Blocking mice?

[porker]

We have those too. Despite being an absolute menace they are protected in Italy.

Glis glis are also protected here in the UK. You have to pay a licenced pest controller who has to use one of about 3 approved traps (one being the fen trap) and they have to be killed not relocated. They are only in a smallish part of southern England as they escaped years ago from a private collection. Sort of a cross between a mouse and a squirrel

 

[niemeyjt]

As others mention, decaying rodents have a smell of their own!

So if you use a trap near a void, make sure you tie the trap to something secure with string. That way, the death throes of a trapped mouse won't take the trap into the void where it may become inaccessible . . . and smelly.

 

[marcros]

I wonder whether there is some form of essential oil that may deter them too. Not sure which, I am sure that some research will tell you but a drop or two of something like teatree oil might support other strategies.

Don't use lemongrass oil, that one may attract swarms of bees!

 

[Rorschach]

I wonder whether there is some form of essential oil that may deter them too. Not sure which, I am sure that some research will tell you but a drop or two of something like teatree oil might support other strategies.

Don't use lemongrass oil, that one may attract swarms of bees!

Check out Shawn Woods youtube channel, he tests mousetraps of all kinds as well as deterrents etc.

 

[Just4Fun]

So four or five years ago I bought three or four of those plug-in pest deterrent devices and set them around the house, with one in a cupboard which always gad droppings appearing. The nightly scratching in the attic continued for perhaps two weeks and then no mice anywhere in the house since.

@JAW911 : Do you happen to have a link to the devices you used? I have tried a number of them and not found them to be effective.

For those who use poison, do you use the type of poison that is supposed to make the mice thirsty so they go outside in search of water? If so, does that work?

 

[Just4Fun]

I wonder whether there is some form of essential oil that may deter them too.

I have read that mice do not like mint. I do not know if that is true.

 

[Krome10]

most Brits who are a nation of animal lovers by and large.

By and not large imo, as so many aisles in supermarkets show. The amount of times I've heard someone say "I love animals more than people" while tucking into a meat / cheese / etc sandwich is mind blowing. Sticking it in a can / freezer / carton / polystyrene tray somehow detaches people from the fact it was once living. It's bonkers.

As for the actual topic, another +1 for wire wool. I took a punt on a hole I suspected they were coming through, but in reality thought I didn't stand a chance of solving the problem so quickly. But it did! Since then I did notice a stoat run from one side to the other in the loft. Not sure who was most surprised!

 

[johnny]

Ah, yes. I can see how I may have misworded that. Cats are not intentionally poised, and I actually try really hard to make sure that they don't find poisoned rodents, despite the fact that they are rubbish at catching mice and rats. Snakes, lizards, baby tortoises, endless insects are all murdered enthusiastically by the cats but they seem to have some sort of rapprochement with the rodents. Still, we have owls who eat cats, so the cycle of life turns on. Never a dull moment here.

yes its a pity that we don't have the natural animal eco system here in the UK anymore . If you pull something out of the food chain you can bet that it will end up being a 'Key' species which will upset the whole chain eventually. European Eagle Owls is one that comes to mind...gorgeous birds.
We have reintroduced Kites, Eagles, Beavers, and a few other Native species but hopefully they won't go so far as bringing back Brown Bears and Wolves lol.

I am surprised that cats don't catch and eat mice over there. Our cats are always bringing in live mice voles and shrews and baby rats and our Tom cat always eats them usually just leaving the tail ....yuk

 

[johnny]

By and not large imo, as so many aisles in supermarkets show. The amount of times I've heard someone say "I love animals more than people" while tucking into a meat / cheese / etc sandwich is mind blowing. Sticking it in a can / freezer / carton / polystyrene tray somehow detaches people from the fact it was once living. It's bonkers.

As for the actual topic, another +1 for wire wool. I took a punt on a hole I suspected they were coming through, but in reality thought I didn't stand a chance of solving the problem so quickly. But it did! Since then I did notice a stoat run from one side to the other in the loft. Not sure who was most surprised!

it is bonkers isn't it. I am guilty of subconsciously divorcing myself from the real source of my food . You have a Stoat !? wow.. would you consider hiring it out ?

 

[Krome10]

You have a Stoat !? wow.. would you consider hiring it out ?

That depends on whether you intend to put it down your trousers

 

[johnny]

That depends on whether you intend to put it down your trousers

noooo thats Ferrets ...Stoats are probably pound for pound the most savage hunter in the animal kingdom. They can take down prey like rabbits 20x their own size . Their bite is like a demented jack hammer so fast its like a blur ...ask me how I know !

 

[Krome10]

That depends on whether you intend to put it down your trousers

...ask me how I know !

You didn't??!

Seriously though, I feel bad now for nonchalantly and interchangeably thinking of ferrets and stoats in the same breath. That's some terrible type casting and bordering on discrimination!

...ask me how I know !

Come on then, you can't not tell us now...

 

[Just4Fun]

hopefully they won't go so far as bringing back Brown Bears and Wolves lol

Scientists back reintroducing wolves to Scotland

 

[Rorschach]

Scientists back reintroducing wolves to Scotland

Sounds great in principle but it will last up until the day one person gets mauled/killed by a wolf, then they will all be shot.

 

[Just4Fun]

There are supposedly wolves in our area but I have never seen one outside of zoo. I did see what I thought was a wolf. It came up on our decking to the front door, which was a bit worrying. It turned out to be someone's hunting dog but I couldn't tell the difference and would not want to tangle with either.

There are also bears and I have never seen one of those, but I have seen evidence of them being close, as in tracks across our garden and our neighbour's bee hive being demolished by a bear trying to get the honey.

I have seen lynx, but only once.

With all these things it is nice to see them - so long as it is at a distance and I am within reach of safety. I don't want to encounter large animals close by when I am out for a walk.

 

[Glitch]

We have lynx here in London.


Quite common. They do stink though.

 

[johnny]

You didn't??!

Seriously though, I feel bad now for nonchalantly and interchangeably thinking of ferrets and stoats in the same breath. That's some terrible type casting and bordering on discrimination!



Come on then, you can't not tell us now...

when I was a kid I caught a Stoat and I held it up in my hand and in the space of a blink of an eye it bit me about 20 times around my thumb and forefinger. It was still biting me when I tried to shake it off my hand !....

 

[johnny]

With all these things it is nice to see them - so long as it is at a distance and I am within reach of safety. I don't want to encounter large animals close by when I am out for a walk.

Exactly !... nice to see Mountain lions and Bears from the safety of your log cabin .People have been knocked off their bicycles dragged into the bushes and eaten by Mountain Lions in California. Puts a whole new dimension on '...just going for a ride on my bike '....

 

[Creekhash]

Hi . This is my first posting . Regarding JWC 911 comments we also live in a very old farmhouse , surrounded by orchards . We use Lentek PR40 plug in Pest devices and have no mice in the house

 

[ColinH2O]

I find a 12 bore equally effective against both mice and rats!