Robert Bolton wrote:
>
> "Dennis P. Harris" <NO_SPAM_TO_dpharris@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:r4t0v3t7t3gss3tjubdf5g02b1dds7apfh@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > On Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:19:13 -0800 in alt.culture.alaska, "Robert
> > Bolton" <robertboltondrop@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >
> >> 1) What can I do to get rid of these pests???
> >
> > Get a resident weasel. Shrews are vicious, and can kill some
> > larger predators, like cats, or at least injure them enough that
> > they don't want to deal with them. The only animal I've seen
> > kill shrews have been weasels.
> >
> > If you have a friend with a ferret, you might want to borrow it
> > for a week or so. I'll bet they could kill shrews, too.
> >
> That's a thought Dennis, if they don't tear up furniture. I'll check
into
> that too.
A ferret or two would do the job but they'll cause you more grief than the
shrews ever will. Ferrets are ok with furniture but they'll disorganize
everything else in your house. I'd almost equate that idea to "jumping out
of the frying pan into the fire." ;) I speak from experience - I've got
two. They are very loving creatures but very high maintenance and will get
into everything.
I had a brief mouse invasion a little over a year ago. Like I said above,
the ferrets were not an option. I hoped the cat would catch them but he
treated them like friends until they started eating his food. His response
to that? He started peeing all around his food bowl every day to mark his
property. Messy!
My solution was to pack steel wool into a couple of suspected areas of
entry. Underneath one piece of baseboard was the place, I think. This
kept
more from getting in but I still had 14 in the house...that was the final
count by the time they disappeared a couple of weeks later.
I caught them all using regular mouse traps. Sharp cheddar cheese worked
well but you have to change the bait at least twice a day to keep it
fresh.
Also cracker/cookie crumbs around the trip mechanism of the traps. They
loved chewing into a bag of barley that I kept on the counter. I caught a
few just by setting one trap next to the bag. The other trap, I kept on
the
floor next to the baseboard where I had seen them run.
Since your shrews are getting in via the garage door, keep a couple of
traps
set along the wall inside right near that door. Maybe you can catch them
before they get into the house.
Some other thoughts..... the fox smell liquid that you mentioned probably
contains fox urine too. Perhaps you can start peeing in a cup and pouring
it around outside near the entrances (to mark YOUR territory)? Don't
laugh...it might work if you get desperate. ;)
Also, instead of steel wool, that will rust on outside entrances like your
garage door, buy some copper wool and staple that around garage door?
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