On 2005-08-27, Raleighgirl wrote:

"Tim C" wrote in message
...
| We're purchasing a house in Durham next week, and it comes with
| a nice garden area. Unfortunately, it hasn't been touched
since
| at least March, so it's overrun with wildlife.
|
| We'd like to restore it as much as possible before the winter,
| which means my first order of business is to get rid of the
| snakes -- and to do that, I figure I need to get rid of the
mice.
|
| Does anyone have any suggestions for mouse control and removal,
| either pro or con, or other ideas on how to control the pest
| population? (There's no way my wife or kids will play in the
| garden with snakes and mice around.
|
| Thanks in advance,
| -TC
Tim,
Congrats on the new house.
Chances are, once you start cutting the grass and moving around
out there the wildlife will retreat.
Basically, nothing will keep snakes away. Be sure to remove or
burn all collected brush, old woodpiles, etc. If you place
cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil into mouse/mole/vole holes,
they will leave.
Good luck.
Raleighgirl



Buy a couple mouse traps - make sure the bait area is metal. Put half a
peanut firmly on the bait area so it won;t fall off. smeara bit of
peanut butter also. Round up two buckets, two 1x1 about a foot long,
and two bricks. A 2-3 gallon cheap mop bucket - not a 5 galon bucket it
is too tall. Put the mouse trap on the ground and cover witht the
bucket. Put the 1x1 under one edge so they can get under the bucket ot
the trap. PUt the brick on top to keep larger varmits away from the
trap.

If you really have mice or voles then you should catch 1 or 2 each
night.

--
Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

is a garbage address.