"Gary" <g.majors@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:47F37061.1FC5CA42@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 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.
.....
>
> 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.
>
When I first discovered I had shrews, I set out a couple traps and caught
half a dozen in just a week or two. They disappeared for maybe six
months. When I saw signs once again, I set out the traps again and got
half a dozen more. That seemed to work pretty well, as I didn't see any
signs for a year or so. After that I would discover and trap one at a
time. It's amazing how many can live in your house without you noticing.
> 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.
>
I used to catch them in a standard mouse trap with cheeze. It only took
one or two days to get one. This one I've got now though doesn't go near
them. I don't know if it saw the last one get nabbed or sensed dead shrew
on the trap, but I'm having trouble getting this one. I've seen this one
run from the fridge to the stove so set a trap at each end of the run. No
good. The wife confessed today she'd set a bag of M&Ms in a counter
drawer, so maybe it hasn't been hungry enough to risk the trap.
> 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. ;)
>
Hey if it works.....
Thanks for the sup****t, Gary. I'll try sealing entry points to limit
entry to the garage and learn to be a better trapper.
Robert
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