Bloody things

[COUNTRY CAPITAL]

sam, i run a hot wire(horse fence tape) on the metal framework of the aviary above a brick foundation.
i have used nylon wall-mates to secure the tape so as to be non-conductive.
an energiser is powered by a 12v battery and the hotwire connects to the energiser.
i can touch the weldmesh and no tingles.... so-far so good. the birds still hang on the wire as usual with no ill effect....i guess there is no grounding/earth to complete a circuit anyway.
the gap between the hot-wire and framework is small approx 1cm, the tape is tight and does not flap or sag. much less than this and it will spark across, especially at the corners.
so far i have had good results though a daily walk around is required to remove leaves and dead sugar ants(they "click" really loud) and the odd green frog.
i have yet to see a mouse or rat encounter the tape but feel my last line of defense will hold up!
i think it is true what others have said regarding animals being aware of the electric fence because my 2 dogs wont go near it and they would cock their legs on just about anything if it stood still long enough, so the rodents/snakes may just stay away....which suits me. time will tell.

[TomDeGraaff]

I reckon there is a book to be written about mouse "tales" !
There are so many ideas, contraptions and methods people use that I'm sure a small book could be filled!
Also, there are mousetrap designs that could all lead their inventor(s) to that elusive first million dollars.

[spoton]

Spent some time on the weekend just gone putting clear plastic (offcuts from my wind / rain curtains) on the interior and roof of the avairy where my nesting areas are. The idea is to prevent the mice from getting a grip to get across to the nest areas.

This evening came across a mouse simply staring at the plastic from on top of the aviary wire. I guess it was the last thing it saw as it was "a boring way to go"

[TomDeGraaff]

My very first meeting of a mouse in my aviaries occurred in my first year of keeping birds.

I had hung a budgie nest box on a wire partition but I placed it too high. Thus, I rarely checked it.

One day, while making some repairs or maintenance, I spied wool poking out of the entrance. Balanced on a wobbly log which served only aesthetics, i carefully pulled the wool out and two full sized mice ran up my arm and into the brush.

I was slightly surprised, did a little war dance and sang a song of joy, gracefully leaving the log and I instantly dropped to my stomach to examine the shellgrit on the floor for impuities. At least that's how I remember it......

[SamDavis]

sam, i run a hot wire(horse fence tape) on the metal framework of the aviary above a brick foundation.
i have used nylon wall-mates to secure the tape so as to be non-conductive.
an energiser is powered by a 12v battery and the hotwire connects to the energiser.
i can touch the weldmesh and no tingles.... so-far so good. the birds still hang on the wire as usual with no ill effect....i guess there is no grounding/earth to complete a circuit anyway.
the gap between the hot-wire and framework is small approx 1cm, the tape is tight and does not flap or sag. much less than this and it will spark across, especially at the corners.
so far i have had good results though a daily walk around is required to remove leaves and dead sugar ants(they "click" really loud) and the odd green frog.
i have yet to see a mouse or rat encounter the tape but feel my last line of defense will hold up!
i think it is true what others have said regarding animals being aware of the electric fence because my 2 dogs wont go near it and they would cock their legs on just about anything if it stood still long enough, so the rodents/snakes may just stay away....which suits me. time will tell.

Thanks for the info. I get the idea and will likely setup something similar. One question I'm not clear about - I thought wall-mates were those sort of big screw thingos for use in gyprock - is that the doovies you mean? I'm unsure how you'd fix them to SHS framework?

[COUNTRY CAPITAL]

my first face to face with the furry little *%@# was similar to yours uraeginthus....while on the subject.
i was ten years old, it was winter and i had my gown on while feeding one day . a mouse ran along the ground in front of me and i wacked a hand on him as i was tough in those days....
the mouse then proceeded to run up my sleeve until i pinned him in my armpit! i dont know who got the biggest shock.
i did get over the experience where the mouse unfortunately didnt....but i will never forget it!

you are right....someone should write that book.

[COUNTRY CAPITAL]

sam i thought you had more imagination than that....
the wallmates were laying around so i "made them fit" as the home handyman's guide explains....
actually they work very well, just pre-drill a hole smaller than you think you will need then screw/force them in.
they give you approx 10-20mm clearance for the hot-tape and hopefully keep the nasties out.
i do not think there is a patent coming any time soon .... but it works for me!

[SamDavis]

sam i thought you had more imagination than that....
the wallmates were laying around so i "made them fit" as the home handyman's guide explains....
actually they work very well, just pre-drill a hole smaller than you think you will need then screw/force them in.
they give you approx 10-20mm clearance for the hot-tape and hopefully keep the nasties out.
i do not think there is a patent coming any time soon .... but it works for me!

Sounds good to me and I guess they are pretty strong.
Another possibility I've found is this AviShock stuff - http://www.networkbird.net/pdf/Network_ ... ISHOCK.pdf

[amalan11]

Not a bird story but shows how nimble the little devils can be...
I had a tank with 18 female pet mice,had been fine for a couple of years with 1cm wire on lid.Suddenly babies all over.Found this realy little happy looking little grey fellow had moved in with them .He lept up and out the top when I found him but 1 hour later he was back in the nest box .
I ended up with 143 babies ..he wound up living in a tank with all his sons and a sheet of metal with holes for the lid ..I can laugh about it now but at the time I could not believe his cheek.
I get the little grey ones in the budgies cage but can usualy catch and release in park,they are such tiny little things they can squezze through bars no prob

[TomDeGraaff]

Maybe think about taking them to either the rspca or a vet or a bird friend.
Letting them loose is just continuing the problem, don't you think?