I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
pesticide.. it's not working well. The mice come in for the winter and
have destroyed my cabin air filters.
I have found the droppings each year since installing the electronic unit.
So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them around
the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them, he backed
away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept the
rust away. Is this true?
I hate the smell but have a bunch left, and wondered if I can preseve
some tools by throwing a ball in there.
On 1/1/2013 8:32 PM, tommyboy wrote:
> On Tue, 01 Jan 2013 15:39:28 -0500, tiredofspam <nospam.nospam.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
>> pesticide.. it's not working well. The mice come in for the winter and
>> have destroyed my cabin air filters.
>>
>> I have found the droppings each year since installing the electronic unit.
>>
>> So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them around
>> the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them, he backed
>> away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
>>
>> I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept the
>> rust away. Is this true?
>>
>> I hate the smell but have a bunch left, and wondered if I can preseve
>> some tools by throwing a ball in there.
>
> Similar problem in my garage. Mice were getting under the hood of the
> car, nesting and causing issues that resulted in hundreds of dollars
> in repair bills. I did a few things that have stopped the critters
> 99%. First I closed up any gaps I could in the garage doors. Set about
> a dozen traps. Shaved Zest deoderant soap and placed on the garage
> floor. Finally, I bought a few Ratzappers, which work like a charm.
> Took some daily maintenance and trap emptying but after about 10 days
> I haven't seen nor caught a mouse. YMMV. Good luck!
>
Living in farm country there is an abundance of them. The electronic
device was on the recommedation of my car dealer after the 4th
replacement and nest.
Zest ???
I have tried the trap routine. I have been clipped by the trap going off
as much as the mice.
ratzapper??? I'll have to check that out.
On Tue, 01 Jan 2013 20:52:35 -0600, Unquestionably Confused
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On 1/1/2013 8:20 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
>>
>> ratzapper??? I'll have to check that out.
>
>Ratzapper's are the, uh, cat's ass<g>
>
>Really work well. We've had great luck containing the rodent population
>in the garage/shop area. They go in and they don't come out. Little
>pilot light on top tells you when you've killed one and need to dump it
>out. No need to touch the mouse or...
>
>Powered by AA batteries they will electrocute even good sized rats.
>Friend of mine in San Diego tipped me off to them. They have tree or
>roof rats out there. Damn things will hardly fit inside the zapper but
>if they try... R.I.P.
>
>Keep it close to the wall and parallel to the baseboard. I usually drop
>one or two nuggets of dry dog food in when I set it.
>
>
>
I just checked out their website. I'm not apposed to killing rats,
but I'm amused they call the traps "humane". I guess they mean "quick
and final"
On 1/1/2013 2:39 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
> So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them around
> the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them, he backed
> away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
They do work well for mice. For some reason the little shits love the
wiring on Corvettes. While I don't mothball the car over the winter
(pun intended) it doesn't get much use. It sits in the garage with a
battery maintainer and a pair of my wife's used panty hose straddling
the engine. In each foot of the hose is a half box of fresh (each year)
mothballs. Works like a charm.
>
> I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept the
> rust away. Is this true?
Never heard that ... Active ingredient in mothballs/crystals is
Naptha/Napthalene. The old machinist's trick/tip that I have used in
the past and which I know works well is to buy a block of menthol
(composition is similar to, but a bit denser) than moth crystals. I
managed to find some (haven't seen in recent years) at a pharmacy. It
was a block about 1"x1½"x½" wrapped in clear cellophane. I'd throw it
in the tool box after lightly scoring the cellophane so the vapors could
escape slowly.
Maybe naptha crystals would work as well. Time to DAGS<g>
On 1/1/2013 8:20 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
>
> ratzapper??? I'll have to check that out.
Ratzapper's are the, uh, cat's ass<g>
Really work well. We've had great luck containing the rodent population
in the garage/shop area. They go in and they don't come out. Little
pilot light on top tells you when you've killed one and need to dump it
out. No need to touch the mouse or...
Powered by AA batteries they will electrocute even good sized rats.
Friend of mine in San Diego tipped me off to them. They have tree or
roof rats out there. Damn things will hardly fit inside the zapper but
if they try... R.I.P.
Keep it close to the wall and parallel to the baseboard. I usually drop
one or two nuggets of dry dog food in when I set it.
We used to have a cat that took care of that sort of thing for us. Then she
died. Then the rats came. Lots of traps, sealing the walls, under the
house, etc. For some reason they won't go in my garage. I think that
another cat has claimed that as his territory. Fine with me.
My solution? We got another cat. When we first got him as a kitten, the
rats were unimpressed. But it did not take long for growth and natural born
predator instincts to kick in. Now the little guy plays with our dog all
the time. They are best of buddies and burn up a lot of energy (and
calories). I tell my wife that he is training on the dog to kill rats.
Since he is now about half the size of the dog and much bigger than a rat,
he will do just fine. He will pounce on anything, moving or not. I know it
is old school, but it is the only that has worked for me.
On 1/1/2013 9:02 PM, Zz Yzx wrote:
>
> I just checked out their website. I'm not apposed to killing rats,
> but I'm amused they call the traps "humane". I guess they mean "quick
> and final"
LOL! Frankly, I don't care if the rat zapper traps them and beats them
to death<g> I've seen in the past where a mouse will get caught in a
trap along the side and close to the axis of the trap arm. They can
live a bit if the neck isn't snapped.
Ditto with the wind up multi-mouse trap (galvanized metal contraption
that will store their little corpse until the smell enough to attract
your attention<g>
Perhaps by comparison that high voltage with a healthy dose of current
is better.
All I know is that it works. I put two tiny nuggets of dry dog food in
and when I go to empty it I get two nuggets of dry dog food and a dead
mouse coming out.
On 1/1/2013 7:58 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
>
> Never heard that ... Active ingredient in mothballs/crystals is
> Naptha/Napthalene. The old machinist's trick/tip that I have used in
> the past and which I know works well is to buy a block of menthol
> (composition is similar to, but a bit denser) than moth crystals. I
> managed to find some (haven't seen in recent years) at a pharmacy. It
> was a block about 1"x1½"x½" wrapped in clear cellophane. I'd throw it
> in the tool box after lightly scoring the cellophane so the vapors could
> escape slowly.
My error. The machinist's trick involved CAMPHOR blocks. Apparently,
they are used in some aromatherapy situations as well.
At any rate, they are available on Ebay, Amazon, and, I'm told, can be
ordered through the pharmacy at drug stores like WalMart, Walgreens.
Not sure on the drugstores but it's fairly plentiful on Amazon and Ebay.
A pound (16 1oz blocks sealed in cellophane, each containing four
tablets) will run you about $15 or
Sorry for the earlier confusion. If you rushed out and bought some
menthol, you may be able to use it yet this winter if you get a cold
LOL
On 1/2/2013 7:03 AM, G. Ross wrote:
> tommyboy wrote:
>> Is this the stuff used in urinals?
>
> No. That is, or used to be, paradichlorobenzene.
>
Actually, when I DAGS to source the camphor cakes, urinal cakes did come
up. I didn't dig deep enough to find out the ingredients but there are
urinal cakes which they claim have a camphor scent. I strongly suspect
it was just a coincidence as my search term was camphor cakes.
The camphor releases a vapor which then covers the metal (and other
things, I suppose) which are in the same enclosed area. I wonder if
camphor IS present in sufficient quantity in the urinal cakes to have
some effect or if paradichlorobenzene would also "vaporize" and
accomplish the same thing as the camphor.
Keith Nuttle <[email protected]> wrote in news:kc1l6n$85q$1
@speranza.aioe.org:
*snip*
>
> Pencil for the current techies is a piece of wood with a thin center of
> graphite, or similar material that is used by some people to write in
> cursive on paper or other material. Cursive is the squiggly form of
> making letters. They can not be made from a touch table or keyboard. ;-)
There are many styluses that are about the proper size. ;-)
Puckdropper
--
Make it to fit, don't make it fit.
RE: Rat/Mouse exterminator.
Rent an ozone generator.
Seal room as best you can, place generator in center of room,
and make sure everybody has left the room.
Run the ozone generator for 2-3 days, then shuft off generator,
and allow ozone to completely escape room before attempting to enter.
Does a great job getting rid of critters as well as mold.
Does a great job clearing out a boat interior.
One caveat.
Ozone plays hell with rubber.
Probably have to replace fan belts, hoses, etc.
Lew
"Keith Nuttle" wrote:
> So you are saying the choice is between killing the mice and bad
> bugs with ozone and having to replace all of the rubber in your
> shop; and letting the mice and bugs eat the rubber and having to
> replace all of them
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You could always move any rubber items to another area.
Lew
On 1/2/2013 3:34 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
> RE: Rat/Mouse exterminator.
>
> Rent an ozone generator.
>
> Seal room as best you can, place generator in center of room,
> and make sure everybody has left the room.
>
> Run the ozone generator for 2-3 days, then shuft off generator,
> and allow ozone to completely escape room before attempting to enter.
>
> Does a great job getting rid of critters as well as mold.
Other than the obvious downsides you already mentioned, does ozone cause
the mice to line up in a neat row next to the generator or on a dustpan
perhaps?
If not, I'm thinking that the cure could be worse than the disease.
Hide and seek with teeny, tiny corpses? Mickey goes toes up inside the
sofa, underneath the false bottom of the china cabinet, etc.
You'd need to run the ozone generator for a couple more weeks to get rid
of the stench.
Rat Zapper works quite well.
On 1/2/2013 4:11 PM, Zz Yzx wrote:
>>> I just checked out their website. I'm not apposed to killing rats,
>>> but I'm amused they call the traps "humane". I guess they mean "quick
>>> and final"
>>
>> LOL! Frankly, I don't care if the rat zapper traps them and beats them
>> to death<g> I've seen in the past where a mouse will get caught in a
>> trap along the side and close to the axis of the trap arm. They can
>> live a bit if the neck isn't snapped.
>
> I worked in an office building once that had rats in the space above
> the hung ceiling panels. We could hear the rats scurrying around:
> "tap tap tap tap... tap tap tap tap". They used sticky pads as pest
> control.
>
> Afterwards, it sounded like: "tap tap tap THUNK.... tap tap tap
> THUNK."
>
And on Pretend You're a Pirate Day nobody seemed to care<g>
On 1/2/2013 4:14 PM, Larry W wrote:
> these days. Most modern moth balls are made from paradichorobenzene, which
> is which is effective but also toxic to humans and animals. I don't know if
> it has any corrosion resistant properties. I've purchased camphor for
> this purpose from Amazon and other sources over the years but never tried
> a controlled experiment of any kind to see if it is really effective.
I never tried the moth balls for this purpose (rust preventative)
however I can attest - at least anecdotally that the camphor blocks
worked like a charm for me and, likely would have worked quite well in
their intended environment.
Machinist's chests are a nice closed contained. I placed a block or two
- just as one would for machine tools - inside a short, felt lined,
canvas case - also known as a gun case. The case contained a short
barreled 12 ga Remington 870 with a pistol grip and extended magazine.
It sat, locked and loaded in the trunk of my car 12/7 and I would only
clean and oil it every six months or so. Before the camphor blocks, I
would have to take it out every 3-4 weeks (either that or leave it
slathered in gun oil (and gummy is bad))and work it over with a lightly
oiled cloth. During the change of seasons Fall/Winter and Winter/Spring
where there was a wide variation in temps, I'd have to wipe it down
every weekend. PITA.
Camphor cured that. New blocks every six months and never s spot of
rust and I'd just wipe it down with a silicone impregnated cloth, kept
in the case, after taking it out of the case when needed. It should
work most everywhere else<g>
Lew Hodgett wrote:
>> RE: Rat/Mouse exterminator.
>>
>> Rent an ozone generator.
>>
>> Seal room as best you can, place generator in center of room,
>> and make sure everybody has left the room.
>>
>> Run the ozone generator for 2-3 days, then shuft off generator,
>> and allow ozone to completely escape room before attempting to
>> enter.
>>
>> Does a great job getting rid of critters as well as mold.
>>
>> Does a great job clearing out a boat interior.
>>
>> One caveat.
>>
>> Ozone plays hell with rubber.
>>
>> Probably have to replace fan belts, hoses, etc.
-------------------------------------------
"tiredofspam" wrote:
> Think I'll skip that one Lew.
------------------------------------------
Then back to basics, D-Con.
It worked when I sold it in the hardware store back in the '50's.
Still does as far as I know.
Lew
"Keith Nuttle" <[email protected]> wrote
>
> Except this Lab. The rabbits would come into the yard and eat my wife's
> flowers. Each morning she would go out and explain to the dog that He was
> a dog and suppose to chase rabbits.
>
> One night we came into the driveway, and the dog was chasing a rabbit
> across the yard. My wife was excited to see the dog doing his job. Just
> as she was about to get out of the car and praise the dog for doing a good
> job, when the dog stopped, the rabbit stopped, both turned around, and the
> rabbit proceeded to chase the dog back across the yard. We did not
> disturb then as they seemed to be having fun.
Sounds like my dog. He wants to play with anything that moves. Cats,
squirrels, kids, adults, cars, blowing leaves, etc. We keep him on a leash
when out in the world.
On 1/4/2013 4:23 PM, Doug White wrote:
> tommyboy <[email protected]> wrote in news:nc78e81lj5i7si3gtok09f9s13o6129va8@
> 4ax.com:
>
> <snip>
>> In the summer, I use my Ratzappers to keep the chipmunk population
>> under control.
>
> Likewise. I do get the occasional mouse as well. Dried corn works well as
> bait. The downside is that you have to keep them out of the rain.
Ratzapper sells (surprise, surprise) an outdoor housing for their
equipment. From what I see, a polystyrene bread box or something
similar (with appropriate entrance/exit holes and removable lid would
work as well. As it's for outdoor use, size of the container should not
be critical.
On Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:36:01 -0500, tiredofspam <nospam.nospam.com>
wrote:
>On 1/1/2013 10:30 PM, Pat wrote:
>> I use poison. I have some in the shop however I keep plenty outside in
>> the yard. My preference is to kill them before they get inside.
>
>That won't work here. My dog means more to me than the mice.
>He's getting on in years at 13, but still tries to act like a pup.
>Anyway he's going to break my heart when he goes, the last thing I want
>to do is kill him instead of the mice.
>
I have two 13yr old Samoyeds, brothers, it's tough when they get
older. They use to pull me on scooters and skis, follow me all over
even on the tractor. It's been down in the 20's here lately and we
all just hang out around the fire trying to keep our old bones warm.
But if the squirels are around that is great fun for them. I try not
to think of the going part, but one has just about lost his hip and
the other has a torn ACL.
Mike M
>> I just checked out their website. I'm not apposed to killing rats,
>> but I'm amused they call the traps "humane". I guess they mean "quick
>> and final"
>
>LOL! Frankly, I don't care if the rat zapper traps them and beats them
>to death<g> I've seen in the past where a mouse will get caught in a
>trap along the side and close to the axis of the trap arm. They can
>live a bit if the neck isn't snapped.
I worked in an office building once that had rats in the space above
the hung ceiling panels. We could hear the rats scurrying around:
"tap tap tap tap... tap tap tap tap". They used sticky pads as pest
control.
Afterwards, it sounded like: "tap tap tap THUNK.... tap tap tap
THUNK."
In article <[email protected]>, yve.lynch.b484869
@diybanter.com says...
>
> tiredofspam;2988896 Wrote:
> > I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
> > pesticide.. it's not working well. The mice come in for the winter and
> > have destroyed my cabin air filters.
> >
> > I have found the droppings each year since installing the electronic
> > unit.
> >
> > So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them around
> > the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them, he backed
> > away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
> >
> > I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept the
> >
> > rust away. Is this true?
> >
> > I hate the smell but have a bunch left, and wondered if I can preseve
> > some tools by throwing a ball in there.
>
>
> I also hate the smell of moth balls so I searched for an alternative.
> What I found is Peppermint oil. The smell is so much better and it is
> very much natural. The smell is intense for rodents and they will not go
> to places where they can smell it. Most grocery stores sell peppermint
> oil for a very low price and all you have to do is pour at least 2 drops
> of it on a cotton ball and place it where you found the droppings or at
> the corners of your garage.
>
> Also, keep in mind that mouse loves to mess around places where they
> have places to hide so keep your garage tidy and clean. :) -yve
>
>
>
>
> --
> yve lynch
I've used a mixture of powdered sugar and plaster of paris. Usually
works very well. After eating they go home dying there.
But 20 years ago, we were called to a grade school where the pneumatic
temperature control system no longer worked. We discovered that mice or
rats had eaten some of the plastic tubing connected to the controls. We
repaired everything we found but still had leaks. The principal
suggested we use a little peppermint to smell the leaks we couldn't
hear. So we put 2 small drops into the inlet of the air compressor. The
smell was so strong throughout the school, they closed for 2 days! We
ended up running alot of new lines because we couldn't find the last of
the leaks.
Hold my beer and watch this...
>"Keith Nuttle" wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>>On 1/25/2013 9:44 AM, John Grossbohlin wrote:
>>"I laughed at that but cleaning up the mess was no fun."
>Yours or the mouse's
The mouse's... never been afraid of them or voles. Used to catch them in the
fields when I was a kid... bare handed one time. They were cute then. Now...
they are destructive, create smelly messes, and carry ticks and other
illness causing problems with them. Dead is fine...
On 1/1/2013 8:29 PM, Zz Yzx wrote:
>> Thanks, turns out these have no camphor, these are traditional
>> napthalene. My garage stinks after 1 dozen balls were put around. Damn,
>> don't know how the parents and grandparents used to put up with that in
>> the closets.
>>
>> I have not been able to find out whether the napthalene have the same
>> effect as the camphor.
>
> Are you sure? I thought naphthalene was banned for that use due to
> flammability. Dichlorobenzene was substitued, similar sweet smell.
Just as an aside, and when I was a kid, those old mothballs containing
napthalene were also used in an old horseman's trick for curing a horse
who was lame from a foot/hoof injury.
Back in my farrier days, I would heat mothballs in a coffee can on the
forge in the back of my truck, pour the temporarily liquified contents
into a freshly cleaned hoof, and hold the hoof up until the melted
mothballs re-hardened. This had an immediate numbing, anesthetic effect.
Most always, by the time you put the foot back on the ground, the horse
could magically walk off as if it had never had a problem, lasting
perhaps for several days. (I used this trick, along with some corrective
shoeing, to keep my prized steer roping horse, who was worth a ton of
money but had chronic laminitis, ready for work).
The problem was that many a lame horse was sold this way, so part of
"Caveat Emptor" when buying a horse in the old days was keeping your
nose out for the smell of mothballs in the sellers stable ... "Oh that
smell? That's for keeping out the rats!"
Yeah, right ... ;)
--
eWoodShop: www.eWoodShop.com
Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
https://plus.google.com/114902129577517371552/posts
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
On 1/1/2013 10:30 PM, Pat wrote:
> I use poison. I have some in the shop however I keep plenty outside in
> the yard. My preference is to kill them before they get inside.
That won't work here. My dog means more to me than the mice.
He's getting on in years at 13, but still tries to act like a pup.
Anyway he's going to break my heart when he goes, the last thing I want
to do is kill him instead of the mice.
On 1/2/2013 10:54 AM, Keith Nuttle wrote:
> On 1/1/2013 10:31 PM, Lee Michaels wrote:
>> We used to have a cat that took care of that sort of thing for us. Then
>> she died. Then the rats came. Lots of traps, sealing the walls, under
>> the house, etc. For some reason they won't go in my garage. I think
>> that another cat has claimed that as his territory. Fine with me.
>>
>> My solution? We got another cat. When we first got him as a kitten,
>> the rats were unimpressed. But it did not take long for growth and
>> natural born predator instincts to kick in. Now the little guy plays
>> with our dog all the time. They are best of buddies and burn up a lot
>> of energy (and calories). I tell my wife that he is training on the dog
>> to kill rats. Since he is now about half the size of the dog and much
>> bigger than a rat, he will do just fine. He will pounce on anything,
>> moving or not. I know it is old school, but it is the only that has
>> worked for me.
>>
>
> He may be. We had a lab that our cat taught how to work as a team to
> catch what ever was available. The dog would play with anything. After
> some time with the cat the cat had trained the dog to cover the
> opposite exit while he went in the other. They were a team.
>
> As far as closing up a building to prevent mice from getting in.
>
> I have been told by the pest control people that if you can put a lead
> pencil through the hole in the wall a mouse will come through it.
>
> Pencil for the current techies is a piece of wood with a thin center of
> graphite, or similar material that is used by some people to write in
> cursive on paper or other material. Cursive is the squiggly form of
> making letters. They can not be made from a touch table or keyboard. ;-)
>
I though dogs were hunters and knew that already.
Whenever I watch wolves hunt on the tv shows, you always see them
working as a team, a bunch always leave to cover escape routes while the
others push them to the kill zone.
On 1/2/2013 4:34 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
> RE: Rat/Mouse exterminator.
>
> Rent an ozone generator.
>
> Seal room as best you can, place generator in center of room,
> and make sure everybody has left the room.
>
> Run the ozone generator for 2-3 days, then shuft off generator,
> and allow ozone to completely escape room before attempting to enter.
>
> Does a great job getting rid of critters as well as mold.
>
> Does a great job clearing out a boat interior.
>
> One caveat.
>
> Ozone plays hell with rubber.
>
> Probably have to replace fan belts, hoses, etc.
>
> Lew
>
>
>
Think I'll skip that one Lew.
tiredofspam <nospam.nospam.com> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> On 1/1/2013 4:09 PM, dadiOH wrote:
>> tiredofspam wrote:
>>> I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
>>> pesticide.. it's not working well.
>>
>> Gee, surprise, surprise.
>>
>> A friend of mine, now deceased, was one of - if not THE - first
>> manufacturers and purveyors of those gizmos. Made millions. I
>> mentioned to him, one time, my doubt about their efficacy. He agreed
>> that they didn't work, said he gave a moneyback guarantee. I asked
>> him how many had been returned, he said 700; I then asked how many he
>> had sold, he said 700,000.
>>
>> Amish mantle, anyone? Maybe a 24k gold "clad" coin?
>> ____________
>>
>>> So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them
>>> around the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them,
>>> he backed away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
>>>
>>> I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept
>>> the rust away. Is this true?
>>>
>>> I hate the smell but have a bunch left, and wondered if I can
>>> preseve some tools by throwing a ball in there.
>>
>> Apparently the camphor in them does...
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphor
>>
>> They make good targets too. Heat a solid copper wire, string on some
>> mothballs, hang it up and blast away.
>>
> Thanks, turns out these have no camphor, these are traditional
> napthalene. My garage stinks after 1 dozen balls were put around.
> Damn, don't know how the parents and grandparents used to put up with
> that in the closets.
>
> I have not been able to find out whether the napthalene have the same
> effect as the camphor.
Other mothballs are paradichlorobenzene, so it's important to know what
flavor you want for a particular off-label application.
I've had very good luck with wind up repeating mouse traps. They get a
bit gross if left unattended too long, but they've definitely cut our
mouse problem WAY down.
http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/mouse-master-clear-top
works well with this bait:
http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/lure/pecan-paste
Doug White
tommyboy <[email protected]> wrote in news:nc78e81lj5i7si3gtok09f9s13o6129va8@
4ax.com:
<snip>
> In the summer, I use my Ratzappers to keep the chipmunk population
> under control.
Likewise. I do get the occasional mouse as well. Dried corn works well as
bait. The downside is that you have to keep them out of the rain.
Doug White
>Thanks, turns out these have no camphor, these are traditional
>napthalene. My garage stinks after 1 dozen balls were put around. Damn,
>don't know how the parents and grandparents used to put up with that in
>the closets.
>
>I have not been able to find out whether the napthalene have the same
>effect as the camphor.
Are you sure? I thought naphthalene was banned for that use due to
flammability. Dichlorobenzene was substitued, similar sweet smell.
On 1/1/2013 9:29 PM, Zz Yzx wrote:
>> Thanks, turns out these have no camphor, these are traditional
>> napthalene. My garage stinks after 1 dozen balls were put around. Damn,
>> don't know how the parents and grandparents used to put up with that in
>> the closets.
>>
>> I have not been able to find out whether the napthalene have the same
>> effect as the camphor.
>
> Are you sure? I thought naphthalene was banned for that use due to
> flammability. Dichlorobenzene was substitued, similar sweet smell.
>
The ingredients say Napthalene ( I was surprised too because off all
the websites it explained the hazards of napthalene)... got it at
Walmart package says
traditional moth balls
"yve lynch" wrote in message news:[email protected]...
tiredofspam;2988896 Wrote:
> I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
> pesticide.. it's not working well. The mice come in for the winter and
> have destroyed my cabin air filters.
>
I also hate the smell of moth balls so I searched for an alternative.
What I found is Peppermint oil. The smell is so much better and it is
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I used to end up with mice in my shop, basement, kitchen, wood storage shed
and equipment shed every winter... I used to set traps when I noticed
mouse/vole activity. However, I've now taken to leaving Victor traps, baited
with peanut butter, on shelves in the basement, shop and sheds through out
the year. I changed over to having baited traps in place all the time in the
house after catching 9 mice in my house in a 2 day period. I started doing
it in the sheds after taking a box of gutter/leader fittings off the shelf
and having two mice jump out... one ricocheted off my chest as it took off!
I laughed at that but cleaning up the mess was no fun.
I've had no luck keeping the mice and voles out by plugging holes or using
deterrents. So now the idea is to kill them before they breed!
John
tiredofspam wrote:
> I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
> pesticide.. it's not working well.
Gee, surprise, surprise.
A friend of mine, now deceased, was one of - if not THE - first
manufacturers and purveyors of those gizmos. Made millions. I mentioned to
him, one time, my doubt about their efficacy. He agreed that they didn't
work, said he gave a moneyback guarantee. I asked him how many had been
returned, he said 700; I then asked how many he had sold, he said 700,000.
Amish mantle, anyone? Maybe a 24k gold "clad" coin?
____________
> So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them around
> the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them, he backed
> away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
>
> I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept
> the rust away. Is this true?
>
> I hate the smell but have a bunch left, and wondered if I can preseve
> some tools by throwing a ball in there.
Apparently the camphor in them does...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphor
They make good targets too. Heat a solid copper wire, string on some
mothballs, hang it up and blast away.
--
dadiOH
____________________________
Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net
On 1/1/2013 3:39 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
> I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
> pesticide.. it's not working well. The mice come in for the winter and
> have destroyed my cabin air filters.
>
> I have found the droppings each year since installing the electronic unit.
>
> So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them around
> the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them, he backed
> away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
>
> I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept the
> rust away. Is this true?
>
> I hate the smell but have a bunch left, and wondered if I can preseve
> some tools by throwing a ball in there.
>
I don't mind the smell of mothballs. I use it in the boat to keep
rodents out, it also works for some insects
As for keeping the rust away, I doubt it though have no experience using
it in that way. To keep the rust away it has to be a material that will
absorb water. Mothballs will not.
I use a good silicon auto polish on my tools, table saw, drill press,
etc. I have heard that the silicon will interfere with the finish on
wood cut with the tools, but I have never experienced any problems.
With the table saw, I also have a piece of plywood that covers the
table. This keeps the moist air are from coming in contact with the
cold iron table.
tiredofspam wrote:
> I have not been able to find out whether the napthalene have the same
> effect as the camphor.
Not likely but even if it did I wouldn't want them around
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothball
--
dadiOH
____________________________
Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net
On 1/1/2013 10:31 PM, Lee Michaels wrote:
> We used to have a cat that took care of that sort of thing for us. Then
> she died. Then the rats came. Lots of traps, sealing the walls, under
> the house, etc. For some reason they won't go in my garage. I think
> that another cat has claimed that as his territory. Fine with me.
>
> My solution? We got another cat. When we first got him as a kitten,
> the rats were unimpressed. But it did not take long for growth and
> natural born predator instincts to kick in. Now the little guy plays
> with our dog all the time. They are best of buddies and burn up a lot
> of energy (and calories). I tell my wife that he is training on the dog
> to kill rats. Since he is now about half the size of the dog and much
> bigger than a rat, he will do just fine. He will pounce on anything,
> moving or not. I know it is old school, but it is the only that has
> worked for me.
>
He may be. We had a lab that our cat taught how to work as a team to
catch what ever was available. The dog would play with anything.
After some time with the cat the cat had trained the dog to cover the
opposite exit while he went in the other. They were a team.
As far as closing up a building to prevent mice from getting in.
I have been told by the pest control people that if you can put a lead
pencil through the hole in the wall a mouse will come through it.
Pencil for the current techies is a piece of wood with a thin center of
graphite, or similar material that is used by some people to write in
cursive on paper or other material. Cursive is the squiggly form of
making letters. They can not be made from a touch table or keyboard. ;-)
On 1/2/2013 4:32 AM, dadiOH wrote:
> tiredofspam wrote:
>
>> I have not been able to find out whether the napthalene have the same
>> effect as the camphor.
>
> Not likely but even if it did I wouldn't want them around
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothball
>
We had a problem with moles and such eating the flowers and bulbs in the
garden. We were told by one lady that when planting flowers and bulb,
to put a coupld of mothballs in the hole, then continue the standard
planting routine.
In article <[email protected]>,
tiredofspam <nospam.nospam.com> wrote:
>I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
>pesticide.. it's not working well. The mice come in for the winter and
>have destroyed my cabin air filters.
>
>I have found the droppings each year since installing the electronic unit.
>
>So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them around
>the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them, he backed
>away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
>
>I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept the
>rust away. Is this true?
>
>I hate the smell but have a bunch left, and wondered if I can preseve
>some tools by throwing a ball in there.
>
Old fashioned moth balls were made from camphor or napthalene. Camphor
is a natural non-toxic product derived from certain plants. Napthalene
is a petroleum product. Both "sublimate," i.e. evaporate from a solid
directly into a gas, with no liquid phase. The gas in turn condeneses on
other surfaces, like tools, as a waxy or oily substance that does provide
some rust or corrosion protection. Camphor is relatively expensive
and napthalene is flammable so neither are very common as "moth balls"
these days. Most modern moth balls are made from paradichorobenzene, which
is which is effective but also toxic to humans and animals. I don't know if
it has any corrosion resistant properties. I've purchased camphor for
this purpose from Amazon and other sources over the years but never tried
a controlled experiment of any kind to see if it is really effective.
--
There are no stupid questions, but there are lots of stupid answers.
Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar. org
On 1/2/2013 4:34 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
> RE: Rat/Mouse exterminator.
>
> Rent an ozone generator.
>
> Seal room as best you can, place generator in center of room,
> and make sure everybody has left the room.
>
> Run the ozone generator for 2-3 days, then shuft off generator,
> and allow ozone to completely escape room before attempting to enter.
>
> Does a great job getting rid of critters as well as mold.
>
> Does a great job clearing out a boat interior.
>
> One caveat.
So you are saying the choice is between killing the mice and bad bugs
with ozone and having to replace all of the rubber in your shop; and
letting the mice and bugs eat the rubber and having to replace all of them
On 1/2/2013 8:32 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
> On 1/2/2013 10:54 AM, Keith Nuttle wrote:
>> On 1/1/2013 10:31 PM, Lee Michaels wrote:
>>> We used to have a cat that took care of that sort of thing for us. Then
>>> she died. Then the rats came. Lots of traps, sealing the walls, under
>>> the house, etc. For some reason they won't go in my garage. I think
>>> that another cat has claimed that as his territory. Fine with me.
>>>
>>> My solution? We got another cat. When we first got him as a kitten,
>>> the rats were unimpressed. But it did not take long for growth and
>>> natural born predator instincts to kick in. Now the little guy plays
>>> with our dog all the time. They are best of buddies and burn up a lot
>>> of energy (and calories). I tell my wife that he is training on the dog
>>> to kill rats. Since he is now about half the size of the dog and much
>>> bigger than a rat, he will do just fine. He will pounce on anything,
>>> moving or not. I know it is old school, but it is the only that has
>>> worked for me.
>>>
>>
>> He may be. We had a lab that our cat taught how to work as a team to
>> catch what ever was available. The dog would play with anything. After
>> some time with the cat the cat had trained the dog to cover the
>> opposite exit while he went in the other. They were a team.
>>
>> As far as closing up a building to prevent mice from getting in.
>>
>> I have been told by the pest control people that if you can put a lead
>> pencil through the hole in the wall a mouse will come through it.
>>
>> Pencil for the current techies is a piece of wood with a thin center of
>> graphite, or similar material that is used by some people to write in
>> cursive on paper or other material. Cursive is the squiggly form of
>> making letters. They can not be made from a touch table or keyboard. ;-)
>>
> I though dogs were hunters and knew that already.
> Whenever I watch wolves hunt on the tv shows, you always see them
> working as a team, a bunch always leave to cover escape routes while the
> others push them to the kill zone.
Except this Lab. The rabbits would come into the yard and eat my wife's
flowers. Each morning she would go out and explain to the dog that He
was a dog and suppose to chase rabbits.
One night we came into the driveway, and the dog was chasing a rabbit
across the yard. My wife was excited to see the dog doing his job.
Just as she was about to get out of the car and praise the dog for doing
a good job, when the dog stopped, the rabbit stopped, both turned
around, and the rabbit proceeded to chase the dog back across the yard.
We did not disturb then as they seemed to be having fun.
"Larry Jaques" <[email protected]> wrote
> Yeah, keep the poison out of the house. I stopped using it after a
> mouse died inside my wall. 6 weeks of rotting cadaver in the house
> was too much. There was no way to get it out.
Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
Never again.
--
Jim in NC
On 1/25/2013 9:44 AM, John Grossbohlin wrote:
> "yve lynch" wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>
> tiredofspam;2988896 Wrote:
>> I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
>> pesticide.. it's not working well. The mice come in for the winter and
>> have destroyed my cabin air filters.
>>
>
>
> I also hate the smell of moth balls so I searched for an alternative.
> What I found is Peppermint oil. The smell is so much better and it is
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> I used to end up with mice in my shop, basement, kitchen, wood storage
> shed and equipment shed every winter... I used to set traps when I
> noticed mouse/vole activity. However, I've now taken to leaving Victor
> traps, baited with peanut butter, on shelves in the basement, shop and
> sheds through out the year. I changed over to having baited traps in
> place all the time in the house after catching 9 mice in my house in a 2
> day period. I started doing it in the sheds after taking a box of
> gutter/leader fittings off the shelf and having two mice jump out... one
> ricocheted off my chest as it took off! I laughed at that but cleaning
> up the mess was no fun.
>
> I've had no luck keeping the mice and voles out by plugging holes or
> using deterrents. So now the idea is to kill them before they breed!
>
> John
"I laughed at that but cleaning up the mess was no fun."
Yours or the mouse's
On 1/25/2013 7:28 PM, Steve Higgins wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, yve.lynch.b484869
> @diybanter.com says...
>>
>> tiredofspam;2988896 Wrote:
>>> I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
>>> pesticide.. it's not working well. The mice come in for the winter and
>>> have destroyed my cabin air filters.
>>>
>>> I have found the droppings each year since installing the electronic
>>> unit.
>>>
>>> So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them around
>>> the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them, he backed
>>> away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
>>>
>>> I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept the
>>>
>>> rust away. Is this true?
>>>
>>> I hate the smell but have a bunch left, and wondered if I can preseve
>>> some tools by throwing a ball in there.
>>
>>
>> I also hate the smell of moth balls so I searched for an alternative.
>> What I found is Peppermint oil. The smell is so much better and it is
>> very much natural. The smell is intense for rodents and they will not go
>> to places where they can smell it. Most grocery stores sell peppermint
>> oil for a very low price and all you have to do is pour at least 2 drops
>> of it on a cotton ball and place it where you found the droppings or at
>> the corners of your garage.
>>
>> Also, keep in mind that mouse loves to mess around places where they
>> have places to hide so keep your garage tidy and clean. :) -yve
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> yve lynch
>
> I've used a mixture of powdered sugar and plaster of paris. Usually
> works very well. After eating they go home dying there.
> But 20 years ago, we were called to a grade school where the pneumatic
> temperature control system no longer worked. We discovered that mice or
> rats had eaten some of the plastic tubing connected to the controls. We
> repaired everything we found but still had leaks. The principal
> suggested we use a little peppermint to smell the leaks we couldn't
> hear. So we put 2 small drops into the inlet of the air compressor. The
> smell was so strong throughout the school, they closed for 2 days! We
> ended up running alot of new lines because we couldn't find the last of
> the leaks.
>
> Hold my beer and watch this...
>
So much for good Ideas
I have had some like that that seemed much better before than after I
had acted on the idea.
tommyboy wrote:
> On Tue, 01 Jan 2013 23:54:18 -0600, Unquestionably Confused
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>On 1/1/2013 7:58 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Never heard that ... Active ingredient in mothballs/crystals is
>>> Naptha/Napthalene. The old machinist's trick/tip that I have used in
>>> the past and which I know works well is to buy a block of menthol
>>> (composition is similar to, but a bit denser) than moth crystals. I
>>> managed to find some (haven't seen in recent years) at a pharmacy. It
>>> was a block about 1"x1½"x½" wrapped in clear cellophane. I'd throw it
>>> in the tool box after lightly scoring the cellophane so the vapors could
>>> escape slowly.
>>
>>
>>My error. The machinist's trick involved CAMPHOR blocks. Apparently,
>>they are used in some aromatherapy situations as well.
>>
>>At any rate, they are available on Ebay, Amazon, and, I'm told, can be
>>ordered through the pharmacy at drug stores like WalMart, Walgreens.
>>
>>Not sure on the drugstores but it's fairly plentiful on Amazon and Ebay.
>> A pound (16 1oz blocks sealed in cellophane, each containing four
>>tablets) will run you about $15 or
>>
>>Sorry for the earlier confusion. If you rushed out and bought some
>>menthol, you may be able to use it yet this winter if you get a cold
>>
>>LOL
> Is this the stuff used in urinals?
No. That is, or used to be, paradichlorobenzene.
--
G.W. Ross
I'm not 70 something, I'm 59.95 plus shipping and handling.
On 1/1/2013 9:31 PM, Lee Michaels wrote:
> We used to have a cat that took care of that sort of thing for us. Then
> she died. Then the rats came. Lots of traps, sealing the walls, under
> the house, etc. For some reason they won't go in my garage. I think
> that another cat has claimed that as his territory. Fine with me.
>
> My solution? We got another cat. When we first got him as a kitten,
> the rats were unimpressed. But it did not take long for growth and
> natural born predator instincts to kick in. Now the little guy plays
> with our dog all the time. They are best of buddies and burn up a lot
> of energy (and calories). I tell my wife that he is training on the dog
> to kill rats. Since he is now about half the size of the dog and much
> bigger than a rat, he will do just fine. He will pounce on anything,
> moving or not. I know it is old school, but it is the only that has
> worked for me.
Was fixin' to ask that very question ... whatever happened to the
outdoor cat?
Mid last century, dual purpose, multitasking solution: And to keep me
warm, I used to carry our old momma cat, who met me outside the kitchen
door each morning, inside my jacket on the long walk to the barn to feed
on a cold morning before daylight.
We had oak whiskey barrels which stored the horse and cattle feed, and
most mornings there was generally a mouse or two in one of those
barrels. Due to the one weak light bulb in the middle of the feed room
you could never tell which, so reaching in with a feed scoop would
eventually get you a rat/mouse running up your arm.
Enter the country boy solution ... and why god made cats. Cat thrown in
first, out comes cat with mouse. If not, onto the next barrel.
Organic, eco friendly, and no <gasp> carbon footprint ...
--
eWoodShop: www.eWoodShop.com
Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
https://plus.google.com/114902129577517371552/posts
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
On Tue, 1 Jan 2013 19:30:18 -0800, "Pat" <[email protected]> wrote:
>I use poison. I have some in the shop however I keep plenty outside in the
>yard. My preference is to kill them before they get inside.
Yeah, keep the poison out of the house. I stopped using it after a
mouse died inside my wall. 6 weeks of rotting cadaver in the house
was too much. There was no way to get it out.
--
You can ignore reality, but you cannot ignore
the consequences of ignoring reality.
--Ayn Rand
On Tue, 01 Jan 2013 23:20:47 -0600, Unquestionably Confused
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On 1/1/2013 9:02 PM, Zz Yzx wrote:
>
>>
>> I just checked out their website. I'm not apposed to killing rats,
>> but I'm amused they call the traps "humane". I guess they mean "quick
>> and final"
>
>LOL! Frankly, I don't care if the rat zapper traps them and beats them
>to death<g> I've seen in the past where a mouse will get caught in a
>trap along the side and close to the axis of the trap arm. They can
>live a bit if the neck isn't snapped.
>
>Ditto with the wind up multi-mouse trap (galvanized metal contraption
>that will store their little corpse until the smell enough to attract
>your attention<g>
>
>Perhaps by comparison that high voltage with a healthy dose of current
>is better.
>
>All I know is that it works. I put two tiny nuggets of dry dog food in
>and when I go to empty it I get two nuggets of dry dog food and a dead
>mouse coming out.
In the summer, I use my Ratzappers to keep the chipmunk population
under control.
On Tue, 01 Jan 2013 23:54:18 -0600, Unquestionably Confused
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On 1/1/2013 7:58 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
>
>>
>> Never heard that ... Active ingredient in mothballs/crystals is
>> Naptha/Napthalene. The old machinist's trick/tip that I have used in
>> the past and which I know works well is to buy a block of menthol
>> (composition is similar to, but a bit denser) than moth crystals. I
>> managed to find some (haven't seen in recent years) at a pharmacy. It
>> was a block about 1"x1½"x½" wrapped in clear cellophane. I'd throw it
>> in the tool box after lightly scoring the cellophane so the vapors could
>> escape slowly.
>
>
>My error. The machinist's trick involved CAMPHOR blocks. Apparently,
>they are used in some aromatherapy situations as well.
>
>At any rate, they are available on Ebay, Amazon, and, I'm told, can be
>ordered through the pharmacy at drug stores like WalMart, Walgreens.
>
>Not sure on the drugstores but it's fairly plentiful on Amazon and Ebay.
> A pound (16 1oz blocks sealed in cellophane, each containing four
>tablets) will run you about $15 or
>
>Sorry for the earlier confusion. If you rushed out and bought some
>menthol, you may be able to use it yet this winter if you get a cold
>
>LOL
Is this the stuff used in urinals?
On Wed, 02 Jan 2013 02:36:57 GMT, Doug White <[email protected]>
wrote:
>tiredofspam <nospam.nospam.com> wrote in
>news:[email protected]:
>
>> On 1/1/2013 4:09 PM, dadiOH wrote:
>>> tiredofspam wrote:
>>>> I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
>>>> pesticide.. it's not working well.
>>>
>>> Gee, surprise, surprise.
>>>
>>> A friend of mine, now deceased, was one of - if not THE - first
>>> manufacturers and purveyors of those gizmos. Made millions. I
>>> mentioned to him, one time, my doubt about their efficacy. He agreed
>>> that they didn't work, said he gave a moneyback guarantee. I asked
>>> him how many had been returned, he said 700; I then asked how many he
>>> had sold, he said 700,000.
>>>
>>> Amish mantle, anyone? Maybe a 24k gold "clad" coin?
>>> ____________
>>>
>>>> So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them
>>>> around the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them,
>>>> he backed away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
>>>>
>>>> I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept
>>>> the rust away. Is this true?
>>>>
>>>> I hate the smell but have a bunch left, and wondered if I can
>>>> preseve some tools by throwing a ball in there.
>>>
>>> Apparently the camphor in them does...
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphor
>>>
>>> They make good targets too. Heat a solid copper wire, string on some
>>> mothballs, hang it up and blast away.
>>>
>> Thanks, turns out these have no camphor, these are traditional
>> napthalene. My garage stinks after 1 dozen balls were put around.
>> Damn, don't know how the parents and grandparents used to put up with
>> that in the closets.
>>
>> I have not been able to find out whether the napthalene have the same
>> effect as the camphor.
>
>Other mothballs are paradichlorobenzene, so it's important to know what
>flavor you want for a particular off-label application.
>
>I've had very good luck with wind up repeating mouse traps. They get a
>bit gross if left unattended too long, but they've definitely cut our
>mouse problem WAY down.
>
> http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/mouse-master-clear-top
>
>works well with this bait:
>
> http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/lure/pecan-paste
Peanut butter and garlic is my fave combo, and it doesn't cost $40 a
pound like that stuff. Oy vay!
But unbaited traps have the same luck as baited traps if you set them
properly. Put them against a wall you know mice use as a runway,
trigger toward the wall. Half of them die just running over the trap,
not even going for the bait. I killed a whole family in one day/eve
that way. After a week of no more kills, I put the traps back in a
plastic bag for next time.
--
You can ignore reality, but you cannot ignore
the consequences of ignoring reality.
--Ayn Rand
On Tue, 01 Jan 2013 15:39:28 -0500, tiredofspam <nospam.nospam.com>
wrote:
>I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
>pesticide.. it's not working well. The mice come in for the winter and
>have destroyed my cabin air filters.
>
>I have found the droppings each year since installing the electronic unit.
>
>So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them around
>the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them, he backed
>away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
>
>I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept the
>rust away. Is this true?
>
>I hate the smell but have a bunch left, and wondered if I can preseve
>some tools by throwing a ball in there.
Similar problem in my garage. Mice were getting under the hood of the
car, nesting and causing issues that resulted in hundreds of dollars
in repair bills. I did a few things that have stopped the critters
99%. First I closed up any gaps I could in the garage doors. Set about
a dozen traps. Shaved Zest deoderant soap and placed on the garage
floor. Finally, I bought a few Ratzappers, which work like a charm.
Took some daily maintenance and trap emptying but after about 10 days
I haven't seen nor caught a mouse. YMMV. Good luck!
On 1/1/2013 4:09 PM, dadiOH wrote:
> tiredofspam wrote:
>> I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
>> pesticide.. it's not working well.
>
> Gee, surprise, surprise.
>
> A friend of mine, now deceased, was one of - if not THE - first
> manufacturers and purveyors of those gizmos. Made millions. I mentioned to
> him, one time, my doubt about their efficacy. He agreed that they didn't
> work, said he gave a moneyback guarantee. I asked him how many had been
> returned, he said 700; I then asked how many he had sold, he said 700,000.
>
> Amish mantle, anyone? Maybe a 24k gold "clad" coin?
> ____________
>
>> So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them around
>> the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them, he backed
>> away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
>>
>> I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept
>> the rust away. Is this true?
>>
>> I hate the smell but have a bunch left, and wondered if I can preseve
>> some tools by throwing a ball in there.
>
> Apparently the camphor in them does...
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphor
>
> They make good targets too. Heat a solid copper wire, string on some
> mothballs, hang it up and blast away.
>
Thanks, turns out these have no camphor, these are traditional
napthalene. My garage stinks after 1 dozen balls were put around. Damn,
don't know how the parents and grandparents used to put up with that in
the closets.
I have not been able to find out whether the napthalene have the same
effect as the camphor.
tiredofspam;2988896 Wrote:
> I have a mouse problem in my garage, I've tried the electronic
> pesticide.. it's not working well. The mice come in for the winter and
> have destroyed my cabin air filters.
>
> I have found the droppings each year since installing the electronic
> unit.
>
> So now I am trying an old remedy of mothballs. I sprinkled them around
> the garage perimeter, fortunately my dog won't go near them, he backed
> away from the smell. And boy do they stink.
>
> I think I read years ago that throwing one in a draw with tools kept the
>
> rust away. Is this true?
>
> I hate the smell but have a bunch left, and wondered if I can preseve
> some tools by throwing a ball in there.
I also hate the smell of moth balls so I searched for an alternative.
What I found is Peppermint oil. The smell is so much better and it is
very much natural. The smell is intense for rodents and they will not go
to places where they can smell it. Most grocery stores sell peppermint
oil for a very low price and all you have to do is pour at least 2 drops
of it on a cotton ball and place it where you found the droppings or at
the corners of your garage.
Also, keep in mind that mouse loves to mess around places where they
have places to hide so keep your garage tidy and clean. :) -yve
--
yve lynch