| Ordinary house mice, field mice, garden mice | | | | |
| and voles can be major sources of grief in a | | | | You can also try to locate their nests and |
| hosta garden. They are most interested in | | | | destroy them. Mouse nests are usually full of |
| your hostas during colder seasons when the | | | | seeds. Sometimes the mice are also coming |
| hostas are dormant. The crown of the hosta in | | | | from your house. Blocking up any holes in |
| this case serves as a juicy meal for | | | | your house to the great outdoors might also |
| wintering mice. Damage to the crown can | | | | help your vermin problem. |
| cause your hostas to die. Therefore we want | | | | |
| to prevent any pests such as mice from | | | | Yet another option is to buy small traps that |
| damaging our plants. | | | | are small enough to trap the mice but not let |
| | | | other animals in. This style of mousetrap is |
| There are several ways that you can address | | | | widely available in hardware stores and |
| this situation. One of the most effective | | | | gardening stores. The poison bait is inside |
| ways is to simply get a cat or two. Cats are | | | | and the door of the metal box slams closed |
| the field or garden mice worst enemy. Most | | | | when the bait is taken. |
| people who own hosta gardens have had | | | | |
| incredible success simply by letting a cat | | | | One prevention tactic that you can adopt is |
| police their hosta garden. Even a stuffed | | | | to put the crowns of your hostas in very fine |
| cat or a cat scarecrow of some kind might | | | | mesh wire that has holes of three eighths of |
| work to a limited extent. | | | | an inch or less to keep the mice away from |
| | | | hostas during the winter. Yet another |
| Another solution is to place a high frequency | | | | solution is to remove the hostas completely |
| sound emitter in the garden. However one | | | | and replant them in protective ceramic pots |
| drawback to this is that even though it might | | | | that have a hole in the bottom for extra |
| keep mice away it may also keep all other | | | | drainage. |
| animals away as well such as earthworms that | | | | |
| aerate the soil and singing birds. These are | | | | It is an ugly option but of course it works. |
| also not comfortable devices for most pets to | | | | If mice are still chewing on your hostas |
| be around as cats and dogs are supersensitive | | | | after all this then you may have no choice |
| to high frequency sound emitters. Yet another | | | | but to have your garden sprayed for rodents. |
| problem with these is that they do not seem | | | | However this is neither an ecologically |
| to work on all mice. It is as if the entire | | | | friendly or human friendly practice. |
| species of vermin is developing a resistance | | | | |
| to sound. | | | | A small dose of prevention goes a long ways |
| | | | with helping thwart mice damage to your |
| A common natural poison to field mice is | | | | hostas. Any time I discover rodent damage I |
| castor oil pellets. These can also be | | | | take immediate action by applying the small |
| purchased at garden supply or hardware stores | | | | packets of mice bait I find at one of the |
| in the pest control sections. You can also | | | | local hardware stores such as Home Depot or |
| find the outdoor type small packets of mice | | | | Menards. Personally I like using the red |
| rat poison. These are effective in outdoor | | | | color pellets but the green pellets seem to |
| conditions which may be wet and/or humid due | | | | be effective as well. |
| to the weather. | | | | |