# Mice or squirrels or other, oh my



## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Could likely be any rodent. Sometimes they rip apart stuff for nest building material, sometimes it is simply chewing because their incisors are constantly growing. I've had them eat a number of plastic, gas-soaked bits and pieces for little apparent benefit, so will assume they are chewing for the sake of chewing. Closing off openings is a good strategy but it can be a constant battle because they (esp. mice) don't need much of an opening.

I've had good luck with mouse bait (typical anti-coagulant) and plain old traps. I've never tried anything for chipmunks and squirrels other than prevention. I've had decent luck with moth balls in a cheesecloth bag in confined spaces, but I've never known if it actually works or I wouldn't have had critters there anyway. I've not tried the ultrasonic things but have heard both sides. I recent had something rip apart the underhood pad in my truck. I just threw it out and will wait until spring.

I seem to have a strange agreement with a chipmunk in my garage. S/he lives in a hole in an outside wall between the sheeting and brick veneer, doesn't bother the vehicles (the above-mentioned pad was chewed when it was parked outside), tools, recycling/green bins or anything else, but will pick up any bird seed I drop or suet bits when I'm fitting it into the feeder. It's got to be multi-generational - we've been here 10 years and they only live 2-3.


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## luv2paint (Mar 6, 2018)

lenaitch said:


> Could likely be any rodent. Sometimes they rip apart stuff for nest building material, sometimes it is simply chewing because their incisors are constantly growing. I've had them eat a number of plastic, gas-soaked bits and pieces for little apparent benefit, so will assume they are chewing for the sake of chewing. Closing off openings is a good strategy but it can be a constant battle because they (esp. mice) don't need much of an opening.
> 
> I've had good luck with mouse bait (typical anti-coagulant) and plain old traps. I've never tried anything for chipmunks and squirrels other than prevention. I've had decent luck with moth balls in a cheesecloth bag in confined spaces, but I've never known if it actually works or I wouldn't have had critters there anyway. I've not tried the ultrasonic things but have heard both sides. I recent had something rip apart the underhood pad in my truck. I just threw it out and will wait until spring.
> 
> I seem to have a strange agreement with a chipmunk in my garage. S/he lives in a hole in an outside wall between the sheeting and brick veneer, doesn't bother the vehicles (the above-mentioned pad was chewed when it was parked outside), tools, recycling/green bins or anything else, but will pick up any bird seed I drop or suet bits when I'm fitting it into the feeder. It's got to be multi-generational - we've been here 10 years and they only live 2-3.


Great response. I’m a sucker for chipmunks. I’ll set some traps and bait in addition to ultrasonic. Maybe a camera 😂. Do you think mice can destroy heavy plastic like five gallon pails? I’m afraid to go into my shed now.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Get a hav-a-heart, live trap, and bait it with peanut butter.

Then either re-locate the critter, or build a wood box to cover it, and use a hose to run your vehicle exhaust into the box, idle the vehicle 15 minutes, and dump the carcass in the garbage.

critter gone, until another moves in.

Rinse and repeat.

ED


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

Don’t release animals on other people’s property. People do it at my farm and then I have to shoot another animal pest. I tried the exhaust thing on a raccoon, after an hour I gave up and did the bullet in the head thing.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

lenaitch said:


> I seem to have a strange agreement with a chipmunk in my garage. S/he lives in a hole in an outside wall between the sheeting and brick veneer, doesn't bother the vehicles (the above-mentioned pad was chewed when it was parked outside), tools, recycling/green bins or anything else, but will pick up any bird seed I drop or suet bits when I'm fitting it into the feeder. It's got to be multi-generational - we've been here 10 years and they only live 2-3.


Chipmunks seem to have a different attitude about humans. For one thing, they're active in the day, not night. They lose their fear of people pretty quickly if you don't bother them. And they'll generally keep to themselves and only make lightning raids to whatever food source you offer. There was one family which lived outside the local hardware store and figured out where the bulk birdseed was kept. They'd boldly run in the front door, over to that corner of the store, fill up, and run back out. The owners and customers loved the entertainment they provided. And in the end, they really didn't eat much of the profits.

I second the idea of setting up a camera. It's amazing what you can learn about what works and what doesn't. And how quickly mice can learn to avoid some traps. Search YouTube for "Mousetrap Monday" if you want to see more.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Victor traps. Since it sounds like they've gotten a leg up on you, I'd go with a minimum 3-4, probably two for mice and two larger ones. Set them where you're not going to run into them and start with just peanut butter. Brand doesn't matter, but I'm a Skippy guy so generally raid the wife's Jiff.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

luv2paint said:


> Great response. I’m a sucker for chipmunks. I’ll set some traps and bait in addition to ultrasonic. Maybe a camera 😂. Do you think mice can destroy heavy plastic like five gallon pails? I’m afraid to go into my shed now.


I don't know. Before I re-sided my shed and closed in the eves, somebody destroyed the plastic gas cap and part of the tank on my lawnmower - there are _just_ enough threads to hold a replacement cap. Yum. There's never any else in there that qualifies as food. I don't know for certain what the culprit is but I am suspecting red squirrel. We get the very odd mouse in the house looking for a warm home and the only damage I have seen is to suet blocks I had stored in the basement.

In '96 I bought a used Harley that had been stored for one winter. On poking around I found the void in the fairing was full of conifer cones. I had to take it apart to remove them all. The only damage was chewed insulation on a couple of wire leading to a gauge. Ever since I have done the moth ball thing when storing and so far so good.


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## luv2paint (Mar 6, 2018)

Lawn mower gas cap chewed. That would put me over the edge. I’d clean the shed then burn it down. Might be overkill, literally.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

@luv2paint nice meeting you!

Sorry we have to meet like this, moaning about rodents!

As the others' posts show, this isn't an easy problem to get a handle on. While I've never had rodents chew plastic lawn mower caps (yike a rooney!) it's fair to quote a rodent: "Chew is what we do!"

Forget about "repellants"; I've found that animals when motivated can learn to get along with lots of annoying things, including people living under the final approach for an airport, or birds that learn to ignore fireworks detonated feet above them. (I wouldn't have believed that second if I hadn't seen it, but by golly I have!)

Anti coagulants also work, but, they also often end up further up on the food chain to cause hemorrhages in bobcats and mountain lions, a big problem here in So Cal. 

I like lethal traps the best but, if you don't know exactly what kind of critter you're dealing with, it often means you get the wrong size, which makes them feeding stations. There's three sizes of rodent traps that I know of, and sometimes they STILL eat the bait and don't snap the trap.

Sounds like you might be motivated enough to sit out, with a book and wait till the critters appear and you can see what they are. Then you can have a more targeted response.

I feel your pain, oh yes. Tell us what you do and how it works or doesn't. I promise, if nothing else, you're not alone.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

lenaitch said:


> Could likely be any rodent. Sometimes they rip apart stuff for nest building material, sometimes it is simply chewing because their incisors are constantly growing. I've had them eat a number of plastic, gas-soaked bits and pieces for little apparent benefit, so will assume they are chewing for the sake of chewing. Closing off openings is a good strategy but it can be a constant battle because they (esp. mice) don't need much of an opening.
> 
> I've had good luck with mouse bait (typical anti-coagulant) and plain old traps. I've never tried anything for chipmunks and squirrels other than prevention. I've had decent luck with moth balls in a cheesecloth bag in confined spaces, but I've never known if it actually works or I wouldn't have had critters there anyway. I've not tried the ultrasonic things but have heard both sides. I recent had something rip apart the underhood pad in my truck. I just threw it out and will wait until spring.
> 
> I seem to have a strange agreement with a chipmunk in my garage. S/he lives in a hole in an outside wall between the sheeting and brick veneer, doesn't bother the vehicles (the above-mentioned pad was chewed when it was parked outside), tools, recycling/green bins or anything else, but will pick up any bird seed I drop or suet bits when I'm fitting it into the feeder. It's got to be multi-generational - we've been here 10 years and they only live 2-3.


Oh gawd, the chipmunks we had in Ohio!

But, they weren't anything like the nuisance mice and rats are. Chipmunks like "natural" foods it seems to me. Mice and rats chew on everything. Whether they're hungry, bored, or whatever I don't know.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

DoomsDave said:


> Mice and rats chew on everything. Whether they're hungry, bored, or whatever I don't know.


They are naturally inquisitive. Plus, their teeth are always growing so they need to chew on things to keep their teeth filed down.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

luv2paint said:


> Lawn mower gas cap chewed. That would put me over the edge. I’d clean the shed then burn it down. Might be overkill, literally.


Well it's a 1980 Lawnboy so it doesn't owe me anything. I got a replacement cap from a dealer who keeps clapped-out mowers for their high school shop class.


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## luv2paint (Mar 6, 2018)

In that case, a new mower would look good. I love new tools. I have too many old ones but I can’t part with them. The mice I can part with.


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