Mice! They're Back!!

by **Sawbill** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:18 pm

DangIt! After 3 years or so of being completely mouse free, the dirty little rodents are back. Seems they've finally discovered another hole to crawl through. Trouble is, I'm not sure if I've narrowed it down or not but again I've filled every nook and cranny that I can find with steel wool and caulking. Thankfully they're confined to the attic with no way of getting into the main building. So, with no moose tag this year its gonna be a mouse hunt. On the bright side, peanut butter is a lot cheaper than a full blown food order and a few tanks of gas and besides, the little critters are a lot easier to pack out than a moose.

by **LandOLaker** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 4:30 pm

I've been told that cloves will help keep mice away. We're going to try speading them on our floors and near the doors etc when we close for the winter. If nothing else the palce will smell like an apple pie when we open up in the spring.

by **Wet Paws** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 4:46 pm

I have also heard and once tried dried peppermint leaves hanging in an old nylon in our deer camp. We still had a couple mice so maybe it worked or the population was not high. It was definitely fewer than usual....a coincidence??? It did make the place smell better the next spring for the work party. If you can imagine 7-8 guys in a camp for a week with no shower during the deer hunt; it probably did not smell that great when we closed it up. I tried it just for the novelty....it was very cheap and readily available at the bulk food store. The hardest thing was getting permission to steal one nylon from my wife. And of course the ribbing from the guys of where I got it. LOL.

Oh I'm sorry...I was thinking about the cottage. What did you say?

by **fabien** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:32 pm

We used to have a bad mouse problem. Bought the plug-in mouse repellents at Costco (3 for $25 if I recall). Mice disapeared litterally overnight. The problem is we get lots of spikes in current at the cottage and one after the other, the three devices failed. So after 3 mouse-free years, the mice are back and I have to find my way back to Costco.

by **Sawbill** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:28 pm

I had heard those things work really well. Problem is I don't have hydro at the camp. So every time I go to camp its check my trap line, dump the carcasses and reset with peanut butter.

by **ashleaf** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 9:51 am

Walmart has the same plug in things seems to work well we have them in both our 200 year old house and cottge, no visable evidence of mice. [:p]

Peter
Ashleaf Cottage

by **Shuswap Bushman** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 3:22 pm

Send me the money instead. I need a new depth finder.

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2001/05/fyi0128.htm

Bushman

by **Joe Cottager** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:30 am

We had a brutal mouse problem in our house, and for the life of us, had no idea where they were getting in, all we knew is they seemed to originate in the kitchen of all places. [xx(] I ordered a new countertop and had it delivered. Upon removing the old one, we noticed the 'void' behind our corner cabinet, and lo and behold, a hole in the wall like the cartoons! And an a bundance of mouse droppings too. If we were not plannig on replacing the countertop, this problem would have plagued us for years. Glad we did it, (the old top was really ugly). I stuffed the hole with steel wool, and then covered all of it with expanding foam. Not a critter to be seen yet!!!! WOo WOO! [:D] The mice find a good way in and they leave scent trails for the others to follow. Very resourceful and clever. They can gain access in the damndest of spots.

Building Inspectors are people too, with great responsibility and fewer friends, LOL.

by **Panache** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:53 pm

I am SO happy to report that we HAVE NO MICE in the cottage!!
Hubby went to the camp last weekend for the first visit since mid October. I was hesitant to go this first time in fear of the little critters. I'm not afraid of mice, but I would have been really upset if they had gotten into the bedding that I left on the beds last fall. Usually I strip the beds and cover them up with plastic, moth balls and charcoal. [Don't know if that works, but my neighbour told me to do it!] Anyway, when we were packing up last October, the boat was getting full and I just didn't feel like stripping the beds. I took a chance. So glad to find out that there wasn't any sign of the little critters. Even the one trap we set was still baited with cheese - frozen and dried up, but still there!
Keeping my fingers crossed that the camp continues to be mouse free!!

by **Kasshcow** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 2:02 pm

Our first trip up since december and I found a dead mouse in my toilet along with the antifreeze slush so I was not as lucky as you Panache. I guess I will have to try some of the suggestions here. We removed every last scrap of food when we closed up so I am not sure why they stick around. There is no other evidence other than a couple of droppings near the Hydro box so maybe that is where they are getting in...Hmmm the hunt is on....

by **Born For The North** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:56 pm

:D

by **Joe Cottager** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:51 pm

hahaha, great picture. My cottage is so drafty and such, I went up the 2nd week in January, and I saw evidence of mice, grrrrr, and something else, Possible chipmunk or squrrel. A nice clean pile of pinecone stuff in the attached garage. Oh well. Mother nature. I will hopefully be abloe to make the place a little prettier and seal it up from rodents and such a lot better this year.

Don't worry, I will make time for beers too.

by **Panache** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:11 pm

Some of you have mentioned in another post that you have an OUSTAMOUSE trap.
After having a little rodent in the camp last weekend I'm all for trying something new.
So, is it working? Do you have to check the poison often? Can chipmunks fit in there too? [wouldn't want to intentionally kill anything other than mice].
Tell me if I should buy one.

Thanks

http://www.oustamouse.com

by **New Cottager** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:29 pm

I haven't used that exact brand, but I have used a similar product and the mice ate it all (including the box I'd left on the shelf) within the week between cottage visits.

BUT, the week after we used it, we discovered that our permanent resident neighbor has cats who like to mouse around our shed (that's where the mouse problem is). I had planned to put more of the product in the shed, but didn't because I'm worried that the cats will eat a poisoned mouse and get sick or worse...

So, I'd say the product probably works and how often you have to refill/replace it depends on the number of mice you have, but keep the food chain in mind when using it. Does anyone have any other suggestions (except traps - I'd never keep up) for getting rid of the mice?? Over the winter they ruined a hammock, pedal boat cover, pop up canopy, large tarp... well over $500 worth of stuff! Grrrrr!! :evil:

by **UKCG** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 3:53 pm

We bought the Oustamouse at the Spring Cottage life show. I always set traps inside too and up until last weekend had not caught a single mouse in a trap or seen any evidence of activity. I was very happy!

Then last weekend, three mice! I checked the bait and it was still about a third full. Not sure what to do now. Will check again next time I am up - likely not for a couple of weeks.

Hoping for no mice inside...

Mice! They're Back!!

I was not so lucky

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