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I live in the country, so I've got mice that like to come into the house when the weather gets cold. The mice have learned to avoid the traps that I put inside the house, so I need to step up to something stronger. My first thought is to get some blocks of mouse poison and put a dozen of them all around the outside of the house, but I'm hesitant to do that, because I don't want to harm any birds that might feed on the mice.

Is there any mouse poison that I can use outside the house, that won't hurt any birds that feed on poisoned mice? Or is there a non-lethal alternative that I'm missing?

VividD
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David Yaw
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    You need the right bait, peanut butter is irresistable – kevinskio Jan 22 '15 at 20:47
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it does not appear to be about Gardening & Landscaping as defined in the [help center](http://gardening.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic). It would fit better at our [Home Improvement](http://diy.stackexchange.com/) site, imo. – J. Musser Jan 22 '15 at 21:40
  • I posted this looking for a recommendation of a rodent poison that won't hurt birds. That seems more on-topic here than at Home Improvement, but I'll defer to the wisdom of the collective. – David Yaw Jan 22 '15 at 22:03
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    Alternatively this question may also be on topic at [Sustainability SE](http://sustainability.stackexchange.com). We already have a [similar question for rats over there](http://sustainability.stackexchange.com/q/1050/99) – THelper Jan 24 '15 at 16:23
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    THE BEST CONTROL OF RODENTS ARE CATS. Poisoned rodents are not only eaten by birds but an incredible network of life forms. Please, do not use poison bait to kill rodents!!! Rescue some wonderful cats (neutered!!) to control a rodent problem. DO feed, water, immunize these cats and generally care for them well, and they will take care of your problem. When you trap and kill a mouse, there are thousands to fill its niche. Cat presence does make a difference! You will NEVER be able to get rid of all pests. Control and balance are attainable, however. – stormy Jan 29 '15 at 23:00
  • 'Cats' is a good answer in general, but it won't work for me, due to allergies. Is there truly no poison that will harm the rodents but not the birds/other predators? – David Yaw Jan 30 '15 at 00:19
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    Having studied pharmacology, the problem is that rodents are vertebrates as are birds, which means their biochemistry is very similar. What kills one will probably kill the other. Certainly warfarin based poisons are bad news for any mammal or birds that encounters them. Birds are quite often able to eaten poisonous berries that would harm mammals, but that is because without teeth they don't damage the seed which is where poisons are usually concentrated. – George of all trades Feb 22 '17 at 22:59
  • You could encourage natural predators - create perches for birds of prey to hunt from. – George of all trades Feb 22 '17 at 23:02

1 Answers1

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Have you exhausted all efforts with regard to plugging the holes? No holes, no mice.

Maybe try using a non-chemical dye of some sort that is preferably washable to allow the mice to show you where they are coming from & going to. You'd need to place it somewhere they are likely to walk through and hopefully somewhere already near where you expect an entrance to be.

Related: http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/security/weapons-of-mouse-destruction-how-to-eliminate-the-relentless-rodents-tracking-tech

His company developed a fluorescent powder that could help you track mice back to their nests. "When the mice walk on the powder, they get it on their feet and it leaves a footprint," Stern says. To get the powder onto the mice, load it into a box with food or dust it onto cotton balls, which the mice nab as nesting material. Then follow the footprints, which appear under UV, to find where the mice have set up shop. This lets you set up traps there, or seal off an outside entry point if mice are entering into the house from outdoors.

Also related: http://www.mousetraps.org.uk/mouse-traps/luminous-dust-mouse-tracking-kit

Using a sieve, sprinkle a small quantity of our luminous dust around the area you know them to frequent; where you have seen them, signs of nibbling, droppings etc.

The following morning and in low light conditions, switch on our black light torch (included with the kit). You'll be amazed to see how you can now follow their every action; their footprints will light up like tiny beacons.

Follow their previous night's movements for up to 20 metres; find out how they got in and what parts of the house they visited.

With some luck and determination, tactics like this should lead you to the entrance(s) and you can plug them for good. Even if you eliminate all the existing mice, if there are still holes, there will be future visitors.

Enigma
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