Living on a small homestead in a rural area has it’s challenges when it comes to keeping pests and predators at bay. Either some critter is trying to eat our chickens or some smaller critters are trying to eat the chicken food and find refuge in our buildings.
Here on the Country Family Homestead, we’ve had to deal with mice, rats, moles, voles, chipmunks, red squirrels, raccoons, possums, coyotes, neighborhood dogs and cats and more. This page lists the products we use to keep these critters from doing too much damage around the homestead.
Preventative Measures
Preventative measures include materials to keep critters out and other deterrents to repel them from your property or buildings.
Live Trap
Most live traps sold are much flimsier and not as strong as older ones. I’ve used a few different ones over the years and really one of the only new ones that holds up well is the Tru Catch. The model 30LTD is the perfect size for cats, possums, skunks and raccoons. Check it out on Amazon.com
Sealants
Kritter Caps snap into the bottom of vinyl siding corners to prevent mice and insects from making a home or using it as a highway to your attic. I’ve tried to buy these on Amazon.com to seal up the corners on my house but they were out-of-stock at the time. I used the DAP Mouse Shield instead.
Mouse Shield by DAP is very much like Great Stuff that a lot of people are familiar with, but this contains an EPA-registered pesticide that blocks mice and other critters from chewing through it. You can get a 3-pack on Amazon.com. This stuff works better if used in conjunction with copper mesh.
The weave of this copper mesh and the fact that it leaves a funky taste in their mouths is why rodents leave this stuff alone. Stuff this into holes where they might access your buildings, boats, RVs, etc. and finish filling the hole with DAP Mouse Shield to create a barrier against rodents.
Repellents
Of all the claims of certain smells that deter mice and other critters, I only have confidence that Peppermint Oil works like those claims. These drippers from Victor work, but I believe they are only effective when used in a more confined area such as a cabinet or closet. The other drawback to these is they only last for a month or two and need to be replenished.
Eradication Measures
Traps
I’ve been using these Intruder Mousetraps for many years and have had excellent success with them. While I don’t really have any reservations with the traditional wooden mousetraps, these plastic ones are much easier to set and also easier to dispose of the wretched creature once you’ve caught one. These Better Mousetraps are really inexpensive on Amazon.com too.
Poisons
The only poison I plan to use from now on is the non-toxic types like MouseX from EcoClear Products. Their formula uses corn gluten meal and sodium chloride to target mice and rats only. It works by dehydrating them and blocking their sense of thirst. This product is safe for humans, pets, and birds-of-prey that might feast on a poisoned mouse.