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Janemarie
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 08:32am
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Hello All, I have a question. The guy I bought our cabin from told me that each time I leave the cabin uninhabited, I should spread rat poison under the skirting and in the window sills. Furthermore, he has these boxes in the house that are battery operated and spray insecticide every few minutes. He said he has a fly and mosquito problem in the summer. I plan to o the best job I can mouse proofing the cabin with steel wool, and hope to add a screen door. Is there some hidden code that says we need an arsenal of poison to live in a log cabin? Interested in hearing some thoughts.
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skootamattaschmidty
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 09:02am
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Mice will find the tiniest place to get inside. There are many ways of dealing with them without using poisons. Of course at the top of the list is mouseproofing as best as possible. Also , do not leave food etc out that they will want to eat.
A simple way to help control mice without poison while gone is a bucket trap. They are easy to make and effective. In the winter I will put plumbing antifreeze in the bucket, which is non toxic.
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old243
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 09:08am
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You will probably have some mice in the cabin. If you can't control them with mouse traps. There are other methods like a drowning bucket trap, if left for a long time this will be effective. Just be aware , that it stinks to high heaven, when you dump it. In winter use windshield washer anti freeze. Not unusual to get a whole bunch. This has been discussed quite a few times , you can search , through the archives. As far as using poison, it is effective, I would use it in a secure box underneath, your camp. Will keep your dog, if you have one, out of it. If you are unsuccessful, using other methods. Usually the fall months will be the main time. As far as flies and bugs, only if you can't control , other ways. Have fun at your new camp, get your feet up and enjoy it. old243
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sparky30_06
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 10:15am
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https://www.domyown.com/
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 11:15am - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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Please do not use rat or mice poison.
Other wildlife will eat the dead rodent and die.
I would never spray insecticide inside my cabin. Since the previous owner already did I would be worried about the contamination that is already there. The spray probably got on everything.
You can make ant poison with borax and sugar. I do use that. I of course label the jar. I put it into bottle caps where I see ants.
We had carpenter ants when we got to our cabin last June. It took care of them in three days.
I don't have any pets yet. So I'm not sure what I'm going to do when we get our new puppy if we have another ant problem.
The flies you have are probably cluster flies. I bought a item called Cluster Buster. It affixes to the window where they gather. Inside the container are crushed egg shells (gets on their wings and they can't fly)and a natural scent that attracts the flies. It works and will last as long as it's not full. A few years for me. It can trap a lot of flies.
It sounds to me as if the previous owner didn't take the time to go the steel wool/spray foam route.
Try that first.
I have never used the bucket trap because I am sensitive to the suffering of a mouse that gets caught in a bucket and swims until it finally gets so exhausted it drowns.
If I'm there I use the old fashioned snap trap. Death comes quickly. If not there they had free rein. But as I've stated elsewhere, I have everything mouse proofed as much as possible and all efforts to combat the mouse, fly and ant problem have been working.
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hueyjazz
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 11:51am
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I would agree what has been said here. I would never spray for insects. Particularly indiscriminately. My brother the chemical engineer put it to me this way, every nerve agent out there started as an insecticide.
Sealing up the cabin as you plan is your first best course. The website sparky gave you is excellent as it gives great information as to pest and cure. You will find NY has greatly limited what pesticides you can obtain. I try to use none and go all natural. But there's some I use. For ants, unless you get the queen you can kill as many of the soldiers as you like. She'll make more. So you got to use something that acts slow and they will bring back to queen.
Got any bats? They eat about 10,000 bugs a night. Build some bat houses. I got three ponds, two creeks and a stream. One pond is next to cabin, But no mosquitoes.
Attracting birds isn't a bad idea either but we discovered our bird feeder became a snack station for bears so we only put it out in winter now. You will likely have bear in your area. No biggie but think of that when you have garbage or food outside.
I prefer bronze wool over steel wool. The steel will rust if wet and will fall apart. Bronze stays put. Dollar store scrub pads of bronze will work.
Sounds like you're going down the same roads as many of us have already traveled. Good luck
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95XL883
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 11:52am
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I use to bait my tractor to keep the pack rats out. I used to bait it a lot, like twice a week. They still got in and did damage. There were just more of them than I could bait. After two years of baiting and tractor repairs I got a shipping container and haven't baited since. My point is baiting is only marginally effective in my experience. If I could do it over, I wouldn't.
You are heading down the right path by sealing every hole you can find. Keep them out and your life will be simpler. Good luck.
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creeky
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 01:29pm
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Quoting: silverwaterlady Please do not use rat or mice poison.
2/3 of all raptor deaths are attributed to eating poisoned critters.
So that's owls, eagles, etc. They will help control your pests. Please don't use poison.
I had a great experience this spring when the squirrel population started exploding. We had a red tail hawk move in. Couple of weeks later. No squirrels. And some neat experiences.
Like the time I came out of the bedroom and the black squirrel is barking above me. I look up. The red tail hawk is feet first deep into the squirrel nest.
The hawk falls back. Opens its wings. And flies down the tree line. Black furry package in its talons.
Protecting your raptors is a win-win.
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curious
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 02:15pm
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Quoting: creeky Protecting your raptors is a win-win.
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 03:43pm - Edited by: SE Ohio
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I was easily able to stop up all the mouse entry holes at my cabin. I set some traps outdoors around the cabin to keep the population down. No indoor mice for years now, gratefully!
I have a flyswatter for indoor bugs, and a salt gun for the kids to use on bugs.
I've got two cheap Craigslist screen/storm doors that keep critters out.
I won't use poison. Wouldn't want my dog to eat a poisoned mouse, also we have really cool burying beetles I'd like to keep!
SE Ohio
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naturelover66
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 06:59pm
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Yeah i agree with Silverwaterlady. I would never spray poisen anywhere near my cabin or land... And i certainly would never drown a mouse. There are better methods to keep them out .
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Janemarie
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 08:13pm
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Well, this is all a huge relief to me. I do not intend to use poison. Today at the cabin, I spent hours cleaning as many surfaces as I could with just plain old water on a cloth (Nature's solvent) and plugged up holes everywhere I could. I lit a fire in the stove and just listened to the quiet. I walked up on the land and found what looks like Lynx footprints. Nothing would make me happier than having raptors and bats.
Silverwaterlady, I feel you on the water traps.
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KinAlberta
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2018 09:29pm
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We’ve never had a mouse in our cabin. (No rats in Alberta.) Just seal up all gaps, weatherstrip the doors and don’t leave food that will attract mice through their odour.
One other thing I’m considering to minimize moisture - that might remove odours as well, is some sort of very small ceiling exit vent and tube up to near a whirly bird and maybe a small tube inlet, possibly into the attic as well. The whirly birds would provide some suction to pull air out of the living space.
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 21 Dec 2018 12:50am
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Janemarie, that sounds like a perfect day at the cabin.
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neb
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2019 07:18pm
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I believe we have come to the verdict that poison isn't the way to go. I can't agree more. I have not had a mouse in the cabin that I have ever know of. I have a wood and small work shed that they can just get in under the tin sides and I have had them in there. I have a bucket trap and in 10 plus year I maybe have had 6 in that trap in 10 years. I have many natural defenders for the mice. Weasel, hawks, eagles, coyotes, mink, bull snakes, bobcats etc. that that care of the large portion of the mice.
Poison is a bad deal what others have mentioned.
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