Winter Mice

Where would you go if a house was 70 degrees and the outdoors was 5 below?

Your house of course, and a house mouse can get through an opening the size of your pinky. So how do you get rid of them and stop them?

It is important to be pro-active. Mice urinate as they move about. This scent trail gives other mice a road to follow when an opening is found under your garage door, vents or foundation cracks. So stopping them before that scent is set is important.

There are a lot of good informational sites on how to make your home more mouse proof that I will list, but the one often forgotten are the house pipes. These pipes serve as highways so as we've discussed before, look under every basin and fill those open gaps.

The other issue that is extremely important is to protect yourself from the Hantavirus.  This is a very serious disease my wife actually had to endure so I am very quick to keep people safe from it. The virus is from the feces of field mice (cousin to the house mouse and often a resident in our homes). The feces is actually a bit different and you can distinguish one from the other as shown in this very good link of information from the University of Nebraska. I strongly suggest reading that entire publication.

Now armed with that information, what really is the best way for the DIY person to get rid of mice. The first step is to start organic, I use a peppermint scent product that has proven pretty effective in discouraging mice from wanting to choose my home versus the neighbors. This is a great start but you will be disappointed if you use it as your only answer. You will need to keep glue boards and traps out to truly be completely effective.

The key to traps is that mice adapt very quickly to different environments, and despite their brain size...are not stupid. As the Nebraska University Study demonstrated, you have to be creative in your bait and the way you set your traps.

Do not get discouraged if a mouse takes your bait and gets away with it. Use the same bait on a different type of trap. In example if you use a snap trap and the bait is stolen, put the same bait on a glue board and this time you'll get them.

Young small mice get away with a lot but they do not stay small for more than a couple of weeks, so the trap they were able to steal from this week might get them next week.

The key is diligence, keep with it and you will get rid of those mice.

Pesticide spraying in wind

We can't see the face, but we know right away they didn't read the label because they did not wear a long sleeve shirt and rubber gloves, so this person is breaking the law and exposing themselves to chemicals.

The other issue is how much wind are they dealing with?

Wind and pesticides are a serious problem.

Wind drift will kill off-target plants, and if this is over a neighbors property line, you are now chemically trespassing which is a liable offense. If their tree dies, you will be in court paying for that tree.

So how much is too much wind when spraying chemicals. Professionals, and most labels in most states, have 10mph as the cut off point. This is not the average but the maximum gusts. You need to check your local law to know for sure.

If a farmer or a professional sprays in wind over the label or state recommendation, they are liable for a fine from the department of agriculture and the EPA.

I know; you see it all the time, it's only because there is not enough enforcement to stop them. You have the right to call these organizations if you see the law being broken and they will investigate. The professional has to keep a log of when they sprayed and at which time, if they are honest on that log, it is all recorded. If they are not honest on that log, it's another serious fine.

The home owner needs to be just as careful when they have a DIY spray job to do. Many phone apps will tell you what the nearest weather station is saying for wind. If you are in doubt, don't spray. Home owners kill more of their own plants every year than all the professional sprayers in the world.

The problem is that often there is no wind when you start and a gust comes up unexpectedly. Ways to avoid this is to spray early in the morning when the ground is the same temperature as the air so there is less chance of wind. Watch out for mini-wind tunnels between houses and at the corner of the house. Go around that corner first and see if you feel any wind on your face, before pulling the trigger.

There are devices that apply chemical without spraying. The Dept of Ag has not really given a ruling in many states on these devices, so check with your local office if it is okay to use it in windy conditions.

The device pictured is called the Red Wand and it has a cloth that soaks with the herbicide so you can wipe in on the plant.

A old farmer trick is to use an old oil funnel cone over the end of the spray wand so you cover the entire plant with the cone and the wind can't affect it, but again, ask your local office if this qualifies to be used in windy conditions.

Wind is a real pain when spraying out doors, but don't ignore it and think you'll get away without doing damage.

Organic Pest Control

Organic Pest Control has become a very big buzz word on the internet with everything from hot water to egg shells as the cure all for weed or pest control. Does organic pest control really work? The answer is yes. However there are often issues that the person claiming to have all the answers don't include.

Such as hot scalding water to kill weeds in your garden. Yes it will work but there will be new weeds the next week in the same location.

The truth about organic pest control is it will work to some degree and you need to decide what your tolerance level is for pests and effort. You will spend a lot more time doing pest control but you will not have any chemicals on your property.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a term for trying to use as little chemical as possible but still create a threshold level where you decide chemical is necessary. Then changing environmental situations to try and reduce or even eliminate the need for chemicals in the future. This is the real world for most of us. I have never met anyone who really wanted to use chemicals. They just didn't know there was an option.

So explore all the organic options and test them first if you have the time and only use chemical means when absolutely necessary.

PROTECT yourself from chemicals

This is what I often see Home Owners doing when out spraying chemicals. This guy at least has glasses on but his dermal exposure risk is severe.

Read the label and always wear vinyl gloves, glasses, long sleeve shirt, rubber boots, covering yourself from any residual contact. Then remove that clothing and wash it double rinse in a load without any of your other clothes to insure no residual gets in contact.

Do this ANY time you are using chemicals, spider barrier, weed control, it doesn't matter, the applicator is at the most risk.

If you are using concentrates, increase that level of protection ten fold. This is where you can really get hurt and you need to be aware.

Licensed applicators face severe fines if they do not wear Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to insure they will not face cancer and other side effects at a later date. If you are going to use professional grade pesticides you need to treat it as a professional for you safety and the safety of your family.

More is NOT better when it comes to pesticides

Men seem to be worse about this than women but there seems to be a tendency to believe that if a little is good than a lot must be better.

This is NOT True when it comes to pesticides. As a matter of fact it often has the reverse effect. A good example is 2,4-d which is a growth regulator that triggers the plants cell structure to outgrow its ability to sustain itself. If you put more than the recommended amount on the plant it will actually shut down and go into dormancy to protect itself.

The label has given the optimal amount of active ingredient for the best results at the safest rate for humans and pets.

I smell over application of weed control all during the summer. This is exposing not only the applicator but the people in the nearby vicinity. When you smell the chemical that strongly something is wrong and it is wise to contact your local Department of Agriculture and report it. The only way we will get control over applicators who are mis-using chemicals is to regulate the use of those chemicals.

The Dangers of DIY Pest Control

Whether it is a weed or a creepy crawly; pest control becomes necessary at some point. However we need to be very careful about how we do our own pest control.

Recently we have seen many products with very powerful chemicals become readily available online. Just like medicine or anti-biotics, these can be useful and help us; but at the same time, a lack of information about how to use them can become very dangerous.

Throughout this informational blog you will hear me say over and over, "READ THE LABEL". This is a legal document designed to protect you and your family when using any type of pesticide or insecticide. It is in tiny print, written in "leagaleze" and very annoying to take the time to read. The fact most people never read the entire label leads to terrible exposure problems that have the potential to harm us and those we love. So even though it's a bore, read the label.

Take the time to study the blog pages on how to minimize your danger in pest control.