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| Another item to add to our procurement list | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 13 2012, 01:34 PM (287 Views) | |
| Raven | Aug 13 2012, 01:34 PM Post #1 |
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Today I decided to clean my oven and my cupboards. Not something that happens all of the time mind you but it really needed it. One thing that I got so upset about was the amount of food that I had to throw away due to mouse poop. I set the two traps that I could find but I could use several more for good measure. I won't do us much good to have the food if we have to pick out disease ridden mouse shit out of it first! I am also on the lookout for more gallon glass jars! People, you can never have to many mouse traps |
| The truth is not for all men, but only for those that seek it. Ayn Rand | |
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| HandFarming | Aug 14 2012, 12:46 PM Post #2 |
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I used the "first bite" stuff once. I think it's a B-vitamin poisonous to rodents. I said I used it once because everything else we had tried I used time and time again only to get more traps, sticky things and other kinds of poison. I'm getting more this year, for preventive medicine. The house and barn were filled with the little buggers when we moved in and after using that First Bite stuff once, I have yet to see another rodent, except in the field. I put it everywhere the dogs and livestock can't get to in the house, barn and other outbuildings. I also have sealed up things a little more each year. I too must clean cupboards, but thankful they are going to be clean for a while. Now, if I could only do something about the weasels in the coop! |
| You can lead an ass to knowledge, but you can not make it think. | |
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| HandFarming | Aug 14 2012, 01:11 PM Post #3 |
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On the topic of "Gear": I was talking to someone who is into methane production and I think it might be the way to go here, even on a small scale. The idea is to outfit for propane use now, and build the methane digester as money materializes for it. Once the digester is producing methane, only small quantities of propane need to be bought. The thing about propane generators is -if you make methane, it will run in a propane generator, furnace or even vehicles are being converted to propane, which means they can run on methane tanks too. Though I would prefer a water cooler propane generator so it can also heat my water for me, I am finding propane generators at a reasonable price on eBay and northern tool. Unfortunately, not many have liquid cooled propane generators, so I'm looking for a used one. Then, if it makes hot air, the heat can be used over winter for some much needed heat around here. That said, I have to do some adjusting to my living to pay the same amount for the liquid propane to match the electric bill I'm paying now. My first estimate is that I can only run the propane 4 - 6.5 hours a day on $100/month of electrical use. Which is enough power to charge the water pump twice, cool the refrig/freezer twice and run the main computer and printer once a day. And, twice a week run the washing machine and dish washer twice. My electric fence and inside lighting gets converted to solar and we still get some power off hydro and wind to run some stuff like the Internet 24/7 and other communication devices. After looking into how much methane My animals would produce, it's not enough to fill my electrical needs yet, but they are multiplying. More details on how much methane per animal is on: http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ae/ae-105.html It's not the total solution I was hoping for in energy for the farm, but it has the versatility of changing fuels and power on demand as needed, not just when the sun shines or the wind blows. And though our hydro can do the communications and entertainment power, it's not enough power to run the refrig/freezer(s), which are our biggest power hogs. |
| You can lead an ass to knowledge, but you can not make it think. | |
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| Raven | Aug 14 2012, 02:19 PM Post #4 |
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I believe that the long range sustainable future will involve multiple approaches to solve every problem. That goes for food, water, energy and defences. That is why all reasonable sources of energy should be considered. I will point out your post to Griz. Sounds like a great winter project for him...along with 10,000 others. He is a genius at that sort of thing. |
| The truth is not for all men, but only for those that seek it. Ayn Rand | |
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| Mommacat | Aug 15 2012, 09:32 AM Post #5 |
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Raven, back to your original post about the mouse problem. I have successfully used BarBait to get rid of them. I don't know what's in it - mega chemicals, I am sure, but the beauty of BarBait is that when the mice eat it and die, they don't rot - there is a lot of arsenic in it and so they basically dehydrate. There is nothing worse than having a decaying critter in your wall that you get to smell for months on end! I get it at the feed store and it isn't terribly expensive and worth the cost in any event. I think traps work okay, but once they're sprung, the rest of the "community" gets a free pass to the buffet. With the BarBait, they take it home and others eat it too so you can wipe out an entire colony in pretty short order. |
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| HandFarming | Aug 15 2012, 01:56 PM Post #6 |
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The mega stricknine in most bait gave us mega problems when one of the other animals got into it so read the ingredients, but the cost was about the same and the added benefit to the B-vitamin poison is that it's not harmful to anything but the rodents. And MommaCat, I agree, dead rodents can be gross but it beats a lot of live ones! |
| You can lead an ass to knowledge, but you can not make it think. | |
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| Raven | Aug 16 2012, 05:50 AM Post #7 |
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I worry about the cats either getting the dead mouse or getting the bait, that and I sure as hell will forget that they are there and then one of the grandkids comes over to get a snack when I am not looking...the bait just makes me nervous as hell. |
| The truth is not for all men, but only for those that seek it. Ayn Rand | |
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| Mommacat | Aug 16 2012, 08:21 AM Post #8 |
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I've never had any problem with it either for kids or my animals. But, I think placing it where only a mouse can go is a good start and I've had cats that killed mice, but they've never actually eaten them. Maybe its just been dumb luck on my side? Dunno.... |
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| HandFarming | Aug 16 2012, 12:56 PM Post #9 |
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All reasons why we use the one bite stuff cause it's not toxic to people, pets, just rodents. Go figure. Backwoods home had an article on how to make a mouse trap out of 5 gallon bucket with water, but even that isn't recommended around children, pets and such. |
| You can lead an ass to knowledge, but you can not make it think. | |
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| Raven | Aug 18 2012, 09:59 AM Post #10 |
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I guess that I just don't like the stuff getting into the food chain so I avoid it. I like the spring traps though. I saw that article about the bucket traps and would like to try something like that in my basement...no kids, or pets down there. |
| The truth is not for all men, but only for those that seek it. Ayn Rand | |
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