Ive used:
*Irish Spring soap shavings…found the shavings were being chewed on…no dead mice found
*dryer sheets…found them shredded and a nest made from them…no dead mice found
*D-Con poison…found the little boxes partially ate up…could smell dead mice..for weeks
*5 gal bucket trap…caught several in the bucket…pro tip: don't leave them in the antifreeze for weeks at a time, its a horrendous smell and is probably hazardous waste at that point.
*Victor wood spring traps w/ peanut butter…have caught many mice with these, need to check em every couple weeks in the fall when their on the move for shelter, but very effective. Mouse is caught and disposed of. Sometimes I laugh at them as I throw them by their tail into the yard for other predators to feed on.
*barn cat…good ones are very effective, I’ve only had them in a horse barn, but mouse carcass pieces were a common sight.
*peppermint oil…seems to be a good deterrent, but need to refresh every couple weeks.
Other tips:
Keep food and nesting sources away from access.
I usually catch them on the Victor traps next to the overhead door, as that is a somewhat easy portal around the weatherstrip and door frame.
Ive also caught them as they’ve run over the trap, not necessarily feeding on the bait. Putting the trap with the bait facing a perimeter wall or other similar “run” is most effective as they tend to run next to a barrier of some type…wall baseplate or similar.
For some reason they prefer an unheated area, as opposed to the heated areas. Perhaps because the heated portions are surrounded by concrete as opposed to close to the grass area of the usual entry portal?
Sweet dreams little bastards!
