MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convetion, Exhibition)

Tired of worrying about gnawed wires, chewed-up items in storage, and, ugh droppings? Well, how to get rid of mice in attic areas and other out-of-the-way places is not all that difficult – and you can do it successfully in a non-toxic, environment-friendly way!

Getting rid of mice, rats, and squirrels in attic area include the following options:

- Traps. Three common types of traps exist for rodents – the kind that kill or maim, usually by a spring-loaded bar snapping down on them when triggered by the animal attempting to snatch a bait. The other two types of traps involve luring the animal with food into a cage that automatically shuts or onto a glue-saturated board upon which the animal becomes stuck. Both types require disposal of the animal – either while it’s still alive or when it’s dead. Neither type of trap is fail-safe. Often the animal escapes time and again before the trap actually “works.”

- Poison. Most rodent poisons contain warfarin, an anticoagulant. Considered inhumane by many people, the ingestion of warfarin causes massive internal bleeding. It’s important when using warfarin-based poison to keep water access unavailable. Craving water (due to dehydration caused by the chemical) forces the animal to go outside of the building in search of water (at which time it will die). Otherwise, you will find dead, decomposing rodents in your home. You must take care to close all toilet seats, as well as put away pet dishes and other containers holding water.

- Predator repellants. Non-toxic and pet- and environment-friendly, this is the one we recommend. The urine from foxes, coyotes, and bobcats prevents rodents from ever taking up residence in a building in the first place. Because predators “mark” their territory using urine, rodents smell the urine, determine the presence of one of these predators, and avoid the area in which these products have been placed. Available online at a number of retail sites, you can get this type of product in liquid, powder, or granule form.

That’s our take for the best way to get rid of rodents in the attic or elsewhere. And studies from the USDA, Colorado State University, Penn State, Cornell, and other noted organizations support these findings. So get rid of those pests the humane, safe, and effective way. Get a predator urine-based repellant and keep your attic rodent-free.

For more household information, visit http://www.onlinetips.org, and read organic lawn care tips and urban compost tumbler tips.

What is it with all the cats in the winter? Do they forget how to catch mice? They are so round and fat they look like they are going to explode, yet when you put food in front of them they eat as if they were starving. Sort of like my mother-in-law. Wait! Scratch that. Never mind. Don’t. What are the chances she’ll read anything I wrote? My sister-in-law can tell her.

We’re having a heat wave. It warmed up to 33 degrees. The icicles started melting and falling off of the house. One of them almost got the cat, like a spear. I’m sure that the scare took away one or two of his nine lives.
How come mice never have accidents. They chew through electric wires, cause fires, then run off into the fields. Maybe we could leave decoy food in the yard to lure them away from the house.

After all my house guests left, there wasn’t enough food left to interest the mice. I’ve devised a plan to rid myself of unwanted house guests. You know the kind. They stay and stay and eat and eat and complain.

1. Let the dog lick off the plates then put them directly into the cupboard. 2. Have husband belch loudly and pick his nose at the dinner table. Of course, if the house guest husband does this too, it probably won’t deter them. 3. Turn on hot water for washer when house guest is in the shower or flush the toilet. 4. Cook a lot of beans. They are cheap and loaded with protein among other things. 5. Have the neighbor children over and make sure they run through the house and get into everything. Mine do that anyway. 6. Run out of soap and toilet paper (hide some for yourself, of course). I tried running out and the house guest presented me with a grocery list. They can’t find a store or their wallet to contribute. I guess that the pleasure of their company is supposed to suffice. Oh, by the way, the beans everyday finally did the trick. Do you want to borrow my bean cookbook?

Granny Marge just published her second humor book, Granny’s Journal, following closely on the heels of her first one, Have I Ever Told You How Much I Hate People? Written by Two Little Old Ladies With No Friends.