Cabin winterization

[Blue Thunder]

I use an old school method. Its a 5 gallon bucket with a Coke bottle covered in peanut butter mounted on a straight piece of coat hanger. Attach a piece of wood as a ramp. Put a couple of inches of automotive anti freeze in the bottom. Mice walk up the ramp, out onto the bottle and the bottle spins dropping them into the anti freeze. They drown and the antifreeze embalms them until Spring. No smell at all.

[Merrymeeting]

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

I use an old school method. Its a 5 gallon bucket with a Coke bottle covered in peanut butter mounted on a straight piece of coat hanger. Attach a piece of wood as a ramp. Put a couple of inches of automotive anti freeze in the bottom. Mice walk up the ramp, out onto the bottle and the bottle spins dropping them into the anti freeze. They drown and the antifreeze embalms them until Spring. No smell at all.

Interesting. But how do you dispose of the embalmed bodies/antifreeze in the spring?

[Barney Bear]

The mice dislike the smell of the mothballs. It also deters the pineys from staying. 🐻

[BroadHopper]

In case of the family cabin, a competent plumber actually set up all the pipes to drain back to the pump by shutting off the pump and open all the faucets. When flushing the toilets make sure the flush stays open. Works like a charm for decades! Of course we fill all the sewage traps with antifreeze.
Mice eventually will tolerate moth balls, dryer sheets, Irish Springs etc. So the Maine mouse trap is your best bet. Trouble with poisoning mice will go off and die in places that will scare the missus to the point of no return. The mouse traps are fine, just get the strong plastic ones, the wooden ones don't snap hard enough. You have to go back and reset them. If you have electricity, those electric rodents eradicators on every floor works fairly well!
Make sure all food are in glass or metal containers. Mice eat cardboard and plastic. Don't leave paper around, mice uses them to make nests. Same as clothing, towels and bedding. Best to bring them home or store them in cedar chest or wooden boxes with moth balls/lavender combo balls found in your local hardware stores.
Only other thing you need to worry about are lady bugs and or bats. That another chapter to discuss.
Welcome to seasonal living in the Granite State!

[TheTimeTraveler]

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

I use an old school method. Its a 5 gallon bucket with a Coke bottle covered in peanut butter mounted on a straight piece of coat hanger. Attach a piece of wood as a ramp. Put a couple of inches of automotive anti freeze in the bottom. Mice walk up the ramp, out onto the bottle and the bottle spins dropping them into the anti freeze. They drown and the antifreeze embalms them until Spring. No smell at all.

Nice plan. Their last meal is a good one!

[NH.Solar]

Another method is to spray fox urine under the camp in the Fall. The rodents will immediately move out and if you're lucky the foxes will build a den nearby. I've been using that along with rat sized snap traps and the bottle over the bucket method to control my chipmunks (rats in cute suits) and mice. It's kinda stinky when you spray it but will fade away by Spring. Agway used to carry it but don't anymore and since then I have been able to get the same Maine company product from Amazon.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by TheTimeTraveler

Nice plan. Their last meal is a good one!

I made a couple of those, best mouse trap ever! Better fill that bucket up half way though. If it's there all winter without emptying it they could pile up.

[SAMIAM]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I made a couple of those, best mouse trap ever! Better fill that bucket up half way though. If it's there all winter without emptying it they could pile up.

Last year I was collecting 3-4 mice each day in my bucket trap........have not seen a single mouse this year.Starting to see an occasional squirrel and chipmunk

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

Last year I was collecting 3-4 mice each day in my bucket trap........have not seen a single mouse this year.Starting to see an occasional squirrel and chipmunk

Same here, not one mouse this year but I did catch a chipmunk.