If you have had problems with rodents invading your house in the winter, try this helpful tip. Place Bounce Softener dryer sheets into the little crevices and cracks where they are coming in. Place them around the pipes under sinks, too. They don't like the smell and they won't chew through them because of the taste. We had two mice last year that we caught with sticky traps. Then we started tucking dryer sheets into the areas they were coming in we never had another one!
By Shawna G. from Ann Arbor, MI
This page contains the following solutions.
To get rid of mice. I purchased bobcat and fox urine at home depot. Sprinkle this stuff in corner of basements and around outside foundation. Worked for me. Keeps animals out of gardens too.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have a problem here that is really disgusting me. I have mice in my apartment, coming in and out from the radiator, going through under the box of my bed. The box spring isn't even 10 years old yet, but they eaten through the bottom.
My boyfriend caught 4 of them in a trap. Then last year one came out of the hole in the top cabinet near the kitchen ceiling. My boyfriend caught that one too.
Later I bought Riddex, it helped with the kitchen, but they are still getting in at the radiator. Sometimes I can't sleep, I get worried, you know. Next I bought peppermint oil that didn't help either. I'm gonna find another way to work with the peppermint oil, because I would like to sleep and relax. Please can anyone give me some other advice for how to get rid of them?
Marie
Hello Marie Val - the invasion won't stop until you and yours (or your landlord if you don't own the place) can plug up the exterior holes that allow the mice to invade.
My suggestion is to consider this the first priority, then do what you can (traps - etc.) to eliminate the interior problem. Otherwise (as long as the mice have an unchallenged access) the invasive creepy, crawly, creatures are not going to be looking for other options beyond the walls of your home :)
If your landlord or landlady refuses to help with this problem, start keeping records (and references to specific events) of such rodent invasions and try to legally get out of the lease as soon as you can.
Mice are cute in cages and as they scurry about fields, but they are not roommates you should be expected to live with in the same structure if you are paying rent.
Good luck for getting rid of the unwelcome guests, but don't sacrifice your own sleep and sanity to stay in the same place if you are renting or leasing.
Is there a rodent bait that is safe for dogs? Our barn has a number of rodents, rats. To keep family dogs safe should they find dead one, I do not use poison.
I need a safe way to reduce (kill) rodents. I have tried glue boards and traps they just don't work. We keep feed in heavy metal trash cans with snug lids in a closed feed room. Yet the rats still thrive. I am ready to consider using poison, so please help. Thanks.
Hardiness Zone: 8b
By cindi from Ocala, FL
Peanut butter works really well for mice; it may also work for rats?
[edited to add] Does require a kill trap, mind you!
My dad has horses & he had the same problem....rather than using poison or traps he got an outside cat. It worked, he hasn't had a mouse/rat for years.
I'm so happy to see someone else thought cat. I wanted to post that but thought it would sound like I was mocking and that would not be intended.
Cats do wonders to reduce rodent population. Female cats generally seem to be the better hunters than the males. We have both wandering the neighborhood, and the female is always bringing home her "gifts" for her people.
Quit feeding your dogs so much and they'll soon begin to hunt rats. Dogs are meat-eaters and rats are fine meat.
The Coca Cola thing? My grandpa used to do this also. But Dad said they'd drink it and then they couldn't burp so they'd blow up on the inside!! Now I don't like mice or rats either, but dang that sounds horrible to me! I guess no worse than poison though.
Thanks for so many suggestions, just want to let you know
The rats are only in the Barn not in my loft house thank goodness
so I'll try several of your suggestions
As soneal dottie & notwrong suggests (my indoor cats do a lovely job in the house)but an out door cat would not live long here, foxes and bobcat are often in sight and hunt cats for a meal
Thanks guys, It was worth it.
Is it true that if a rodent dies from the poison D Con, it does not leave an odor?
By cricket from San Diego, CA
That is what I have always been told.
We have used all types of rodent killers over the years, and the only thing that does not cause an odor, is if they are caught in a trap and disposed of immediately. It never mattered what brand of poison we put out, if they died anywhere near the house, such as in the walls, or under the house, they always smell. Maybe it makes a difference in the locality, such as heat, humidity, etc.
When I was married every now and then we would have a mouse and we always used d-con. That is all my now "ex" would use and it never smelled. This is in South Dakota and believe me it gets hot and humid here, in the summer. I imagine if a person has enough of the critters in the house they might smell when they die. What my "ex" said is that with d-con they eat it and go back to their hole before they die.
As a training Vet Tech and having gone to school with people in funeral service, Medical fields and near taxidermists i can say one thing. Dead things smell! (even after being pumped with formaldehyde and other preservative the scent of decay can be smelt on people at least.
As the body decays going threw the may stages of decomposition it's bound to leave a tall tale Odor. The body issues turning to a soupy slush of flesh blood and liquified organs no amount of poison or air freshener outside of professional death scene clean up can completely remove the Oder. It may take a bit more time since its dehydrated (the poison) but overall if left in the walls or house it will smell once it begins liquefying.
The only issue is how bad and that's more based on location. Naturally if it dies in an air vent you'll be smelling it in no time. In the basement wall. You may have a better chance of avoiding the smell. But chances are certain poisons make rodents thirty and they will go outside to get water. That's when the poison kills them. So the 'no smell' is just that they died outside.
So if you have pets (or there are endangered birds or animals in the area) they may eat the sick and dying mouse and get sick itself. And if it dies in your walls even if by some miracle it doesn't smell who wants a dead animals in there walls growing harmful bacteria. (or in a child's room where they can touch it). Best choice is a snap trap. Something you can check regularly and throw away to prevent any illnesses and it'll let you see that you indeed caught the culprit.
Hopefully that's helpful.
I am looking for a "natural" repellent for rodents.
Brad from Pagosa Springs, CO
Brad
Catnip or mint are supposed to keep rodents away.
Living plants are said to work better than dried. You can get seeds from herbal supply stores. Both are easy to grow.
Joan
You can get mint oil from the pharmacy at the counter. Then put some on cotton balls and put them around. It's supposed to work well and is easier than growing mint plants. You could do both however. Oir for now until the plants grew. Good luck
I read somewhere for snakes and the like, spread lime. I have lizards, which are as bad as snakes, so I plan on spreading lime around.
get a cat.
This products "MGN" performs repellent action to animals (wild dog, stray cat, mouse, snake, weasel, fox, bat, mole, deer, wild boar, etc.) and bugs (cockroach, slug, leech, bee, gnat, mosquito, centipede, etc.) for garden, orchard, field, etc.
NGM reproduces the smell of a forest fire artificially and pests are instinctively recognized there as a dangerous place and escape.
Made of natural materials
If you would like to know the datails, please ask e-mail:
tskkrk @ maia.eonet.ne.jp
Is borax effective for the (permanent) control of attic rats?
By Charlie
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
We live in an old house and I wish we had the time, money, and patience to close off every opening and crevice, but that seems impossible. Does anyone have rodent control suggestions?
