Declaring War on Unwanted Varmints!

For some reason I'm hearing about unwanted varmints everywhere. Living critters that have decided to encroach on our space, and cost us money because of their terrible habits.

Other rodent control measures include moth balls and/or Bounce paper, or the stuff you put in the dryer to prevent static cling. There are also electronic devices that emit noise that's supposed to keep mice away.

The second issue was from Debbie, a viewer whose husband encountered a snake when checking the tractor engine. I have a black snake that frequents my garage, and I'd rather have him there than rodents because he likes to eat them. I've never caught him in the engine compartment, though. Their snake was a chicken snake and I'd bet he was just passing through. I've never heard of a chronic snake infestation causing problems, but it's possible.

My friend Wes has had something burrow under his out building and messing up the concrete. Don't know if it's a ground hog, skunk, or badger, but he has a big bill to fix the damage and a wildlife camera and weapons to prevent a recurrence. I'm not sure why an animal would try to burrow under concrete, but I've had it happen and it can cause a lot of damage.

Finally, I have squirrels in my attic. Why they're up there in the hottest time of the year, I don't know, but they need to go back in the woods where they belong. I don't want them to start a family up there. I'm thinking of making them uncomfortable by putting a guitar amp up there cranked wide open and playing my repertoire of The Who songs.

If you've had problems with any of these critters and have good solutions for all of us, put them in the comments below.

If you're tried any of these, please put your experience in the comments below.

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[patrickmulrain]

Kept a cat that lived in my shed to keep the mouse population down.
Had a woodchuck dig under the cement slab of my shed. Live trapped it and disposed of it.
Squirrels had found a way from my garage attic to my house attic. Used hardware cloth to cover the entrance hole.

[chrism.]

Our issue this spring and early summer seems to have been an over-abundance of raccoons. They were getting a free meal eating our barn cat food and then discovered the chickens, ducks and guineas. The wife kind of fought me about what the issue was as they are so "soft an cuddly". It took me finding one breaking into my duck run to convince her that was the issue. Additional wire, live traps and a .22 seems to have quieted things down. Not quite the level of pain your neighbor is experiencing, but the story reminded me some ground hogs that decided to move in under a small shed I had built for my tractor. It only had a gravel floor, so relatively easy to sort, but it was still upsetting the day I walked in to get the tractor and had the ground collapse under me. I ended up in about a foot and a half deep hole. In my case, I started by using water to flood things and then replacing their divots. Mice discussion points to why you want to inspect your smaller air-cooled engines that have sat for any length of time. Removing a nest is a headache, but not as big a headache as rebuilding an engine after it over heats and throws a rod.

[chrisperry]

for Mice: 5 gal bucket, ramp to get in, peanut butter as bait - there are various tops, trap door, windmill style. I did a windmill with my 3D printer - instant success. 4in of water in bucket they drown, empty and they live for relocation.

groundhogs in the field or garden or barn is my issue. Recently read about using ammonia or moth balls. We'll see how that works. Flooding, fire/smoke sometimes works.

[nealsparks]

I used to mow with the highway department. One Monday we started down the right of way and I was operating a 15 foot mower behind a John Deere. All of a sudden I saw smoke coming out from under the hood and a large pack rat jumped out and took off. He had chewed the insulation off the wires and it caught the chaff on fire. Needless to say we had to send that one to the shop for repairs.

[steveprice]

I use a 22 long rifle with scope for the squirrels. Also a 12 Gauge. For chipmunks and mice I use sticky pads and the green poison pellets in the barn.

[tommeisenzahl]

I use a 5 gallon bucket with a can through a rod lined with peanut butter and fill the bucket 1/2 full of water with a ramp. They always have to eat and ever since I started using it they stopped going in to my tractor. I also make sure the doors are all properly sealed. The bucket gets multiple mice at a time. Best of luck.

[oliviahentges]

We always keep 4 or 5 cats around the farm buildings. Haven't seen mice, lizards for several years

[carlholcomb]

I hadn't used my tractor for a couple of weeks. When Ii decided to do some work I cranked it up and got off to get something. After a while I came back I climbed on, throttled up and looked down to locate the pedal. Well then I had a coming to Jesus moment because there was a Timber Rattle coming out of the dash. He was about 8" out and 3" from my leg when I launched myself out of the seat backwards over the wheel and about 8' out in my yard. I'm 65 years old so this was a feat for me. I lost my glasses during this so when I found them and something to handle the problem with, it was gone. A week later my dog found a rattler 30' from where this happened not sure if it was the same snake but it got the blame anyway.

[gregtoland]

I just put bar bait 3-4 place on tractor and around the barn. They also make a cheap lid contraption that fits on a 5 gal bucket. fill it half way with water and they drown.

[swblack]

I went to the local Humane Society for my rodent problem and adopted two barn cats. It was working well for a couple months but in my area of Washington state near Puget Sound. We also have coyotes the barn. Cats😢 did not survive. I don’t like indoor cats I’m allergic, but I may have to find a way to keep the cats outside but safe to me it’s the only way to win the battle against rodents

[tedcrockett]

Cheap strobe light in the attic runs and keeps squirrels out at our home.

[philrogers]

My stepson uses slivers of Irish Spring soap in his garage for mice.

[jackwilson]

I live in Marshfield, MO, an Armadillo dug under my concrete shop floor

[davemanone]

i find that the most annoying varmints are on 2 legs. unfortunately, i'm not allowed to do away with them, dang!

[christopherwalker]

Mike along time ago before I got a tractor. My lawn mower in the barn wouldn't start one day and a rat had chewed through the fuel line and dranked 2 gallons of gas. So I thought for a long time and came up with a electric fence charger and run the wire about 1 inch off the ground around the room and what ever crals under the door it's over. Rats snakes what ever. So when I got a tractor it won't go in the room it just in the open barn. Run the wire around the tractor just like the room. And you take care of more of them. I've got pictures of rats trying to crawl under the wire plus snakes and a turtle. Never had a problem with the tractor.

[Raul]

Get some castor beans grind 'em up and mix with peanut butter. Leave that in the attic for them. then go on an exclusion tour of the property, cut all trees back from the house at least 8 feet, and close up all openings around the ground.

[tdup]

My first home had squirrels living in the attic. When we did the inspection I saw the big nest in the attic. I was young and ignorant, so I believed it when the real estate agent told me that if they removed the nest, the squirrels would be gone. I tried lots of methods, but after two years what worked was catching the squirrels in a live trap and removing them. I would leave bait on a pan in the attic to see if they were gone. If the bait is gone, the squirrels are not. I learned that squirrels will range 11 miles. They almost burned the house down when we had an electrical fire from wires they chewed on. I feel for you, but I’d act quickly.

[brianhillis]

Skunks are the worst it took me two years to discourage a skunk from living under my house. Sqirrels are tough I had one climb a brick wall to a second story window and chew a hole through a aluminum window frame to get in the walls. Once raccons start coming in they are hard to stop.

[aussiefarmer]

I'm trying to encourage barn owls with nesting box, in the hay shed where the tractors live.

[DAWGnROADIE]

I have half a dozen barn cats. The cost of feed is cheap compared to wiring and other goods. They keep mice and rats away. Since there are no mice I have no snakes either. No squirrels either.
I have to check under my truck hood before starting, but it’s worth it.
Those cats are pure gangster.