mouse chews

[Guspuppy]

I know this has been talked about before in the forum, but i wanted to post about something I found interesting. I've had soap curing on a table in my basement since March 2016 with no problems. This winter however, has already been so cold that it has driven a mouse (or mice) into my basement. i discovered this when I went down to get a few bars of soap to send to a cousin. What was interesting was which bars had been chewed and which ones hadn't been touched! The salt bars, not touched. (i think that's pretty obvious why, since they are at 75% salt by weight). The shea butter, not touched. The 100% CO bars, also not touched. The 100% Olive oil castille, tested but not really enjoyed. All the lard bars, no matter the scent, thoroughly enjoyed, except the ones with the heavy black mica coloring. Those were just nibbled once or twice and left alone. Some of the other lard bars were also highly colored but not black, and they were chewed. Just thought that was interesting!

Also, I have started feeding the mice on the soap table, so they stay in the basement, and don't have to eat soap. The dog was HIGHLY concerned about why I was taking one of his cookies down there the other day! :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

 

[Obsidian]

Hate to tell you but all feeding them in the basement will do is encourage them to breed due to a increase in available food. Best thing to do is set out traps before they get worse. I've had a terrible mice problem this year, they seem to like my higher OO soaps with castile being the worst hit.

 

[toxikon]

We brought in some field mice in our Christmas decorations boxes from the garage and they had a nice feast on some of my soaps too. Mainly the high olive oil ones!

I'm an animal lover so we always use live traps to get rid of unwanted rodents. The Walmart close to us doesn't sell them anymore, so I bought a very tall garbage can that we turned into a live trap (we had another mousy visitor this year) by running a piece of string across the top with a toilet paper tube strung through with a smidge of peanut butter on the bottom of the tube. Mousey fell into the garbage can quickly then we took him for a nice drive to the countryside.

 

[dibbles]

We occasionally get mice in the basement. Just the nature of where we live. I have had them get into soap once - when I first started, but not since that one time. It/they chewed on both an espresso soap with coffee grounds, and a vanilla FO scented soap. There were just a couple of (wrapped) bars sitting on a shelf, and both were fully discolored brown. The soaps that had been boxed up for storage weren't touched.

No way would I feed a mouse intruder. They can live outside, but once in the house I want them gone. They poop everywhere. Even if they don't carry disease, you won't convince me that they don't.

 

[Kittish]

Feeding them is a REALLY bad idea, they'll eat whatever you've put out for them AND your soaps. Plus, it'll draw in even more of them, plus encourage them to breed as has been mentioned and next thing you know your basement is overrun with mice and they're invading the house as well. Oh, and mouse pee and poop and mouse hair everywhere, including all over your soaps.

 

[Guspuppy]

We brought in some field mice in our Christmas decorations boxes from the garage and they had a nice feast on some of my soaps too. Mainly the high olive oil ones!

I'm an animal lover so we always use live traps to get rid of unwanted rodents. The Walmart close to us doesn't sell them anymore, so I bought a very tall garbage can that we turned into a live trap (we had another mousy visitor this year) by running a piece of string across the top with a toilet paper tube strung through with a smidge of peanut butter on the bottom of the tube. Mousey fell into the garbage can quickly then we took him for a nice drive to the countryside.

What a great idea Toxicon! I was actually looking for live traps the other day and couldn't find them anywhere, so thank you for this!!

 

[Dahila]

I would not do anything to mouse in my garden even they feed on my so much loved flowers. In house, no , it is no. I would throw all soaps that mouse touched cause they are contaminated God knows with what, Toxoplasmosis and a lot of other bacteria, urine ..........

 

[toxikon]

What a great idea Toxicon! I was actually looking for live traps the other day and couldn't find them anywhere, so thank you for this!!

You're welcome! I was pleasantly surprised on how effective it was.

 

[SunRiseArts]

I am going to seem heartless, but rats and snakes are better dead in my world.

 

[toxikon]

I am going to seem heartless, but rats and snakes are better dead in my world.

I had about 5 or 6 domestic rats growing up. They were such sweet, smart little guys with big personalities. They learned their names and loved to play and they'd snuggle in bed with me tucked under my neck!

I know wild rats aren't nearly as cute, but I could never intentionally harm them!

Similarly, my fiance has grown up with lots of reptile pets and love snakes, hah!

 

[Kittish]

I'd rather deal with snakes than rodents. Snakes EAT rodents, so that makes them a little ok. Though a venomous snake that decides in my house, or even too close to it, is the place to be is courting sudden death by shovel.

We have two cats and a dog, so it's either a really desperate or a suicidaly stupid rodent that would venture into the house. Never seen any signs of them inside in the almost 8 years I've lived here, though there is at least one kangaroo rat that has a den on the west side of the house outside. That cheeky little fellow has almost run over my feet once or twice on his way to and fro.

 

[amd]

Note to self: leave soap lab door open to encourage the cats to periodically do a mouse inspection.

We currently have 2 cats, our third cat passed away last summer. I miss her quite a bit. She liked to come into the soap lab with me and poke around the corners to make sure all was good before settling in an out of the way spot to watch me work. The other cats are jerks who only care about feeding times and getting the good spot on the couch.

 

[dixiedragon]

I am going to seem heartless, but rats and snakes are better dead in my world.

But snakes eat rats. No snakes = lots of rats.

 

[jules92207]

Mice must be prevalent this year, we even had an issue with them getting in our office. I had a few weeks I’d have to hunt for mouse poop on my desk every morning. No fun.

 

[Kittish]

Note to self: leave soap lab door open to encourage the cats to periodically do a mouse inspection.

We currently have 2 cats, our third cat passed away last summer. I miss her quite a bit. She liked to come into the soap lab with me and poke around the corners to make sure all was good before settling in an out of the way spot to watch me work. The other cats are jerks who only care about feeding times and getting the good spot on the couch.

Your third cat sounds like my Mister Kitteh. He likes to perch either on the washing machine or on top of the fridge to watch me work. Either spot gives him a good view of my main work area in the kitchen, while keeping him out of the way so I don't step on him or fuss at him. I don't (yet) have a dedicated soap kitchen, but I hope to one day.

 

[Obsidian]

Yes, they are really bad this year. Everyone here is having issues with them. I thought I finally got them all then bam! they are back.

 

[Lin19687]

The 100% Olive oil castille, tested but not really enjoyed. ... made me laugh out loud !


I agree, no mice should be inside as they will just keep breeding.

If you don't like bate traps, get an electric ZAP one.

Works great. I got rid of 3 chipmunks this way outside ! and obviously I don't have anything inside as it never caught anything for a year.

 

[HowieRoll]

The 100% Olive oil castille, tested but not really enjoyed. ... made me laugh out loud !


I agree, no mice should be inside as they will just keep breeding.

If you don't like bate traps, get an electric ZAP one.

Works great. I got rid of 3 chipmunks this way outside ! and obviously I don't have anything inside as it never caught anything for a year.

I'm just curious... why are you killing animals outside, living in their natural habitat?

 

[earlene]

I'm just curious... why are you killing animals outside, living in their natural habitat?

I am not Lin, but I have lived in areas where rodent control was necessary due to damage they would cause to human living structures. Catch and release is often not recommended when certain rodents, not only are prone to carry disease (even chipmunks), but are also abundant in the area and causing structural damage. In addition to that, when small children live in the neighborhood, those bites, even if it's not your own child, can happen on your property and that can be pretty upsetting.

 

[Lin19687]

What Earlene said. Plus if I had one of those beautiful thin rock walls, they ruin those behind it. I had that years ago at another house.

But specifically for me I have Chickens and Koi Fish. Chipmunks were in the Coop eating the ORGANIC FEED (which is $$$). They were also making tunnels under the Koi pond which is NOT good.

If it was not for those 2 things, and if I lived on a big farm I would not care They ARE cute and were fine to live here when I didn't have the 2 others.
They are allowed in the front garden, I am even ok with that since it is not a crop that I am selling or anything.

AND, HowieRoll, I use the Electric traps so that OTHER wildlife is not killed by eating a Poisoned dead mouse/chipmunk/rat. I had a Dane that ate a dead mouse in a field because someone had poisoned it.