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Francis Barnswallow
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Mice problems (or rats)

Hello, it's been awhile, good to be back. With that said, I'm growing cukes and zukes in my screened in pool area because there really is no use attempting to grow them outside the screen area because of SVB's.

Within the last 3 weeks I've had cukes/zukes half eaten or missing all together. :evil: The veggies that remain have small teeth marks on them. I set up traps (not the lethal ones but that option is surely next in line) but the mice or rats are not taking the bait, just my veggies.

I tried spraying the area with a rodent repellent but that doesn't work either. Any suggestions? I wanted to bring out the lethal traps, which was my first choice, but the wife disagreed. I've checked every inch of my screen area for holes and found none. At this point I don't care if the veggie thieves live or not.

</end slight rant>

Majortom71
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Francis Barnswallow wrote:Hello, it's been awhile, good to be back. With that said, I'm growing cukes and zukes in my screened in pool area because there really is no use attempting to grow them outside the screen area because of SVB's.

Within the last 3 weeks I've had cukes/zukes half eaten or missing all together. :evil: The veggies that remain have small teeth marks on them. I set up traps (not the lethal ones but that option is surely next in line) but the mice or rats are not taking the bait, just my veggies.

I tried spraying the area with a rodent repellent but that doesn't work either. Any suggestions? I wanted to bring out the lethal traps, which was my first choice, but the wife disagreed. I've checked every inch of my screen area for holes and found none. At this point I don't care if the veggie thieves live or not.

</end slight rant>
Could it be other rodents? mole perhaps or maybe even rabbits? I am no expert but just guessing.

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!potatoes!
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moles aren't rodents, and don't eat veggies (mostly worms and bugs).

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applestar
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What kind of traps have you tried and with what kind of bait? Have you tried the 5 gallon bucket with a spinning tube or can trap?

Can you do the powdered lime or flour trick to see what kind of tracks are left behind to help find out what they are? Would you consider getting one of those remote cameras or videos?

Could you post pictures of the teethmarks?

...is small square bird netting an option?

... You need a cat! LOL ...

ETA: I was trying to find the thread in which the bucket trap was described. Haven't found it yet, but did find this: Subject: *#@$% rodents

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GardeningCook
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Whether the culprits are mice or rats, traps - lethal or not - unfortunately won't solve the problem for you. For every rodent you catch/kill, you just create a vacuum, & there are dozens just waiting to take its place. The most effective control is going to be discovering how/where the critters are getting inside your screened enclosure & somehow blocking that.

(If you do decide to go the trap route anyway, please, Please, PLEASE don't go the route of those awful "glue traps", which are as inhumane (if not moreso) as the leg-hold traps used for larger animals. They not only cause immeasurable unnecessary suffering to a small creature that was just following feeding instinct, but also indiscriminately catch a large percentage of "good guys" - snakes, toads, birds, etc., etc.)

larryemoe
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As you said, you have seen small teeth marks on the veggies, it's a clear sign of rodent infestation. It's not easy to deal with rodents like mice, rats, squirrels, hamsters, porcupines etc. Traps and poisons doesn't work for each type of rodent. I think you should hire a professional rodent prevention team. They will inspect properly and suggest you suitable preventative measures. You can hire Rodent Pest Control Sacramento. They use different methods, effective products and latest equipment to deal with rodents.



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