Keeping vermin out of the sugarhouse

[PerryFamily]

Looking for ideas on how to keep vermin ( mice, chipmunks ,ants....) ot of the sugarhouse in the off season

I'm guessing like many my sugarhouse is not 100% sealed from the outside, between doors, the cupola and Windows open for ventilation I still get the occasional mouse turds on the floor. I keep everything washed down so there's no syrup ( food source) anywhere. It just bothers me and would like to not have them at all.

What products do people use to keep them out?
I've heard moth balls, dryer sheets....

I've never had much luck with traps, the lil bastards just eat the peanut butter
I have used the poison block things before but you just end up with dead stinky mice

Any suggestions are appreciated

[acafro]

I can't keep them out of my house let alone a sugar house....

I made a bucket trap which works great, I used an old 5 gallon bucket, a rod and a soda can. Drill a couple holes in the bucket then the can. Slide the rod through one side of the bucket then the can, then the other side. I fill the bucket half way with water put some sunflower seeds on top of the water and built a little ramp. They climb up the ramp, jump for the peanut butter on the can and the can rotates and they fall in. End of story...

I probably catch 10-15 mice a week this way, and the occasional chipmunk.

It cut down on the amount of mice in my chicken coop. I imagine it would do the same for a sugar house, of course you'd have to put it inside and check it once in a while.


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[PerryFamily]

10-15 a week! I hope I don't have that many lol
That would work as I'm in there a fair bit canning syrup.
Thanks!




QUOTE=acafro;311604]I can't keep them out of my house let alone a sugar house....



I made a bucket trap which works great, I used an old 5 gallon bucket, a rod and a soda can. Drill a couple holes in the bucket then the can. Slide the rod through one side of the bucket then the can, then the other side. I fill the bucket half way with water put some sunflower seeds on top of the water and built a little ramp. They climb up the ramp, jump for the peanut butter on the can and the can rotates and they fall in. End of story...

I probably catch 10-15 mice a week this way, and the occasional chipmunk.

It cut down on the amount of mice in my chicken coop. I imagine it would do the same for a sugar house, of course you'd have to put it inside and check it once in a while.


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[acafro]

Yeah.. 10-15 a week... Something about chicken feed attracts them. It is a great little system. I should also mention I put one bucket outside next to the chicken coop. And one inside by the cans of feed. So that's between two bucket traps. The freaking things are everywhere!


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[maple flats]

I use the same method. I only put about 6" of water in the bucket. Very effective. The most I ever got in a week is 4, some weeks zero, but they don't learn, when you get 1 in the bucket, others want to join the fun. They can't tread water that long, and if the water is cold but not frozen they die quicker.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Just put chocolate baking chips around and especially in woodshed. Will take care of them.

[PerryFamily]

Just put chocolate baking chips around and especially in woodshed. Will take care of them.

Oh yeah that will work? Must be they can't digest the chocolate?
I'm gonna give both a try.

[markcasper]

unsweetened, milk chocolate, or semi-sweet?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Would use semi or milk. Better smells and tastes better they will like. Wouldn't use unsweetened even though they would work some prob. Don't recommend using poison like Decon or other poison.

[acafro]

Hmm... wonder if it's the same idea as dogs with the chocolate? If so the darker the chocolate the worse it would be for them.

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[Flat Lander Sugaring]

i use a bucket trap also even in the winter but fill with anti freeze. you then can but that trap in attic or where ever and wont freeze. wont work for rats, at least thr larger ones. They can stretch their body out and eat the peanut butter right off the can. So for that I have a killing machine, 10 yr old 15 pound cat the only thing it hasnt brought to the back door yet is baby fox, mink, fisher cat. the neighbors wonder where their full size free range roosters go hahahaha, I tell them "have you seen that hawk flying around" hahahaha.14435 just one night, neighbors have a lot of farm animals and dont put grain in metal trash can

couple weeks ago he came to back door with a rabbit in his mouth I opened the door he came right in and dropped it, im so glad it ran back out the door and not into the house:lol:


never heard of chocolate for rodents will try that also.

[acafro]

i use a bucket trap also even in the winter but fill with anti freeze. you then can but that trap in attic or where ever and wont freeze. wont work for rats, at least thr larger ones. They can stretch their body out and eat the peanut butter right off the can. So for that I have a killing machine, 10 yr old 15 pound cat the only thing it hasnt brought to the back door yet is baby fox, mink, fisher cat. the neighbors wonder where their full size free range roosters go hahahaha, I tell them "have you seen that hawk flying around" hahahaha.14435 just one night, neighbors have a lot of farm animals and dont put grain in metal trash can

couple weeks ago he came to back door with a rabbit in his mouth I opened the door he came right in and dropped it, im so glad it ran back out the door and not into the house:lol:


never heard of chocolate for rodents will try that also.
I hate cats.... but that's a good cat!

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[RC Maple]

Since I built the sugarhouse in '11 I haven't seen signs of mice being around until this summer. They got to climbing up and chewing on the paper towels on the towel rack. When I walked in I saw bits of paper towel all over. I bought a couple of the sealed bait traps and set them on the floor after I cleaned all the mess up - haven't seen a thing since. I couldn't find where they were nesting - only the bits of paper towel they left around. I have got my eye on them now.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

14438

Naples the killing machine, some times he eats what he kills

[Michael Greer]

Leave no food source, and no nesting materials in the building. Doors and windows that fit are nice, but in reality, it takes a very, very small gap to let a mouse into a building. You're better off trying to bore them to death as a first line of defense.

[Waynehere]

I also use the bucket trap, except I just cover the water surface with black sunflower seeds, enough so they can't see the water. Jump right in. Caught 44 chipmunks this year so far at a house that we are flipping. The crows love me when I dispose of the bodies

out back. Never thought about anti-freeze for the cold months. Good call... I have caught lots of mice and moles as well.

[Sugarbush Ridge]

Looking for ideas on how to keep vermin ( mice, chipmunks ,ants....) ot of the sugarhouse in the off season

I'm guessing like many my sugarhouse is not 100% sealed from the outside, between doors, the cupola and Windows open for ventilation I still get the occasional mouse turds on the floor. I keep everything washed down so there's no syrup ( food source) anywhere. It just bothers me and would like to not have them at all.

What products do people use to keep them out?
I've heard moth balls, dryer sheets....

I've never had much luck with traps, the lil bastards just eat the peanut butter
I have used the poison block things before but you just end up with dead stinky mice

Any suggestions are appreciated

As for the simple mouse trap. I never bait traps, they then know that the trap is there and they're just that good to just lick the bain off. I place unbaited traps the trigger end straight to wall,,, not along the wall. A mouse will run all the way around the wall of a room to get to other side. The empty trap is just something for the mouse to run over, snap you got him. I haven'y baited a trap in 15 years. But I have never heard of bucket trap. sounds like a great idea. If things ever get bad I'll have to try that.

[Bucket Head]

I use the bucket trap and it works well- also with antifreeze. But I discard the bodies in the regular trash. I don't throw the antifreeze- soaked carcasses out where another animal could consume the things and die from the antifreeze.

And I'll have to try the bait-less technique on the other traps!

Steve

[Father & Son]

The nickname for the bucket trap is the Adirondack Mouse Trap. I use the baited trap with peanut butter in the house. Have them little bas---ds in the house too. I adjust the trip and make them a "hair trigger". Works so well usually the first lick whacks them :)

[PerryFamily]

First success with a bucket trap!
Caught 2 of the little bastards!!
Thanks for the idea
14518

[acafro]

Perfect!

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[Sugarbush Ridge]

Heck,,,,,, I'm got the problem with armodios digging in under arch. I've caught 7 so far this summer. None actually in caught in sugarshack but around and near stacks of lumber.

[Bucket Head]

Hmmm. Not sure how many of those you can get in a five gallon bucket trap..., lol.
Seriously, at least your catching the critters! Nobody needs that kind of activity in the sugarhouse!!

[Sugarbush Ridge]

Less than one in a 5 gal bucket. They can really jump. One that I caught in a cage trap I thought it was going to tear up the gage ,,, after I shot it in the head!!!