A Mouse ate half of my seedlings

Hi, I consider myself to be a beginner - haven't grown in over 20 years.

Well, I had a 100% successful germination of 30 seeds.

Four days ago I realized a mouse was in the house. That guy/gal was freakin' fast, I ended up getting a mouse trap and it's dead now - a-ha.
However, it ate some of the new seedlings - the stems and spit out the baby leaves. I was royally pissed - so now I'm down to 50% of my original - actually I have 14 left.
Does anyone know how to deter another mouse from going near my remaining seedlings - they're about 7-12 days old (2 batches)?
I have the mouse trap set in case there's another guy loose, but is there anything I can place near the remaining seedlings that would act as a barrier - Other than putting the plants on a shelf, that is (right now they're on the floor)?
See I'm disabled and it's very difficult for me to do simple things, like holding and using tools (bummer 'cause I was in the construction business and it sux not being able to do these things anymore).
Any help would be appreciated, guys; when I grew years ago, I got my plants up to 50 female afghans (indoor) after about two years of cloning the sturdiest high-yield high THC - I would like to duplicate those results again.
Sherry

Get a cat ..

Bet the poor thing didn't see that one coming ... got him stoned ...then trapped him

I love the nelson a-ha .... btw

Good luck on your grow, I also trying afghan so I glad someone else enjoys the strain

Cat might be an option, but know that cats (at least mine) enjoy the "herb" almost as much as we do....

Okay, a cat is defintely out - I can't stand those sneaky critters - I'm a dog person, cats are unfriendly (at least with me) - I plan on getting a jack russell Puppy 6 weeks after it's born (mid-June).

Hopefully there isn't another bastard running around - I'm gonna put out some CHEESE - that's how I cornered the last (now dead) mouse.. and try to steer it away from my grow area. But "Lucky" ain't my middle name...

I just know I'm gonna see another one of those furry freaky mj killers and if I do I will be more than pissed off I'm gonna go thru the 5 stages of dying or something, that's how serious I am about getting going with my crop.

Thanks for the cat advice, though - wish i got along with em, can't stand cat litter boxes and cat food - that shit stinks..

Sherry

This forum is full of answers, but Google knows all!




Pest-A-Cator #2000 - PestDetour


Try that. It's definitely worth a shot.

Sherry said:

Okay, a cat is defintely out - I can't stand those sneaky critters - I'm a dog person, cats are unfriendly (at least with me) - I plan on getting a jack russell Puppy 6 weeks after it's born (mid-June).

Hopefully there isn't another bastard running around - I'm gonna put out some CHEESE - that's how I cornered the last (now dead) mouse.. and try to steer it away from my grow area. But "Lucky" ain't my middle name...

I just know I'm gonna see another one of those furry freaky marijuana killers and if I do I will be more than pissed off I'm gonna go thru the 5 stages of dying or something, that's how serious I am about getting going with my crop.

Thanks for the cat advice, though - wish i got along with em, can't stand cat litter boxes and cat food - that shit stinks..

Sherry

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I agree, my cat was not wanted... he followed me home three years ago...never left... actually hes lovely ...

Your right they smell awful , but i do have a cat flap ... thankgod!

I thought cat cos he keeps leaving me baby mice , one had a bulgy eye popping out this week , so i suppose its gross ....

Maybe your local pet shop has some kinda repellant...

KANDI said:

Good luck on your grow, I also trying afghan so I glad someone else enjoys the strain

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Well, I grew afhan actually closer to 25 years ago. I do have some lemon skunk and himalayan gold on the way, the mouse killed half of my Venus Snow white & Medusa and 3/4's of my Super Girl. grrrrrrrrrrrrr

So I'll have 45 (That's a bummer there; I don't like losing - anything) instead of 60 starter plants - all feminized.

Can't believe I was 'felled' by a little 4 oz. mouse.

But I don't have any afgan - bagged - seeds handy - I'm going for a decent high yield (lemon skunk, himalayan gold & Super girl) and a low-yield hopefully moderate thc Medusa & snow white.

When I can spare the cash I'll add some afghan to the mix - prolly next year - but I need to research - I need to find a superior 80% indica for medicinal personal stash (that I can grow outdoors); the rest is for commercial pursuits.

If I think there's another critter I will do a search for repellents - I buy just about everything online nowadays - hate to shop

These newbie's today are so lucky, though; when I first grew 'High Times' was about the only source of info for lights hydro etc - now there's the internet and it's gr8 - I love it - all these forums and INFORMATION at your fingertips - better than the Yellow Pages.
Peace & thanks for advice - I'm still pissed off though...

Sherry

Yea, I burn my phone books when they send them out.

Depending on your setup, I would try isolation, but if you're growing on the floor in your basement that obviously is not going to work. I imagine, however, that those seedlings are probably under domes, hoods, or could somehow be protected until they're larger and not of nearly as much interest to rodents, or in tall enough pots and off the floor to deter them.

Other than that - despite how much I hate killing even rodents - you're probably reduced to identifying their access points and laying plenty of traps between them and your plants.

GL.

ceestyle said:

...... I imagine, however, that those seedlings are probably under domes, hoods, or could somehow be protected until they're larger and not of nearly as much interest to rodents, or in tall enough pots and off the floor to deter them.............

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That's the thing - they weren't under domes as I had germinated them last week and the week before - 15 of em were about 5-6 inches and the others were only 4 days old when i noticed the 'mouse signs' - I had a fan on low to thicken em up some - make em sturdy and strong - and I try to give em plenty of air - cant do it with a dome - I was gonna use the domes for cloning when I top some of em..

best intentions, right? freaking mouse ate so many leaves - spit em out - so my girls are already topped you could say -

shit shit shit...

I've got the mouse trap emptied cleaned and ready with peanut butter and cheese in case there's another one - i am also going to put the plants 2 feet up on a shelf (i've got a power drill thankfully so no excuse really to be unprepared) and of course move the light up - attach it to a 2x4 and and couple of brackets - i should have room left over for the clones/humidity dome - move them out and germinate the seeds that are the way - and keep my eyeballs peeled...

once i get em outside i have to watch - do deer and wabbits like these girls - i hope to freakin' g_d not

thanks guys - and ladies (?) -
ok,
thanks humans...
sherry

haha .. you should search for the thread, something like "deer... lots of deer" .. funniest shit.

so it seems like if you have the platform 2' off the ground, and the supports are non-climbbable, e.g. in the center of the platform, you should be good.

ceestyle said:

haha .. you should search for the thread, something like "deer... lots of deer" .. funniest shit.

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Oh shit me. I'm glad I've been growing my hair for 7-8 months now - hate going to a professional for that - so I'll save some.

As for human piss - well, that's something i do every day - it won't kill me to perch'n'piss in a bottle - I can cover it tight and when summer gets here ('cause the deer and rabbits have not gone after the 3 'generic' plants already out there) I'll just mark my territory accordingly.

Believe me, after a month or two of urine curing, ha, those deer will surely stay away.
I don't know about rabbits though. I'll do a search for 'em.

I've got 3 acres I can spread 60 plants out in - lots of trees, though - lots of shade. but hey, better than nothing. I like my deer - but not near my girls.

Those posts are pretty funny, though - but it's not very funny if it's happening to YOU/Me ..
thanks, Sherry

Sherry said:

Okay, a cat is defintely out - I can't stand those sneaky critters - I'm a dog person, cats are unfriendly (at least with me) - I plan on getting a jack russell Puppy 6 weeks after it's born (mid-June).

Hopefully there isn't another bastard running around - I'm gonna put out some CHEESE - that's how I cornered the last (now dead) mouse.. and try to steer it away from my grow area. But "Lucky" ain't my middle name...

I just know I'm gonna see another one of those furry freaky marijuana killers and if I do I will be more than pissed off I'm gonna go thru the 5 stages of dying or something, that's how serious I am about getting going with my crop.

Thanks for the cat advice, though - wish i got along with em, can't stand cat litter boxes and cat food - that shit stinks..

Sherry

Click to expand...

Being a cat lover I probably shouldn't help you...but also being an exterminator and a grower, I can't help no to. The first thing is to eliminate food, water, and harborage. Next is to seal off all entry points i.e. small holes, gaps under doors, broken windows, etc. Then you lay traps. I'm a "green" exterminator so I would suggest investing in the old wooden mechanical traps(like the ones in the cartoons). Peanut Butter is actually a better bait than cheese. Peanut Butter is more aromatic and doesn't spoil after being exposed like cheese. Plus it's easier to smear on the trap. Set the trap with the pressure plate facing the wall since mice don't see very well and use the wall as reference. I would also buy some Peanut Butter scented glue traps not those black trays from Home Depot. Those suck. Just remember to place the traps against the wall when you lay them. It's hard to suggest things without an inspection, but sanitation also plays a very big part as well(not suggesting you aren't clean).

General Anesthetic said:

Being a cat lover I probably shouldn't help you...but also being an exterminator and a grower, I can't help no to.... Peanut Butter is actually a better bait than cheese. Peanut Butter is more aromatic and doesn't spoil after being exposed like cheese. Just remember to place the traps against the wall when you lay them. It's hard to suggest things without an inspection, but sanitation also plays a very big part as well(not suggesting you aren't clean).

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Thanks, catlover, I mean General Anesthetic! That's what a nice person does - kittens are cute I've got nothin against cats - it's just we don't seem to bond - dogs are very happy around me
I like animals too - I didn't want to kill the mouse, but, hey, I pay the mortgage.
The peanut butter baited trap really did work better than cheese - I 'schmeared' it on the trap last night and it worked (old-fashioned mouse trap).
The suggestion for the peanut butter scented glue trap - great idea. I have 2 gluetraps now, and yeah, I placed em right up against the wall. perfect spot.
The house is pretty sanitary but there's a lot of clutter. I just never got the hang of suzy homemaker crap - I've lived like a 'bachelor' for so long - hell, you shoulda seen me living in a tent for 18 months!!
I moved the baby girls this afternoon - up higher on a wide shelf - about 2 feet from the floor - so if I do have any more mice they're gonna have to be Olympic trained - there's no way in hell they'll be able to run UP the wall....

right??
peace, and thanks, Sherry

I get field mice that come into the house on occasion and it wierds me out to dump those glue traps... and to hear them whineing is so creepy!

So I chop up some cork from a wine bottle and mix a little peanut butter or mouse attractant gel on top of it - they love the cork, but it is not digestible to them and they crawl back out the house sick to go die somewhere... guess they try to get back home...

Just sprinkle a little bit near you plants and they won't even notice the plants - they make a B-line for the cork!



WWW

Rep Love Rules!!! -
https://www.rollitup.org/toke-n-talk/56625-whats-rep-points-do-i.html
Have you checked your trichomes today...
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White Widow Woman said:

... So I chop up some cork from a wine bottle and mix a little peanut butter or mouse attractant gel on top of it - they love the cork, but it is not digestible to them and they crawl back out the house sick to go die somewhere... guess they try to get back home...

Just sprinkle a little bit near you plants and they won't even notice the plants - they make a B-line for the cork!WWW.......

Click to expand...

Thanks a lot, WWW, that'll give me an excuse to buy a bottle a wine and drink up! After all, I'm doing it for my girls. any sacrifice on my part, sigh, I guess I'll just to suffer in (drunken) silence.
sherry

Sherry said:

Thanks a lot, WWW, that'll give me an excuse to buy a bottle a wine and drink up! After all, I'm doing it for my girls. any sacrifice on my part, sigh, I guess I'll just to suffer in (drunken) silence.
sherry

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LOL... hey ya gotta do, what ya gotta do!...
Cheers!!!



WWW


Rep Love Rules!!! -
https://www.rollitup.org/toke-n-talk/56625-whats-rep-points-do-i.html
Have you checked your trichomes today...
RadioShack.com

White Widow Woman said:

I get field mice that come into the house on occasion and it wierds me out to dump those glue traps... and to hear them whineing is so creepy!

So I chop up some cork from a wine bottle and mix a little peanut butter or mouse attractant gel on top of it - they love the cork, but it is not digestible to them and they crawl back out the house sick to go die somewhere... guess they try to get back home...

Just sprinkle a little bit near you plants and they won't even notice the plants - they make a B-line for the cork!

Click to expand...

REP !

I have had some outdoor seedlings been eatin by something too. It sucks.

good luck getting rid of the mouse problem. just wanted to drop you a note of good luck and a warning that many dogs love to scarf up the bud (and who can blame them?)!