Got ivy? You got rodents! Got vegetables and fruit trees? You got rodents! Got junipers or taxus shrubs? Congratulations, you are probably hosting a rodent hotel.
Deer mice, field mice, rats, and squirrels are the most common household rodents and almost every garden has them. When you have an infestation of rodents, they can start to exert their power of “imminent domain” in your yard that will “evict” your desire to be outdoors.
So what can you do to take back control of our yards in a natural and “humane” way?
Adopt a cat! A big, hungry, hyperactive outdoor cat, who is in touch with his hunting instincts is natures best “integrated pest management” agent.
So how do qualify a potential cat for this job?
Here are some qualities to look for:
1. An “angry attitude.” Cats who hiss at you when you pet them are ideal. Remember, this cat doesn’t have to “like you.” Chances are they are angry because you are bigger than them and they can’t eat you.
2.Sharp teeth and nails. Look for a cat who has the right “tools of the trade.”
3.An aerodynamic and sleek figure. Cat’s that are agile and light on their feet make the best hunters. Think “ambush” tactics!
Check out this amusing video to see the kind of cat you DON”T want in charge of rodent control in your yard!
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Video: “Mice are a Cat’s Best Friend?”
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My next-door neighbor finally got rid of his on-the-ground bird feeders and water dishes, and that helped reduce the rodent population almost immediately. What I want, however, is a really huge cat or a DOG–my rodents range from voles to rabbits.
Hope your having a great winter. Cute picture of your valentine!
Hi Shirley, we adopted a stray, and she is the best mouser I’ve ever known. She will always have a place at our house which is out in the country, as you know. I haven’t seen a mouse in years. Your post made me smile.~~Dee
Another option might be to try to attract an owl. (Google “owl rodent control” for more info). I myself seem to have more problem with my neighbor’s cats trying to eat the songbirds than with rodents. Guess I need some coyotes ;->
My wife, too, is allergic to cats so we can’t have one. We have quite a few neighborhood cats that roam quite a few of the houses in this very urban setting. I don’t encourage the cats to hang in my yard (making the garden a litter-box) but don’t discourage them either. I’d rather have cats than rats!
And, fortunately, rattlesnakes aren’t even an option.
Hi Kathryn,
Rattlesnakes? Oh god, I don’t want to face one of those. You don’t sound very scared though. In your case, I would head for the shelter and stock up on some very mean and hungry alley cats!
Shirley
Hi Anna,
So glad I was helpful to you. Unfortunately, though I believe cats are great rodent control, my area is full of coyotes who love to eat cats. I had an outdoor cat who outlasted all other neighborhood cats(10 years) but the ‘yotes caught up to him. RIP.
Shirley
You did not just write this? There has got to be some kind of cosmic force out there binding you and I together. I was going to ask for advice on my blog. I was going to say that I know nothing about cats—I’m allergic to them—I have no idea how to capture a cat and take it to the vet—will it be rude to the other neighborhood cats—will it as i suspect get rid of that dang rodent problem—–is it appropriate to leave them outside. Gosh…you answered all them so well that I feel like I need to burn rubber and get me that lean mean eating machine. Go Shirley. I feel exhilarated. Thank you and my burdens have been lifted somebody say amen.
Whatever they gave that cat needs to be given to all the bad people in the world don’t you think? With my luck, I’ll get a cat like that. He’ll make love buddies with the acorn frenzied expected spring birth of rodents. He’ll probably save some of vittles for those who didn’t get fat enough eating the roots of plants.
Hi,Shirley! You are so right about cats and rodents. I lived on four acres of land and promptly requested the two resident feral cats be removed, thinking this was wise given that I had two domestic ones of my own.And it was. What I did not anticipate was the number of rattlesnakes who suddenly found my property very attractive because no one was minding the mice! My last summer there I had EIGHT (rattlesnakes, not mice!). I was tripping over them, literally. These kinds of decisions are hard to balance.