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Sonic mouse deterrent


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I, too, have wondered about the effectiveness of sonic equipment. Aldi had what seemed to be a good value sonic device but they had sold out before I got to them.

Would be good to hear from someone who has tried this method. I am surprised that it can discriminate between mice and other creatures. (I've wondered the same about the sonic deterrents being used in UK shopping malls to stop teenagers loitering - seems a shame if the sound, inaudible to adults, also hurts the ears of innocent babies trapped in pushchairs) 

Frankly, I'd rather have mice than a cat. The neighbour's cat seems far more effective at catching birds than mice - and I rather like having birds around the garden.

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[quote user="Alan Zoff"]

Frankly, I'd rather have mice than a cat. The neighbour's cat seems far more effective at catching birds than mice - and I rather like having birds around the garden.

[/quote]

I have both! They don't catch very many birds.......... they have a knack of flying off. Whereas mice run into a corner, for example, and the cats just sit and wait for it.

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I've used sonic deterrents for squirrels, but I'm not sure if they work on mice! As the area is inside your house perhaps poison is the way to go? I used to scatter a large tub of rat/mouse poison every autumn in the attic of a timber-framed house in the UK, which kept the pesky critters at bay.
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Have a look at this site http://www.martleyelectronics.co.uk/pestcontrol-rodent.html . We have one and it seems to work for mossies a bit too. Some friends have them in most of their rooms and swear ( 'swear',will that get zapped by the gods above?) by them.

As far as cats are concerned. We have a dog, she likes cats, but I don't think she could eat a whole one. Well why not, cats eat anything they can catch and do a lot of damage to wildlife, so why not dogs eating cats. Cats are pets I hear you say, so are mice and you get ferral cats too. How does my dog know if a cat is ferral or not. She doesn't look for a collar and say "I won't chase that one".

We love the birds that we have encouraged into our garden and the cats are VERY wary. We don't hurt them and neither does our dog, she wouldn't know what to do if she did catch one. I thought that I had better say that before I am in for the public hangman!! A well aimed pine cone makes sure that the cats don't stay long though.

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 Ahhhhh your all cat haters on this thread!

They don't do nearly as much damage to wildlife as humans with their poisons!

I love birds too ( even though our cats occasionally catch them) and dogs, (even though one killed one of our cats, she wasn't wearing a collar). I even like mice!!

It's all nature though i guess, no matter how barbaric it seems to us humans.

Jonzjob, pine cones though, you big meany!! [:P]

Louise

ps, the fact still remains cats are darn good at catching mice!

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Hey, who are you calling a cat-hater? I don't hate them - I just don't want one.

Of course they are doing what comes naturally. But as the pet cat is usually well fed by its owner, it's not exactly doing it to survive. (Whoops. We'll be back onto the rights and wrongs of fox-hunting next.)

Pine cones, though. There's a thought.

 

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We have a few cones from about 18 pines in the garden. When they are damp and closed they are quite heavy and quiet when thrown. When they are dry and open they make like a whisteling noise in the air. I tend not to use the big ones, bigger than my fist, 'cause they are harder to throw. The smaller ones just fit the bill [Www] ... Have you ever noticed how a cat can accelerate from a standstill. Quite impressive [:D] !
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[quote user="Jonzjob"]We have a few cones from about 18 pines in the garden. When they are damp and closed they are quite heavy and quiet when thrown. When they are dry and open they make like a whisteling noise in the air. I tend not to use the big ones, bigger than my fist, 'cause they are harder to throw. The smaller ones just fit the bill [Www] ... Have you ever noticed how a cat can accelerate from a standstill. Quite impressive [:D] ![/quote]

Have you too much spare time on your hands??!!! [:D]

Louise

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The simple answer to that Louise is that I'm retired ( not sure if I was tired enough to be retired [8-)]?). Although there aren't enough hours in the day and we both wonder how we had time to go to work! Still no mater how hard things are someone's got to do so I guess I'll just have to carry on as best as I can [kiss] ?
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I like the sound of your pine cones, Jon.  We don't have any sonic mice that require deterring but whistling cones sound fab!

Jude is a big pine cone collector.  I have often had to stop the car when she sees some particularly tempting cones by the roadside.  This collection started on a holiday in the Dordogne in the 1980's.  We have quite a lot of pine cones now.  But, like cushions, Le Creuset pans and white porcelain, apparently you can never have too many pine cones.

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On a more serious not you really ought to find where these sonic mice are coming from. I would suspect computer games. Do you have any teenagers living nearby - if so irradicate them and your problem should be solved. I use
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On a more serious not you really ought to find where these sonic mice are coming from. I would suspect computer games. Do you have any teenagers living nearby - if so irradicate them and your problem should be solved. I used this method to rid us of a plague of electronic frogs.
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Hi Cassis, if you think about it the French for pine cone is 'pomme de pin' or pine apple. Next time you look at one of Jude's (hey Jude, rings bells. I think I could write a song about that?) cones do a compair and see where the name for the fruit came from. The French mucked it up of course and called them annannass or somfin? Nothing like a pine cone!

Robert, did you have a look at that site. The guys there are very helpful if you phone for more info and even though we have a fairly modern house now (23 yrs old) it keeps the mice from our door. Didn't do anything for the poor little pipestrel bat that was flying round our dining room during dinner numerous times last winter though. We tried to save him, but unfortunately he died before the spring. We were very sad. Wasn't killed by a cat though!!! Just used too much energy through the winter... Bats are lovely little animals and wonderful to watch in the dying light on a still evening.

Honest moderaterz, I really, really am tring to keep the fred on traque, 'onest? But at my age the mind wanders [8-)].

P.S. As a side line the pine treez also produce pine neegles, 'undredz of 'em. In the past couple of daze we have taken 2 large remorque loads to the 'dechet' and we have another load tomorrow, so it ain't all fun here in France. We even have to get in the pool for a swim afterwardz to cool orf [8-|]. (remorque = trailer. 'decheterie' = dump. Just in case someone don't know wot they mean? Know-wot-I-mean?)

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Has anyone tried to put some holly leaves on the floor or along the wall of their attics. I have been told that the mice don't like it in the least being pricked by sharp things.

Old fashion gardeners would line the channel, where they would sow/plant their vegetables, with holly leaves so that mice or other rodents would not eat the growing germinating seed/plant....

They also don't like anything that smell to strongly of mint. There is a product called 'Mammelle menthe' (I think... can't remember) which you squeeze in mouseholes and they don't come back to it. Actually the stuff is used to clear mastitis in cows! It is an organic product and has a VERY strong minty smell. Makes your eyes water.

Still a very hungry barn cat or a good dose of poison is probably more effective.
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