Mouse Killer Protects Round Bales

Mouse Killer Protects Round Bales HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Bale Handling (5) 8-3-27 Alan Schaefer, Bloomsdale, Mo., developed a unique mouse killer for use around big bag silage or big round bales wrapped in plastic. Before he came up with a way to control mice, rats, and other small rodents, he says he had continual damage to bags causing spoilage. Schaefer cuts 18-in. lengths off the heavy-duty 3-in. dia. cardboard rollers that his big bale plastic comes wrapped on. He then shrink-wraps plastic around the outside of the rollers and tucks the loose ends inside the tube. In the center of the tube he places a generous dosage of zinc phosphide mouse poison with a wad of newspaper on either side. "The mice are attracted by the paper and are surprised to find food inside. Zinc phosphide is a hot bait that kills mice almost instantly, unlike other anti-coagulant poisons that take time to kill. When killing mice around big bales you've got to kill them right away so they don't have time to damage the plastic," says Schaefer. The traps should be placed in a perimeter around the bales, from 6 to 20 ft. away and spaced 15 to 20 ft. apart. A few should also be tucked in among the bales or baps. Schaefer says the plastic-wrapped tubes should last several years. Zinc phosphide is a restricted use bait that also kills rats and other small rodents. It sells for 87 cents/lb. and is available from Hopkins House Ag Products, Box 7532. Madison, Wis. 53707 (ph 608 221-6211).

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