Non-original wheels

[PeteH]

I unfortunately, have to bait for Vermin quite regularly at home, as my next door neighbour has horses in livery close by, and keeps their feed in her garage which is unfortunately attached to mine. I get it from a supplier on the internet, the local merchants won`t supply anymore as I now need to be licenced to use it!. I`ve been using this stuff since "god was a lad", but the "elfs" have bu**ered that, and decent weed killer as well!!. I have "industrial" bait stations which prevent birds and other small animals accessing it + Dog`s Cat`s etc;. So far it has kept any infestation to a minimum. Usually I find the odd corpse within a week or so, by which time they are deyhdrated normally, if you get the breeding female it stops for quite some time. We recently had a Black European Mink show up too, caught that on cctv, they allegedly live by the old canal and predate on the ducks and other wildfowl, so it`s quite unusual to see. We got used to Rats, it was a regular and continuous battle at sea especially on the older Grain carrying ships. Had odd nights in hotels ashore from time to time while a ship was being fumigated, they used Cyanide based gases, back then!!.

Pete

[micmak]

5 hours ago, PeteH said:

I unfortunately, have to bait for Vermin quite regularly at home, as my next door neighbour has horses in livery close by, and keeps their feed in her garage which is unfortunately attached to mine. I get it from a supplier on the internet, the local merchants won`t supply anymore as I now need to be licenced to use it!. I`ve been using this stuff since "god was a lad", but the "elfs" have bu**ered that, and decent weed killer as well!!. I have "industrial" bait stations which prevent birds and other small animals accessing it + Dog`s Cat`s etc;. So far it has kept any infestation to a minimum. Usually I find the odd corpse within a week or so, by which time they are deyhdrated normally, if you get the breeding female it stops for quite some time. We recently had a Black European Mink show up too, caught that on cctv, they allegedly live by the old canal and predate on the ducks and other wildfowl, so it`s quite unusual to see. We got used to Rats, it was a regular and continuous battle at sea especially on the older Grain carrying ships. Had odd nights in hotels ashore from time to time while a ship was being fumigated, they used Cyanide based gases, back then!!.

Pete

Well Pete, I have a similar situation here at home.  I am in a rural area, and my nearest neighbor has a large barn with 7 or 8 horses, in for the Winter.  It is located about 350 or 400 feet from my house. I had my garage extended at the beginning of this year and it has many, many gaps and openings.  The walls of this part of the garage are constructed with corrugated-type steel sheets.  So, at ground level, there are openings at each “fold” of the corrugated grooves.  In the last few weeks, it seems to turning into a mouse highway!  I doubt if I will ever completely solve this problem.  Being in the countryside, I would expect some mice to come in from the fields at this time of year seeking warmth.  But with the horse barn so close, and with double the number of horses in it since last Winter, I suppose this problem is magnified.  I just hope that the wiring, carpets, upholstery etc. in all the cars remains intact.  I will get everything I can to kill and/or discourage mice.
.....Mick.....

[Wagger]

Maternal Grandfather was a farmer. He had one cat in each barn that was never fed or encouraged into the house. They were, virtually, Ferrall. Tea dregs were put down for them to drink.

He also had a Jack Russell Terrier. He could despatch about five mice per minute when they were sorting the hay. Also dealt with the rats.

You can make a 'Humane' trap using a tall can. Put ramps into it and use chocolate as the bait. Mice love it. I once put a box of Roses into a cupboard for mother's day. On the day it was just an empty box with the wrappers left.

You will catch mice in the can so you can put the lid on, drive a few miles away and release them wherever you wish. Near a Kestrel's nest maybe.

[JohnD]

As for disposing of caught vermin humanely, to quote Mrs. Beeton (Or was it Mrs. Glasse) on making hare soup, "First catch your hare!"

No sign  of the bugger yet.   Chocolate?  I'll try that!

John

[Wagger]

Rats are very intelligent. I am told by several different 'Catchers' that the mother will allow her mate to bring back food for her and offspring but allow him o try it first. If he dies, she won't touch it.

My pal has a very old house, part Tudor. It was divided in two so the adjoining walls are lath & plaster wth a gap. Many poisoned rats have died in this cavity making rooms stink until the decay has finished. Currently he is havig a re-wire. There is no insulation left on most of the 1960's PVC. The previous Lead is ok. The ceilings are littered with walnut shells and old rat skeletons. That tree was removed in 1970. He has lived their since birth in 1947.

The rewire is being done using conduit.

Keep cars and caravans vermin tight. I have found nests in air boxes and heaters.

 

[micmak]

6 hours ago, Wagger said:

Keep cars and caravans vermin tight. I have found nests in air boxes and heaters.

 

I have had mice nests made from that pink fibreglass insulation stuff.  I found it stuffed in behind the front grille during 3 separate Winters. I have had the same insulation under the gearstick housing, and I have had it in the valley of the V on a V6 engine.  Luckily, the mice never did any actual damage to the cars.  All that activity happened in spite of having snap traps, sticky pads, dryer sheets and mothballs all over the garage floor.  I had the dryer sheets and some mothballs inside the cars too.  From my experience, it is not possible to eliminate mice, because more and more seem to move in to get out of the cold.  But you may be lucky and keep them to a minimum.

[Wagger]

My elder brothers were helping on the family farm just after WW2. They were clearing the old hay from a barn. As they did so, the density of mice increased to the point where they ran up my brothers trouser legs in order to hide. My brothers were wearing shorts!

Another pal had a large caravan written off by mice. He cleared it of all consumables and upholstery and now uses it as a shed. Waterproff but not mouse proof.

Our border collie kept the hens safe from rats (and foxes) in the 1950's. We had a brick surrounded yard and he slept in the same building as the hens. He gave very good audible warning of anything different going on.

 

[PeteH]

😂😂, Wagger.

Recalls a tale my Wife tells, as a child (1940/50`s) she spent most Summers on an Uncle`s Farm. The "highlight" was being woken in the night by Uncle letting off his shotgun from his bedroom window, haveing been woken by his dogs barking (usually) as a warning that a Fox was skulking around the chickens. When they cleared the rickyard they brought in ferrets and the terriers, the vermin count could be in very high numbers. The farm workers would tie the bottoms of their trousers as a precaution☹️. Most of your modern vermin "poisons" are based on chemicals similar to "warfarin", which cause gross internal bleed and eventual death. When taken back to the nest the other vermin are similarly affected. I am on alert at the present as the Infestation season is already started, I note that the bait is being taken again.

Useless info: Aparently, the Rev; Jack Russell, bred the dogs that bear his name originally as "ratters"?.

Back "on Topic". I had an issue with the alarm in my R-V. Which was eventually traced to a wire that had been subject to attack by mice. That was when I started to take a better "interest" in the subject of vermin control.

Pete

Edited November 22, 2023 by PeteH

[Pete Lewis]

thread drift had  reduced until now     wheels to mice must be a record ??

Pete

[Wagger]

3 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

thread drift had  reduced until now     wheels to mice must be a record ??

Pete

I had a wheeled clockwork mouse. It had cams that dropped skids to turn it left and right. Went well on the lino. The cat chased it and caught it removing its rubber tail.

[johny]

I had a fancy dress outfit once with a rubber tail!

[Pete Lewis]

2 hours ago, johny said:

I had a fancy dress outfit once with a rubber tail!

too much information   ha !!!

[johny]

Wait I'll see if I can dig out the photos🤢