Mice and Company

[Essexgirl]

Such cute little things. Best barbequed with a bit of ketchup!

[Chuckles]

essexgirl said:

Such cute little things. Best barbequed with a bit of ketchup!

Minus skin though coz the fir sticks in ya throat ;D Oooooh and in a nice soft bap must go check traps for scores on the doors

[Chuckles]

YES YES YES just checked traps and one mouse has gone to rodent heaven. Other trap not touched though.

[4pygmies]

It does my black RATBUMS heart good to read this thread - are the mice just the vanguard though? Wait until the rats come out to play........

[Chuckles]

4P do you remember me ripping down the coal house ceiling and putting my back out looking for the rats ;D

No more caught today but I have reset the traps, also put a couple in the GH now as I saw signs of nibbling on a couple of toms that had fell off

[4pygmies]

Yes, I remember it well (she sang in a terrible French accent ;D) Those were the days eh? Did you ever get your RATBUMS Hero badge?? I am still dead impressed that you actually went looking for rats without full armour and a Brenn gun...........foolish but heroic! I NEVER forget that disgusting rat trap in the vile but brilliant book 1984. Is it time to revive that thread? The rodent hordes are, even now, attacking the nations last few GH fruits (I hope the chillis make them suffer...hehehehee....) and infiltrating innocent compost bins.......you can't say I didn't warn you all...

[Chuckles]

;D scores today - 1 in the GH and 1 in the shed, just about to go reset traps in a mo with lovely juicy sunflower seeds.

RATBUMS Hero badge ;D I do believe you gave me a special one 4P, for outstanding bravery

[Weeterrier]

I've never seen a rat. Wonder if I'd scream or be fascinated? Fingers crossed I never find out

[Shrubrose]

weeterrier said:

I've never seen a rat. Wonder if I'd scream or be fascinated? Fingers crossed I never find out

Wt, Never? Nooooooo. Where have you been? They're everywhere we are.

[Chuckles]

Can't believe you've never seen a rat Wee

Scores on the doors today, 2 more bite the dust ;D

[Weeterrier]

I'm quite sure they must be here too, because there is an old mill, and we have the stream and pond still. Also, we are surrounded by farms. Perhaps they have it so good elsewhere, they don't bother coming up to the houses. Must ask my neighbours.

[Chuckles]

Nothing in the traps for 2 days now, but just took the lid off one of the Compo bins and there was 3 little startled faces looking at me ;D

[Chuckles]

;D I think they have got the message that the shed is out of bounds to mice, nothing caught for 5 days. I'm still keeping the traps baited though

They are still active in the compost bins but as long as they stay there I'm happy and I guess they are too ;D

[Weeterrier]

I stood in mouse innards in the middle of the night. Bl***y cats

[Chuckles]

weeterrier said:

I stood in mouse innards in the middle of the night. Bl***y cats

poor you Wee, suppose it could have been worse and been cat pooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ;D

[Essexgirl]

I often get up in the morning to find that our cat has left half a mouse on the kitchen floor as a gift for me.(yummy) Can never find the head though.

[Chuckles]

greety said:

;D I think they have got the message that the shed is out of bounds to mice, nothing caught for 5 days. I'm still keeping the traps baited though

They are still active in the compost bins but as long as they stay there I'm happy and I guess they are too ;D

Have trapped 2 mice in the shed in the last 17 days. Not had any activity in the compo bins from them for just over a week now so they have moved out

BUT 4P DON'T READ THIS the big boys have moved in. Little b@ggar/s have dug out a good half bucket full of compo from the bottom of one compo bins and have climbed burrowed to the top and been nibbling veg bits and leaving tell tale poooooo signs. Have put two lots of bait out for them and they have devoured that, OH has phoned the council rat man and he is going to drop me some more bait off.

[Weeterrier]

Further to the show of surprise that I had never seen a rat, neither have my Mum or Dad. My son-in-law has, but he was raised on a farm. Perhaps they don't like the rain up here?

[purplejulia]

Hi Wee One and Chuckles

I think it was around winter 2004 that we found our potatoes from our veg rack were scattered around our conservatory/shed! where we kept our bikes. The spuds were chewed in places and discarded. We had no idea what it was, but we knew it wasn't mice. We also found cauliflower leaves under the cooker. It was all very strange! Then we noticed that the carpet was being chewed and there were chewed floorboards.
I was recovering from a nervous breakdown and thought I was imagining things. We finally called the council just before Christmas and he left bait in various places and said that he was sorry he would be unable to come again until after Christmas but we might find that the house unbearably smelly particularly if the rat(s) die from the poison under the floorboards.
About two days later I was taking washing off my clothes horse and I spied a large rat just staring at me and looking really cool and spaced out. I was so petrified I called OH and we were both in a panic but the rat still stayed on that spot. OH eventually put a bucket over it even though he shaking with fear. He ran out into the garden and threw the rat towards my raised beds. Rat still not dead so he threw a brick at it. Next morning RAT GONE!

We must have had only one rat cos there was no nasty pongs over Christmas but I still picture the rat staring at me as if it was yesterday.

A postscript to that story is that when we were preparing to move out of the house OH moved bookcase and found evidence of said rat. Massive holes in carpet and more gnawings of floorboards. We felt really guilty selling our house to unsuspecting buyers but we didn't find out the full extent of the damage of that one rat until a week before we moved out. The rat had even eaten the grip strips that have those nasty nails that hold the carpet in place.
PJ

[4pygmies]

greety said:

BUT 4P DON'T READ THIS the big boys have moved in. Little b@ggar/s have dug out a good half bucket full of compo from the bottom of one compo bins and have climbed burrowed to the top and been nibbling veg bits and leaving tell tale poooooo signs. Have put two lots of bait out for them and they have devoured that, OH has phoned the council rat man and he is going to drop me some more bait off.

I can't help myself...drawn inexorably she is......KILL ALL RATS. So there.......funnily enough I saw a notice on the GC's board this morning about a cat rehoming place which is asking for homes for feral cats - especially for people with a rat problem...I did think about it quite seriously - but then I thought - when they've run out of rats, do they start on small children and aging short people who can't run away?
It is tempting though isn't it? A couple of tigers prowling about the garden at night - Iwonder what the goats would make of it? And my poor remaining old chook.........would she survive?

[Chuckles]

4pygmies said:

greety said:

BUT 4P DON'T READ THIS the big boys have moved in. Little b@ggar/s have dug out a good half bucket full of compo from the bottom of one compo bins and have climbed burrowed to the top and been nibbling veg bits and leaving tell tale poooooo signs. Have put two lots of bait out for them and they have devoured that, OH has phoned the council rat man and he is going to drop me some more bait off.

I can't help myself...drawn inexorably she is......KILL ALL RATS. So there.......funnily enough I saw a notice on the GC's board this morning about a cat rehoming place which is asking for homes for feral cats - especially for people with a rat problem...I did think about it quite seriously - but then I thought - when they've run out of rats, do they start on small children and aging short people who can't run away?
It is tempting though isn't it? A couple of tigers prowling about the garden at night - Iwonder what the goats would make of it? And my poor remaining old chook.........would she survive?

I did warn you not to read it 4P.

Two more lots of bait have been devoured when I checked this morning, thats approx 2 cups full eaten already, hope they get the belly ache ;D The amount of poo that they leave in the top if the bin is incredable, still it all adds to the compo I guess

I can't believe I've only had 7 mice so change of tactics called for, will try the soap Carol and if I can bear to leave any chips next time I have any I'll try them in the traps JL ;D Mmmmm or I could pinch a bit of OH's smoked bacon he has for brekky on a weekend and tell him RF said it makes good micky bait ;D

[Chuckles]

Just been a checked bait for my four legged furry beasts. 5th day of leaving them some special food ;D they didn't touch the bait last night so lets hope thats them finished for a while

Yesterday I followed the nice little path they have padded out, they seem to have made a home under one of my raised beds

[Shrubrose]

OH was checking the pipe that brings water to the house the other day. He'd lined part of it with quilt and had put a small stone flag over the top of it to mark the spot where it comes into the back garden. He picked the stone up and found four small mice nestled in the quilt and sleeping! Obviously disturbed, they 'came to', looked up at him and then shot off in different directions!!!! Wonder if they've managed to find their way back?

[Deleted]

I have trapped 2 in the house within the last 7 days, a biggun and a babe, after last years infestation I could do without it all again

Sara

[Chuckles]

I bet the 4 mice nearly had a heart attack Shrub, what a sight that would have been to seeing them scutter off ;D

Oh dear Sara, not good news. There must be a few more so keep the traps set

Nice rat man dropped me off some bait today so I'm well prepared for a massive feast for the rats ;D

[Shrubrose]

Hmm! Hope they didn't make for our pantry! We've had a visit this week from a 'nibbler' and have reset the humane traps. As well as washed all the shelves down!! OH did that

[Mr Grinch]

I had mickeys trying to eat into my chicken feed bin. Caught(killed) six in one trap in a day. Now i get the occasional scout that comes to have a look. But he never returns to his mates !!!

Mr G
;D

[Jonah]

I've bought one of those sonic deterrants to try and keep them away from the trailer tent. It's meant to last 3 months on the battery. Fingers crossed.

[Dutchy]

I have now placed this horrid poison that dries them out in my studio for over two months and still when it is laid out on tuesday it is gone by thursday.
I put new out every tuesday. You never find them but they come up through the pipe holders and I know where food heaven is. Two doors down. I was pleased to hear that since she found a complete loaf of bread with a mouse walkway straight through it she has been more carefull with foodstuff.
I do not know how many I killed but if ever they open up the walls rhere will be mouse mummies all over.
It does at times make me feel guilty, ..... sigh. Soppy old me getting on top of sensible old me.

[jean]

I've had seed packets nibbled in my PT but the cats are on the case, I just wish they wouldn't bring them in alive so I have to rescue them