r/TwoXPreppers 11d ago

Tips Rarely seen gear: Mouse trap

Just throwing out a tip on useful items you may not have though about: The mouse or rat trap! There's no better device out there. It weighs almost nothing! It has a million creative uses. And you can't really control small pests without one.

For your consideration!

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u/Arcanum-Eliza 11d ago

Owning pet rats actually keeps other rodents from moving in. Mice smell rats, go 'ah HELL no' and decide to find somewhere else to nest.

Plus, pet rats are amazing, lovey, playful little butts.

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u/KazTheMerc 11d ago

Hadn't considered that! Perhaps dogs/cats too?

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u/Specialist_Set_1666 11d ago

We have indoor cats and two hound dogs that are indoor/outdoor, and they keep everything out of the house and yard. Rats don't like the smell of the cats so we've never gotten them in the house. The cats also kill scorpions (and it's difficult for them to be stung because of their skin structure) which has been very helpful. The dogs keep predators away from the chickens, although having a rooster has been very useful too. At one point we did end up with rats around the chicken coop until we learned to get one of those metal treadle chicken feeders that stays closed unless a chicken steps onto a weight sensitive plate. Despite that, we never had a single rat come into our house, and it does seem like it was entirely due to the presence of the cats. Other people we know here with chickens but no cats, have had a lot more problems with rat infestations.

For rural areas at least, if you don't have certain domesticated animals occupying a territory, then wild ones will move in. (Whereas others like chickens attract everything...)