By Mary Rumph, Powder River Extension
A hot topic of conversation these days is how many mice one has trapped in the last 24 hours. The mice in my house are pretty smart; they avoid traps by staying in the walls…in which they perish and stink. I’ve heard from others that mice are destroying wiring in vehicles (even ones driven frequently), boldly appearing during daylight hours and any uninhabited building is an open invitation for a mouse infestation. I had a mouse pack the vents in my tractor cab by shredding a paper towel overnight!
I’ve been on a mission to reclaim the territory in my house, garage and barn from mice. I’ve obsessively researched several options for control and have utilized a variety of methods with mixed results. I can share my successes and failures and am interested in effective controls others are using. Dr. Stephen Van Tassel, Vertebrate Pest Control Specialist with the Montana Department of Agriculture has an excellent publication titled “Controlling Mice in and Around Structures” at the following link: https://agr.mt.gov/_docs/ vertebratepests-docs/ControllingMice-InandAroundStructures.pdf
Print copies of the publication are available at the Powder River Extension office.
With the expertise of a local contractor, we now have flashing around the exterior of our house and all visible cracks in the foundation are sealed. In addition, I have a trap line set in the garage, along with rodenticide. One of my main concerns is non-target poisonings of pets and children. Using the advice from a good neighbor, placement of the bait inside a plastic bottle has worked well; especially if the bottle is located behind the chest freezer in a location only accessible with the use of long handled grippers. Inside the house, I plugged the holes around the pipes under the sinks with steel wool. In the crawl space, I’ve used foam sealant (not a fan) around any possible entry sites. I now understand the label that says “for one use only” because the nozzle plugs up and the remaining product is useless.
Foolishly, I ordered a Victor M250S Indoor Electronic Humane Mouse Trap for $17.64. My goal was to keep from snapping our cat, “Miss Kitty”. Don’t waste your money; I have yet to catch a mouse in it and have easily caught several mice in my preferred traps, the easy set Victors.
In the barn, again, on the advice of a local, I have about 6” of water in a bucket which I check daily. Mice are apparently thirsty, attracted to water, and can only swim so long. I strongly recommend refreshing the water on a daily basis.
What I find most concerning is that I’ve been dealing with mice all summer. As cooler temperatures approach, I anticipate greater numbers looking for shelter. Hopefully I can dissuade them from seeking refuge in my house. Further steps I need to take (after reading the publication mentioned earlier) is to trim the branches on the lilacs reaching over the roof of the house and inspecting the roof for any possible access sites. I don’t relish climbing around on the roof; however, I am determined to win this war against the vermin.
If you are dealing with a mouse infestation, I highly encourage reading the publication. It goes into much greater detail on the proper way to set traps for success, determining the levels of infestations and mouse proofing structures. Also know that a mouse infestation does not mean that you are living in unsanitary conditions…apparently mice like clean houses, too!
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