In article >,
Blair P. Houghton > wrote:

> Katra > wrote:
> >I'm actually impressed that you are live trapping... ;-)
>
> Well, that was the plan, as I've only had one other
> mouse in the house and that was 2 or 3 years ago.
>
> But my karma bartering may end. I looked over the back
> fence, and there are an easy dozen mouse-sized holes in
> the dirt beside the culvert.

I tried live traps with the original rat infestation in the hen yard.
Really I did... It got out of hand swiftly so I had no choice
but to start poisoning. They ate eggs, killed young pigeons
and crapped profusely in the feed dishes, and attracted rattlesnakes...

Rodents are oh so prolific.

You usually only visually see about 10% of your infestation.
I was forced to poison finally. You just have to be OH so careful!

Bar baits BTW are safer as they cannot drag them away if they
are fixed in place properly with a catch pan to control crumb dispersal.

>
> I doubt the mice I've caught this time were the same
> mouse*, so if the cover plate doesn't stop the invasion
> I'll have to start leaving out poison baits.

If your infestation gets bad enough, it's the only way. I hated to
do it, but as I said in an earlier post, when I first started using
dicoumarol baits, (not sure if that is spelled right), the body count
slowed down at over 40. What I like about that poison is that the animal
bleeds to death, and that is really not a bad way to die. They get weak
and thirsty, which usually drives them out into the open in search of
water. Most died near the water pans so I could gather them and dispose
of them properly. Only a few died where I could not see them, just smell
them.

That is the drawback of poison, but they dry out after about a week,
but it is rather unpleasant. :-P

"one bite" brand works pretty well, and there are other similar brands
as well.

>
> >Watch out tho', mice can carry Hanta virus.
>
> Exactly my worry if the numbers start getting into
> the range of statistical significance.

It's looking that way. <sigh>
Your other alternative is to either import some really good mousers,
(cats) or some good bullsnakes. Ferrets are good too, as long as you
don't have any other rodent pets or pet birds. Ferrets will go out of
their way to kill birds, or so I've heard. I've never owned one.

>
> --Blair
> "This ain't no Waldorf Moustoria."
>
> * - and it's up to 3 now; the last one was an ugly scene,
> as he'd been caught in the trap overnight and either
> the Stilton had disagreed with him or he'd gotten
> claustrophobic (a claustrophobic mouse? there's a
> trick...) or maybe they really do just go wherever and
> whenever, because the trap was dripping mouse gunk of
> all sorts.


Ew. ;-P

K.

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