Hinotori
Sustainability Master
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2011
- Messages
- 5,830
- Reaction score
- 12,896
- Points
- 373
- Location
- On the foot of Mt Rainier
Paint the tubs of water black and they will absorb more heat if the light hits them. It's passive solar heating.
What did you do in your garden today?
- Thread starter tortoise
- Start date
LaurenRitz
Almost Self-Reliant
Any suggestions for plants that will survive in a greenhouse that mice won't eat? My original greenhouse at this location is a smorgasbord for them. Rosemary has survived. Everything else has been eaten down to the ground.
Zone 6b
Zone 6b
flowerbug
Sustainability Master
onion family plants? mints? oregano?
but pretty much if it freezes you may not get much actual production until it gets warmer and there is more light.
but pretty much if it freezes you may not get much actual production until it gets warmer and there is more light.
LaurenRitz
Almost Self-Reliant
I'm not necessarily concerned about production at this point. The stupid mice even ate potatoes to the ground, but they haven't touched the rosemary. I know mice will eat onions, and they ate my seedling apples. I have seeds for oregano and thyme, various types of mint. It may be a matter of having plants that grow faster than the rodents can eat them.
This didn't start until after the first frost, so I assume their normal food sources became scarse.
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
Don't grow anything & maybe they'll go elsewhere 
LaurenRitz
Almost Self-Reliant
I
I'm allergic to wasted planting space. Even the winter killed garden drives me nuts. Deliberately not growing in a greenhouse? I'd likely need an emergency room visit.Don't grow anything & maybe they'll go elsewhere
R2elk
Almost Self-Reliant
I have no mice in my greenhouse but if I did, I would poison them.
Hinotori
Sustainability Master
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2011
- Messages
- 5,830
- Reaction score
- 12,896
- Points
- 373
- Location
- On the foot of Mt Rainier
I haven't actually found anything that rodents dont eat.
They did avoid the menthol crystals I disolved in olive oil. Maybe a couple took a lick and died later so the rest knew to avoid it. Doesn't take much menthol to kill. I labeled the bag of crystals as poison just so hubby wouldn't think they would be neat to taste. People do that and end up in the hospital.
They eat mint stuff.
If you don't want to put down poison there are a few options.
Put out some MouseX. It's not toxic. The corn gluten meal in it is the active ingredient. RatX and MouseX are safe for birds, dogs, and cats if ingested.
Can also mix up baking soda with peanut butter. It takes several feedings and is kind of nasty death for rodents as they can't burp up the CO2 from the baking soda so they bloat until they die.
They did avoid the menthol crystals I disolved in olive oil. Maybe a couple took a lick and died later so the rest knew to avoid it. Doesn't take much menthol to kill. I labeled the bag of crystals as poison just so hubby wouldn't think they would be neat to taste. People do that and end up in the hospital.
They eat mint stuff.
If you don't want to put down poison there are a few options.
Put out some MouseX. It's not toxic. The corn gluten meal in it is the active ingredient. RatX and MouseX are safe for birds, dogs, and cats if ingested.
Can also mix up baking soda with peanut butter. It takes several feedings and is kind of nasty death for rodents as they can't burp up the CO2 from the baking soda so they bloat until they die.
LaurenRitz
Almost Self-Reliant
I have containers of baking soda mixed with sugar all over the place. That cleaned out the barn in short order.
The problem is with the humidity. Within a few days it absorbs moisture and hardens, and they stop eating it.
I also think it's different mice. One stumbles away to die, another takes the vacated territory. And a greenhouse is prime territory during the winter.
farmerjan
Super Self-Sufficient
Good old fashioned mouse traps....
