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otc

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I stepped on a mouse once.

Was just trying to corner the thing while someone grabbed something to catch it in...but it ran too fast and ended up under my foot.

No splat--just a dead mouse.
 

Ataturk

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Still kind of regret throwing a live mouse in a trap in the trash decades ago. That was when we burned our garbage, too...

A heat pump water heater -- how would that work? A quick googling says it needs a minimum of 1000 cubic feet of conditioned air space around it. Doesn't sound like it would work well for most people.
 

RedLantern

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People put them in the garage or, like I would, a utility room or basement.
 

jbarwick

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Seems like all being equal, the heat pump version will save you money if it will work in your situation. Our heater is situated below the room with a tv and when it kicks on you have to turn up the tv as it is quite loud. Don't know if it was advertised that way or not.
 

Snoogz

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find out where he comes in and out from. Set traps in those places; several of them in a row, along the wall or baseboard or cabinet where he runs. They run along walls and such. They are smart enough to jump over them, but if startled or in a pinch they will not be as cautious. Lie in wait and then try to startle him.

We had a horrific infestation at our old house, which was so old it didn't even really have a crawlspace so much as just a ditch underneath it. Mice got in with ease and chewed holes underneath the useable space of the cabinets, under the kickboards essentially. They were brazen; one day I set about 10 traps, turned off the lights, and laid in wait watching all their ingress and egress holes. Sure enough, they would cautiously approach the traps, taste the goods on offer, then casually hop over them. Refining my locations, I would suddenly jump up and turn on the lights and shout, and in their panic to get out of sight, *snap*. I offed about 12 of the bastards in 30 minutes' time.

It was horrible, actually. One of them didn't die, just got his leg, so I took him outside and offed him. Couldn't bear to do it myself really, I guess this makes me squeamish, but I put him under a car tire and backed over him.
Only one mouse inside, and entered through our garage door that was cracked open all night. No breaches elsewhere.

So the mouse had gotten a leg stuck on a catch master, but freed himself!! wtf these things are so damn sticky...frustrating.

So its safe to assume, since the mouse has experienced my traps (catch master sticky board), it will now avoid them with its knowledge...I suppose traps are the next step. Traps set with food, are still not a guarantee? They can taste the food, and still stay free?
 

jbarwick

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Just aerated and then applied fertilizer/pre-emergent herbicide to the front lawn (weed and feed). It should be good to go. the back yard is still only patches of grass. I'll have to try seeding again this spring.

I will be doing the same this fall. I am surprised by the amount of grass that grew in my yard despite the tough conditions.
 

RedLantern

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I will be doing the same this fall.  I am surprised by the amount of grass that grew in my yard despite the tough conditions.


I've got plans to do this tomorrow, if the weather holds. I already dethatched/demossed, so I'm excited to give it the last push towards being a good lawn!



Also, my wife texted me at work last night to let me know that we were getting a leak in the ceiling right around the attic access panel in the bedroom. Obviously not thrilled about that, especially because it's in the middle of a room, so I've not no idea where that water might have come from. The only good news it that the roof was put on in September by a respectable company, so I emailed them last night and will call them as soon as they open today. I'm pretty confident they will inspect and fix whatever is going on up there.
 
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brokencycle

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The mosquitoes are back. But I got one of those 12v ATV-mount sprayers (in a wheelbarrow jury rigged with a car battery jumper) so spraying the yard is a breeze. It sure beats carrying around a four-gallon sprayer that you have to pump constantly to maintain a decent spray rate.

It's this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-15-gallon-spot-sprayer-9583.html


It isn't even consistently warm enough to fertilize yet. Our snow just dissipated in the last week or so. I hate MN for more than just the weather, but the weather sure sucks here.
 

Ataturk

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Spring fertilizer is a bad idea in most places -- or at least it is around here. But things might be different where you are. I have no idea.

Around here the grass goes dormant during the winter and wakes up slowly at the same time the winter weeds are peaking. Fertilizer now would just feed the weeds. It also encourages fungus which can be a problem in the spring and fall. The brown spot got me pretty good last fall, so yesterday I sprayed my yard with a fungicide (or at least the parts of it that got the fungus last year). Got half a dozen bottles for $2 each in a lucky find in the clearance section of a tractor supply store.

BTW even with an electric sprayer the granule-based fungicide is preferable. Spraying a whole lawn sucks.
 
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JohnGalt

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in my defense, i considered just stomping him, but if he had exploded I would have gotten blood all over the place. It was the fastest, cleanest way I could think to do it on short notice.


back in school we euthanized experimental mice in a little container with co2.
 
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Ataturk

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Small animals have high metabolisms and drown very quickly. Don't know if that's more humane than squishing them, but it's probably neater.
 

texas_jack

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It isn't even consistently warm enough to fertilize yet. Our snow just dissipated in the last week or so. I hate MN for more than just the weather, but the weather sure sucks here.


We got an inch of snow 2 weeks ago here near Chicago but it's been melted for the most part since mid March. Winter was insane for this native Texan.


Spring fertilizer is a bad idea in most places -- or at least it is around here. But things might be different where you are. I have no idea.

Around here the grass goes dormant during the winter and wakes up slowly at the same time the winter weeds are peaking. Fertilizer now would just feed the weeds. It also encourages fungus which can be a problem in the spring and fall. The brown spot got me pretty good last fall, so yesterday I sprayed my yard with a fungicide (or at least the parts of it that got the fungus last year). Got half a dozen bottles for $2 each in a lucky find in the clearance section of a tractor supply store.

BTW even with an electric sprayer the granule-based fungicide is preferable. Spraying a whole lawn sucks.


Probably a Cool Season vs Warm Season grass situation. Here in upper Midwest (NW Indiana) it's the right time to do this, you're in the Southern US right? I have a tow behind spreader that I tow behind my tractor. It's super easy doing our lawn. It's harder to blow/sweep the stray granules off the driveway and street than to actually lay it down.
 

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