The Everything Guide to Living Off the Grid (36 page)

Successful rodent control involves three different facets: (1) sanitation, (2) rodent-proofing, and (3) rodent killing. Though the first two methods are most important, they also require the most effort and therefore are frequently neglected.

You must use tight lids on garbage cans, get rid of refuse, remove junk, and properly store food and construction materials. These steps will limit the food supply and nesting sites for rodents.

You should store food products in sealed cabinets or in glass or metal containers. Store feed for your livestock in metal containers, like metal garbage cans, with tight-fitting lids. Be sure to clean up any spilled food. A well-swept floor makes it easier to detect signs of rodent activity.

Rodent-proofing also involves looking at your home and your outbuildings to see how you can keep them out. Inspect these areas thoroughly to find any trouble spots. Some areas you might consider are:

• All openings where water pipes, drain spouts, and vents enter a building. These should be tightly sealed with sheet-metal patches or filled with concrete.
  
• Doors, windows, and screens should close tightly to ensure that rodents cannot enter through them. Check to see if window frames fit tightly against the foundation in the basement, especially in older homes.
  
• Install 24- to 26-gauge galvanized sheet-metal flashing around wooden door jambs and metal kick plates on the outside of doors to prevent rats from gnawing entrances under or around doors.
  
• Floor drains and fan openings should be tightly covered with galvanized hardware cloth, 19-gauge, ¼-inch mesh, so the rodents can’t enter through them.
  
• Remove materials that are stacked against the outside of an otherwise rodent-proof building. This will stop rats and mice from gaining entry into upper stories.
  
• Nonconcrete basement floors, especially dirt floors, and shallow foundations should be protected from burrowing rats with a cement curtain wall around the outer edge extending three feet into the ground, or in an L shape two feet into the ground, with a one-foot lip extending outward.
  
• Check for any other possible entrances that are larger than onequarter inch, and seal or block them so a rodent cannot get in.
  

If your rodent infestations are severe, you should work to kill the rodents first, before you remove their safe havens, to prevent them from just migrating to other nearby areas.

Killing Rodents

Trapping is the most common method of killing rodents. Traps may or may not be baited, but should always be placed in areas of rodent activity. Look for signs of droppings or runs and set up the traps there. Bacon, peanut butter, bread, and nutmeats are good baits for the traps.

Place mouse traps at intervals of about three to four feet. Rat traps should be set father apart, about fifteen to thirty feet. The most effective way to situate the trap is with the bait toward the wall and the spring away from the wall, because mice and rats tend to follow the wall line. Check the traps often, discard dead rodents, and reset the traps.

Rodenticides, or rat poison, is an alternative method of killing rodents. The rodent eats the poison and then goes back to the nest and dies. If you have rodents in your home, having the rodent die in the wall can create an unpleasant smell. Poison can be used effectively if you have rats in your outbuildings. However, do not use poison if you have small children or other animals on your property that might accidentally ingest the poison.

There are also traps on the market that consist of a sticky surface that attracts mice and rats. Once the rodent steps onto the surface, it is caught and cannot get away. Unlike a spring trap, which kills the rodent immediately by
breaking its neck, these traps prolong death. Often you will come across live rodents stuck to the trap and screaming. To put them out of their misery, you can pick up the trap carefully and put it in a bucket of water, so the rodent drowns.

Barn Cats

One of most natural ways to prevent rodent infestation and even keep the population of other small animals like rabbits to a minimum is to have some barn cats. Barn cats are not your Great-Aunt Ida’s spoiled lap cat. They are usually at least partially feral cats who take the role of hunter and protector seriously.

What is the greatest number of mice killed by one cat?
Towser, a tortoiseshell tabby in charge of rodent control in Scotland, killed 28,899 mice in her twenty-one years. This is about four mice per day, every day, for twenty-one years. Towser died in 1987.

You might have already inherited barn cats when you purchased your property. If not, ask around; someone is usually in need of a home for some new barn kittens.

Although these are not pets, you have a responsibility to care for them, just like any other animal on your property. Here are some of the things you should consider to ensure that you have healthy and helpful barn cats:

Deworming

Because the main job of your barn cat is to catch and kill mice, they are susceptible to transmission of the worms that reside inside the rodent. Your veterinarian can prescribe a broad spectrum dewormer. Ask your veterinarian how often you should administer the medicine to your cat.

Heartworms are carried by mosquitoes, so if you live in an area where mosquitoes are plentiful, you will want to give your barn cat a monthly heartworm preventive. Be sure to have your cat tested before you begin
preventative measures, because if your cat already had heartworms, they must be eliminated from the cat’s system first.

Vaccination for Feline Diseases

There are a number of diseases that are considered the “core” cat diseases: feline herpes virus, calichi virus, and panleukopenia virus. Your veterinarian can give your cat a combination vaccination when the cat is still young and then annually to continue protection. Rabies virus vaccine is also necessary for your barn cat, especially if there are bats that are infected with rabies in your area. Rabies-infected bats eventually become paralyzed and fall to the ground. Before they die, they twitch around, and could attract the attention of your barn cat.

FeLV/FIV Testing and Vaccination

Feline leukemia, or feline immunodeficiency virus, is the equivalent of HIV in cats. If your veterinarian performs a simple blood test on your cat, she will be able to determine whether your cat is a carrier. Many cats with FeLV/FIV do fine, but about one-third become very ill. If your barn cat has FeLV/FIV, you will want to vaccinate the uninfected cats, so they don’t become sick.

Nutrition

Just because your barn cat catches mice, rabbits, and even squirrels does not mean that it doesn’t need a supplemental diet. You want to maintain a healthy barn cat, and a good-quality dry diet is all your cat requires. Keep a bowl full of dry food and another bowl filled with fresh water for your cats.

Antifreeze poisoning is fatal in cats and dogs, if left untreated. Unfortunately, antifreeze also tastes good to these animals. In addition, you need to be sure that chemicals, pesticides, insecticides, rat poison, and even moldy feed are disposed of in closed containers where your animals cannot gain access to them.

Check On Your Barn Cats

Barn cats will usually remain healthy if they have high-quality food and clean water. But when cats become ill, they often try to hide it. Barn cats will usually greet you as you go about your morning chores, but you should remember to do a quick check on your cats once a week to see if you notice any signs of illness. If you suspect something, call your local veterinarian and explain the problem to her. She will be able to let you know what your options are for treatment.

Learning the Habits of Your New “Neighbors”

The first thing you should learn when you move to your new location is what kinds of predators are common in the area. Your local Extension agent will likely be an excellent source of information to get you started. The agent can give you an idea of what animals are prevalent in your area, help you with any legal questions you may have about whether any of the predators are protected, and may also be able to help you find a reputable, knowledgeable trapper in your area. Here are a few of the predators that might be on your list:

Weasels

Weasels are found throughout the United States and are very destructive. Because weasels can enter a chicken coop through even a mouse-sized hole, they are almost impossible to keep out. As a preventive measure, you can nail hardware cloth over small holes to prevent them from getting into your chicken coop. A weasel will kill everything it can catch unless it is interrupted. You can tell that a weasel is the predator by a bite mark on the back of the prey’s neck near the base of the skull. Weasels like to eat the entrails of poultry—the heart, liver, and kidneys.

However, your poultry is not the food of choice for weasels; they much prefer mice and rats. Weasels are also very bold, curious animals and therefore are easy to trap. If you have pet mice (gerbils, hamsters, etc.) you can save the cage cleanings and use those instead of bait. If you don’t have cage cleanings, use fresh liver as bait in a rat-sized snap trap. Set the traps near
the holes and along the outside walls of outbuildings next to weeds that can provide cover.

Mink

The favorite hunting ground for mink is near water, although the males tend to travel longer distances than the females, especially during the winter breeding season. If you live in the country or anywhere near water, you need to be on guard against mink. Mink will kill poultry and small animals like rabbits. You’ll know if you’ve been visited by a mink because it will leave a distinctive musky smell. Mink eat large amounts of food and then den up for a period of time. If you don’t catch it, a mink will be back in ten to fourteen days to kill again. Mink can be quite vicious, so if you suspect you have one attacking your livestock, contact a local trapper to catch this predator.

Skunks

You can generally tell when a skunk has been surprised; the unique skunk smell can permeate the air for miles. Skunks are generally not a huge predator, but, if they can get into your coop, they will eat eggs and small chicks. The biggest problem is accidentally walking in on a skunk in your chicken coop. Skunks are easily caught in a cage trap baited with cat food. To calm the skunk before you move it, lay an old blanket slowly over the trap.

Opossums

Opossums are scavengers, and they often visit human homes or settlements to raid garbage cans, dumpsters, and other containers. They are attracted to carrion and can often be spotted near roadkill. Opossums will eat eggs, chicks, and adult birds. They have razor-sharp teeth and they use their long rat-like tail as a fifth limb. When cornered, opossums will often “play dead,” but they have also been known to be aggressive. They are easily caught in cage traps, and any food, even pet food, will work as bait. Opossums also carry a disease that is spread through their feces that can be fatal to horses, so extra care should be taken in and around stables.

Foxes

The best clue that a fox has raided your henhouse is that there will be little evidence other than a missing bird. You may find a few feathers or a wing, but a fox will usually take the bird with it unless it has been disturbed during the kill. A good dog or lights around the building will likely deter foxes, since foxes are normally quite shy. The term “clever as a fox” was coined for good reason. If you suspect a fox to be your predator, you should call an experienced trapper to help you catch it.