need advice

[GAILS]

need advice on how to control mouse population in barn. sorry no cats allowed. have a great pyrenees that stays at he barn with the goats and horses,but does not like cats. what is the safest way to get rid of mice? thanks

 

[chandab]

How about one of those small breeds of dogs that go after mice? I can't think of the other breeds that are good at, but my MIL's doxie is heck on mice, he knows where they are and goes after them (he never eats them, just kill them, so that leaves little mouse carcasses around).

Mouse traps work decently. Personally, I don't like to have bait on the place, as the mice pack it everywhere, and I don't want it to end up in my feed.

 

[osu_barrelracer]

A mouse hunting dog!!! They are much better than cats. lol. Except now that the mouse population has diminished...ours has moved onto rabbits. . .

 

[Little Bits]

I have had luck with peanut butter on traps instead of cheese. Ive' had a couple two for one shots they love peanut butter. I haven't had luck with D Con the mice seem to store it the hay to eat latter, and that isn't good for the horses.

 

[minih]

A cat is about the best thing for mice in a barn around feed and all. Is there no way the cat can stay away fromt the dog in the barn by jumping to a loft area or in the stalls? We have 3 cats with 2 barns and no mice at all. Have not seen one in years.

 

[LittleRibbie]

Oh Gail I feel for you!! I never had mice untill about a month ago. I saw it the other night when I went in and turned the light on. My food it stored in metal barrels but that dang thing was right up on the table chewing around the lid of a tub of Black as Night.....put a couple traps out...no mouse but yesterday I noticed he ate right thru the plastic tube and had gotten in side the bucket. Had to go in and pick out the mouse poop from the bucket b/c It was almost a full bucket and didnt want to toss it away!! I will try the peanut butter on the trap cause this guy doesnt like cheap yellow cheese!! I will not use any poison...I dont want to smell I dead mouse hidden in the barn next week!! I was going to use those sticky boards but the thought of finding him stuck and squeeling on that gives me the he-b-g-b's!! Good luck...let me know what works!! Heidi

 

[ChrystalPaths]

My schipperke was fabulous at mousing! Not as frantic as a JRT and jet black with a heavy triple coat, terrific personalities too. They were used as ship dogs to control the mouse/rat population.

 

[Rocky1]

I found that the plastic traps worked tons better than the wooden ones. Peanut butter is the way to go, mice aren't really cheeze eaters anyways. Put the traps where your dog can't get them as the peanut butter will attract the dog too. I would put the trap by where you last saw the mice or by the food. MIce are like fleas...you may only see 1, but there are many more that you don't see. I would get a few traps and lay them out all at the same time. LAy some against walls too, mice like to travel along walls. Good luck.

 

[bonloubri]

Yep, peanut butter is the way to go. At the first signs of mice in our barn, I set out traps and within a month's time caught twelve mice. Lost two traps, never did find where they went.

 

[user 3234]

We use something called "shakeaway" for rodents. Sprinkle around area you want to keep rodents from and it has work well for us for several years. It is a combination of bobcat and fox urine in a moist sprinkles. You can get it from ACE.

 

[blueprintminis]

My female JRTs are heck on the mouse/rat population. I've seen them with a male rat nearly as big as the smaller JRT and they took care of him in a matter of moments. But, the best was a young female cat who learned how to get up in the loft and she killed more mice/rats than she could eat. Sadly, a rogue JRT that I was fostering got ahold of her and killed her. She had just about wiped out the entire colony. But, female terriers of any kind are usually pretty good hunters for vermin around the barn.

 

[Bonny]

I am allergic to cats, But we found that our Miniature dachshund is awesome for mouse hunting. She is smaller than a cat, and those short legs can go anywhere! Dachshunds being bred to for badgers have a great drive for mice lol. And very easy to care for, did I mention all around wonderful sweet dogs? LOL.

 

[ruffian]

The best thing to do is reduce the attraction. I keep all my feed in plastic tote bins. They have tight fitted lids, and I've never had one eaten through. Now even when I spill a little feed on a lid or something, it's still there the next day - no mice!

Plus it makes for a nice neat feed/tack room, with little spillage or broken bags, plus I can stack them.

I agree 200% with no poison. I had put a bit down where I THOUGHT the dogs couldn't get it, and it cost me almost $3,000 to get my sheltie back to life. Vet said all they need is a lick and it can kill them.

 

[Maxi'sMinis]

I used peanut butter and the covered traps. Just a pinch of PB. I caught 12 mice in 24 hrs. Then averaged about 6 a week for a couple weeks. Haven't seen any since. I tried live traps but they got wise, so had to go terminator on them with the killer traps. The mice were making a mess and were a hazard peeing and deficating on everything. Chewing holes in all the grain, etc.

 

[Slinkky]

I use a 5 gallon bucket and piece of baling twine and the core from a toilet paper roll, add some peanut butter and you have a great trap!

Fill the 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full with water. Thread the twine through the toilet paper roll and tie to each side of the bucket. Let the twine go all the way to the floor. Spread peanut butter on the toilet paper roll and wait. The mice will go up the twine to get to the peanut butter...the roll will spin and in drop the mice.

Works for me!

 

[Suzie]

I know this is not the most popular response, but works for us. We use an electric repeller- it plugs in and gives off a high pitched sound that rodents don't like. Also, we have a huge black snake that has lived in our barn for years. I seldom ever see him and he is no threat to our horses but he rids the barn of every varmit. Some years I never see him at all but he is around. He also takes care of keeping other poisonous snakes away. Plus he can get in every nook and cranny that mice do. We tried cats but they tend to wander off...and if you feed them too much, they will lay on the hay and watch a mouse walk by.

We also reduce the temptation for mice to show up by keeping all grain in sealed plastic barrels and manure out of the barn.

I don't like poisons- too much chance for something not intended to eat it to get it. Plus I don't want to risk my dogs eating a poisoned mouse and dying too.

Peanut butter works best on traps but watch out. If you accidently trap a squirrel instead, they can be the most viscious animals on earth!!

 

[Hill Haven Farms]

We kept seeing mouse droppings and setting your standard traps...but nothing was getting caught, until a few weeks ago my husband went out to get a tool from the barn/garage and heard a hissing sound, he looked down and there was a 4ft rat snake coiled up under the tool bench. YIKES... they aren't poisonous, just not my idea of pest control.... Needless to say, That has taken care of our mouse problem.....I just check and double check and triple check if I have to go reaching for things under the tool bench and usually will use a broom stick to make noise first...

 

[wildoak]

Cats do the job here, but I will say the JRT's are heck on mice.....and frogs, skunks, possums, or anything else they can chase down LOL. I don't see mice often but I doubt there's a barn anywhere that doesn't have a few. I moved some things out of a big tall rubbermaid cabinet not long ago, and mice had chewed through ALL the tubes of Probios I had stored! Nothing else was touched. Apparently I now have healthy mice!

Jan