Living with mice

[Griff]

OK what do you do when one or two hid and die somewhere under the floor and the pan? Griff

[VIKING]

Dropping the belly pan is the easiest and most likely way to approach this problem, but it's a crapshoot at best. You could do all the work underneath, and still find your mice up in a wall somewhere. I had mouse trails throughout the insulation above the endcaps and in the wall insulation. The under-floor insulation had pretty much disintegrated except for a few square feet, and that's where the mummified carcasses were prevalent!

Oust seems to mask the smell of death better than some other air fresheners.

Rich the Viking

[Ganaraska]

Originally Posted by holder310

"Now how is a domesticated Alabama mouse going to know what bobcat urine smells like?" I had to agree. I just hope it is instinct.

I think you are right about the instinct.

Here is a curious story. Some years back Washington DC residents used to get tiger droppings from the zoo, to put around their back yards. The droppings repelled deer who liked to nibble on cherry tree shoots and other tasty plants.

When the zoo ran out of tiger droppings, some people tried lion droppings but they didn't work. The deer walked right past them and munched on the shrubbery.

Now how did those deer know they can outrun a lion but not a tiger? There have been no wild lions or tigers in that area for 20,000 years?

[TG Twinkie]

You may not believe this! But I swear it works! I don't have mice in my trailer yet that I know of, but I was getting mice in my '46 Dodge pickup. which sets for long periods between drives. I don't remember where I heard this but mice don't like room deodorizors. I got a couple of those "flat disk" type with the twist up cover. They are about 1/2" thick by 3" in diameter. Put one in the truck and haven't had a mouse since. OH! by the way, I live on a farm.

[COArgosy78]

I believe it! I think that is why people are saying dryer sheets and the the Fresh Cab that we use seem to have the same results. I think I read somewhere that some natural essences like peppermint or spearmint keep them away. I am going to do an experiment when my Fresh Cab bags lose their essence. I am going to buy some of the same smells as are listed on the box and just spray back on the bags to see if they still work. The Fresh Cab are just crushed corn cob w/different herbal essences added and put in a cloth bag.

[RockStar]

Bounce works well, but try Irish Spring soap bars, as well. We store our 27.5 Kustom Koach and the tow vehicle every winter on an acreage in farm country and have never had a mouse in the house. Use a dozen or so bars - still in the boxes - placed strategically in closets, under the sink, lying on top of the bed, on the countertops and in outside storage compartments. I even stick one in the diesel exhaust pipe before I tape a plastic bag over it ( to prevent nesting ) and we've never had a mouse in the place in the past ten years. Good luck trapping them!

[KYAirstream]

I'll have to try the Fresh Cab that's been mentioned. Someone at a campground claimed he had success with one of those electronic repellants. Any thoughts about those?

[frankfarmer]

Do not use any poision!!!! A simple small mouse trap is best, cheese or peanut butter.

[dcm]

Originally Posted by happypill

full- timing , currently in california state park in SoCal, in a 30' argosy. The mouse is in the house. any ingenious ways to catch the critter. i have searched, and found some entry points in the back bumper, next to the water/sewer lines, and i've filled the gaps. next i've placed traps in the pantry. i dont suppose poison is a good idea. any advice out there?

Place trap or poison next to water pump or below closet and leave 24/7.

[CrawfordGene]

Mice may be smarter than we are when it comes to room deodorizers—who knows what chemicals are in those? When we go to motels, I unplug the electrically operated ones.

The old fashioned mouse trap works very well. Just be very careful when setting it up because they must really hurt when your finger gets caught. I used to release the corpse and use them again, but my wife was grossed out by my money saving approach.

Gene

[MORA]

I have had great success with a variation on Tin Hut John's method, which I call "the Last Lap.

1 5 gal bucket, 1 empty beer can, 1 tsp peanut butter, 1 coathanger, 1 gallon of water.

suspend the can on the coat hanger from the bucket, spead peanut butter on can. Mouse tighropesout to can, which then pivots sending him to his demise in the water. Its not humane, but niether is anything other than a catch and release, which kinda defeats the point.