Mice Advice, Please

[Side-Oilers]

Had a giant rat snake fall out of the rafters onto my head once at my Texas ranch.   That's a definition of "surprise."

In my experience, the glue traps are the most effective.  They've also caught lizards, small snakes, scorpions, spiders, worms, a rat, and a ton of crawling bugs trying to get into my garage over the years. 

The mice in my area (SoCal hills) chewed on the Irish Spring bars and made their comfy nests with dryer sheets.  "More, please."

The electronic devices did not work on them either.  (Possibly a different type of mouse than others have.)

[ChicagoChris]

Dryer sheets do not work in my area-spring traps with peanut butter bait and the green blocks of poison are best.
I've got chipmunks as well as mice so I'll try the clue traps

[98SVT - was 06GT]

Use bronze wool not steel - that rusts when it rains and leaves streaks when it runs down the wall. Tape the glue trap down so the critter doesn't drag it off. The old DeCon stuff worked great - the new not so good. I think mice like wires with current. The don't seem to bother the wiring if the battery is disconnected.

[Grumpy]

pepper.. been using it for years with the cars in a barn.

[shelbydoug]

Well I must have the Einsteins of mice here? They don't like peanut butter, cheese, run around the glue traps and seven cats have been ineffective against them.

Using an AR15 is a little over the top. They are too fast for a stun gun.

Allstate is right. Mayhem is alive and well out there...and in here.

[propayne]

I've found putting a portion of a caramel cube in a snap trap is more effective than peanut butter.

Very sticky, so the mice really need to work at getting it, setting off the trap.

Also, mice run along the edges of walls, using their whiskers to feel their way, so place the traps with the bait side up against a wall where you think they are active.

- Phillip

[JohnHouston]

The electronic chasers ran the squirrels in the attic off.  For the garage, my little black cat (he prefers "panther") accompanies me.  It is easy to lose him, though, as his favorite place to sleep is in the black/black/black Tiger. . . .

John

[KR Convertible]

You may want to put a couple of glue traps in the car in case one does get in.  My mom had one in her car.  It kept chewing up the tissues she kept in her cup holder.  I got right on that project before the mouse started chewing wires.

[mk31755]

I gave up years ago trying home remedies.  I live out in the county and the mice run rampant. ( In the city they have rats.)  I put all my cars in bubbles.  I haven't had a problem with mice since I started using bubbles. My wife has  a 97' Z3.  Ever since the mice got in the trunk, nested and ate the wiring , I surrendered. The repairs were very costly.  Thank the lord it was not my Shelby. Car bubbles have been my answer to the mice problem.

[FL SAAC]

Peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, pepper and cloves.

Mice are said to hate the smell of these. Lightly soak some cotton balls in oils from one or more of these foods and leave the cotton balls in places where you've had problems with mice

If you have a friend who is an exterminator, gas them. This should be the end.

But if all that fails, a nice old fashioned (my favorite) barbaric swing trap with the smelliest cheese doused with peanut butter will certainly neutralize your little friends

[Don Johnston]

They have lots of cats available at your local animal shelter.   

[GT350DAVE]

I live in a heavily wooded area and have had mouse problems every winter in a barn on our property. I've tried ultrasonics drier sheets, irish spring soap, peppermint oil, mothballs, poison blocks and just about everything else you can think of. Mouse traps catch some of them (more than a dozen a year) but others seem to ignore the traps. Moth balls work in a small area like under a hood.
We have had extensive damage done to our every day vehicles, including having to replace part of the wiring harness in my F150.
The idea is to prevent mice from ever getting in the building to begin with.
This summer I bit the bullet and hired a company that seals buildings. They showed up with metal forming equipment and covered every possible area with aluminum flashing. I have been all around the building with a light and it appears to be sealed. This winter will tell.
Dave

[Bob Gaines]

As has been mentioned use the car jacket car zip up bag .I used to have to store vehicles in a shed and while there were plenty of mice none got into the bag.  It is a nuisance on a frequently driven car to unzip it and drive out of the bag every time but for weeks at a time storage like in the winter it is hard to beat the piece of mind that it gives knowing the car is safe from rodents.   

[KR Convertible]

All you need is a mote and draw bridge.   

[Greg]

A cat is really a great deterrent.  They will take care of mice, muskrats, squirrels etc...