Mice in the garage

[whellpower]

Hi guys, We are having a mouse issue in our garage which is at the bottom of the garden.

It is a double garage which is basically used as a shed and opens up onto a large area of unused , overgrown land. We have 2 rabbits which we kept in there and I think this is where the problem started, we were finding them in the rabbits straw, they were eating the food and gouing to the toilet everywhere!! :-(

We have since put the rabbits back int he garden as it was only a temporary situation but the mice remain.

I have tried humane traps but have only caught 2 in a month.

I am not really keen to use poison because the rabbits may eat it accidentally, I'm also not that keen on killing the mice but I know this is the way we may have to go :-/

Are there any pied pipers out there? -) (I know he did rats)

Does anyone have any ideas I may not have though of?

Thanks guys.

[burnie]

First question are they actually causing any damage? I get them in the house loft every winter, they leave in the spring. As they can chew cables and cause damage and even fires in some cases, a little nipper trap loaded with a bit of bread usually sorts them out. If they were not in the house doing any damage, I might just leave them.

[happyhumph]

Have to say we go down the little nipper route as when the population gets to big they come in the house. Also have a bigger version for rats (it could take your finger off)

[veggiechicken]

There are mice in my garage too! I make sure that there is nothing that they can eat and leave them alone.
Are you sitting comfortably?
I used to have an old Triumph Spitfire that wasn't used much in the winter. One nice sunny winter's day I decided to take the car for a run. To my surprise, there were peanuts in the footwell! I had no idea why but I cleared them out and went for a lovely ride down to the seaside.
When I came back, I decided to give the car a bit of a clean as a treat! There was a cushion on the passenger seat which I removed. Looking up at me, from the inside of the upholstery, surrounded by stuffing and peanuts, was a family of mice I'm not sure who was more surprised!
They had eaten a hole in a sack of birdfood, crawled up into the car somehow (maybe through the soft top, secreted a load of nuts in the boot and eaten a hole in the seat for their home.
It was so ridiculous, I had to laugh - even though I had to buy a new passenger seat. Good job I didn't have a passenger sitting on that cushion!
So be warned, they'll be looking for a nice winter home now!

[happyhumph]

I had some in my landy last year - must have climbed up the wheels as always parked in drive with nothing next to it to help them up!

[fishpond]

Either get/borrow a cat and let it live in the garage.
Little nippers baited with chocolate / peanut butter, they should have a choice as it could be their last meal.
In the meantime hope that their bigger brevthren don't turn up. (I prefer ratty to micky as they are a lot cleaner, even though they are a lot harder to catch)
If you are setting traps, do not be surprised if some go off whilst you are setting them --- my record is just over 40 seconds.
As a footnote:- it gets easier after the 1st one.
You will probably be surprised how many there are.

[fishpond]

I had a nest in the Backseat of a Sierra Saphire once, must have been there for months, didn't know 'till I cleaned it out to remove the weeds growing in the carpet.
I was driving it every day.

[ESBkevin]

You have to remove or isolate the things they are going in the garage for. So either move the rabbit food and spare straw or get a big sealed plastic container and seal it in there up on a shelf. they can knaw through plastic but hopefully you will have got rid of them by then.
This time of year the mice are looking to secure a nice winter home. if you remove thier food source then try poison/baiting traps you will have more success. I had a family of mice in my garage a few years ago, the garage was stuffed with stored items. When I eventually got in to sort it the following spring they had chewed all the carrier bags of silver foil to lick the dried milk/cheese off the bottle tops! Tiny bits of foil everywhere.

[happyhumph]

Had some in the attic of our old house - turned out they were eating sachets of instant coffee my OH left there for camping trips.

The thought of mice running around hyperactive on caffeine was quite funny..