Mouse repellant?

[ndcowboy]

Anybody out there know of a mouse repellant that actually works? I'm having a bad time with mice in my well pit right now, which is located in my shop. I have farm cats in my shop, but once the mice get past them to the well pit, they live in relative comfort. I trap mice in there all the time, but I need to keep them from wanting in. Any great ideas?

 

[Beartracks]

Mothballs works like a charm.

 

[ronto]

Moth balls work but probably not a good idea if they would get into your water supply.

 

[GunnyGene]

How about a mouse sized electric fence?

 

[anglertoo]

Walmart sells ultrasonic mouse/mole repellents pretty cheap.

 

[Cooperhawk]

In our storage barn and in our motorhome we use something called "Fresh Cab" or maybe it's "Cab Fresh". It is a very strong Balsam fragrance and the little critters hate it. Works pretty darn good.

 

[Robes]

A bucket half full of water....

 

[gramps]

A rag that a ferret has slept on works wonders.
gramps

 

[wheelgun1958]

Moth balls work but probably not a good idea if they would get into your water supply.

I believe it is a maintenance pit for automobiles. Oil changes and such. It is afterall, in his shop.

 

[Mobuck]

Two things have worked for me. A product called "Cab Fresh" is all natural blend of fragrant herbs and ???. It's advertised use is to discourage rodents from populating farm equipment cabs and enclosed areas. I've used solid air fresheners-the blue ones- to discourage rodents from entering(or staying in) an enclosed storage building where the cats can't go. It takes several of the air fresheners but they're only $1 each(less in the multi-pack) and last about a month.

 

[radicalrod]

Well I just feed em the little green blocks :lol: :lol: :lol:

They seem to really like the stuff...for a few days :roll: :roll: :roll: RR

 

[375supermag]

I have used BB guns with great results on mice and chipmunks.

I reserve .22LR hollow points for rats.Back in the late -50s-early -60s my Dad used to take me rat hunting at an old dump along side a railyard.

We would climb up on a boxcar and he would shoot rats with his .22 rifle.

One thing I never forgot was how he would wound a rat and the other rats would swarm all over it, killing it in moments.

 

[rchery59]

Peppermint oil will keep them out. They hate it and it won't hurt your water supply.

 

[ronto]

Moth balls work but probably not a good idea if they would get into your water supply.

I believe it is a maintenance pit for automobiles. Oil changes and such. It is afterall, in his shop.

Thank you for clarifying that. By the way, "after all" is not one word and just in case neither is "a lot".

 

[Don Lovel]

a couple of fat bullsnakes works really well on mice

 

[ndcowboy]

This is a well pit for water. We have a 300 foot well that supplies our ranch. We drilled the well first, then I built the shop around it. My main problem is the well pit is heated, while the rest of the shop is not, so the mice flock to it.

 

[Cooperhawk]

Here kitty kitty.

 

[Moore-D]

I will second the suggestion for Peppermint Oil....I have used it for several years in both of my summer cars that I store for the winter in our barn. I have also used it in a small shed that covers over our well head. They were building nests in that little well shack shredding up all the wall insulation. No signs of mice since I started using it.

You have to buy the real stuff though. Has to be Peppermint Oil not Peppermint extract. You can get it at most large drug stores or at any health food store. It's about $8.00 to $9.00 for a tiny bottle, but I have been using the same bottle for 3 years now. It comes with a little drip cap and you can just dribble it around the area along the base of the walls and such for the building. For the car, I soak a few Q-Tips in it and place them in different areas all over my car (under hood, next to wiring, under seats etc...) then I pick them up in the spring. Has a nice faint smell after you air the car out.

Bonus: It smells really good also!!! The previous owner of my Mustang used awful moth balls for the winter months and Peppermint Oil took the smell right away....
Good Luck,
Moore-D

 

[Racer9]

I had heard about black snake scent, but maybe I was dreaming, because I can't find anything about it. Peppermint oil sounds better anyway.

 

[Big Old Boy]

I too have used peppermint oil in trucks and camper it works. Soak cotton balls and through them where it will do the most good. You can buy it on line also.

 

[sebtool]

Dryer sheets. I use Bounce. :wink:

 

[vito]

The ultrasonic plug-ins don't work worth a damn. I've use Cab Fresh and it seems moderately effective. The most effective strategy has been to plug any small holes that I can find where they might crawl in, and fill the holes with fine steel wool. Maybe its for the warmth, but I sometimes get them in my house behind the gas stove in the kitchen. I've never found a mouse in any other location, so I use sticky traps with a peanut in the glue, on the floor behind the stove. Usually after I catch 3 or 4 I am not bothered until the next year. The only problem with the sticky traps is that you will find live mice stuck in them. I small tap with a hammer does the trick just fine.

 

[Pal Val]

The ultrasonic plug-ins don't work worth a damn. I've use Cab Fresh and it seems moderately effective. The most effective strategy has been to plug any small holes that I can find where they might crawl in, and fill the holes with fine steel wool. Maybe its for the warmth, but I sometimes get them in my house behind the gas stove in the kitchen. I've never found a mouse in any other location, so I use sticky traps with a peanut in the glue, on the floor behind the stove. Usually after I catch 3 or 4 I am not bothered until the next year. The only problem with the sticky traps is that you will find live mice stuck in them. I small tap with a hammer does the trick just fine.

I tried the ultrasonic gadget and it didn't do a thing. The sticky traps have worked well. I found out that if you let that live mouse stay there and squeal for a while, others will soon join him.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Old style solution . . . . stale chocolate chips and the wood and spring traps.
Stale choc. chips are very resilient (last a long time), yet draw mice from a
good distance.

Several many years ago I used that trick to trap mice. An average run with
a choc. chip was six to eight mice, per choc. chip. You just have to empty
the traps regularly.

When I first started with the traps, the limit on the number of mice per day
was the number of times I emptied the traps. The first few days I had a few
times where I did not even get across the room, before the trap had another
one. Doesn't take long until the overall population density diminishes and
you only need to empty traps once per day. Then every other day, and it got
down to once per week.

 

[GhosT]

Lived in the same house since 1989......
Not in the city,not rural/country life....but closer to rural,than suburbs, yet in 26 years, still dealing with mice.

"The ultrasonic plug-ins don't work worth a damn."
Not only can I confirm that, but embarrassed how much spent on 2.......100 bucks in the 90's..doesn't do SH*T!
They sell for 15 bucks now...

Other posters suggested cats and ferrets,had both years ago,and they live for the kill,but won't help yer situation.
Also did yer basic wood mouse traps.....killed 13 mice with them from 11pm to 4am one night,with trigger smeared with peanut butter.

But still won't help your situation........

I did finally find something that works for me....
Doesn't stop them from coming in,but removes them fast.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.d-conproducts.com/products/family-low-traffic-rooms/wedge-baits/

D-CON WEDGE BAITS!

(Just noticed I need to buy more....lol.....)

THESE have been THE MOST EFFECTIVE ANTI-MOUSE purchase I ever found.

WEDGE SHAPED cardboard box, ya just pull off the top, place where mice show up.
Must be tasty to mice,cause the box empties fast....then within a day,maybe two, no sign of mice.

Right now,no mice in my house....but next trip to ACME,gonna buy 4 more wedges,
put one under kitchen sink, 3 in reserve..
Yes ,poison,but it works.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

One other thought came to mind.
Although the D-CON WEDGE BAITS are MOVE #1, If you have an infestation, buy RAT-GLUE TRAPS TOO!

Not mouse glue traps, RAT GLUE TRAPS!....Big difference between the two.....
And see if they sell glue trap bait too,cause that bait is dry,lasts forever .

Several years ago,
One of those RAT GLUE TRAPS,with that dry bait,took out 6 mice....they climbed over the dead to get to the bait!

Hope this helps.

 

[JohnBoy]

Since this is a heated well pit I'm assuming it is covered, correct? Only need to access for maintenance? I'd look at designing/improving the physical barrier before a repellant. Granted, it will need to be sealed tight - semi-permanent - possibly a galvanized (elevated) rim? Any gaps can be plugged with steel wool - mice hate that stuff.

I'd only go with poison baits as a last resort as that stuff can be passed up the food chain - ingestion of poisoned mice. Glue traps are amazing - as are cats! (But keep the glue traps away from the cats - really ticks them off!!)

I use regular old Victor traps and something called 'The Better Mouse Trap' - another spring-loaded design - just simpler to set. Peanut butter is irresistible - even a whiff. I can catch 8 - 10 per day in my barn - during Fall - but they eventually thin out.

 

[slowhand]

A couple of bull snakes sounds right.Just let the well guy know before he gets down there to work.I do well work and can tell you from experience that hearing a old guy scream like a little girl,followed by a four foot vertical jump,isn't a pretty thing.Don't ask me how I know.