It's GO Time!

Another fall chore completed!

The setting of mouse traps in the pool house and the garage.

With the colder weather moving in, mice and other rodents are also trying to move in.

The dirty, destructive vermin are NOT wanted or welcome here.

They don't stand a chance...

Twins!

They keep coming, UGH! Well, not these two, just mice in general.

I've trapped approximately a dozen or more mice over the last 2-2.5 months, no lie.

I set these Victory traps all fall and winter long in my pool shed for just this reason.  These dudes might be cute, well again not these two hehehe, but the damage they can do if left unchecked is surprising and destructive, so I don't take a chance.

Keep The Change You Filthy Animal!

Which style of rodent trap do you use and prefer - Victory or Catchmaster (Snapper)?

I've always used Victory traps and have had great success with them.  I thought I'd add something new to my arsenal, so last year I bought some Catchmaster traps.  Initially I was reluctant they'd work as good as the Victory but they've proven me wrong.  They work just as good and the Catchmaster is super easy to bait and set.  The disposal of rodents is effortless with you never needing to touch or get near the deceased.

I've always set traps in our pool house every fall, once the pool's been closed and lawn items packed and stored away for the winter, and I'm always catching rodents.  The little buggers do too much damage if let alone, with their droppings all over the place.

To date this fall, in about three months, I've caught and disposed of, (16) mice!  They keep coming. 

*** SQUEAMISH WARNING BELOW ***

Two examples of success

A win for Victory -

A win for Catchmaster -

Winning!

Well Hello There!

Tending to the pool yesterday at lunch time I spied this young mouse holed up in one of the skimmer boxes.

Due to the heat and humidity we've been having recently the pools water level is extremely low.  This allowed said mouse a dry place to hide.  However, that was short lived as I began adding water.  It wasn't long after that this dude became water logged.

Subconsciously, I said to myself that if he survives the next couple of hours until Emilie got home from school I'd let her know knowing that she'd jump to the rescue.  Sure enough it survived, barley, and Emilie scoop him into a 5-gallon bucket with a piece of bread and some leaves.  She's been keeping a watchful eye on him all evening and first this this morning.

Gosh darn it, wouldn't you know he's still alive.  We will NOT be keeping it and it will NOT be released here.  Rather we'll be taking it for a little ride...

Another "Victory"!

****  SQUEAMISH WARNING  ***

Winter's upon us and all outside/yard items have put up and stored for the cold weather.  It's about the same time the four-legged vermin are out looking for a place to hold up for the cold months too.

So, when the droppings appear, it's time to pull out the good ole Victory snap-traps.  I recommend the ones that use metal versus plastic, much more reliable.

One down -

Two down - 

Three down - 

There is a fourth one too but I'm unable to find it.  The entire trap is nowhere to be found.  I suspect it's connected to a tail. I'm sure I'll find it once I unpack the shed come Spring.  So, four down and Winter's just begun.  The problem if you don't deal with these pests is that they'll get into and ruin things. For example, I'm afraid they'll get into some of the pool hoses and chew holes in them.

It's gonna be a long Winter.

Coleman Stove Mice

Came across these mice this past weekend while rummaging and collecting metal items from in and around my dads place to be recycled. This mother and (3) babies were inside an old metal Coleman camping stove that was tucked away in some dark corner of the shed.

There wasn't much of an opening for the little lady to get through but clearly it was big enough. She had a pretty nice looking nest, if you consider a mouse nest nice, and this family was hidden within. Interestingly, when I shook them out into a plastic tub, the three babies were clamped on to the mother's teats and were being dragged as she scooted around the tub. She made a couple attempts to jump up trying to escape but with the young'n attached that just wasn't gonna happen.

Since I knew JoAnne and Emilie would be stopping by later that day I decided to postpone 'dealing' with these varmint until after their departure. So, I went about my business and continued schlepping metal items to my truck. Upon one of my returns I could hear the babies crying, so I peaked in the tub to have a look see and wouldn't you know it the mother mouse was gone, escaped. Apparently, once the babies let go of their teats, or perhaps the mother instructed them to let go, she was able to jump out of the tub to safety.

Kinda like the Seinfeld episode where George Costanza is at a kids birthday party when all of a sudden the fire alarm goes off and the room begins to fill with smoke. George basically pushes the kids aside as he run for the door and bolts from the building saving only himself.

I wonder what the mother mouse told her babies before abandoning them?

Anyway, when Emilie saw them she was all upset and worried sick about how they were going to survive. I told her that she should be more worried with how they're gonna swim but that didn't go over too well. In the end we deposited them near the base of the shed where I assume the mother ran to. Emilie's hope was that once we left and it was safe the mother would come back for them. With the lion's share of the 'stuff' gone from the shed, these types of rodents no longer have places to hide. Boy, the recession is hitting them too...

Interesting contrast to the mother mouse saving her own ass - we stumbled upon a PBS special the other night called, "The Natural History of the Chicken". One of the stories that was told was how a Japanese Silkie bantam hen named Liza risked her life to protect her six chicks from an attacking hawk. She ran back to them, as the hawk was closing in, and quickly used her own body to cover and protect them. She survived the attack but took the brunt of the hawks attack.

Bucket-O-Field Mice

Here is an interesting picture of a mother field mouse and her 5 babies. Believe it or not this mouse made her nest in the hole of a spare fence post. There were two post standing side by side with just a small opening exposing the fence rail hole. Well sure enough when I moved one aside there she way staring out at me wide eyed. I am very surprised at her choice of nesting locations, after all with 5 babies they would have outgrown that spot in a about a week.

I emptied the contents of the hole into a bucket - the first picture below. You can see the mother and her little pink newbies.



Here you can just make out a couple of the babies -


Here is the mother staring me down in her new (temporary) home -



We're planning on keeping them for a little while to observe the process. She has already adapted well to her new home/cage, as she has her original nest pulled back together and is curled up inside nursing the babies. Let hope she isn't to determined to escape just yet. Since the top of this cage is plastic I don't think it would take her long to chew her way out, however, I have two things working to my advantage - one, she can't reach the top (I think) and two, she has young'n.

It has yet to be determined the future of these varmint - catch and release elsewhere, way elsewhere or swimming lessons...