The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-09-22
RATS AND MICE,
Compel These Nuisances to vscate. and
Once Out Keep Them Out.

compel THESE Nuisances to Vocote, and
Once Out Keep Them Out
Mice often do more damage about q
house than rats. They are a contempti-
bic little nuisance and cause a great deal
Of tumultuous vexation. Generally they
work the greatest injury in and about
the house, as they can get into holes and
corners where neither rats, cats nor hu-
man beings can modest or make them
afraid, but where they can multiply and
devastate the house at their pleasure.
They take especial delight in gnawing
holes into -four and meal sacks and scat
tering the contents over the floor.
When weary Of life, they invariably
contrive to commit suicide by drowning
in " pitcher of molasses or crock of fresh
cream. They don't improve the flavor
Of liquids by bathing in them nor the
smell of any box or closet by making it
their abiding place. They don't improve
q mans chances for a cool and comfort
able hereafter by entering his trunk and
converting his clothing into lint, making
nests of it and raising extensive families
therein. They do have a very mean and
small way of creating t~ribulation in the
household, upsetting equanimity and de-
s.roying peace of mind.
All houses should be made mouse
proof when they are built. They may
be just as well as not. Carpenters should
be given distinct and emphatic instruc-
tons in regard to this matter. If the
mice are already in the house, the object
is to get them out and then keep them
out. This is not a very difficult task, if
you only go about it right. If you are
certain the house does not contain more
than half Il dozen, you can get rid of
them by employing u good mousetrap
and changing the bait every day. If,
however, they are numerous, it is not
worth while to fool with traps; use poi.
son anu settle the matter quickly.
If you are afraid to use poisons or for
any reason this is not advisable, proceed
at once with caustic potash, pepper or
meal and plaster Of paris to make the
premises unhealthy for them. At the
first indications of their presence begin
operations. Don't give them time to set
tie down, construct nests and start q
family. Make it hot for them at the
very outset. They will soon discover
that your premises are quite i%nsalubrious
and will carefully avoid them. 1t is not
a difficult task to expel either rats or
mice OF destroy them. They love phos-
phorus mixed with meal and made into
little balls and will eat it with avidity.
They will readily devour s%trychnine or
arsenic when properly mixed with such
food as they relish.
Finely ground cayenne pepper or tar
literally applied in the holes and run
ways will compel the rodents to leave.
Caustic potash, if thinly spread around
the holes and in any place where either
mice or rats are liable to tread, will ut
terly ruin their feet, corrode their mouths
and send them abroad in search of health.
Powdered cayenne pepper operates by
creating a violent disturbance of their
breathing apparatus. Don't be afraid
of sitting too much into the holes and
be sure that it is dry. The foregoing
hints are from q little manual published
by the Rural Publishing company on
how to rid buildings of these and similar
pests. In poisoning rodents the caution
is given to place water where they can
find access to it, and of course to provide
against the poison falling into the way
of children or pet animals.