I have a shed that the mice have decided to use as their restroom (renters left the door open, using it as a dog house and left the dog food in there also). I did a thorough cleaning with hospital grade disinfectant and have sprayed lemon scented bleach over the area, but they are still returning. Any ideas on how to get them to stop using the shed? Thanks.
Mike D.
traps come to mind
-- Brian
Get a cat!
I would be happy just to keep them out of my silverware drawer.
Mice are pretty well creatures of habit and they also tend to shit where they eat - so getting rid of any food comes to mind, but also breaking their habit will have to happen. Get a trap and you'll get mouse after mouse after mouse until they stop going there. Use peanut butter on the trap - mice like that more than cheese. Actually, with mice you don't even need bait, they are so habitual creatures that they'll run right over the trap so long as its in their path.
The food is all gone, along with the renters. Unfortunately, the house is also a bit of a drive from where we live and I can only get there 1-2 days a week. I need to find something they will avoid.
Think cat. You can even borrow one.
It's oodles of fun for the cat and satisfaction for you.*
Buy a "rat Zapper" you can get them on ebay. I got the larger on and I'm glad I did. It works great for killing them and there is no mess.
Okay, how do I keep the cat at the house? I am only there 1-2 days a week!
Then Put out lots of traps and glue traps and various kinds of traps and poison. When I had mice, I caught so many on the second floor that they stayed away from the second floor and wouldn't go above the first.
I poisoned mice, and since my house is suprisingly dry, they just dried up afaict, counting the two I found, and I don't think any rotted or rotted in walls. Others say it's risky to use posion because they'll die in the walls. But if you only have a shed, your walls don't have an inside.
Use lots of poison and traps, placed where they go. Even in your shed they probably stay around the edges, or whereever you find the droppings.
Cats are a lot more "mature" and self sufficient than dogs. If they have a good source of water some food and some mice to kill they are generally happy with intermittent human attention.
Pete C.
MEOW MEOW MEOW...... And cats are really great pets too...
Then clean as you stated or use bleach. Also plug all entry holes with tin or concrete.
Mothballs, a bucket of amonia,
Then the new owners can't get into the shed! The only entrance is a rollup door. The surface is not straight, but waved.
I leave my Log Cabin shut down over the Winter in Vermont. Always had a few mice droppings in drawers etc. I heard that laying sheets of "Bounce" fabric softener( as used in a dryer) would repel them. Tried it over last Winter and it was very effective!
I also used them inside my boat in the barn, and for once had no mouse droppings...
They are clean and leave no residue like sprays.
I DID have some mouse poison in selected areas in the cellar, so I expect the overall population was lessened, but in past years there were always some droppings even with the 'mouse food'...
This year I'll remember to put some in the truck!
Regards, Terry King ...On The Mediterranean in Carthage (Back ...In The Woods In Vermont for the Summer)
Close the door?
Seriously, though:
Get a feeder that'll hold a week's supply of dry cat food.
Put this feeder atop something a mouse can't climb (an up-ended wash tub) but that the cat can easily reach with a modest hop, Most cats can jump at least five feet, higher if they get a running start.
Water should be no problem.
I thought you said this was in a shed? If the cat needs to be confined to the house, you'll need a litter box too.
Get a "Tin Cat" made by Victor. A metal trap that captures mice live. No messy decapitation or crushing. You do need to empty it every three days or so or they will die in there and start to decay. About $15 US.
Google tin cat.
Perfect for any type of mouser. If you want them dead, throw the trap into a bucket of water. If your are a tree hugging Liberal, take them to a neighborhood that needs mice and let them go free.
Steve
Are you saying to put mothballs in a bucket of amonia?
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