Over time, I've turned my patch of desert yard into a little lush forest. With that, creatures have arrived. I have amazing bird life, lizards, spectacular butterflies, and now mice. I had suspected a mouse was about but it was confirmed in the worse way when one jumped out onto me from some potting material. I'm sure I was heard miles away with blood curdling screams at 6 am. I may need therapy. I've finally hit rock bottom. No more trees. I've set my mind to rid my yard of it or them or this may be the final end to the fig forest. Getting a trap that results in the least amount of gore and guts, I was recommended a mouse zapper by Victor (see picture). I baited it with bird food pellet and caught the mouse the second day after setting the trap. It basically electrocutes the mouse and gives you a flashing light that it's been caught signaling its ready for your spouse to get rid of it. Now, I'm thinking of getting a bigger one that accommodates rats in case there are any of those around. It's called the Raticator. This must be a big problem for many who have lots of fruit trees. Is this enough? What would you do?

That's AWESOME!!!!! I really enjoyed the story with my coffee, thank you.

I am really glad the zapper is working for you. I thought about trying the rat one for squirrels. I am really hoping this is the solution for you because I would hate to see you get rid of your figs!

I like the old fashion "snap"


 


I've seen these in a local warehouse.

http://www.amazon.com/Kness-Pro-Ketch-104-0-002-Multiple-Catch/dp/B000FJTWH8

They have them cheaper on eBay

There's what I call the redneck mousetrap. Get a bucket with a board going up to the top. Have a dowel/wire with a can in the center over the bucket (make sure the dowel can spin). Cover the can in peanut butter.  Mouse goes to the PB, can spins and they fall in the bucket. Some people fill with water so they drown, some people just relocate the critter.

Get some cats?

Do you have a picture of that Kelby?

I've never made one personally, the stray cat duo keeps everything smaller than squirrels away here.

Here's a link to how to make one: http://www.instructables.com/id/Redneck-Mouse-Trap/

I think, like rooting figs, there's a thousand right ways to do it depending on how much effort you want to put into it.

I don't worry about outdoor field mice - they're part of the ecosystem...unless they chew bark on fig trees or cause problems in the veggie garden.  Actually, I think the small rodents that cause problems around here are voles.  I use mothballs around my in-ground figs and haven't had a problem so far.  Up until a couple months ago I had an outdoor cat who liked to hunt.  Now that he's gone I may start to have more of an issue but so far so good.

Thanks Kelby, that may work over the large garbage can filled with water for the squirrels. Mice and rats are taken care of by the owls and hawks but those damn squirrels are another matter.

I think the big ray zapper is supposed to get rid of squirrels. We don't have squirrels. Funny I'm not scared of them but trained to freak out with mice. No way could I stand using the ol fashioned snap or glue traps. We have hawks and an occasional stray cat but all the pots and trees make it impossible for them to catch the critters. We do have scorpions. I hope they are natural enemies.

OMG, scorpions are guaranteed to send me into orbit!

either mice have not found my fig trees, or they don't know what they are. no issue so far. but i'm attracting toads and frogs, i'm sure snake will follow soon. 

I've kept pack rats (wood rats) under control for the past few years with a Havahart trap, but it requires dealing with the live occupant. The electrocuting traps sound like a low hassle, humane solution.

Hi,
It all depends of how overflown you are.
Normally I only use the queen and king size snaps - the beast dies quickly - so no problem for me.
Sometimes, the rodents get educated and you need to go baits - which is not practical at all as you don't know where the beasts will die (and stink) and if a cat eats it...
But I don't have cats so I go with baits like red wheat if I really need. Watch out for kids as they like to taste everything ...
For the snaps just put a bucket (not touching the ground all around, lift a corner with a brick or wood piece) over it to avoid birds going at the snap.

The hardest rodents to catch are the underground ones ... Because you first need to spot their highways .

If they come to your place, they come for food. Are you feeding birds ? - in that case stop feeding the birds - I stopped even at winter time - I got fed up with rodents.
Check for what they come for. They can't eat anything on a tree - except later on the fruits ...

I had smart rats.  Wouldn't touch peanut butter.  The pros use almonds with a little of the brown stuff filed off so it looks like someone else was gnawing on it.  Rats couldn't resist and I caught them in snap traps.

Ken, what do you do with the live one? Wouldn't it come right back. Some of these guys are carrying Hanta virus. I don't mind scorpions as long as they don't come out in the day and don't eat my fruit. Bullet: years ago I was out gardening and I turn around and a monster bullfrog was staring at me. It did not have the sense like mice to run away. I froze and then headed for the hills. Stopped gardening for over a decade after that.

Cats seem to work the best.  We have a few strays around here and also some people's pet's roaming around.  I put up with the cat pooh in the flower beds for the mice not being near.

Cats really do keep the mice away.  We never saw a mouse over here until after our cat went missing.

every winter, we have one or two mouse running around the house. not sure where they are coming in from. live trap doesn't work any more. i tried sticky trap but that is just cruel and unusual.. i would rather shot them than have them stuck on those things. i guess i can have them stuck, then shoot them.. anyway.. i'll have to try almonds next winter. 

The problem comes when you get mice and rats. The dang mice eat the bait off the rat traps, and the rats get educated to traps on the mouse traps. Then you have to get clever and design pathways and prey specific scenarios for your traps. When I used to have chickens, every now and then a rat would come along, and rats are something I will not tolerate...eesh. Mice on the other hand are always around and you just manage them(when you are feeding something like birds as jdsfrance said). They are like the tide, their numbers go up and you increase trap numbers then their numbers go down and you can take most your traps away. You will never get rid of all of them if you are feeding. I like snap traps, the little trap door type traps work well too, especially if you put something inside to contain the bait so the first mouse doesn't walk in and eat it.

This red neck mouse trap looks it could work with a trash can for squirrels... 

I ran across this video. It's a little quirky, but it might be helpful. Voles are everywhere...

I tried the redneck mouse trap and couldn't get it to work. Tried most other kinds too. The mice could breed faster than I could catch them. They'll come in in the fall for the warmth too. Finally got a cat, now the only mice we see inside are the ones she catches outside and brings in to play with. Of course, if you don't like cats snakes will work too... and they don't play with them.

My experience with electrocution traps is that more often than not it just teaches the mouse to avoid it. The batteries have to be FULL strength otherwise they will get zapped and learn to avoid it, and then the smart ones live to breed again.

This morning the trap was found four feet from where I put it, but no one in my house moved it. Inside were 2 zapped mice. There must be a whole clan living right there.

Kania 2000 is the best.

thanks for telling me there's an electric one. i have the snap ones, but some mice are too smart forthem. so,i also have to use poison. 

cats are better, but coyotes think cats are yummie. i've gotta do something, since i've read mice kill wrapped trees in winter.

today tho, i lost 12'' of my HC to a bunny. loaded my .22

EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD WANTS TO EAT MY FIG TREES !!

I used to take each live packrat for a drive and then let it out of the trap about two miles away, but after a dozen such relocations realized it cost too much in time and gas. So, I devised a humane way to dispatch them, but it's not for everybody. I sleeve a Costco-size mesh onion sack over a big plastic bread bag to form a double, reinforced bag (the plastic bag alone isn't strong enough), and then slip the neck of the double bag over the end of the trap, keeping it tight so the rat can't squeeze out and escape. Then I open the door leading into the bag, and usually simply blowing at the rat once or twice makes it run into the bag. I gather the neck closed and remove the bag from the end of the trap; then, holding the bag securely by the neck I swing it (with rat inside), hard, in an arc against the concrete walkway. The rat dies instantly and is already in a plastic bag for disposal.

i'm glad to hear that  you've stopped dumping vermine where they can bother others.

they need to be dead, dead, dead.

I noticed my trusty Havahart trap was closed this morning. Expecting to see a pack rat, I was surprised to find I had caught a paloverde root borer beetle, too big to squeeze between the wires.

 


 
When I removed it from the trap and let it go, an overly-optimistic lizard ran up to eat it--only to discover that the beetle was way, way too big. The lizard gave it an experimental nip and then retreated to wait for something smaller.

Note to self - another reason not to move to AZ

Ken i an going to have nightmares 

While you're at it look up Asian Hornets.

Are You Kidding Me Jurassic Park Is All That Comes To Mind

 

Looks like his thumb & fore finger already got stung!

Yikes! I'll stick with our big, clumsy beetles, thank you very much. At least they aren't venomous, are only around for a few weeks in summer (the rest of the time they're underground as big white grubs), and the only way they're apt to bite is if you're foolish enough to stick a finger within reach of their mandibles.

Conibear 110... problem solved....'cept for the big scary bugs in AZ and NM

Ken, that is one innovative and amusing way to "humanely" get rid of the rat problem.   I'm not sure I would want to be in the vicinity when that happens.   That is one creepy beetle.  I've never seen that.   My palo verde has scars all over it's trunk.  I wonder if those beetles did it.  

Dave, you really have that hornet?  That is crazy. Are they here?  

Seriously, gardening in AZ has the least amount of creatures.   I've got zero slugs, deer, squirrels, relatively few birds and there seem to be no snakes where I'm at.   I don't feed them.  They feed on the insects around the property.   I've not seen any scorpions but they are around.   The worst are the pill bugs eating my newly planted veggies and stink bugs.   I've gardened elsewhere and am glad to not have to encounter again gigantor frogs, creepy geckos, millipedes, and snakes.