Would like a recommendation on a rodent control service, please. Have a mice problem.

When we lived in the country, we didn't have a problem with mice in our house, but we did have a problem in my shop building and storage building. Here is how I took care of the problem. It takes a little diligence, but it works, and before long your critters will be gone.

First, this is what you'll need:

One 5 gallon bucket
One regular size pop can ...full.
Peanut butter ... one heaping table spoon.
One length of stiff small gauge wire, approx. ... 2ft. .. (coat hanger, fence wire,... I used mig welding wire.)
One board approx. 3 ft long. ... (2x4, 1x4 ... anything flat and about 3ft long)
2 -3 gallons of water.

Take your full can of pop and using an ice pick, awl, or other suitable sharp pointed tool, poke a couple holes in the bottom around the outside rim to drain it, and poke one hole in the center of the bottom of the can. Flip can over and poke one hole as close to the center as possible. Note that the pull tab is still in place so poke the hole right next to the center rivet that holds the tab on.
Insert the wire through both center holes in pop can, allowing equal amounts of wire to protrude out of each end of the can.

Take this can/wire assy and set it over the top of the 5 gallon bucket, allowing the equal lengths of wire to extend over the sides of the bucket. Center the pop can over the bucket and pull one end of the wire over the side of the bucket and tie it off where the bucket handle attaches to the bucket. Repeat with the other end of the wire, pulling it tight and tie it off on the other side of the bucket. The wire should be tight and the pop can should spin freely on the wire.

Take the peanut butter and smear it all around the surface of the pop can. Make sure the can is completely and evenly covered.
Fill the bucket with approx 2 gallons of water, or enough to be 3 to 4 inches deep in the bucket.

Take the board, and the completed bucket assembly over to a wall where you have mice traffic. Mice like to travel along walls. Set the bucket next to the wall, leaving an inch or two space between the bucket and the wall, allowing room for the mice to pass. Take the board and lean it on the bucket, with the top edge of the board on the lip of the bucket, and the bottom edge on the floor next to the wall, creating a ramp from the floor to the top of the bucket. Make sure that there is a good size gap between the top edge of the board, and the pop can.
Now, go about your normal day’s routine, while you are gone, or asleep, the mice will sniff out the peanut butter and climb the ramp trying to reach it. Since they can’t get right too it, they will jump from the ramp onto the pop can, which will then spin on the wire, and dump the mice in the water where they will be trapped and drown.

This method works well, but you have to check the bucket daily and empty, dispose of dead mice, and refill as needed.

Good gracious! That sounds pretty cool, except I'm way too squeamish to be disposing of dead mice. When I see one in the yard from time to time, I get the heebie jeebies. Don't know why. It's not like it's going to spring back to life or anything.

Our two outdoor cats have been fantastic about taking care of the mouse problem in our shed. They have a house with a heated pad in there for cold or inclement weather. I haven't seen a single pill since the cats came into our lives three years ago.

Now about the possums who get in there...I'm pretty sure the cats don't want to mess with them. Possums are mean suckers.

When we lived in the country, we didn't have a problem with mice in our house, but we did have a problem in my shop building and storage building. Here is how I took care of the problem. It takes a little diligence, but it works, and before long your critters will be gone.

First, this is what you'll need:

One 5 gallon bucket
One regular size pop can ...full.
Peanut butter ... one heaping table spoon.
One length of stiff small gauge wire, approx. ... 2ft. .. (coat hanger, fence wire,... I used mig welding wire.)
One board approx. 3 ft long. ... (2x4, 1x4 ... anything flat and about 3ft long)
2 -3 gallons of water.

Take your full can of pop and using an ice pick, awl, or other suitable sharp pointed tool, poke a couple holes in the bottom around the outside rim to drain it, and poke one hole in the center of the bottom of the can. Flip can over and poke one hole as close to the center as possible. Note that the pull tab is still in place so poke the hole right next to the center rivet that holds the tab on.
Insert the wire through both center holes in pop can, allowing equal amounts of wire to protrude out of each end of the can.

Take this can/wire assy and set it over the top of the 5 gallon bucket, allowing the equal lengths of wire to extend over the sides of the bucket. Center the pop can over the bucket and pull one end of the wire over the side of the bucket and tie it off where the bucket handle attaches to the bucket. Repeat with the other end of the wire, pulling it tight and tie it off on the other side of the bucket. The wire should be tight and the pop can should spin freely on the wire.

Take the peanut butter and smear it all around the surface of the pop can. Make sure the can is completely and evenly covered.
Fill the bucket with approx 2 gallons of water, or enough to be 3 to 4 inches deep in the bucket.

Take the board, and the completed bucket assembly over to a wall where you have mice traffic. Mice like to travel along walls. Set the bucket next to the wall, leaving an inch or two space between the bucket and the wall, allowing room for the mice to pass. Take the board and lean it on the bucket, with the top edge of the board on the lip of the bucket, and the bottom edge on the floor next to the wall, creating a ramp from the floor to the top of the bucket. Make sure that there is a good size gap between the top edge of the board, and the pop can.
Now, go about your normal day’s routine, while you are gone, or asleep, the mice will sniff out the peanut butter and climb the ramp trying to reach it. Since they can’t get right too it, they will jump from the ramp onto the pop can, which will then spin on the wire, and dump the mice in the water where they will be trapped and drown.

This method works well, but you have to check the bucket daily and empty, dispose of dead mice, and refill as needed.

I really appreciate you taking the time to write all of this up, that was no small thing. However, I am just too busy with two little ones and two jobs to be able to go forward with this method. But again, thanks for trying to help, your efforts do not go unappreciated.

Good gracious! That sounds pretty cool, except I'm way too squeamish to be disposing of dead mice. When I see one in the yard from time to time, I get the heebie jeebies. Don't know why. It's not like it's going to spring back to life or anything.

Our two outdoor cats have been fantastic about taking care of the mouse problem in our shed. They have a house with a heated pad in there for cold or inclement weather. I haven't seen a single pill since the cats came into our lives three years ago.

Now about the possums who get in there...I'm pretty sure the cats don't want to mess with them. Possums are mean suckers.

My outdoor tribe of cats don't seem to give two whiskers about possums. They will just sit there and watch the possums eat cat food. I like most critters but possums are not on that list. I have a pretty strong slingshot I call my possum thumper to make them want to be elsewhere. So many people keep outdoor dog food around it attracts rats in my neighborhood but since I've made buddies out of my yard tigers Haven't seen a rat in 2 years.

I really appreciate you taking the time to write all of this up, that was no small thing. However, I am just too busy with two little ones and two jobs to be able to go forward with this method. But again, thanks for trying to help, your efforts do not go unappreciated.

It was nothing.... Really.

I've never seen the cats interact with any possums, but our dogs (beagles) certainly do. On at least two or three occasions, generally at night, they'll freak out at the door to go outside, then will have a barking fit. The possum will be on the fence or up in a tree, just frozen and staring at the dogs. Creepy.

A few years back, there were three baby possums living in a workbench drawer in our shed. The mother had been killed a couple of houses down (by their dog), so the babies were on their own. I made the stupid mistake of thinking they might be friendly and stuck my finger near one of them. Snap! One of them bit me on the index finger. It was like slow motion in a movie or something. I withdrew my hand, lifted the finger to my face and saw the little red drop of blood forming. Crap! Rabies!

So I had to call an exterminator to round them up. In order to be tested for rabies, they had to be euthanized, then beheaded. Then I had to take all three heads, in a cooler, over to the health department. Fun times. A few days later I got the call telling me they were negative for rabies. Thank God. But I felt so awful that my stupidity cost them their lives. Sheesh.

I've never seen the cats interact with any possums, but our dogs (beagles) certainly do. On at least two or three occasions, generally at night, they'll freak out at the door to go outside, then will have a barking fit. The possum will be on the fence or up in a tree, just frozen and staring at the dogs. Creepy.

A few years back, there were three baby possums living in a workbench drawer in our shed. The mother had been killed a couple of houses down (by their dog), so the babies were on their own. I made the stupid mistake of thinking they might be friendly and stuck my finger near one of them. Snap! One of them bit me on the index finger. It was like slow motion in a movie or something. I withdrew my hand, lifted the finger to my face and saw the little red drop of blood forming. Crap! Rabies!

So I had to call an exterminator to round them up. In order to be tested for rabies, they had to be euthanized, then beheaded. Then I had to take all three heads, in a cooler, over to the health department. Fun times. A few days later I got the call telling me they were negative for rabies. Thank God. But I felt so awful that my stupidity cost them their lives. Sheesh.

A good pair of gloves next time.

A good pair of gloves next time.

That, or just don't stick my fingers near a possum's mouth. : )

That, or just don't stick my fingers near a possum's mouth. : )

Sound advice for most any critter that ain't someone's pet, and, for quite a few what are someone's pet.

First thing, on topic, you can you down to I think its 7 ths and Penn and go back east. Follow the chemical smell to Winfield solutions. Its an ag chemical as well as pest control wholesale/retail place. Basically you can get most of the pest control products that the exterminators get. Yep, that were they get most of their stuff. As far as mice and rat control, you can buy the bait stations and a small bucket of bait to fill them. For the cost of one trip by the pest control company, you can have more then a years supply. Now for the off topic stuff. If you think possums are bad, try messing with a angry raccoon. I've got a few live traps that I've used to catch them when I've found them in my barn. Nothing like going out to feed the horses at 5 am, turning on the light and have a 40 lb raccoon jump off the hay at you to get your attention. Only thing worst is one that is caught in your trap and is mad as ..........