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I tried the electronic sound wave devices you plug into a socket, that supposedly puts out a sound that bothers them - they weren't affected at all by it. Waste of money.
I have had the same experience. Literally no results whatsoever. Watched the mice frolic over and around the devices. Do not waste your money.
We have a cottage without electricity or I'd be really interested in that instant electric zap mouse killer. As it is, we can only leave traps out in the winter because the cottage gets cold enough that the carcasses don't rot. In the summer, they would stink if the traps weren't attended to from weekend to weekend. Ugh!
I think the glue patches, the water bucket and poison is cruel, but hey that's just me. A slow death in all cases.
One thing about poison: it not only kills mice, when a poisoned mouse goes outside to die, eating it can kill neighborhood cats, dogs, birds of prey and whatever other wild animals ingest on mice for their diet.
Even if your cat lacks the natural instinct to catch mice, the smell of the cat alone should deter most mice.
If not taught as kittens to recognize mice (rats, or whatever) as prey many cats will grow up with just the basic (but unrefined) instinct. Some times that isn't enough as there are many pictures online and other accounts of cats happily playing with mice, this and or not being bothered.
Cannot speak for elsewhere, but if you go into an ASPCA, cat shelter/adoption place and say you want a feline to "catch rodents" you will be severely spoken to, and then turfed out.
OTOH if a house cat goes feral sooner or later (out of hunger likely) it will learn soon enough how to catch and kill mice and other small animals. Sadly this includes birds and feral cats have been known to decimate local bird populations. Just ask workers at Google: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/26/t...cats-owls.html
Mice and other rodents have been prey of cats for ages. Nature in her wisdom does not create creatures that will destroy another totally (only man does that), but rather to keep things in balance.
When mice or rats sense there is a cat or cats in area they behave like any other hunted creature. That is to take care and learn to avoid where possible. Weaker, sick and or careless mice (or rats) are the first to be picked off. Stronger and smarter will take some doing to catch.
Also nature has programmed mice and rats to increase their breeding (if possible) when there is a high level of predatory threat. This makes sense as more numbers will be needed to offset numbers that surely will be picked off.
Studies have been done on structures and or areas with mice or rats (barns, fields, etc...) where predators such as cats or owls have been introduced.
Yes, after a period sightings of said rodents did decrease. This leads many to believe the rodent population has been wiped out; not a bit of it. Later when area/structure is gassed or whatever, tearing up floor boards, digging up cellars and or nests outdoors reveled there were still plenty of rodents. They just learned to avoid being hunted by predator.
Friend had a cat who she religiously trained since kitten-hood (ok, threatened) to keep off kitchen countertops and appliances. Later when the house had a mice infestation they quickly leaned to remain on top of counters as the cat wouldn't go "up there".
We got rodents after a storm. The neighbor saw one crawling up the side of the house when he came home from work late one night. I was instructed by the exterminator that they lay down a scented trail for their cousins.
We sealed every nook and cranny from the outside and put down traps baited with peanut butter in the attic. Cost me 600 bucks, but there were no more rodents in the house.
The exterminator advised against the anticoagulants due to also killing anything that might eat the dead rodent.
One summer we had mice getting in the house, coming in down the chimney and out the fireplace. We found a few branches from our magnolia tree laying on the roof, so we cut them off and no problem since. Now they stay at my neighbor's garage where they belong.
Problem is, snakes follow the mice. I don't want snakes either.
There are often specific times during a year when native mice are more likely to invade a house. Late summer/fall is common. The young animals born that summer have been booted by their parents. They are on their own, and searching for easy food and a warm place to spend the winter. Then you may not get any for months. Learn the local pattern and that will help you anticipate when to lay or check traps.
I don't happen to get non-native rodents (Mus musculus, the so-called common house mouse or rats Rattus sp. introduced from Europe) in my house. I do get native voles or deer mice, so I prefer to live trap them and release them instead of killing them. They are food for something else. There are lots of ways to catch small rodents, even multiples at a time. If you don't mind the effort of course.
I've found that late spring and cold snaps are the most common times around here.
For the reasons you mention, no doubt.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BugsyPal
Only way to successfully rid any structure of rodents involves a multi pronged approach.
First and foremost the place has to be sealed, locked up and or whatever tightly to prevent entry. Mice need only a space size of a dime, and rats about a quarter. They can gnaw a hole larger to suit, and in any event if they can get their head through will "compress" their body to pull themselves rest of way.
Given the small size of mice obviously nearly every gap, crack, or whatever needs to be found and sealed properly. Some materials and methods are better than others. More so because if rodents sense by smell or know from habit there is something they want on other side of hole, they will keep at gnawing or whatever to get at it; this includes anything used to plug a hole.
You aren't securing a canister of dog food.
Its a house. It will never be that sealed. It can't be.
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