Killing mice in trees at night with neighbors nearby

[Sunray]

"...the cats drag into the yard to eat..." Kitty is trying to contribute to the household.
Never heard of arboreal mice. Ground hogs for sure. However, they're there for a reason. That'd be food or shelter. Remove whichever it is.

 

[desidog]

If it's a privacy planting, it's probably on or near the property line, so shooting anything is a bad idea... the round will be landing on the neighbors property. I'd use a multi pronged trapping approach with all the suggestions above. Bucket, sticky, and spring.

I've read that this is going to be a bad tick year, so I've been proactively targeting field mice outside as well as in. I just put an electronic rodent repeller in the basement.

 

[.308 Norma]

The problem with a lot of poisons is not the pet getting into the poison for the mice but the pet eating the poisoned mice.

That's why I quit poisoning gophers on our place - I was afraid animals I want to keep around would eat the poisoned gophers.
There's a couple of feral cats that hang out way out back, and they, along with the tame dropped-off female cat that hangs out near the house keep the vole (field mice) population in check. I don't think the cats have much effect on the gopher population though, but I can trap gophers. Heck, I've been trapping gophers since I was a kid. The farmer who owned the land and the ditch (irrigation) company would each pay kids a quarter (50 cents total) per gopher tail. I made as much as 3 or 4 bucks a day before and after school.
Oh yeah, and about that "mice don't live in trees" thing - while that's probably true, they'll sure as heck climb trees at night in search of nuts, seeds and small insects. Try backpacking or tent camping in an area where there's a mice infestation. The darned things will keep you awake half the night because they either fall or jump out of the trees, land on your tent, and slide down.
To answer the OP's question though, I'd either try that screwing down traps in the trees thing, or get a couple of cats and don't feed them too much.

 

[jmorris]

 

[barnbwt]

Qty(1) five gallon bucket, filled with water
Qty(1) coat hangar
Qty(1) soda bottle
Qty(1) stick
Peanut butter, as required

 

[Flintknapper]

Qty(1) five gallon bucket, filled with water
Qty(1) coat hangar
Qty(1) soda bottle
Qty(1) stick
Peanut butter, as required

'Turn around, don't drown' !

Oh wait....that's a warning for flooded roads. Oh well........

 

[sgtclark]

I finally have an update.

Firstly, to all the doubters (), they definitely are rats/mice. One night, one was actually low enough in the tree that I was able to shoot it point blank with a pellet gun. Another time, I was able to shake one out of the tree. Unfortunately my dog was too slow to catch it though. But the last time my dog alerted, I saw at least 3 of them pretty far up in the tree moving all around.

That being said, thanks for all the advice. I set 3 traps up in the tree after reading your comments. A week or so went by and I had caught nothing, so I bought one of those bait stations and taped it up in the tree. Another week or 2 went by and I still saw no activity. But then this morning I finally had one.



So it was a slow catch, but it eventually worked. I'll keep the traps baited for a while to see if I can catch the rest.

I also like the idea with the spinning coke bottle. My kids will get a kick out of setting that up, and I'll try to set a camera up to catch the footage.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[everydefense]

^ that definitely looks like a rat... way bigger than a mouse. Still strange for them to consistently climb around in trees...

 

[horsey300]

I finally have an update.

Firstly, to all the doubters (), they definitely are rats/mice. One night, one was actually low enough in the tree that I was able to shoot it point blank with a pellet gun. Another time, I was able to shake one out of the tree. Unfortunately my dog was too slow to catch it though. But the last time my dog alerted, I saw at least 3 of them pretty far up in the tree moving all around.

That being said, thanks for all the advice. I set 3 traps up in the tree after reading your comments. A week or so went by and I had caught nothing, so I bought one of those bait stations and taped it up in the tree. Another week or 2 went by and I still saw no activity. But then this morning I finally had one.

View attachment 236158

So it was a slow catch, but it eventually worked. I'll keep the traps baited for a while to see if I can catch the rest.

I also like the idea with the spinning coke bottle. My kids will get a kick out of setting that up, and I'll try to set a camera up to catch the footage.

Thanks again everyone!

I used vanilla extract on a pinch of bread for bait to great success!

 

[CaptHank]

^ that definitely looks like a rat... way bigger than a mouse. Still strange for them to consistently climb around in trees...

Here in Florida, we have palm tree rats. I was just getting into my truck, just about day break, and heard the palm fronds rustling. I looked up and saw a trail of rats heading up the tree (fish tail palm). I went back into the house a googled tree rats. Yes, they are here. We paid to have the tree cut down, you should have seen the rats jumping out of the fronds.

I put out baited traps, got a few. But, I think the majority set up, base camp, in another area.

 

[everydefense]

Here in Florida, we have palm tree rats. I was just getting into my truck, just about day break, and heard the palm fronds rustling. I looked up and saw a trail of rats heading up the tree (fish tail palm). I went back into the house a googled tree rats. Yes, they are here.

Well, you learn something new every day, hmm?

We paid to have the tree cut down, you should have seen the rats jumping out of the fronds.

That was an amusing mental image!

 

[CaptHank]

Well, you learn something new every day, hmm?

That was an amusing mental image!

You should have seen the workers. Rats running in one direction and they, in another. I had the garage door down, didn't want any rats to run in.

 

[Flintknapper]

Clearly a Rat. Not surprised to see them anywhere...including trees.

 

[Bull Nutria]

Man that is a big frigen rat probably a Black Rat (Rattus rattus) tail looks longer than the body. I looked this up in my mammal book. they are especially common near seaports and are more common in the south. that sucker is bigger than the gray squirrels around here!!

Rats are nasty vermin need to be taken out by any means , they carry diseases and destroy all manner of things!!!

Bull