help with mysterious pest

[Smoky]

While staying down in Southern Arizona this past winter I seem to have picked up some kind of pest. I was hoping it would just leave but it made the trip back to Wisconsin with me. I thought it was just a mouse but it has been digging holes in my potted house plants. The dropping look just like mice droppings but it is totally ignoring my peanut butter laden mouse traps. It's really starting to annoy me now. Can anyone that lives in the southwest tell me what kind of pest it might be? All I know is that it likes digging holes in dirt, gnaws on wood at night and isn't that big.

Thanks for any tips.

[SteveH]

It's probably a field mouse. I've had trouble with them around here also. They look just like an ordinary mouse, but have longer back legs. Peanut butter will not work, but a portion of a pecan works great in the trap. Good luck.

[Splitrock]

Shrew

[Smoky]

It probably is a field mouse or a shrew. I'm surprised they don't like peanut butter. The mice here in Wisconsin love it. I will try switching the bait tonight.....I hate killing things but it's revenge time. It killed my herb garden.

[Skatiero]

Best critter trap ever: put a 5 gallon bucket in the middle of the floor. Fill it 1/3 to 1/2 full of water. Pour some cheerios ontop, they float and it looks like a bucket of cheerios. Tape a yardstick to make. Ramp between the lip of the bucket and the floor. They go after the cheerios and drown. you can catch several in one night. Yuck. Dump the whole shebang of content in the woods e very couple of days. Works waaaaaaaaay better than any other trap!!!

[TBRich]

Could be a pack rat, too...cute as the dickens, but really pesky...

[Smoky]

Whatever it is it has got to go...it ate half of my cookbook with my favourite bread recipes in it. This is war. Didn't have pecans so I have my traps set with walnuts.

Wonder if it could be a kangaroo rat?

[Smoky]

Finally caught him. It was a Kangaroo mouse, he stole the first walnut I placed in the trap so I put another one in and added some honey and that did the trick. Cute little thing...I've never seen one, they are geniuses compared to Wisconsin mice.

[SteveH]

Glad you got the varmit.

[TBRich]

Originally Posted by Smoky

....>snip<.... they are geniuses compared to Wisconsin mice.

I always have to smile at myself when dealing with mice, etc...I always feel that from the outside I must act a little like the cartoon character... is it Elmer Fud?... trying to outsmart and catch "...that qwazy wabbit"...