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I got 99 problems and MICE is one!

cosmaar1

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2020
Messages
509
Location
Ohio
I’m sure this has been discussed before but I can’t find much.

I don’t use my backhoe much, other than maybe once every 3-4 weeks. My wife and I have a piece of land that I’m doing random things to that is about 20 minutes away.

I’ve tried everything, mouse traps, sticky pads, and green blocks of poison and yet nothing seems to work.

My new thought is now throwing in moth balls with the other 3 things I mentioned.


Does anyone have any better ideas to get rid of these stupid things? I’m not able to protect the machine at all as there are no buildings nearby, so it just sits in the shade out in the weather. Every now and again I get one in the cab as I’m working and I don’t know how much more the heart can take with these things. Knock on wood they haven’t destroyed anything but I know it’s a matter of time.
 

JL Sargent

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2018
Messages
842
Location
Alabama
I've been using an electronic mouse trap called a "zapper" and it seems to work well. Also, there are all kinds of mouse trapping ideas on Youtube.
 

AllDodge

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2011
Messages
2,290
Location
Kentucky
Another here uses Grandpa Gus's repelent. Mice don't like cinnamon or peppermint.
Other use the bucket trap
A cat works pretty good if your wife lets them stay outside ;)
 

Tinkerer

Senior Member
Joined
May 21, 2009
Messages
9,342
Location
The shore of the illinois river USA
It just doesn't make sense to me why glue traps and spring traps are not getting them.
I use both and always get the little bass turds !
A dab of peanut butter in the center of a glue trap makes the trap irresistible to the little bass turds.
 

NH575E

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2015
Messages
1,183
Location
North, FL
Occupation
Retired Machinist
I've not had a lot of trouble with them but had one chew a hole in the same fuel return line twice. This was back when I had to leave mine outside. Good thing I have a good sniffer. I smelled the fuel as soon as I started the engine. I put a little rid a rat on the intake and that did not happened again.

Nowadays I park it in a barn and have a outside cat that hunts everything that moves. He caught a rabbit in the front yard one day and brought home a full grown grey squirrel the other day. He sleeps in the barn about 50% of the time.

Something chewed all the wires on my well a while back so after repairs I wrapped them with metal duct tape. So far that has stopped that. I suspect squirrels were the culprits there.

This stuff has pretty good reviews.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/fresh-cab-1-botanical-rodent-repellant-10-oz
 

cosmaar1

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2020
Messages
509
Location
Ohio
Appreciate all of your responses. I checked all the traps yesterday and nothing is there. I do like the concept of the mouse blocker. I’ll have to read into that.
 

cosmaar1

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2020
Messages
509
Location
Ohio
You guys will love this one....

I go out and check the hoe this afternoon.

3 out of 5 traps in the cab went off, no mouse.

4 of those 5 had no peanut butter on them.

I had one sticky pad that had a little hair on it with some mouse poop. Little b*****d must have chewed his leg off or something.

I then go out and check the couple traps I put on the frame rails. 2 of the 4 had no peanut butter on them and never went off.

the one sticky pad I had on the frame rail had more mouse poop but no hair.


These things are really making me mad!!!!!! I know the peanut butter didn’t magically disappear!

The hoe is also sitting out in the middle of a dirt path with no grass, trees, etc within 10 feet of either side.
 

AllDodge

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2011
Messages
2,290
Location
Kentucky
Mice been known to be able to get the peanut butter, but ants will do it also, just takes longer
 

cosmaar1

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2020
Messages
509
Location
Ohio
Mice been known to be able to get the peanut butter, but ants will do it also, just takes longer
I’m not disagreeing that ants didn’t do it, but the one in the cab that still had peanut butter was beside one that went off without any.

I loaded them all up again and even opened up another 4 pack. I will get one of them soon enough!
 

JLarson

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2020
Messages
656
Location
AZ
Occupation
Owner- civil and heavy repair/fab company
Had very good luck with the zap traps and spinning rod bucket traps.
 

cosmaar1

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2020
Messages
509
Location
Ohio
FINALLY!

After 2+ weeks I finally caught 2 mice in my traps when I went out today! I thought I heard a high pitched squeak so I smacked the seat and sure enough 2 babies fell out. Must have been a nest somewhere in there.

I noticed most of the traps were missing the peanut butter again so my dad told me a trick about smashing the clip where the rod stays so it’s more sensitive to weight. Any tiny touch will make it go off. Hopefully that gets the rest of them!
 

Coaldust

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
3,292
Location
North of the 60
Occupation
Cargo Tanks, ULSD, RUG, Methanol, LPG
I can box up this a$$hole and ship him to the OP. Mr. Flick Johnson will get the job done. Helluva mouser. We actually don’t have mice. He plays hell with the red tailed voles this time of year. F3919576-DC6E-43E2-A700-9B652760A2EA.jpeg
 

TomA

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2012
Messages
143
Location
Mariposa, CA
I think you are fighting an uphill battle with traps. Cats are the best answer.
Mice can mean death to newer cars and equipment. I finally lured in some cats and feed them where we park everything. I have heard that new wires are made with soy based insulation that is attractive to rodents. I am glad my D4 has no wiring.
 
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