Mice

[susbees]

 

[Chris Luck]

I obviously agree and it should also be possible for most people with a farm or small holding to get a ratter or two - one of our dogs catches them and eats them with no difficulty and mice go down alive in one swallow.

Chris

 

[Heather]

BUT I have caught 2 IN my house today- one sadly died, one released outside- they were tiny and my hives protected so live and let live-just not WITH me

Now a huge Spring Clean job just to be sure all clean... Ggrrr

 

[Midland Beek]

I habitually put poison under the hives and can say with some certainty that a good 80% is consumed over winter by rodents.

It is easy to dismiss people like PH as misguided old fools, but clearly some of them are dangerous as well.

Any half wit knows that rodents do not sit at a souce of poson and eat it. They take it away and hoarde it. And that's where the danger lies to other animals that might come along, like badgers and birds, and people's dogs.

Any suspected incidents of wildlife poisoning should be reported to Fera. And anyone doing what Poly Hive is doing should get a talking to from his/her RBI.

 

[dpearce4]

BUT I have caught 2 IN my house today- one sadly died, one released outside- they were tiny and my hives protected so live and let live-just not WITH me

Now a huge Spring Clean job just to be sure all clean... Ggrrr

you know that if u release it outside in your garden it will be back in your house before you. if you are looking to release a mouse it needs to be at least 1mile from where it was caught and then you have half a chance of not getting it back.

the other thing you could do is use some OMF wire (or similar) if you can buy some as a sheet to cover your air bricks as this is the normal way for them to get in to your house.

if you want to kill them SPR at fontwell sells commercial mouse bait and i can highly recomend the stuff, get the one that looks like pink grain made by rodex (rentokil use the same) its very effective. Make sure u follow the instructions to the letter though so as not to poison any of your pets you may have.

 

[dpearce4]

Going up vertical is fairly easy for them. What you need then is a wide horizontal smooth surface - like the old stone 'mushrooms' for lifting unthreshed ricks well clear of the ground in days gone by.

Lots of examples of grain stores on a similar arrangement in Spain per eg.

RAB

there are some of those down here in sussex still. Some people are building new grain stores on them to i have noticed. its good if you live in a conservation area.

 

[Heather]

It wasnt, I can assure you- I think it came in in error- went into a cosy spot in my compost- We will be more careful but this house has 7 outside doors so tricky.
The rat poison was put into a pipe that other foragers couldnt access - but re PH - suggest tin hat on...

 

[trapperman]

It is easy to dismiss people like PH as misguided old fools, but clearly some of them are dangerous as well.

Any half wit knows that rodents do not sit at a souce of poson and eat it. They take it away and hoarde it. And that's where the danger lies to other animals that might come along, like badgers and birds, and people's dogs.

Any suspected incidents of wildlife poisoning should be reported to Fera. And anyone doing what Poly Hive is doing should get a talking to from his/her RBI.

When i`m baiting i quite often use a paste bait that is pasta based and stops any taking away of the bait, in my experience they seem to prefer it to grain based baits also.

 

[Erichalfbee]

We have house mice and field mice. The house mice are trapped and the others left alone. The field where the hives are is riddled with mouse holes . Good food for the local owls.

 

[Skyhook]

It is easy to dismiss people like PH as misguided old fools, but clearly some of them are dangerous as well.

Any half wit knows that rodents do not sit at a souce of poson and eat it. They take it away and hoarde it. And that's where the danger lies to other animals that might come along, like badgers and birds, and people's dogs.

Any suspected incidents of wildlife poisoning should be reported to Fera. And anyone doing what Poly Hive is doing should get a talking to from his/her RBI.

I would like to disassociate myself from this. I have the greatest respect for PH, I just happen to disagree with him on this issue. I don't think that calls for personal abuse.

 

[victor meldrew]

We have house mice and field mice. The house mice are trapped and the others left alone. The field where the hives are is riddled with mouse holes . Good food for the local owls.

Anyone thinking they haven't got mice should try leaving a floor/ roof. piece of fair sized sheet on the grass around the apiary for a few days ,then lifting it ! Propability is there will be at least one mouse hole under it
VM

 

[roo]

how can we be sure?

Just a thought that occured to me. when we put on our mouse guards, how do we know whether there may be a mouse in our hive already, or not.
Roo

 

[victor meldrew]

Just a thought that occured to me. when we put on our mouse guards, how do we know whether there may be a mouse in our hive already, or not.
Roo

Give hive a good old kick before fitting guard
If any mouse in there it should come rocketing out with 6 or 7 bees stuck to its back
VM

 

[Winker]

I have had 7 Mice in the house now, there comming in thick and fast

 

[Chris Luck]

You mean you count them? Perhaps they just brought some mates along for the weekend.

Chris

 

[Heather]

Aaahh- and another flicking great rat near the house again- thought I has seen off the colony- what is going on-- cannot be bi monthly bin collection as all tightly enclosed... need some deep snow.

 

[victor meldrew]

Aaahh- and another flicking great rat near the house again- thought I has seen off the colony- what is going on-- cannot be bi monthly bin collection as all tightly enclosed... need some deep snow.

Maybe your edibles are totally enclosed but some one in the area isn't as careful? Rats don't tarry where there's no income for them !
Check there are no voids in the vicinity . Building rubble is a favourite
VM

 

[Winker]

You mean you count them? Perhaps they just brought some mates along for the weekend.

Chris

been counting the ones we caught

 

[Swarm]

What's needed is an end to the PC nonsense and a return to dealing with vermin with some decent sporting little dogs. Who was it posted he just got a Patterdale?

 

[Chris Luck]

Pointer cross

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=182028&postcount=42

Chris