• Everything other than hot peppers. Questions, discussion, and grow logs. Cannabis grow pics are only allowed when posted from a legal juridstiction.

Next year = no big tomatoes.

L

lostmind

The mice are DEVASTATING my tom's they get a few of the cherries but I don't mind that.

But they destroy anything larger. Last year I set out traps and killed 8 mice. This year I don't have the heart for it.

What would you grow instead? They seem to leave most everything else alone...
 
Mix up some hot spray and cover the toms liberally. All mammals feel the effects of capsaicin, just make the toms too damn hot for them. You ever see a squirrel get his heat on? They dance, badly. Hilarious. Good luck.
 
I've had deer eat habs and freak out but the squirrels/chipmunks seem to smell and avoid them. The mice on the other hand just love eating my dried peppers although the hotter they are the less they get munched
 
wordwiz said:
Cats.

Mike
Click to expand...


ha ha. nice.


I have a ground mole that digs right through the roots of my pepper plants so I laid out a generous dosage of Dave's Insanity and it didn't seem to stop him at all. I often wonder what he must go through after getting that stuff all over him night after night.
 
POTAWIE said:
I've had deer eat habs and freak out but the squirrels/chipmunks seem to smell and avoid them. The mice on the other hand just love eating my dried peppers although the hotter they are the less they get munched
Click to expand...

Ack so mice even eat peppers? Doh.. there goes that idea.

I was at the farmer market today and asked a guy how he deals with mice eating his tomatoes and he looked at my like I was on crack :(
 
Hey Lostmind,
I am wondering if you might be able to use metal flashing around the bottom. Say...make a circle out of it 2-3 ft. in diameter and 1 ft. wide. You can bury it a couple of inches and leave the rest above ground. It should be too smooth for them to climb up. As long as you keep the lower limbs trimmed and everything off the ground I would assume it would work. I have not tried this or seen this done by others but the idea popped in my head so I figured I would throw it out there. Good luck.
 
Josh said:
Hey Lostmind,
I am wondering if you might be able to use metal flashing around the bottom. Say...make a circle out of it 2-3 ft. in diameter and 1 ft. wide. You can bury it a couple of inches and leave the rest above ground. It should be too smooth for them to climb up. As long as you keep the lower limbs trimmed and everything off the ground I would assume it would work. I have not tried this or seen this done by others but the idea popped in my head so I figured I would throw it out there. Good luck.
Click to expand...

I think that is a great idea. Next year I may try this, maybe in combo with a big pot that has the bottom cut out. This way there is 12" of smooth pot with a "rim" point on an upward angle (like a Y) making it more difficult for the damned mice to get to the toms.

And I think I will try some hydro tricks in rubbermaids next year too. Hopefully that's high enough off the ground they can't attack the fruit.
 
Is your wife allergic to dogs? There are plenty of rat dog breeds out there. My mate has "Moodle", maltese cross poodle and that thing can kill upwards of 20 mice a day. Sits at the door of the chicken coup most of the day waiting for the little bastards.
 
lostmind said:
I think that is a great idea. Next year I may try this, maybe in combo with a big pot that has the bottom cut out. This way there is 12" of smooth pot with a "rim" point on an upward angle (like a Y) making it more difficult for the damned mice to get to the toms.

And I think I will try some hydro tricks in rubbermaids next year too. Hopefully that's high enough off the ground they can't attack the fruit.
Click to expand...

Now your thinking! Sounds like you got it all covered. I hope everything works out for you next season.
 
Novacastrian said:
Is your wife allergic to dogs? There are plenty of rat dog breeds out there. My mate has "Moodle", maltese cross poodle and that thing can kill upwards of 20 mice a day. Sits at the door of the chicken coup most of the day waiting for the little bastards.
Click to expand...

We have a mini dachshund. He is a ratter... but he gives the mice a fighting chance by letting out a warning bark as he launches out the door.

So far he has only come back with some black fur on his mouth so I know he *nearly* got one. But then again, he *nearly* got a crow once - snagged a tailfeather with a jump!

But the mice don't care about him.. they just run under the fence and soon as he is gone they much come right back in for a snack on my maters!
:mouthonfire:
 
Josh said:
Hey Lostmind,
I am wondering if you might be able to use metal flashing around the bottom. Say...make a circle out of it 2-3 ft. in diameter and 1 ft. wide. You can bury it a couple of inches and leave the rest above ground. It should be too smooth for them to climb up. As long as you keep the lower limbs trimmed and everything off the ground I would assume it would work. I have not tried this or seen this done by others but the idea popped in my head so I figured I would throw it out there. Good luck.
Click to expand...


I can tell you from personal experience that mice can easily jump a foot or two in the air. And they are extremely clever. I hate to say it, but population control is the only answer.
 
Lostmind, if you are averse to killing them, and you don't mind putting in the work, you can catch them with live-traps. Then drive them far, far away(at least 5 miles away) and release them in a farmers field somewhere.
 
origamiRN said:
Lostmind, if you are averse to killing them, and you don't mind putting in the work, you can catch them with live-traps. Then drive them far, far away(at least 5 miles away) and release them in a farmers field somewhere.
Click to expand...

Just don't let the farmers see you do it.
 
Well, I'm not growing but a couple of large toms next year either, and I have enough cats eradicate the worst mouse infestation imaginable. I don't like the fact they do not ripen uniformly - by the time the top is ripe, the bottom is rotten. Plus, they don't provide near the thick juice smaller maters do.

I'll have the obligatory Beefsteak or two, if for no other reasons than Show and Tell and for Fried Green tomatoes but most of the space will go toward Roma, Red Zebra and Siletz. If some hybrids I am trying to grow this winter turn out great, I'll use them also.

And cats will patrol the area!

Mike
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top