Safe and effective mouse deterrents?

Buttercup has a little visitor to his side of the aviary, but I'd rather he didn't have house guests of the mousey kind, so I'm after a safe and effective deterrent.

The Big Boys don't have a visitor, but they eat all their pellets straight away, whereas Butters grazes, so I'm giving him most of his pellets in the morning and just a few late afternoon, and if there are any left at bedtime I will now take them out.

I did read that peppermint oil would deter mice, but it hasn't worked.

Has anyone else got any good ideas?

They're field mice from the heathland out the back, and very tiny so they can get in any little gaps.

Not really sure what the best plan would be I'm afraid, apart from humane traps perhaps? Bare in mind though that I think they then need to be taken at least 2 miles away otherwise they may come back. Sorry I couldn't be more help, I just didn't want to read and run

Silly 'bunny mummy'!!! said:

Not really sure what the best plan would be I'm afraid, apart from humane traps perhaps? Bare in mind though that I think they then need to be taken at least 2 miles away otherwise they may come back. Sorry I couldn't be more help, I just didn't want to read and run

Click to expand...

Thanks

As we live backing on to heathland I reckon that as soon as we moved one mouse away another will move in :lol: I just want to keep them out of the aviary, really.

I will just have to make sure Butters gets his pellets earlier in the evening and doesn't have any left over night, I think.

Do mice eat hay?? I think you may be fighting a losing battle,Blackers.:shock:

yvette said:

Do mice eat hay?? I think you may be fighting a losing battle,Blackers.:shock:

Click to expand...

Nah, it's the pellets they're after I could see the piles of pellet dust in with the piles of mouse poop.

I'm not much help on deterrents i'm afraid but I agree mint is a definite waste of time. I often see it mentioned as a repellent but my mice (albeit domestic pet mice) absolutely love mint so I'm not sure where that comes from!

They also like hay to nest in so I would just keep a close eye on that.

yvette said:

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wc...ay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=783331

Click to expand...

Thanks

Unfortunately I have no electricity in the aviary for plugging one in :lol:

Also, I can hear these, and they drive me nuts, so I would worry that the buns would be driven nuts too :?

BattleKat said:

I'm not much help on deterrents i'm afraid but I agree mint is a definite waste of time. I often see it mentioned as a repellent but my mice (albeit domestic pet mice) absolutely love mint so I'm not sure where that comes from!

They also like hay to nest in so I would just keep a close eye on that.

Click to expand...

Yes, I keep an eye on that - and it freaks me out everytime I clean them out just in case a mouse shoots out :lol: