Got a cat!

[Diane]

Not a real one

Was in Bunnings and saw these mouse bait stations for about $6 so I thought I would try one. I already have another cage type bait trap in the aviary that hasnt seen any action yet, and no sign of any mouse action (shes says touching wood)

tomcat 003.jpg

Very neat design, lockable, and other than checking it out just after I put it in the birds have left it alone.
Think I will get a few more and put them around the outside of the aviary too now I can be sure the dogs wont get into it.

tomcat 2 006.jpg

[GregH]

I approve of your new tom-cat. Should be more of them and less of the feline variety.

[Pete Sara]

that would be what i currently use. the best is top place them in the path of the mice or close to the hole. but remembering the end results if the birds eat the mouse droppings .and the birds can not get in..pete

[Diane]

but remembering the end results if the birds eat the mouse droppings .and the birds can not get in..pete

That is my main fear at the moment, I have one Tomcat outside and one inside along with the catch type cage. My last line of defence. Hopefully I will get them before they get in. In reality I guess if they are eating the bait outside then they will probably get in somewhere, so I will just have to take the risk.

[Buzzard-1]

After trialing several types of Mouse baits I always had the fear of mice carting small amounts of bait out of bait station and dropping on aviary floor for birds to find.so after concreting floors much to my disgust droppings were found.I now use Racumin paste 10g bait sachets (50 in a bag for around $25) under a container with 10mm holes drilled in sides,the mice don't chew they lick paste eliminating risk of carting out of bait station.Hope this helps others, it works for me.

[Diane]

In reality I guess if they are eating the bait outside then they will probably get in somewhere, so I will just have to take the risk.

Well after the other week I have decided not to take the risk after seeing a mouse in the aviary. As it skidaddled down the hole it.....well there is no other way of saying this.....it pooped blue That meant the poison was freely available to the birds to investigate.
My dilemma was I had a pair of emblemas and firefinches on eggs they had laid a couple of days before and a pair of gouldians with young.
Anyway I decided to scrap the eggs and take out the pairs. My thoughts were, better to lose a breeding season than lose the birds, but I have left the gouldians, didnt feel I had a choice there.
I have took away the ground cover over the aviary and replaced it with fresh. As soon as the babies have been weaned the aviary will be moved onto the pavers under the pergola and get shellgrit over the pavers.
Hopefully I can get some mouse chasing quail too.