This allows the mouse to approach it from either direction, and the peanut butter is right in front of their nose. I shouldn't have to remind you to hold the set trap by the end furthest from the trigger. Sometimes these things can go off on their own, and you want to protect your fingers.

Put out more traps than you think you need. Six to eight, at least. This will give you some idea of the level of activity. After all, if you put out ten traps, and catch three mice, well, what about the other seven traps? Also, check them regularly. Every day, or every other day. If you've put traps where there is traffic/evidence, the mice will continue to traffic in those areas. Remember, they follow scents, so they'll use the same trails regularly. Not only did I catch my mouse within a couple of hours, I've actually caught one within seconds of setting a trap. No lie.

Also, if you do find a gap that seems like it might be an access point, a quick fix is stuffing it with steel wool or a copper scouring pad. Mice can't chew through them, and they don't even like to touch them. Their paws and noses are very sensitive.

Keep your equipment and ingredients safe, my friends. Get the mice before the mice get you!

[Beer-lord]

We have a cat and a dog and no mice in it's right mind would fool with either.
But, you give very good (and free) advice. Thanks!

[FedoraDave]

Dunk is a good mouser; no doubt about it. The only problem is he catches them downstairs and then brings them (still alive) upstairs so he can play with them. I want 'em dead.

[Rebel_B]

Good reminder... I hate finding rodent turds in a bag of grains! I at least want to prevent that from happening 'on my watch'.

[mashani]

My old house I would randomly get a rat. Big ones too. So big my cats would not go down the basement if one got in. That's how I knew I had one.

They gave me an excuse to dig out my old single shot 10m competition .177 pellet air rifle I learned to shoot with when young. Because I didn't want to get near the things either LOL. The only problem with that thing is being an older model, it fires pellets at 1200+ fps vs the 800ish FPS that they use for 10m today based on more modern ballistics. That means that the round goes transonic... IE it is fooking loud when fired in the house. But it hits really hard at 30 feet, and was the perfect thing for taking out the rats from the basement stairs. One shot one less rat.

NOTE: Don't try this at home.

[berryman]

Mash, your post reminds me of quite a few years ago when I had my farm doing a lot of different things. I had chickens, turkeys and Pigs, needless to say we had rats and a lot of them. Some of the best quality time I had with my son when he was growing up was sitting and talking and seeing who could hit a rat. We'd sit out by the barn on a warm summer night and shoot rats with a pellet gun, some times I'd cheat and use a 410 shotgun or my 44 mag handgun with shot. but we always kept the rats under control. I no longer have farm animals or a rat problem and seldom see my son but still remember them times. We have an occasional mouse from time to time, but the cats get them fast. That's no fun for me.

[FedoraDave]

They make big-ass snap traps for rats too, y'know.

[John Sand]

Good pointers Dave, thanks.
In my youth we caught mice in the house various ways, including under a pot. In my various jobs, I've killed rats, raccoons and other vermin by shooting, bludgeoning, even stomping. Now I just let the cat get 'em.

[alb]

Thanks for the info, Dave. I’ve been using these and they work well for me. No View, No Touch is how I want to deal with mice. (sorry, I don’t know how to shrink the picture)

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[ScrewyBrewer]

At my old house in the basement brewroom where I stored some grains I had to set up some 'neck-snappers' to eliminate a few little buggers that got in when the furnace was being replaced. Those mice just loved Swiss cheese the longer it was in the traps the better too.

[duff]

Dunk is a good mouser; no doubt about it. The only problem is he catches them downstairs and then brings them (still alive) upstairs so he can play with them. I want 'em dead.

My best friend growing up had a cat and a giant park/field/farm behind his house. Their cat would catch mice in the basement and garage and bring them upstairs to the bath tub and play with them because they couldn't get out. When he got bored he would eventually kill them and leave the torso in the tub but place the heads in peoples shoes. That what the stuff of nightmares as a little kid.


But ya the advice about placing the traps perpendicular to the wall was something I didn't know when I got my first place and I had a mouse in the garage. I would place it parallel to the wall and come back the next morning to find the cheese gone. Somebody finally told me to place it perpendicular and the next morning I had a mouse in the trap.

[DaYooper]

Thanks much Dave! Didnt know about the perpendicular trick either. Wife just informed me when pulling out Halloween decorations from the attic that she found some turds. Also, mice obviously are not that bright as they were eating the styrofoam "corn" that was on some of the decorations. I wonder if they had styrofoam poopies?

[mashani]

When he got bored he would eventually kill them and leave the torso in the tub but place the heads in

I have a friend in upstate NY who lives on 100 acres and has barn cats. One of them likes to line up all the little severed mouse heads in a row outside one of the houses bedroom windows as a gift for those inside. Folks who have never been there look out that window and freak out!

[Inkleg]

Cats, they say I Love You in so many weird little ways.

[FedoraDave]

Alb, I can understand your preference for the no-see traps. Some people are just squeamish about dealing with it. I, of course, have become inured to it. Doesn't phase me a whit.

Vince, I imagine the aged Swiss would be pretty pungent, which would certainly attract them. But cheese is not their natural food, and aside from the Looney Tunes universe, they're going to prefer grains to dairy products. I've seen them really go to town on bags of birdseed and grass seed in peoples' garages. I swear by peanut butter. They love that stuff. Rats will eat nearly anything, and I know guys who bait rat snap traps with pieces of Slim Jims. Rats dig peanut butter, too, though.

Yooper, mice probably didn't eat the styrofoam corn. They just have the habit of gnawing on anything and everything, as long as it's softer than their teeth. Cardboard, books, even drywall -- they'll chew on that stuff. Snap traps with peanut butter work great in attics, because there are no competitive food smells, so they'll home in on the traps, especially if you put them where you see the droppings and other evidence.

Anyway, if you're one of those home brewers who buys 2-row in 50 pound bags, you'd do well to store it in a plastic container that has a sealable lid. This will help keep them out, and even help contain the aroma of the grain, so they may not even know it's there. Consider the cost of a big bin as compared to the cost of having to throw out 30 or 40 pounds of grain because you found mouse turds in it. And keep in mind they may have peed in it, too.

Protect the grains, people! Protect the grains!