Last night while feeding, Pam found a mouse in the barn. It was sitting on top of the grain bins that are built into the stalls (and mouse-proof by the way). She swung out the bin which is mounted on a door and the mouse didn't move. We called the cats, even put two on top of the bin with the mouse, they were not interested. Pam decided it was Valentine's Day so she set it loose across the street.
Here are some ways to keep mice out of your barn:
1. Secure your grain. Tight fitting/sealed lids on trash cans, rubbermaid containers stored in a secure room. I described our grain bins (I'll picture them someday), they are awesome. Extra grain is stored in the tack room which is a fully sealed/heated room.
2. Cats. Barns with cats have less mice. I am not a cat person, but will make home for rescue kitties in my barn.
3. Clean up after yourself. If you have food, crumbs or spill grain, it ALL attracts mice. Keep a broom handy and put your crumbs in a sealed trash container.
4. Think you don't have anything for them to eat handy? Look again. Make sure NOTHING gets left out for those buggers to eat.
The following site had some good information about cleaning up after mice:
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/pest/mouse.htm
My favorite hint, if you use traps, spread peanut butter on them, much harder for the mouse to trick the trap!
8 comments:
We have rubbermaid containers for our grain, but every now and then someone leaves the lid a little off and a mouse gets in. Of course, no one will ever admit to being the person who left the grain open, (but we know who the culprit is.)
I always use metal containers to hold my grain (metal trash cans).
Maybe I am just unlucky but the mice at my barn will chew through wood and plastic (even Rubbermaid) to get to the grain so metal is my only option.
I use metal containers too.
But i've notice that containers of feed aren't the only thing that mice like to chew on, wiring seems to have appeal to them for some reason. So looking for damage to wiring is always be on my list of things to do to keep my barn safe.
I agree with Metal trash cans, notice I said rubbermaid only in a secured room. With exposure, those little teeth can get through anything!
Secured room...
Does that mean secret service agents are standing on guard at the door?
;) :) ;)
Yes, but in this case the secret service agents are cleverly disguised as cats.
Yes, that give's me a chuckle! I can just seem those pussy cats in their trenchcoats and fedoras with the brims pulled down over their cute little faces!
Let's get serious here folks, the mouse problem responds well to POISON! After I reached for a horse towel on a hook and saw a mouse swinging happily on a rope underneath a few years ago, no more Ms Nice Guy! I keep my grain in the Rubbermaid containers, but periodically I get those little bags of mouse poison (they sell them at the local feed/tack store here in Alaska) and tear the edge on the bag and place in places not easily accessible to dogs or other pets. Voila! No mice. I like it.
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