Mouse Infestation

[deeksofdoom]

I have a mouse infestation in my timber shed at the moment, had been battling the mice in the shed over the last couple of months and I thought that I had gotten on top of it as I stopped catching mice in the traps. But they seem to be back again. Opened the door of the shed the other day and was greeted with a fine smell of mouse ****.

Have been using a combination of poison, mouse traps, glue traps and even have a live mouse trap, the live mouse trap is working well as there is a lovely smell of mouse **** and peanut butter attracting mice in and the human smell is gone off it. Must have killed at least 30 mice in the last while..

Yesterday I emptied the shed of all the clutter and disinfected with a mixture of jeyes fluid and bleach, then I power washed the inside and let it dry out in the sun. I reset all the traps and but didn't bother with the poison.... i don't the poison think is having any effect on them they just seem to eating it and I don't see any dead bodies except for the ones in the traps. I found a mouse hole where they are getting into shed they have gnawed through a few rotten boards, I'll see if I can block this in the coming days. 

Two more mice dead in the traps this morning. I think the mice are coming from a derelict hotel which has just been demolished over the road from me and I am getting a lot of refugees as a result.

Any idea as to what else I can do?

[Farmboy91]

I don't know about mouse but I understood with rat poison or atleast what I've used in the past they go for water, so might explain why you haven't seen any dead from it.

We've had rats coming out of our woodpile recently, I got one with a trap but only as a glancing blow so had to finish it off with the air gun, it bled a bit so I disinfected the area with hot water and bleach. Found out afterwards they don't like the smell of bleach and I haven't seen any or had the trap set off since. Might be worth trying a heavier mix of bleach? I know they are still about but it seems to be keeping them away from our back door. Might be worth a try with your mice?

Do you have a cat? 

Edit, if all else fails get on to environmental health, if they are coming from the hotel you mentioned you might be able to get them to take it up.

Edited April 12, 2020 by Farmboy91

[Walker570]

Afraid you have a very nice comfy spot there for mice and traps and poison is the only way to go.  It is important to have good poison. I always get a movement of rats and mice on my property about now as I am between two properties who have horses and other animals, so lots of food.  I use traps and rat poison and that keeps them at bay but it is a constant batlle.  They say your never more than 10 mtrs from a rat. 

[Farmboy91]

While our 3 do bring back their fair share of birds, there's not many days where one doesn't have a mouse in its gob. My suggestion would be is that if you have a cat make sure you have gaps between the shed wall and whatever your storing in the shed to allow the cat to follow said mouse. 

[dipper]

Last time I had a mouse invasion in my garage.igot a small handful of damp wheat rolled in pure Alpa chloralose and put it in a lid behind a board.Got 6 first day had 20 in just over a week.That was a few years ago .Since then Alpa is a banned substance .You can still buy it in a diluted form.

[Mice!]

I haven't had a mouse in April,  16 this year so far. I won't use poison just traps.

Have a look on YouTube at the water bucket traps and other things people try.

[JohnfromUK]

47 minutes ago, Mice! said:

I won't use poison just traps.

Same for me.  Too much risk of something else either taking the poison directly - or taking a poisoned mouse.  I get a few every year and manage to keep on top of them with traps.

[Bigbob]

Ive traps set in the garage and sheds i get the odd one but my son and apal at work moved into new house saw a mouse so i gave them some traps and there both into double figures now 

[DoolinDalton]

The water bucket tip up traps work well...google Shaun Woods on You Tube for this and other traps to try.  Have you tried baking soda mixed with cocoa powder? Apparently works well. Good luck.

[NoBodyImportant]

I wish mice would return to my barn.  I haven’t shot one in two years but they still won’t come back.  It’s like the tell each other about the great massacre that happened on that hollow ground.  #10 rat shot 22lr is amazingly fun. 

[Wb123]

Since getting pigs our mice problem has vanished. 

[Bobba]

Cement powder mixed with grated chocolate and a saucer of water nearby. They are attracted to the sweetness and the cement powder hardens when moist.

[Farmboy91]

1 hour ago, Bobba said:

Cement powder mixed with grated chocolate and a saucer of water nearby. They are attracted to the sweetness and the cement powder hardens when moist.

That's a clever idea, the only thing that puts me off something like that is if they decide to hole up and die somewhere you can't get to them.

[Vince Green]

I have found they wise up to traps fairly quickly. They are smarter than you think

[Bobba]

17 hours ago, Farmboy91 said:

That's a clever idea, the only thing that puts me off something like that is if they decide to hole up and die somewhere you can't get to them.

But is that not also the case with poisons in general?

[Farmboy91]

23 minutes ago, Bobba said:

But is that not also the case with poisons in general?

I can't speak for all poison but the ones I've used in the past on rats, makes them want to drink so 9/10 times the are drawn to an outside water source. 

[GingerCat]

Get some decent bait stations and poison and keep feeding till they stop taking it. May take 3 or so days to have an effect but it will soon clear them out. Secondary poisoning is not so easy with the stuff you can  buy so wouldn't worry too much about it. 

[edge007]

Is the timber shed outside? What type of mice have you been catching? Field mice or House mice? I would presume field Mice. If this is the case, it is illegal to poison them due to risk of secondary poisoning. 

[GingerCat]

Dont think that's correct at all. Plenty of registered companies offering to poison field mice that infest places and no mention if it being illegial anywhere. Gladly be corrected. 

[deeksofdoom]

11 hours ago, edge007 said:

Is the timber shed outside? 

..... as opposed to being ....... what?....... inside????.......

[deeksofdoom]

Hadn’t caught anything since the original post but just home from work to check the traps and had this fellah. 
 

Definitely a lot less activity, but need to keep on top of the traps now.

[Mice!]

Get some plastic traps, there so good it's unfair, a lot better than the old design. 

[JKD]

I use the same as above,,,, mine are from screwfix, item no. 70203

I use a very small amount of crunchy peanut butter on the traps.

Had great success with them placed where the little squeakers HAD to find them 👍

[GingerCat]

3 hours ago, Mice! said:

Get some plastic traps, there so good it's unfair, a lot better than the old design. 

These self set/easy set traps are great. So simple. The mouse bait (chocolate paste) also works a treat but then so do cat biscuits and they fit in the holder perfectly. Never use the old fashion wooden ones any more. 

[old man]

Traps much better than the vet bill for suspected poisoning of pets?