Ever since the Brazilians discovered mice in my home we have been on Red Alert.
Mice is unacceptable for them and war has been declared.
And here I was hoping to take it a little slower now that my IT business is almost wrapped up.
From computers bugs to real life pests.....what a load of shit.
Anyway, yesterday was the starting day of operation Kill Mickey.
The first thing that needed to be done was to lock up all the food.
I went to the shop with Bianca and bought around 10 smaller and bigger plastic (food approved) containers.
Of course, it wasn't possible to just dump the food in the containers and close them.
No such a moment is a perfect moment to clean the kitchen from top to bottom too! Mark!
O man...
4 hours later we were done.
I had no idea how much junk could come from 1 room in the house. Bags and bags of it.
But admittedly our kitchen and especially 'pantry' hasn't looked this good in years.
Then I could do my bit and place the traps.
I had bought several different types.
From the old school traps to boxes with poison in it.
That night we made dinner in the cleanest kitchen in the world and I spend the rest of my night trying to make Dlive work and stream some games and then I went to sleep.
In the morning I wondered if we caught anything.
I found this...
The peanut butter was gone but no dead mouse in sight.
Darn...
I checked the boxes with poison but they did not eat any of it...
I knew immediacy what this meant.
We are under attack by highly gifted mice.
I must admit I was concerned and impressed at the same time.
They must have another food source...
But where?
Bianca smiled at me with the biggest of smiles.
I also already knew what that ment...a full on investigation and more cleaning.
Spring cleaning...
I have no interest in driving to the dump 9 million times with a car full of junk so I ordered a container to be delivered to my house.
All the junk can go in there.
It will arrive tomorrow.
But no lazy week for me it seems...
I'm mouse hunting....
I'm sort of starting to miss my old job already...
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You might have squirrels instead of mice. One of those traps can rap a squirrel right in the head and it will only daze them. Then they'll just take the food. I had both problems actually when I moved into my current house. Squirrels and real mice both.
The mice I took care of with the old school Victor traps. I oiled the springs and any metal-to-metal contact surfaces with vegetable oil. This made them extra powerful and fast. Then I proceeded to bend the metal tabs on the triggers so that they would barely hold the spring-loaded arm in place. In other words I made a hair trigger. I oiled that part too when I was finished. Careful handling a loaded trap like this, they are very touchy. Finally, I used processed american cheese slices as the bait. They absolutely love the stuff, and it has just the right consistency that they can't lick it off (like peanut butter), but it's still squishy enough to cram it under the crevices of the trigger so it can't simply be lifted off without triggering. I think I only had one fail after I did all this and I think it may have been a lucky one that had kicked some debris onto the trigger. Also, change your baits frequently. They like fresh food.
After I figured out how to trap them out, I went around the house and found all points of potential ingress and sealed them up. There were several soffit vents and baseboard vents with screens in them that the screens had rusted out and been destroyed. I replaced all of those, and plugged up a couple holes that had been cut or drilled in the siding over the years, along with a crawl space entry door that was damaged and had a huge gap in it. A few days after finishing this I stopped finding mice in my traps. I do occasionally still trap mice in the garage, but it's because they come in and out while I'm working in there or outside, so I can't really stop that. I just keep traps in place for when they do so they don't make it deeper into the house.
The squirrels were relatively easy to trap if you have those getting in the house. I bought a live trap called the Squirrelinator at the advice of my neighbor. You need to put this on a flat hard surface outside that they can't dig under like a wooden deck or a concrete slab, and put a piece of plywood on the top with rocks or concrete blocks to hold it down. Otherwise they'll dig under or reach in from the top and take your bait. They love the pre-packaged bird feed found at pet stores that consists mostly of ground feed corn. They also like cheap white bread with refined flour in it, not the fancy whole grain stuff. I would just put it on a little paper plate away from the edges and the entry door so they had to go all the way in to get it. I trapped one every day for weeks with that setup. We were overrun with them.
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Thanks for all the advice about the traps. I'm 100% sure it's mice because I saw them. Squirrels I have never seen in my town.
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Time to move, problem solve !!
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sorry if I interrupt your comfort
I am sure you are a good person and can be my inspiration. I am a beginner in the world of steemit, I have posted a introduce on my blog.
There I mentioned your name as my motivator.
If you do not mind, you can visit my bloq to give me some suggestions and feedback for my writing. because I am a failed writer.
You are my inspiration.
thank you @lugina
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What happen to having a cat for deterrent ?
Cat do not eat mouse anymore?
It is 2018 and the mice did upgrade their arsenal and they have seen trap.
At least good spring cleaning.
Keep on steemin'
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@exyle,
I don't think he will eat poison directly! Better you keep it or mix it with the peanut butters! I think he is coming from your ceiling! A small hole can be enough to let him enter to your house!
Anyway I had few battles against them before and almost won all battles :D But after all I feel shame and I feel guilty! I had to kill them, I had to poison them :/ It's a very guilty feeling for me :/
Cheers~
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Have you heard of the bucket technique? Its where you have a bucket that has a stick that rolls so that's where you slather the peanut butter. When the mouse tries to get on the roller, they will lose their footing and drop into the bottom of the bucket - which you can fill with water for maximum efficiency.
Something like this is fine so you could even make this a DIY project for the week. I got this picture from this site: http://gentlemanhomestead.com/diy-five-gallon-bucket-mouse-trap/ and their situation seems to mirror yours, hope this helps!
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"which you can fill with water for maximum efficiency"
I wouldn't fill it with water. Just keep them alive and release them in a forest or something, 5 km+.
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This is cool! I think my friend @fabrews also mentioned this trap. It looks easy to make. Considering I did not catch anything this morning I'll think about it.
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@exyle I just wanted to mention that it feels good to do a serious cleaning and the Kitchen from head to toe and every knook and Cranny should allow you to feel good and Bianca @bkdbkd probably loves it too...................
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Hahahahaha gifted and talented mice you got there. That spells trouble for you. I know the hassle we go through trying to kill mice when they get into our house. Those animals are blessed with extra ordinary smartness so you have to be smart as well to deal with them
And why is this happening ?
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Maybe mickey is watching Tom and Jerry too much.
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hahahahahaha @gvincentjosephm That's a good theory. You know a lot about good cartoons!! hahaha
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lol
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Evolution is coming faster in those rats than in us humans!! hahaha @sistem
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lol, I have to say I’m starting to like this mouse. You should call her Steemie. I hope we get chance to meet her “alive”. Let’s give her some Steem reward for being so smart. Lesson number one: never underestimate mouse. lol
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time to get a .22 rifle for the house man ;)
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Haha! Nice profile pic 😂
I thought all the cowboys lived over here in the west! I think you might have better luck catching the buggers with your hands or a sling shot than a .22!! Oh my goodness 😁🤣
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'buggers' thou. they so are! haha!
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Oh yeah, the hunt is announced and I hope that the trophies will be successful, ha ha. The main thing is of course to catch mice, otherwise they can complicate life! Thank you Mark and good hunting.
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Be happy it's just mice and not rats
We just moved (thank god) this past week,
used to live next door to a Chinese restaurant,
my Lord! Makes you wonder if all those stories about what Babi pangang is truely made of are true.. anyway, nothing wrong with a good spring cleaning 💪😊
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Haha, unbelievable these mickey's looks like stay one step ahead from you and now it's time to be proactive friend and you need to buy mouse killing pills and hide them in their favorite food like cheese or peanut butter and place them on different corner's where you expect the mickey's activity and i hope they will finish soon.
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Mickey is soooo dead :)
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Seems like this as caused a busy week for you @exyle sounds like a big job putting food into containers lots of spring cleaning sorting out cabinets atleast the room is so organised now.
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your thought really good.mouse is a harmfull small hunter.its size small but mouse harm doing every important thing.so,you should very soon found to mouse then died.because, mouse may harm your valuable thing. Look at those lovely orderly kitchen cupboards though. How very cathartic.i hope you very soon success may mice hunting.your knowledge power really good.thank u sharing for your good post.. well done sir..@exyle
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Even though I feel your pain, this post was very entertaining :))) I hope I didn't jinx it when I said it might not be very straight forward :P
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They are clever buggers indeed!
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when junk gets credited it is always in huge amount i know that feeling bro hahah
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Haha oh my, sounds like a nice week for you! Or well, Bianca atleast :D
We had a mouse at the start of the winter, but the poison we set out has worked wonders. I felt really sad though, because the little guy looked so cute running around on the dinner table while I tried to catch it (I failed).
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lol. I always felt the same until they bring their family :)
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😂😂😂🤣 .... tooooo funny! I bet Bianca thinks this might just be a good opportunity to pack up and move!
🤷♂️🤷♀️ oh my goodness! You had me laughing!! Better luck next time 😂
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Looks like you mice got PhD from Stanford. Or probably learn a trick or two from the CIA black Ops. Well, in any case, I had said it before. If Mickey gonna be stubborn and clever, remember Tom the cat, highly skill in mice hunting, has led many wars before and always at your service.
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I'll use him as a last resort!
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OMG @Exyle. You have enough junk to get a container? Sounds like you really do need a clear out then! 😊
Look at those lovely orderly kitchen cupboards though. How very cathartic.
When we did ours last year we found food that had sell by dates that were more than 10 years out of date! So you're not alone.
Think of all that time you're saving not having to go to the gym. You can do your workout at home!
Excellent news. 😁
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It's a lot more intense than going to the gym! The oldest food I found was from 2012.
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Not a bad effort @exyle. You've earned your half decade badge. Sounds like you're going to be back at zero though with regard working for you decade one. Never mind. Hopefully the clean cupboards will more than make up for it and you've still got the medicine cabinet to go for! 😂 😂 😂
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the war is about to get real hahaha let the war begin :D whole lot of gangshit ;p
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Exyle,
About that mouse trap and peanut butter.....
Peanut Butter, as we all know, is a great source of protein.
Simply said, the mouse ate the peanut butter so he could work out!
Just sayin.... :)
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I hesitate to tell you this; because, the spring cleaning is good for all, and makes Bianca smile...But, after this task is done, invest a few bucks into several inexpensive plug-in sensors for rodents.
Squirrels, et al can't tolerate the sound emitted, and they're undetectable to human ears. I don't think pets are bothered either.
Best regards.
Peace.
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No fury like a woman on a hunt for a mouse! Good time to get the house cleaned out! You'll be amazed at what items end up in the large bin. No time to be lazy!
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The pests are getting smarter even with traps and poison. Hope you catch the mice soon before they cause problems. I had a wild pigeon that flew into our kitchen area last week and the whole family went into a chaos. My younger son ran into the bedroom to lock himself for safety. It hid behind our washing machine and refused to come out. When we used a mop, it flew up a little and hid back again. In the end, my good lady managed to get it out of the house but there was cleaning to be done as the pigeon had dropping on our flooring. It was not a pleasant experience indeed. May your mickey mouse be killed asap for the sake of your family and food item! BTW just a sidetrack. I have just made some votes for witness and I have given one of my votes to @blockbrothers as an acknowledgement for all your good work! Hope to see more great things from @blockbrothers. Thank you for all your hard work and contribution to the platform!
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lol, Nice story! I rather have 1 pigeon than a bunch of mice though! And thanks so much for the support of our witness!
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I feel your pain, dude!! I had mice in my basement a while back. It was a nightmare.
One great tip for the spring cleaning, look at every item and ask yourself “do I need this and do I love it?” If the answers to both the questions are no, then toss it.
I’ve read so many books on minimalism and my house is completely clutter free now. It feels amazing.
Best of luck with catching Mickey!
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That's a good tip! I have to go through the garage today it will be a lot of work. I'll keep this in mind.
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Having used a great many kinds of traps. I believe the old fashioned spring traps work the best. Finding a mouse in the trap is better than finding missing poison. Where did the mouse go to die, rot, and smell? You still ma need to move, but packing the pantry will be a snap.
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LOL!
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At first when I saw the picture, I was like, Wow, thats some massive traps!
I got these little beasts from Amazon
link although they almost look like toy traps they were the ones that ended up with me bagging almost 80 mice. Which still makes me shudder to this day
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They look like toys indeed! I now use those old skool wooden things that are insanely nerve-racking to setup. Are these easier?
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Yeah they are really easy, you just press one end down. They come pre loaded with mouse bait which lasts for many many mice as well. I tell you, I was like the grim reaper of mice with these!
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LOL...for a moment when I was reading your post, I thought you had caught the mouse; only to see an empty trap in the pic. Its like the mice of nowadays have evolved and somehow know about traps and poisons. I have two cats in the house and lots others in the neighbourhood- so I rarely see rats and mice. I hope you can get rid of that mouse soon :)
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Oh man I feel you.. my previouse house had mice in the kitchen.. It is aweful and my landlord just asked me if I was joking and did absolutely nothing on the matter so I had to take the war on my own as you did!
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did you win?
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I moved out.. haha. They kind of started eating the poison as a tread without being affected..
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I recommend trying essential oils like lemon grass to repel the rats so they leave your home completely.
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hahahaha you are mice killer man you are under arrest
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Hi @exyle . This is a gift for you .
Can you support me in my post
https://steemit.com/adsactly/@moroccantoughts/lvyzkqix
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Great job friend the mice are problems they destroy all things wood, paper, food
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My friend, those rats are highly intelligent from what I see hahaha. Well, you lost this battle, but not the war. The war continues!! hahaha
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Cool post!! Was wondering if you have any tips into becoming a full time steemian? I would love to share my travel experiences with the community full time.
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Eugh! smart rat!
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appreciate your post,mice are so unbearable problem in our house.. i try to understand...
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Sir, are you from Brazil.. Is better you kill the mice because they are a destroyer
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Ha ha ha . My dother cat name is Luna :) and is black as well .
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Excellent ...! Genuinely Good work..! ! Thank You for sharing this on steemit!
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you create a amazing post....i impressed to see it....thanks for shear this nice post...
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The mice must be so clever to escape after such a thorough cleanup
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Lol! This is interesting It could make a nice script. I will be hanging around to see the end of this
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Good luck killing Mickey. I know how difficult is to catch mice at home. :D
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In my place,
We are busy hunting for office rats, is there a suitable trap recommendation?
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Same issues in this big house near the mountains! We tried with non-violent traps, but mouses are very clever animals, and after a few captures and releases, they went back to colonise every inch of the house. Then we decided that Nature would do, and freed our Jack Russell.
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Of course I feel guilty of the killings.
But I keep remind myself that mouse are more likely to survive our species... we're just a phase for their long dynasty.
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Your writing is always great and i like your blog...
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Cool
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excellent story, nice writing, great post, thanks @exyle
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Hello friend, certainly the mice are a terrible plague. Able to transmit many diseases, I have terror.
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mouse hunting on different level this is so cool thanks for sharing your adventurous day :)
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haha you need to up the game mickey is having fun and taking the lead forward hhahaha
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great thinking..
i appreciate your post,mice are so unbearable problem in our house,i take the solution,thanks for share
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