Introduction:
As poultry keepers, at one point or another in our chicken-keeping journey, we will have a run-in with rodents. They squeeze through our hardware cloth, get into the coop and into the feed, build nests with loads of babies, scare our birds at night, spread disease, and, of course, the ick factor is off the charts! So, in this article, I'd like to discuss methods I have used to keep these pesky varmints under control!
We live bordering a forest behind us and have farmer's fields on the other three sides of our two-acre property, so we always have varments and a lot of mice! We have two outdoor barn cats that do well when they aren't lounging...
Why use these, and why not trap the mice?
In some situations, trapping the mice might be the prudent thing to do when they are in a limited quantity, meaning for example, if you have a mouse in your house, you set a trap, catch it, and you're done. Here, mice are in our camper, garage, and garden shed and are neverending. We could trap until we're blue in the face, and we'd only be catching a small percentage; plus, they'd still be into our stuff. This method deters them. It's also humane for those who would rather not kill them. There is nothing in them that is poisonous to humans or animals, although I wouldn't let a child near them as they may smell good to them, and some kids put everything into their mouths.
Earthkind has an article discussing these as one source we used.
I'll note that we already "mouse-proofed" the best we could by filling in all holes, cracks, and crevices with fine steel wool. Those scratchy pan scrubbers work, too. Unfortunately, such as our garage, that doesn't do much good when the door is open for several hours a day as my hubby works on projects in there.
What goes in these pouches?
Some commercial ones use ground corn cobs as the medium. I purchased a bag of that here. It lets the scents we put in permeate, so it lasts longer than just dumping things into a bag by themselves. Plus, peppermint oil is one scent I chose to use; that way, it can be put on the corn cobs, which absorbs it.
The bags I bought are 3" x 4" cheesecloth bags with strings to tie them closed. These are what I purchased, and they work well. You could go larger, but these were about the same size we were used to with the Fresh Cab brand ones.
So, what scents will usually make a mouse turn its nose up and run away? Mice "avoid danger by relying on their keen sense of smell, which makes up for their weak eyes." https://www.medicinenet.com/what_scent_will_keep_mice_away/article.htm This article covers a lot of informative information about mice, how the scents work, and more.
Scents Mice Don't Like:
Peppermint
Cinnamon
Cayenne pepper
Cloves
The above are the four scents we used in our pouches.
Also repulsive to mice...
Vinegar
Ammonia
Mothballs
Cedarwood oil
Eucalyptus oil
We chose to use the four ingredients/scents noted above as I already had most everything.
Making the pouches:
We fill a pouch about half full of ground corn cobs, then add about a teaspoon each of cayenne pepper, ground cloves, and cinnamon chips. Then, we add about 4-5 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil and close the pouch. Be careful sniffing these because they are strong. You can use other scents mentioned that mice don't like, or narrow this down to just two or three, but it's recommended to use at least two. Some mice will be more aversed by one type of scent than another. This combination of a few scents they don't like ensures one of them at least will really make them run away!
How long will these last?
The commercial ones say they last 60-90 days, and these are the same. In a couple of months I just put a kleenex over them and take a whiff and if the scents aren't very strong, we'll replace them all at the same time. Heat or cold affect how long they last...the colder they are, the longer they last.
Are there other ways to deter mice without killing them?
The article I linked above suggests repellents, bright lights, and loud sounds. The last two are impossible for most to do. There are also box traps, where the mouse can get in but not out. The mouse then has to be released a mile or more away, and these boxes have to be checked regularly, as a mouse trapped in one could die in a day or two.
This is a good article by the Humane Society, which discusses many different types of mouse traps and deterrents. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/what-do-about-wild-mice#humane
If you want to see more information about mouse traps, The Spruce has a very good article as well on The 7 Best Mouse Traps of 2024.
Notes:
* I put links to all of the items we bought. The products were the best deal I could find at the time. If you choose to try making these, be sure to check prices for less expensive items than I purchased.
* If you noticed the expiration date on the Cayenne Pepper container, it's just the container. I buy it in a bag and refill it. Besides, I doubt that stuff ever loses its potency!
* I purchased cinnamon chips instead of cinnamon sticks for a few reasons: one, most cinnamon sticks would be too long for the pouches, and two, I like putting those chips in with the coffee grounds in the pot before brewing. Plus, I figured there is more surface area on the chips than the sticks have.
As poultry keepers, at one point or another in our chicken-keeping journey, we will have a run-in with rodents. They squeeze through our hardware cloth, get into the coop and into the feed, build nests with loads of babies, scare our birds at night, spread disease, and, of course, the ick factor is off the charts! So, in this article, I'd like to discuss methods I have used to keep these pesky varmints under control!
We live bordering a forest behind us and have farmer's fields on the other three sides of our two-acre property, so we always have varments and a lot of mice! We have two outdoor barn cats that do well when they aren't lounging...
...but they can't get inside of buildings like the mice can. We have been using the "Fresh Cab" botanical pouches successfully for years; however, when we went to purchase a fresh bunch, we found them to be $45 for 12. That's when I chose to do some research and make our own.Why use these, and why not trap the mice?
In some situations, trapping the mice might be the prudent thing to do when they are in a limited quantity, meaning for example, if you have a mouse in your house, you set a trap, catch it, and you're done. Here, mice are in our camper, garage, and garden shed and are neverending. We could trap until we're blue in the face, and we'd only be catching a small percentage; plus, they'd still be into our stuff. This method deters them. It's also humane for those who would rather not kill them. There is nothing in them that is poisonous to humans or animals, although I wouldn't let a child near them as they may smell good to them, and some kids put everything into their mouths.
Earthkind has an article discussing these as one source we used.
I'll note that we already "mouse-proofed" the best we could by filling in all holes, cracks, and crevices with fine steel wool. Those scratchy pan scrubbers work, too. Unfortunately, such as our garage, that doesn't do much good when the door is open for several hours a day as my hubby works on projects in there.
What goes in these pouches?
Some commercial ones use ground corn cobs as the medium. I purchased a bag of that here. It lets the scents we put in permeate, so it lasts longer than just dumping things into a bag by themselves. Plus, peppermint oil is one scent I chose to use; that way, it can be put on the corn cobs, which absorbs it.
The bags I bought are 3" x 4" cheesecloth bags with strings to tie them closed. These are what I purchased, and they work well. You could go larger, but these were about the same size we were used to with the Fresh Cab brand ones.
So, what scents will usually make a mouse turn its nose up and run away? Mice "avoid danger by relying on their keen sense of smell, which makes up for their weak eyes." https://www.medicinenet.com/what_scent_will_keep_mice_away/article.htm This article covers a lot of informative information about mice, how the scents work, and more.
Scents Mice Don't Like:
Peppermint
Cinnamon
Cayenne pepper
Cloves
The above are the four scents we used in our pouches.
Also repulsive to mice...
Vinegar
Ammonia
Mothballs
Cedarwood oil
Eucalyptus oil
We chose to use the four ingredients/scents noted above as I already had most everything.
Making the pouches:
We fill a pouch about half full of ground corn cobs, then add about a teaspoon each of cayenne pepper, ground cloves, and cinnamon chips. Then, we add about 4-5 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil and close the pouch. Be careful sniffing these because they are strong. You can use other scents mentioned that mice don't like, or narrow this down to just two or three, but it's recommended to use at least two. Some mice will be more aversed by one type of scent than another. This combination of a few scents they don't like ensures one of them at least will really make them run away!
How long will these last?
The commercial ones say they last 60-90 days, and these are the same. In a couple of months I just put a kleenex over them and take a whiff and if the scents aren't very strong, we'll replace them all at the same time. Heat or cold affect how long they last...the colder they are, the longer they last.
Are there other ways to deter mice without killing them?
The article I linked above suggests repellents, bright lights, and loud sounds. The last two are impossible for most to do. There are also box traps, where the mouse can get in but not out. The mouse then has to be released a mile or more away, and these boxes have to be checked regularly, as a mouse trapped in one could die in a day or two.
This is a good article by the Humane Society, which discusses many different types of mouse traps and deterrents. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/what-do-about-wild-mice#humane
If you want to see more information about mouse traps, The Spruce has a very good article as well on The 7 Best Mouse Traps of 2024.
Notes:
* I put links to all of the items we bought. The products were the best deal I could find at the time. If you choose to try making these, be sure to check prices for less expensive items than I purchased.
* If you noticed the expiration date on the Cayenne Pepper container, it's just the container. I buy it in a bag and refill it. Besides, I doubt that stuff ever loses its potency!
* I purchased cinnamon chips instead of cinnamon sticks for a few reasons: one, most cinnamon sticks would be too long for the pouches, and two, I like putting those chips in with the coffee grounds in the pot before brewing. Plus, I figured there is more surface area on the chips than the sticks have.
