how do the mice get in?

[flagmanruss]

I have heard of people making mouse traps out of a 5 gallon bucket, antifreeze, a roller accross it with peanut butter. I never tried it.

[Mopar1973Man]

Hell the toilet works too... Just leave the toilet lid & seat up and they can't swim forever... I had this happen before back in 1990 when we move to Idaho I had a pack rat doing the back stroke in the toilet... Fun part was it took 2 flushes to get rid of him...

[flagmanruss]

The idea was a ramp up to the roller. critter goes out on the roller to get bait, roller goes upside down, splash. critter can't climb out of bucket, swims in circles til he drowns. I think Antifreeze keeps it from stinking?? I hate mice.

[dracozny]

The idea was a ramp up to the roller. critter goes out on the roller to get bait, roller goes upside down, splash. critter can't climb out of bucket, swims in circles til he drowns. I think Antifreeze keeps it from stinking?? I hate mice.

antifreeze causes the intestines to liquify, pretty horrible way to die. I had an inlaw poison my dogs that way.for some reason animals seem to think its tasty or something.

[flagmanruss]

I knew that about ethylene glycol... always a danger around a shop & pets. Some people are just plain mean... ought to be shot! I think the mice in the 5 gallon bucket drown first...

[BobCat]

Ethylene glycol is sweet tasting. I'm NOT suggesting tasting it, but if you've ever tasted it you know it is sweet.Even I wouldn't poison mice with it... primarily because I'm afraid some other animal might get it instead, but also because it is a horrible way to die. Poisoners are not my favorite people.BTW I've vacuumed my truck every weekend, after taking out all the plastic trays and stuff behind the seats, and left set mousetraps every night. And put steel wool in every place it looks like they might be able to get in. Still an occasional mouse dropping on the driver's seat in the morning. Have I mentioned that I feel like Elmer Fudd?Regards,Andrew

[Mopar1973Man]

Problem is your still baiting with food again bring them in the truck. What you need is some thing to repell them from even getting into the truck like peppermint oil, mothballs, ultrasonic box, etc...

[flagmanruss]

You'll recall, I've never used antifreeze as a poison, just relating the home made traps others used. I supposed used motor oil would work as well. I've had mice get into my horse's deep metal grain bin & then not be able to get back out. I have tasted antifreeze. Not sure I want to relate but we did so pretty routinely. Of course we spit it out! It is distinctive. I have used moth balls in boats, campers, attic. Not good in attic (wife complained she could smell them). Use them in a paper cup so you can retrieve them.Smelly dryer sheets also seem to work. But remember it doesn't keep them out, just makes them not want to stay. BTW, I have mice in our new (to us) camper. I think they came in from the bottom around the water fill hose. Or maybe the toilet drain line. I'll be trying to pack them with steel wool in the spring. Placing smelly stuff under the hood doesn't work for long as it is open to the air.

[stodg73]

You might try Decon in your truck, or something similar. They eat this like there is no tomorrow and after they die, they don't smell. Also, try putting the Decon out away from the truck and see if they are eating that faster than in the truck. If so, they will not go into the truck as it is easier to find it outside. I do like the 5 gallon bucket and a roller idea, easy cleanup, pour the water down the toilet and flush. For this, we use a ramp to the top of the bucket, 2 screws into the end of a cut to fit broom stick, notched bucket for the screws and peanut butter. They go up the ramp, try to get the peanut butter, fall into the 5" of water in the bottom and drown. Then flush down the toilet. Make sure that the roller can move freely in the notches in the bucket.

[little white yj 622]

You just need a good mouser. I had to give one away because he would bring them home and with a toddler at the time we were afaid she would pick one up. he was bring home 3-5 per day. He is a barn cat now and the owner love to be mice free. the females seem to just eat them.

[flagmanruss]

We could not keep cats. We moved 2 barn cats here when we built the house... both gone in the first month. Mother/daughter Mother half Maine Coon cat (ferocious... took a steak of a burning gas grill!). The neighbors kept getting cats... they lasted until the Dad left them out. Surroounded by Wildlife Mgt Area (40,000 acres... a lot for New England). Coyotes. Gut piles gone in the morning. The bucket trap I saw had small pvc pipe on that dowel. Ya know, in warmer weather, I ought to put one under my truck nose. Squirrels would probably dump it. Hmmm.

[Mopar1973Man]

We could not keep cats. We moved 2 barn cats here when we built the house... both gone in the first month. Mother/daughter Mother half Maine Coon cat (ferocious... took a steak of a burning gas grill!).

The neighbors kept getting cats... they lasted until the Dad left them out. Surroounded by Wildlife Mgt Area (40,000 acres... a lot for New England). Coyotes. Gut piles gone in the morning.

The bucket trap I saw had small pvc pipe on that dowel. Ya know, in warmer weather, I ought to put one under my truck nose. Squirrels would probably dump it. Hmmm.

So what would you use for bait? Walnut butter???

[flagmanruss]

Ok, Ok, keep the laughter down. The gears are turning slowly. I'd use peanut butter on the roller. My thought of putting it in front of my truck... kind of bailing the ocean... to reduce the local mouse population so there's be fewer under the hoods of my vehicles. Squirrels would not be trapped in a bucket... They could jump back out. So I'd use a cover on it, with only a mouse size hole, hopefully exclude squirrels. I'd do it in warmer weather so I'd not have to deal with antifreeze.Did I cover everything? Sorry for the incomplete thought.Russ

[JacksonDog]

ive had problems with them getting into the hvac system. Yhe last time was the first warm day of the year and I blasted the ac, stench and a little bit of fur flew in my mouth. Not real cool:mad:. Are they getting in through the cowl? Would a cowl vent filter from Geno's help?

[flagmanruss]

In my experience they get in through the cowel area. I used SS pot scrubber (coarse SS steel wool) to stuff behind the hood hinges where the cowel drains are located. The water still drains. I suppose you could remove the hinges & install screens like "hardware cloth" 1/4" squares. Mice can chew through a filter... I've seen it on occasion but more rare. (They did it on a neighbor's new Saturn... dealer would not warentee the burned up heater motor.) My 01 has a decent plastic screen under the wipers & mice have not bothered it. On other vehicles, the cowel area was open because of the hinge design & I screened the air inlet located in there. I like aluminum expanded metal which is pretty maliable... I use "gutter guard". Hope this helps,Russ

[BobCat]

Try it, it might help.I do not know how they get in, that's why I started the thread. Since I stuffed steel wool (soaked in WD-40 to limit rust) in the holes in the footwell walls, behind the plastic panels, I've only had one. Killed him in a regular snap trap.I epoxied aluminum screen over the inlet hole in the heater/ac box, when I had it out to replace the a/c evap coil and heater core. Should have used 1/4" steel hardware cloth, there would be no question whether they chewed through it or not - and I'm not taking it back out to check.Folks here suggested stainless steel wool but I couldn't find big enough, settled for regular coarse steel wool and, as I said, soaked it in WD-40. Would not work well exposed to much water, WD-40 would wash off, but in the holes in the interior it ought to last a while.Best of luck getting rid of them and keeping them out.Regards,Andrew

[Bugman123]

You can buy copper wool also. it won't rust. We use steel wool to plug hole around homes. When they chew it, and they will if they want in bad enough, they will ingest the steel pieces and they will acted like little needles inside the rodent. I guess the cooper would do the same.