Mice In Aviary

[Wayno 0]

okay, Went to Bunnings to get some ideas, what about:

 

Aluminium Flashing, Its very slippery and you can buy it in 10 metre rolls and its 300mm.

 

Do you think it would do the job if i put this at the bottom of the aviary to stop the mice from climbing up the wire.

 

This would at least stop the mice from getting to nests and food sources.

 

Its a start then I can work on eradicating them from the aviary full stop.

 

What do you think?

[**KAZ** 0]

300 mm isnt tall enough ..........I have seen them jump nearly two feet ( 600mm )

Edited April 16, 2008 by KAZ

[melbournebudgies 0]

I think that would do quite well. Just make sure there are no gaps, they can squeeze through pretty small spots.My father in law uses a piece of plumbers plastic pipe witha cap on each end, he made a very small hole in one end and places a set mousetrap inside it. Nothing other than a mouse can get in that way and when the trap is set off he just takes the end cap off to get the mouse out. Just make sure tht you don't have baby qails at the time as they might fit.If you find it isn't working you could always place the flashing at the bottom with a layer of plastic up a bit higher so they can't get a grip.

[Wayno 0]

Kaz,Are you saying thay can jump off the ground up 600mm? Never seen that before, only really see them climb up wireHere is another question for you Kaz, How would you go about getting rid of the mice that are tunneling in the Garden beds in my aviary. I cover the holes up each day but in the morning again they have dug through. Should i flush them out with water? or do i need to dig them out? or do you have any other suggestions?Working on it this weekend..

300 mm isnt tall enough ..........I have seen them jump nearly two feet ( 600mm )

Thanks for that idea about plumbers pipe, I was looking at doing that anyway this weekend, someone told me to drill the hole at one end and to put bait inside, making sure the bait cannot come out. But not sure about this as i have brought some bait that is really strong and i'm worried it might get to the birds, but if i try it in the bird room first might have some luck. I have 4 traps out with peanut butter but havent had any luck the last week, i think they are getting smarter.I'm not sure if aluminium flashing is available in more than 300mm will have to enquire.

I think that would do quite well. Just make sure there are no gaps, they can squeeze through pretty small spots.My father in law uses a piece of plumbers plastic pipe witha cap on each end, he made a very small hole in one end and places a set mousetrap inside it. Nothing other than a mouse can get in that way and when the trap is set off he just takes the end cap off to get the mouse out. Just make sure tht you don't have baby qails at the time as they might fit.If you find it isn't working you could always place the flashing at the bottom with a layer of plastic up a bit higher so they can't get a grip.

[**KAZ** 0]

Kaz,Are you saying thay can jump off the ground up 600mm? Never seen that before, only really see them climb up wireHere is another question for you Kaz, How would you go about getting rid of the mice that are tunneling in the Garden beds in my aviary. I cover the holes up each day but in the morning again they have dug through. Should i flush them out with water? or do i need to dig them out? or do you have any other suggestions?Working on it this weekend.

 

Yes...they can jump that high. You have to remember they run very fast and take flying leaps at things. I was at a friends place who has mice in plague proportions one day and I saw them leaping and running up the aviary wire...leaping as high as nearly 3 feet. They ran upside down across meshed ceilings, drop into food containers hanging from the ceilings, squeeze through 10 mm square mesh etc.

We have had the same issues as you with mice in my husbands aviary and every time it rains the mice come in again.

Soil floors is a hard thing to defeat mice tunnelling in...........We flush with water every now and then too. BUT a major issue can be caused by wet soil activating diseases in birds. It can activate coccidiosis. To be avoided if possible. Traps are set with poisons but tucked away and within other containers so any poison dragged out of the baitbox doesnt go straight onto the soil floor for birds to peck up.

I am rebuilding my budgie aviaries that started out life with tons of plants and soil floors...soon to be concreted. I have suffered losses at times from rodent contamination so do not wish to expereince that again. A lot of thought going into how to have the newbirdroom and flights mouse proof myself.

[melbournebudgies 0]

The best way I have found to solve the problem of soil floors is to and put down a layer of the very small mesh (is it 5mm or something) that s designed to exclude mice, that way even if they try to dig under they won't be able to get through. You can dig down atleast an inch or two if you want and cover it up so that it is buried.

[**Liv** 0]

I was just about the say the same thing Melbourne :dbb1:

 

Buring mesh under the soil keeps the lovely natural look, but stops thoes digging rodents too

[melbournebudgies 0]

SNAP!

 

Also it stops too much destruction by my cheeky quails

[Wayno 0]

Interesting night last night.

 

Didnt find any holes this morning in the Garden Beds, each morning for the past 5 days there have been holes and i have been covering them up. But this morning they didnt dig through. Wonder Why?

 

I also brought a mouse contraption, it is skinny and is made of steel, you put it on the floor of the aviary, it is long and skinny., It opens up at the top, you put Mouse bait in the middle and close it. At each end is a tiny hole which only mice can get through.

 

I tried it last night and half the bait is gone. Its a good thing beacuse hopefully the mice have gone away to die and a bad thing is that if half the bait is gone does that mean I have a nice colony of mice?

 

The Bait cant really get out of the hole so is pretty safe for the birds, plus i remove it from aviary first thing in the morning. The bait was from Bunnings and is Green.

 

I also brought a bucket of really strong bait called TOM Cat (Its Red), anyone heard of this? Will try this tonight it is meant to be much stronger than the Green Stuff.

 

Sat morning will cover up some hole ive found with concrete.

[**KAZ** 0]

I have used the bait called Tom Cat too. I think with rodent bait it pays to keep changing brands and types. Your mouse bait thing sounds good. There is an automated mousetrap you can buy that catches a mouse and arms itself for the next one and then the next and so on till its full...They are around $50 though. At least with that kind...you know you have caught them and how many.

[Wayno 0]

Kaz,

 

Can you tell me more about this automated Mouse Trap, does it kill the mice or catch them alive? Is it safe to put in an aviary or in places like a bird room?

 

 

I have used the bait called Tom Cat too. I think with rodent bait it pays to keep changing brands and types. Your mouse bait thing sounds good. There is an automated mousetrap you can buy that catches a mouse and arms itself for the next one and then the next and so on till its full...They are around $50 though. At least with that kind...you know you have caught them and how many.

[**KAZ** 0]

The Automatic Mousetrap is designed to capture and hold up to 15 mice at a time. The trap requires no bait just the curiosity of the mouse. The tunnel entrance which is placed along the edge of the room so that when the mouse goes through the tunnel the mouse is automatically moved inside the trap.The clock work mechanism then resets the trap to used again upto 15 times on one full wind

 

* Designed to be set across mice runs

* The automated flap captures a mouse then resets again for up to 15 mice

* A clear plastic lid, allows you to see at a glance when you have caught something.

* Ventilation points reduce stress to caught mice.

* No bait required – each trap is provided with full instructions for use.

 

NB: Mice carry a variety of diseases, and should never be handled without protection.To minimise distress to catured mice, traps must be checked regularly (preferably every 2 hours), and should not be left overnight.

 

 

Supplier www.bellsouth.com.au look under accessories

[melbournebudgies 0]

The only issue I have with this one Kaz is that I then have to kill the buggers!

[Wayno 0]

Yeah i dont' like the idea of doing that either. Could alleviate the problem very quickly though.

 

On the instructions it says on leave in there for 2 hours and dont leave over night.

 

I only see Mice overnight never during the day, so not sure about it

 

 

 

 

The only issue I have with this one Kaz is that I then have to kill the buggers!

[Indz♥ 0]

I know mice a pesky pest but it is never nice having to resort to killing them hey...oh well as long as the birds are okay!!!

[**KAZ** 0]

I know mice a pesky pest but it is never nice having to resort to killing them hey...oh well as long as the birds are okay!!!

Mice are more than "pesky" Indz....they can kill a budgie or bird in a day by weeing and pooping in the birds food and water.

[melbournebudgies 0]

If you use the bait blocks rather than pellets they can't drag them out into the aviary and scatter them for birds to eat. If you put a bait block into a little plastic container or a pipe with a hole cut in the end they would go in to feed but not be able to pull the bait block out through the hole.

 

Also a recipe for non-toxic mouse bait: 50:50 plaster of paris or cement and icing sugar. Put the dish somewhere where the birds aren't likely to get to it. I haven't tried this personally but a bloke I know swears by it in his chook sheds. If the mouse dies in the aviary and a bird picks at the carcass the won't be poisoned that way.

[maz7 0]

Ag my favourite subject! Mice can eradicate your flock in 1 week as they eat your birds food and pee on it. Your birds get this food in and die from Pharatyphus (excuse spelling).they chewed through cement?wood and wire.plastic. ? They laugh at you they chew through it.flooding helps zits they are faster than lightning.Poison. I'm a softy and I hate killing little creatures but my birds come first. My specialist mixed me rat poison (BLUE) IN A BOTTLE OF SWEET WINE. WE HAV A PRODUCT CALLED HANEPOOT. They go for the sweet wine and invest poison and die. It's imperative that location must be were no dog, cat.or bird can get to it.no kid can get to it.I have a double entry door like a safe door. I left some seeds there among food containers that r sealed. Took a yoghurt cup and cut it in half,stone in it do can't be tipped and put the cocktail in .empty my Aviary of over 100 birds and am treating them with special stuff for them.Tommorrow I disinfect and scrub aviary and put poison down again. Well keep birds in cages for 5 day treatment of meds. One sign is a protruding breastfeeding bone.birds and mice love seeds BUT theye r grave enemies

 

Sad but TRUE! TINY SWEET MICE BUT NA ST SICKNESS! KILLING YOUR ENTIRE FLOCK CHOP CHOP.I LOVE YOUR AVIARY ! IT'S ABSOLUTELY STUFF ING. GREAT Maz7

 

*I meant stunning

 

And Nasty sickness.