# dead mouse



## Blue Vomit (Jan 9, 2012)

I noticed a foul stench the other day. I traced it back to one of my HVAC vents. It was then that I remembered about a week ago I put out some mouse poison in the basement. The little bastard must have crawled in there and died. I thought the poison was designed to make them go outside looking for water? 
Anyway, I think I have it narrowed down to a 14 foot stretch of horizontal ductwork. Unfortunately it is not easy to get to with bends and elbows in the ductwork at both ends. It is in the ceiling behind drywall. 
I stuck a shop vac hose in about 6 feet with negative results. Several sites online basically said dont waste your time punching holes in the walls and ducts, just wait it out until it dries up. 
The stench is BAD. I have it sealed off with duct tape now but it still seeps through any crack in the trim.
The plan now is to have the HVAC guy punch one hole in the middle of the 14 foot stretch, look both ways and hope the rat bastard is in there.
Any suggestions?


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## hossthehermit (Jan 9, 2012)

Blue Vomit said:
			
		

> I noticed a foul stench the other day. I traced it back to one of my HVAC vents. It was then that I remembered about a week ago I put out some mouse poison in the basement. The little bastard must have crawled in there and died. I thought the poison was designed to make them go outside looking for water?
> Anyway, I think I have it narrowed down to a 14 foot stretch of horizontal ductwork. Unfortunately it is not easy to get to with bends and elbows in the ductwork at both ends. It is in the ceiling behind drywall.
> I stuck a shop vac hose in about 6 feet with negative results. Several sites online basically said dont waste your time punching holes in the walls and ducts, just wait it out until it dries up.
> The stench is BAD. I have it sealed off with duct tape now but it still seeps through any crack in the trim.
> ...



Several sites online basically said dont waste your time punching holes in the walls and ducts, just wait it out until it dries up


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## Blue Vomit (Jan 9, 2012)

hossthehermit said:
			
		

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the wife is NOT a fan of that idea


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## GAMMA RAY (Jan 9, 2012)

That is why I only use mouse traps. That mouse poison make them bleed out from inside and die, I may be wrong but that is what an exterminator told me. I would rather see the dead lil body...makes me feel better. I friggin hate mice. 
Use the traps next time with peanut butter..gets them every time. Last year I had one and put 15 traps (I know extreme) inside the house on the perimeters. I got the lil bugger. I had one a couple years ago here that I bludgoned to death. I won't tell you with what. I hate them.


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## Shari (Jan 9, 2012)

GAMMA RAY said:
			
		

> That is why I only use mouse traps...



When I was a kid, one time my Dad knew there was a devious mouse hiding out in his attached garage -  My Dad and the mouse played cat & mouse for a while until Dad got tired of it and loaded up his shotgun, closed the door on the garage and went on a hunt.  He got it with one shot.  I think Dad was deaf for a month or so afterwards..........


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## bluedogz (Jan 9, 2012)

At least it's not a rat.  That'll last you for weeks.


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## raiderfan (Jan 10, 2012)

yup, only traps.  The only time i used poison was outside in my detached garage.  didn't care where they died out there.  put it out last winter, and kept finding them until this past fall  And I'm sure there are some up in the rafters that I didn't find.  You don't want that in your house.

I set up about 6 snap traps all around the top of the perimeter of my basement walls.  Catch them here and there mainly in the winter months, but leave the traps baited with PB year round to catch any stragglers.  Haven't got one in about 3-4 weeks, but check daily before work.  Probably caught 6 so far since November.  

I, too, thought I had just one when I saw one running through my living room one night a few years ago.  Set up traps in the basement, under the living room area and caught him.  Left the other traps up and caught a few more throghout the winter.  Never saw "evidence" of them, so if i didn't actually see the little crapper I would never even know I had one.  I always say that I think people have mice that don't even know that they do.  Set up a couple traps in the basement and leave them there for the winter, and people will be surprised how many they actually get


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## 72Rover (Jan 10, 2012)

GAMMA RAY said:
			
		

> That is why I only use mouse traps. That mouse poison make them bleed out from inside and die, I may be wrong but that is what an exterminator told me.



Warfarin...a blood thinner.  Your doctor may prescribe the same chemical under the name Coumadin.  But don't use it for vermin....

Cheers


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## semipro (Jan 10, 2012)

GAMMA RAY said:
			
		

> That is why I only use mouse traps. That mouse poison make them bleed out from inside and die, I may be wrong but that is what an exterminator told me. I would rather see the dead lil body...makes me feel better. I friggin hate mice.
> Use the traps next time with peanut butter..gets them every time. Last year I had one and put 15 traps (I know extreme) inside the house on the perimeters. I got the lil bugger. I had one a couple years ago here that I bludgoned to death. I won't tell you with what. I hate them.



+1 but that's not much help to the OP.  

Maybe its time to have your ducts cleaned.  There are companies that do that.  

I've tried many mouse traps and really really like the D-Con UltraSets.  They're built to keep other animals (like my dogs) out of them.  I've caught 15 mice in 3 of these in my woodshed.  Peanut butter works great.


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## ozzy73 (Jan 10, 2012)

Poison is a definate no go. Been there done that......put up with the stink for weeks. 
Best thing is to determine where the entry and exit points are make note. Use the sticky glue mouse traps. First day do not peel sticky of trap just use a dab of peanut butter on the trap. Determine if there is activity, if yes peel sticky off and bait again.

Gets them every time.


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## Lighting Up (Jan 10, 2012)

Blue Vomit said:
			
		

> Several sites online basically said dont waste your time punching holes in the walls and ducts, just wait it out until it dries up.
> The stench is BAD. I have it sealed off with duct tape now but it still seeps through any crack in the trim.
> The plan now is to have the HVAC guy punch one hole in the middle of the 14 foot stretch, look both ways and hope the rat bastard is in there.
> Any suggestions?



I know I could not wait that smell out...just a suggestion to help get that rat bastard. If you have the rods for sweeping a chimney maybe you can push or pull it out with them. I'm not sure I would use the brush but you can rap rags or brush on the end and duck tape it to make a broom. just a thought can't stand that smell of ratatouille.


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## Blue Vomit (Jan 10, 2012)

thanks for all the replies. No poison ever again. A friend is coming over tomorrow with an IR fiber optic snake camera. We'll see if we can find the carcass and take care of business.


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## GAMMA RAY (Jan 10, 2012)

Blue Vomit said:
			
		

> thanks for all the replies. No poison ever again. A friend is coming over tomorrow with an IR fiber optic snake camera. We'll see if we can find the carcass and take care of business.



Pics??? :lol: 

We wanna see the lil bahstard. :cheese:


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## ironpony (Jan 10, 2012)

we had some in the garage this fall/winter
wife said " oh leave them alone, they only are eating the bird seed"
I went into the garage and noticed mice droppings on her nice weather car
Dodge Hemi Challenger (pink)
went back inside and told her, her responce
get the traps and start killing the little bast......


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## mayhem (Jan 10, 2012)

After a couple of stinky experiences I will only use poison as a last resort.  The old fashioned sping loaded mouse traps are just about the best solution.  Bait them wiht creamy peanut butter and if you don't get the little bastard on the first night, move the trap to a new location.

D-Con also sells these great reusable traps that are basically an old fasioned trap inside a plastic housing, which is great because I've had mice able to side step and avoid the regular traps here and there.


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## Cazimere (Jan 10, 2012)

Stick a raccoon in the duct work. They will find and eat it : )


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## gzecc (Jan 10, 2012)

In my experience, one little mouse will only stink for a very short time. If it a rat, it will stink for ever. I keep my basement supplied with poison (up in the ceiling. This way I can monitor the situation. If I smell something, I know they are getting in. The population of mice multiplies so fast, that by the time you see one, you have a lot! I think its funny that people usually think they only have one mouse!


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## Blue Vomit (Jan 10, 2012)

GAMMA RAY said:
			
		

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No joy with the camera today. The stench seems to be dissipating though.


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## Flatbedford (Jan 10, 2012)

I saw a mouse in the old flatbed once. Well, actually twice, but it was moving much slower the second time.


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## Lighting Up (Jan 10, 2012)

Flatbedford said:
			
		

> I saw a mouse in the old flatbed once. Well, actually twice, but it was moving much slower the second time.



Man that's a big mouse...they grow big on the Hudson huh ? That mouse even has a color coat, mainly all gray here.


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## heat seeker (Jan 11, 2012)

About 7 years ago, I had quite a time catching one certain mouse. Used a snap trap, baited with peanut butter, cheese, whatever. It would just lick the bait off without tripping the trap. This went on for a week. I finally decided to try something silly - I drilled a small hole through a peanut and tied it to the trap trigger with thread. The mouse got one peanut, but the second try nailed the mouse!
The trap worked fine many times for other mice, I guess this one had a particularly delicate touch. We still laugh about tying a peanut to a trap!
We gets loads of mice here. I use different kinds of traps, including a Rat Zapper, and they all do well.

Last summer, something died in the attic over my office, in a spot I couldn't get to. It was so bad that the flies were trying to get in through the screens, and I couldn't tell just where the smell came from - above, below, behind something. So, I let a couple of flies in, and they went right for the same spot on the ceiling. I went into the attic, and was convinced that's where the dead critter was. I tried everything to kill the smell, no luck. I abandoned the office for about a week. It must have been bigger than a mouse! Whatever is was, it's still up there, but the odor is gone.


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## semipro (Jan 11, 2012)

mayhem said:
			
		

> After a couple of stinky experiences I will only use poison as a last resort.  The old fashioned sping loaded mouse traps are just about the best solution.  Bait them wiht creamy peanut butter and if you don't get the little bastard on the first night, move the trap to a new location.
> 
> D-Con also sells these great reusable traps that are basically an old fasioned trap inside a plastic housing, which is great because I've had mice able to side step and avoid the regular traps here and there.
> 
> [image above]



I've tried a lot of traps and these are the best I've found yet.  
Every kill I've had has been clean, they don't maim and allow the mouse to drag the trap off, they're reusable, and other animals can't get in them.


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## basswidow (Jan 11, 2012)

Flatbedford said:
			
		

> I saw a mouse in the old flatbed once. Well, actually twice, but it was moving much slower the second time.



If I'm not mistaken,  that's what we call deer mice.  They are bigger then the stardard grey house mouse and they live outdoors and in the ground (unless they can get inside).  They are in my shed, beneath my shed, wood stacks, etc...   They caused $ 1000 damage to my outside A/C units.  They love to chew wire insulation.  They got into my boat and chewed every PFD and net I had.  Christmas Decorations I put in tupperware bins - they chew right thru that stuff.  I found 12 mice in one container, and the strands of lights were trashed from all the chewing.  I've got one nesting in my Dodge truck now in the air vents.  I can't use the heat for the smell.  Can't get to it either.  

Every car I've ever parked outside - they get into.   They like the warm engine and will make nests on the engine block.  Inside the cab of a car is warm in the sun during the winter - they will chew seats, make nest up in the dash.   

In the car, they are easily trapped with a snap trap and PB,  but outside?  There must be a thousand of them.  When I mow the grass in the summer,  I see them scurry 10 feet infront of the mower.  I put down poison and traps in the shed,  theres just too many.  

I hate them.  Until I can move,  I won't buy another car, boat, or camper.


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## Blue Vomit (Jan 11, 2012)

basswidow said:
			
		

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Holy crap. You need to write to Animal Planet. They have a new show you could be on, Infested. Check it out.


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## JeffRey30747 (Jan 11, 2012)

If you have a mouse that is particularly adept at getting the bait off of the spring type traps, you can use a cooked spaghetti noodle wrapped around the trigger. It will dry back out and get tough while being conformed to the shape of the trigger. Add a dab of peanut butter for some smell.


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## GAMMA RAY (Jan 11, 2012)

This thread brings back some bad memories. We lived in a very old apartment building until we bought our house 7 years ago. We closed in February and planned to paint and do some cosmetic changes before we moved in there in May. We started having a problem with mice in the apartment in March. When we would be in bed, you could hear them in the ceiling above, scratching...scratching..

One night when we were laying there, there was a louder scratching sound than usual. Little pieces of the ceiling started falling down on our faces.  :shut: The lil bahstard almost scratched right through the friggin ceiling. 

I found mice turds in my parrot's cage too after that. >:-(  That is when I began the "Hunt". I got all my tools ready, snow shovel and bucket. 
I was sitting there watching tv one night and saw one. I cornered it and bludgeoned it to death with the shovel. Blood squirted out of his eyes. Too bad the place was infested with them and killing that one mouse did chit. It did make me feel better though.  

We were cleaning out the outside back porch a couple days before we left. It was an inside (the inside) porch that we had not used in a while. 
When we went in, the whole thing was infested with mice. I had bought 2 huge bags of outdoor bird seed that I forgot about.... :smirk: Those suckers were going to town in there. It could have been on that "Infested" tv show. I always keep my seed in metal containers now.

I hate mice. I bludgeoned one to death here in our house last year. Now I just do the P/B and traps, much easier. :lol:


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## heat seeker (Jan 11, 2012)

JeffRey30747 said:
			
		

> If you have a mouse that is particularly adept at getting the bait off of the spring type traps, you can use a cooked spaghetti noodle wrapped around the trigger. It will dry back out and get tough while being conformed to the shape of the trigger. Add a dab of peanut butter for some smell.



Good idea, I'll try it! It sure beats drilling peanuts  :cheese:


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## DAKSY (Jan 11, 2012)

I too have given up on the poison thingies. Mama cat decided that
chasing them was too much effort & them little black mouse rice 
were all over the kitchen - in the drawers & cabinets. They were 
even eating the sopnges under the sink. Put out a couple three 
D-Cons & we were INFESTED with flies. Couldn't figger out where 
they were comin from, then it hit me: Maggots on the dead mouse 
flesh. I finally found a dessicated carcasse under a register in the 
bathroom & that ended the flies. Traps from now on & I like that 
spaghetti noodle idea..

To add a little Mouse Humor to this thread, I used to live out in the 
Grafton Mountains East of Troy & we ALWAYS had deer mice. I lived
with my GF & a roommate & we were pretty much party animals, living 
on brewskis & "fatties" & we munched out on a LOT of popcorn. That 
was back in the acoustic guitar playing rock star wanna be days & I had
a big ole hollow-body Epiphone six-string that I kept in a closet when I
knew that there was gonna be marathon beer fests, so it'd be safe. 
After one of those marathon weekends, we were relaxing & I got the 
itch to strum & I pulled the axe out of the closet & you woulda thought 
I had a maraca. It was FULL of dried dogfood, popcorn kernels & little 
Maryjane seeds. The mice were using it to stock up for the winter!


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## semipro (Jan 11, 2012)

Another mouse story. 

I opened the hood on one of our cars one day to check something.  The car was running.  
I spotted a mouse on top of engine making its way towards the belt area.
Just as I jumped forward to swat him away from the nasty stuff, it steps out onto one of the rotating pulleys.  
I ended up with a stripe of disassembled mouse parts from my forehead to my belly.

Edit:  At least my mouth was closed.


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## DiscoInferno (Jan 11, 2012)

Our seasonal place in MI is a deer mouse hostel the rest of the year (and sometimes while we're there also).  This year they ate all the fancy soaps my wife had made in the summer.  I found the (already dessicated) remains of one in the furnace plenum, right in front of the blower.  We never smelled a thing, luckily.  Then we get back home to MD and the house mice have moved in there; they chewed the thumbs off of the oven mitts.  Those things will apparently eat anything.


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## mxjamie540 (Jan 12, 2012)

speaking of peanut butter..... sometimes that can get licked off the trap without springing it.  I found that Reeses peanut butter chips work AWESOME...... melt a few in the microwave, then spread on the trap.  The melt hardens and is IMPOSSIBLE for a mouse to get at without springing the trap.  Heck I used the same baited trap for months.  The PB just did not come off!


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## mayhem (Jan 12, 2012)

I've had traps licked clean without springing with chunky peanut butter, but creamy gets em every time...especially if you use the traps I showed...they cannot possibly get to the bait without putting both forepaws on the trip mechanism.  Nails em everytime.


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## colin.p (Jan 12, 2012)

I use the old wire spring type traps, seem to be better than the plastic "false teeth" type trap. Just put a little piece of a cotton ball wedged under the lip on the trigger and smear on peanut butter. Then when the mouse starts on the bait, they get their teeth caught in the cotton wool, and when they try to pull away.......snap!


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## basswidow (Jan 13, 2012)

I put out poison this past weekend.  I put one in the shed, under the shed, in my outside A/C unit, under my wood stacks, and any place my dog couldn't get to it.

This morning, my wife was screaming for me to come down stairs and see what MY dog had done.  The dog had been outside (Rain/Snow) this morning and brought a dead deer mouse in and put it on the sofa!  She's just like a proud house cat.  I'm glad she didn't eat it.  

So the poison works.  They're not in my house - so if they die from eating it,  that's good.  I hope I kill a bunch of them.


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## maple1 (Jan 13, 2012)

You might THINK they're not in the house.....

Lol.

I've been catching more moles than mice the past couple of years here - had to toss another out just this morning. Not sure what's up with that.


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## gzecc (Jan 13, 2012)

basswidow said:
			
		

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Traps won't solve your problem. You need poison and a lot of it.


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## GAMMA RAY (Jan 13, 2012)

I have another mouse story. It happened about a year after moving into our house. I had some Hershey kisses out in a dish in the living room. I started finding empty foil wrappers under the furniture, I thought...WTF? 
One day I spotted one of those lil buggers sitting and eating a Hershey kiss! I never knew that mice liked chocolate! 
Oh yeah, I bludgeoned one to death that time too...eating my friggin chocolate kisses! Bahstardz... >:-(


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## semipro (Jan 13, 2012)

I've opened drawers in my garage before only to find them staring up at me with their beady little eyes. 
I suck them up with a shop vac...pretty entertaining.


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## heat seeker (Jan 13, 2012)

Try this for a giggle or two:

Critter Vac


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## GAMMA RAY (Jan 13, 2012)

Semipro said:
			
		

> I've opened drawers in my garage before only to find them staring up at me with their beady little eyes.
> I suck them up with a shop vac...pretty entertaining.



Not as entertaining as hitting them with a snow shovel and seeing blood squirt out of their eyes... :lol:


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## semipro (Jan 13, 2012)

heat seeker said:
			
		

> Try this for a giggle or two:
> 
> Critter Vac



That's hilarious. I wonder what they do with them after they catch them?


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## Renaissance (Jan 13, 2012)

I've had some traps licked clean without firing.  Then I started putting the peanut butter underneath the trigger instead.  Never happened again.


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## heat seeker (Jan 13, 2012)

Semipro said:
			
		

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Gopher stew, anyone? :-S


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## mepellet (Jan 24, 2012)

Couple stories here since everyone is sharing theirs...

Went to college in Boston and had rats/mice in our dorm.  One kid in our apartment style suite drank a bunch one night and ordered some pizza and left the pizza on the floor when he passed out for the night.  Woke up in the morning and the pizza box was clean.  We used to hear the rats running up and down and across the ceiling all night.  Needless to say the girlfriend didn't like staying in my dorm much....

Second year in our house and we kept hearing a quiet squeaking sound and odd smell coming from one area of the living room.  Didn't think much of it and one night while sitting on the sectional couch I saw a baby mouse fall out of another section of the sectional couch.  Found another two on the floor and another four in the bottom of that section of the sectional.  

I hate them!


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## mecreature (Jan 25, 2012)

I have my best luck using baby swiss cheese. I put to or three traps side by side against the wall. 
When they get done with one they will step to the other and start chowing. 
They will usually step on the other trap they just finished.

SNAP

We get a couple good run of mice each year... and those big dear mice too. they are cute.


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## DBCOOPER (Feb 4, 2012)

Tried all the different traps and poisons but my best results by far have been the better mouse trap. Its a 5 gallon bucket with two holes drilled thru the top that a dowel goes thru with a plastic peanut butter jar with holes in the top and bottom. You put about 5 inches of antifreeze in the bottom of the bucket and a little peanut butter on the side of the jar with the dowel running thru the jar. When the mice go for the peanut butter the jar rotates and they fall into the antifreeze.


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## shoot-straight (Feb 15, 2012)

yep, as a field dweller, we get invaded each fall. 

PEANUT BUTTER! NO WAY!... they have always just licked it off. get some good moist bread, wet it a little more and conform it around the bait piece. it will dry quick hard as a rock. best solution i have found. soemtimes the bait will stay on for multiple kills too.


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## pdf27 (Feb 15, 2012)

mepellet said:
			
		

> Went to college in Boston and had rats/mice in our dorm.  One kid in our apartment style suite drank a bunch one night and ordered some pizza and left the pizza on the floor when he passed out for the night.  Woke up in the morning and the pizza box was clean.  We used to hear the rats running up and down and across the ceiling all night.  Needless to say the girlfriend didn't like staying in my dorm much....


One weekend when I was away with the army (TA - roughly equivalent to the National Guard) we had a night in the field but non-tactical, so we got a fire going and ordered in pizza to a grid square. One chap, who nowadays is a Captain, decided to save half of his for breakfast - and was halfway through it the next morning before he noticed that it was covered in mouse droppings. All of a sudden I appreciated boil-in-the-bag corned beef hash a great deal more!


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## bluedogz (Feb 16, 2012)

Semipro said:
			
		

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Beat them with a snow shovel till blood comes out of their eyes.


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## Weird tolkienish figure (Feb 16, 2012)

I'm battling mice at my place too, my gf bought a set of four traps, I thought there was a single mouse but I have caught three so far... I think they're getting in through the dryer vent but I'm not sure.

Can you ever get rid of these things for good?

I had a trap licked clean... That's when I had my idea: set one baited trap and surround it with unbaited traps, a mouse may be less suspicious of an unbaited. They'll climb over it to investigate the food source. So far it's worked well, mice get caught in the unbaited traps more often.


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## Whitepine2 (Feb 16, 2012)

DBCOOPER said:
			
		

> Tried all the different traps and poisons but my best results by far have been the better mouse trap. Its a 5 gallon bucket with two holes drilled thru the top that a dowel goes thru with a plastic peanut butter jar with holes in the top and bottom. You put about 5 inches of antifreeze in the bottom of the bucket and a little peanut butter on the side of the jar with the dowel running thru the jar. When the mice go for the peanut butter the jar rotates and they fall into the antifreeze.



     #1 on this also if no pets around put antifreeze in pie pans and put food around after they eat they drink and by by


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