# Cats or Mice



## slipparee (Jun 12, 2017)

Hello...

I have mice getting into my house. Plugging up every hole is just not happening.

I tried all the usual traps. Watched one eat the peanut butter off of a glue trap as he moved on and off it. Seen others lick the peanut butter from the plastic snap traps without setting it off.

Been using the little bags of green/blue rock like poison mixed with peanut butter in areas where I know they get in. They been licking the plates clean, this has helped tremendously but I know this is futile. I live on a lake that backs up to government land with hundreds of acres of forrest.

I used to have several stray cats that lived around my house. But I started going on vacation more and did not leave food out so most have moved on. I had no mice at all when they were around. I still see these cats around the neighborhood at other houses where they are most likely getting regular meals. I have been leaving out food and they are slowly coming back around. I can even get one of those large automatic feeders that dispenses food out.

The real issue I am having is one of my neighbors has a dog that they let run loose. No fence no leash, and daily trips through my yard. This is against the HOA here nobody else does that. This dog chases all the cats off. 

Am I a bad guy here by reporting this owner?


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

No! Not the bad guy.
You could try talking to the neighbor, but, that doesn't always work. Plus, if you then report them, they'll figure it was you.
California has pretty cut & dried dog bite laws. Does Mississippi? You could say you don't want to be bitten. Dog control must be in the by-laws.

Cats will also be more likely to stay if there is a shelter, like a storage shed to run under.

Is the poison that the mice eat, something that would kill the cats if they eat them?

Any chance of you putting up a fence?
I feed TNR colonies ( trap, neuter, release) and they still kill mice and rats.


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## Steve2444 (Sep 28, 2020)

NO YOU'R not the bad guy... Report the loose dog.

As to the Mouse problem, I had the same issues with mice licking the p-butter off spring traps, no matter how sensitive I set them, even tying almonds to the trigger, they still somehow nibbled it clean without setting off the traps.

Get these, no fail, you will get them. and what you do with them is up to you, I gave them a swim.
I used peanut halfs, less messy that way. 









Amazon.com : Humane Catch and Release Indoor / Outdoor Mouse Traps Pack of 2 - Easy Set Durable Traps, Safe for Children, Pets and Humans - Instantly Remove Unwanted Vermin from Your Home : Patio, Lawn & Garden


Amazon.com : Humane Catch and Release Indoor / Outdoor Mouse Traps Pack of 2 - Easy Set Durable Traps, Safe for Children, Pets and Humans - Instantly Remove Unwanted Vermin from Your Home : Patio, Lawn & Garden



www.amazon.com





Since I had a new garage door put up the issue stopped.


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## icerabbit (9 mo ago)

Perhaps your neighbor needs a fenced area to let his dog roam within the limits of his property?

The property we're in also backs up to nature / woods, and mice seem to be a seasonal thing, moving in in the fall, before winter sets in.

Having four cats ourselves I was quite concerned about using mouse bait; will the cats go for it? what if they grab a drousy mouse that ingested bait? But it has not been an issue. I don't use anything in the living spaces. Just in strategic places in the basement, around the perimiter near where there was activity before, one under the kitchen area, etc. Periodically I get the cats in the basement ... no issue. I think they're averse to sick animals and/or dead ones. Of course our cats are domestic, and have access to food all day ( dog size barrel automatic feeder ) 

Now, my primary effort may actually be outside, where I have some mouse baits in the greenhouse, garden shed, wood shed, etc. those see a fair bit of activity. Cats go in / out as they want during the daytime. Knock on wood, no issue.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Use Rat-X, available at box stores. It is NOT a poison. It is eaten by the mice, they try to take on water and can't due to the product, they die, dried up. The best thing about it is that it is not second generation lethal, so if a hawk or your cats get a mouse that has eaten it, they won't be affected.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

Search YouTube for "Mouse Trap Monday" videos. The guy tests every kind of mouse trap available.

Assuming you have no way to plug up the holes in the building, you will always have mice. The best you can do is limit their numbers by trapping and being very diligent about never leaving any food or nesting material anywhere they can access.

As for the stray dog, I have mixed feelings. I'm not a big fan of HOA rules, but I think letting a dog roam loose in other people's yards crosses the line. That said, there are communities where that's normal and you'd be the a-hole for complaining. I know of one very rural community where someone called the police to report repeated problems with a loose dog and the response was "if it's bothering you, just shoot it." Not sure that would work anywhere else, but my point is that every place has different norms.


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## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

Loose dogs can be a problem:


https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/23/us/florida-mail-carrier-dog-attack.html



We are in the reverse situation - used to have mice because my lot backs up to farmland and forest. Neighbors started moving out and apparently leaving their cats behind. We started feeding them and haven't seen a mouse since so I would just be patient and keep feeding those cats again.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Or find a couple of these and rehome them. Excellent deterrent to mice as well as copperheads. Totally harmess.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

trap outdoors with a pail of water and a_ -- walk the plank_ -- trap . hint -- place the dab of peanut butter on the under side of the plank near the tip end . another tip -- 5% 7 powder around the pail and ramp will keep ants from cleaning the platter of peanut butter .


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## RTFD (Jun 23, 2021)

SeniorSitizen said:


> View attachment 708871
> 
> trap outdoors with a pail of water and a_ -- walk the plank_ -- trap . hint -- place the dab of peanut butter on the under side of the plank near the tip end . another tip -- 5% 7 powder around the pail and ramp will keep ants from cleaning the platter of peanut butter .


Google "Bucket Mouse Trap" ! I got at least 10 mice overnight last time I used one.. About 3" of water in the bottom is sufficient. I used a bucket, beer can and a coat hanger. I simply set a 30" long 2x2 as a ramp. A nail into the end and bent as a hook holds it to the bucket.

The other thing is to bait the old fashioned Victor Snap traps with Hard Salami. squeeze the look on the trigger so it grabs the Salami when you put it in there. Caught several mice and have not had to Re-Bait the trap using the Salami.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

I second the "walk the plank" trap. Most effective trap I've ever tried. Multi-catch and high success rate. Very few mice walk away from it. Make sure the plank is slippery, sometimes they can grab on with their back feet as it tips. The peanut butter has to be at the very end of the plank. I like the idea of putting it on the bottom of the plank. I'll try that for this fall's big mice migration. You can even make it a live-catch trap if that's what you want, but you'll have to take them miles away before releasing.

Just a plain old bucket with water in it and bait on the water also works. You can use bird seed or peanut butter for bait. I've tried the rollers and beer can on a coat hanger options, but they don't seem to really make any difference. The mice will hang on to either one more often than roll off. It's only when they decide to go for the bait that you'll catch them, roller or no roller.

The plain bucket will catch chipmunks and, with a larger bucket, squirrels. With a 55-gallon bucket I've even caught raccoons.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

the rolling Al can might be more effective if folks realize how good a mouse's smell-er is . rotate the roller to determine the heavy side . quit slathering peanut butter all around the can and only place a small glob on the low side . now the mouse must quit dining with confidence on top but reach for the bottom , and they will .


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## RTFD (Jun 23, 2021)

I found that the optimum spacing, for me at least, is 2.375" from the edge of the bucket/ramp to the side of the Beer can. I only put a small stripe of peanut butter around the center of the can.
So far it has worked wonders and I only have to add peanut butter every 10 or so mice/7-10 days.


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