-
freebird914
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sat May 28, 2005 6:59 pm
- Location: Alabama
Rodent control
Neighbor saw some mice coming over to eat the dog food the other night... So we put it away now they are eatting the tomatoes any ideas on how to get rid of them... They are coming for a old grave yard form across the street???
-
opabinia51
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 4659
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
Rat and Mice Control
1. Last resort: Slice up corks, mix with food grease (bacon grease, hamburger grease etc.) then scent this mixture with oil of anise. Put out for the rodents, they love to eat it, but cannot digest it and die.
2. Scatter fresh or dried mint or holly leaves as a repellent. The mint works like a charm! We use it everywhere mice are a problem and they will not go near it. Smells nice too. We have had a good deal of email from folks that wrote us to say mint works great for them too!
3. Protect the bases of trees by wrapping loosely with 1/4" hardware cloth or foil. Be sure to keep any mulch pulled away from the trunks.
There is always cats as an option!
4. Don't mulch any perennials until after a few frosts. The rodents will have found a home by then and not in your mulch!
5. Encourage snakes and owls to stay near the garden to provide natural control.
6. Trap baits: nut meats, dried fruits, or bacon.
7. Plant "barriers" of perennial sweet peas (Lathyrus latifolius) which will repel mice. You will enjoy the beauty of these plants for many years to come too.
8. Spray Ropel on the plants that are being bothered by mice.
9. Keep the soil around plants bare, as mice do not like to come out in the open.
10. Daffodils (Narcissus spp.), wood hyacinth (Scilla or squill) and grape hyacinth (Muscari) are said to repel rodents. Plant a pretty spring blooming border of them to help protect your other plants year round.
11. Planting herbs with a powerful scent will repel mice. Best choices are alliums, camphor plant, dwarf elder, elderberry, ,euphorbias, any mints and wormwood.
12. If you are allergic to or cannot tolerate cats then there are certain dogs which will take care of mice for you. Certain terriers are well known as "ratters" and so are Italian greyhounds.
13. For trapping mice: Use pumpkin seeds; you'll find that mice can't resist them! They sure are great roasted and salted, the pumpkin seeds, that is!
Mice
Mice cause havoc by feeding on plants under the snow, unseen. You can protect young trees by winding spiral protectors around them (they are available in retail stores), or sticking sections of drainpipe into the ground near the trees. You can also wrap strips of cloth smeared with a mixture of natural resin and melted suet (ratio of 1:3) around the trunk. Certain plants repel mice and keep them from nesting at the foot of trees: amaryllis, mint, lavender, daffodils, narcissus, squill, hyacinth, catnip and spurge. A mulch of thuja bark or savory or oak leaves will keep mice away. Camphor and mothballs repel them as well. When you set out mouse traps be sure to use some anise oil to mask your odour.
1. Last resort: Slice up corks, mix with food grease (bacon grease, hamburger grease etc.) then scent this mixture with oil of anise. Put out for the rodents, they love to eat it, but cannot digest it and die.
2. Scatter fresh or dried mint or holly leaves as a repellent. The mint works like a charm! We use it everywhere mice are a problem and they will not go near it. Smells nice too. We have had a good deal of email from folks that wrote us to say mint works great for them too!
3. Protect the bases of trees by wrapping loosely with 1/4" hardware cloth or foil. Be sure to keep any mulch pulled away from the trunks.
There is always cats as an option!
4. Don't mulch any perennials until after a few frosts. The rodents will have found a home by then and not in your mulch!
5. Encourage snakes and owls to stay near the garden to provide natural control.
6. Trap baits: nut meats, dried fruits, or bacon.
7. Plant "barriers" of perennial sweet peas (Lathyrus latifolius) which will repel mice. You will enjoy the beauty of these plants for many years to come too.
8. Spray Ropel on the plants that are being bothered by mice.
9. Keep the soil around plants bare, as mice do not like to come out in the open.
10. Daffodils (Narcissus spp.), wood hyacinth (Scilla or squill) and grape hyacinth (Muscari) are said to repel rodents. Plant a pretty spring blooming border of them to help protect your other plants year round.
11. Planting herbs with a powerful scent will repel mice. Best choices are alliums, camphor plant, dwarf elder, elderberry, ,euphorbias, any mints and wormwood.
12. If you are allergic to or cannot tolerate cats then there are certain dogs which will take care of mice for you. Certain terriers are well known as "ratters" and so are Italian greyhounds.
13. For trapping mice: Use pumpkin seeds; you'll find that mice can't resist them! They sure are great roasted and salted, the pumpkin seeds, that is!
Mice
Mice cause havoc by feeding on plants under the snow, unseen. You can protect young trees by winding spiral protectors around them (they are available in retail stores), or sticking sections of drainpipe into the ground near the trees. You can also wrap strips of cloth smeared with a mixture of natural resin and melted suet (ratio of 1:3) around the trunk. Certain plants repel mice and keep them from nesting at the foot of trees: amaryllis, mint, lavender, daffodils, narcissus, squill, hyacinth, catnip and spurge. A mulch of thuja bark or savory or oak leaves will keep mice away. Camphor and mothballs repel them as well. When you set out mouse traps be sure to use some anise oil to mask your odour.