There hasn’t been much going on around the Secret Lair. Winter has settled in: Hardly any snow but lots of gloom and enough cold to keep the old man inside. Still, the local wildlife has been trying to keep me entertained.
This is the old mud bucket I use to move firewood to the cabin. I normally leave it on the porch outside the door when I’m done with it because why make a separate trip to the woodshed just to store it?
Lately, nearly every morning at five am, Tobie has shown a special interest in the contents of that bucket because it usually contains a mouse. This morning it contained two. I have no idea why they find it so fatally fascinating, or for that matter why so many mice are attracted to the porch. But I do know…
If it’s interested in my cabin, I’m interested in killing it. And a bucket of water will always be more interesting to a desert mouse than an empty bucket. So there it is, guys. Dive in and have a ball.
I must not lose track of Tobie around it, of course. Antifreeze will kill a dog as surely as a mouse, though of course he won’t drown in it.
Will water work as well?
Sure, but it’ll freeze.
What might prevent freezing without adding toxicity? Alcohol probably, but you won’t want to waste that on rodents. Salt is supposed to lower the freezing point, though I don’t know to what extent.
MY first thought was salt as well. Cheap, and if it dries out, just add more water and it’ll dissolve again.
Toby won’t be harmed if he drinks it, but it might make for an upset stomach.
Still safer than antifreeze.
THey do make pet safe antifreeze, but it is not totally non-toxic,,,
Salt water will freeze around 0 F. Our border collie will check out any puddle when it rains (or from snowmelt), so I won’t keep antifreeze or other liquid poisons where she could get at it.
Just put a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in the water. If the water freezes they’ll never get the traction to jump back out!
Seriously now – I kinda’ hate to pile on… (here it comes) but I’m of an opinion that an open bowl of antifreeze goes way beyond an “attractive nuisance”. If something goes awry it’s a long way to a vet – vets are expensive – and there may not be a ‘replay’ function to the episode. That’s a story I’d rather not read on your fine blog.
I recall that a supposedly non-toxic antifreeze is made for RVs – for introduction to water supply lines. Some Ace Hardware stores carry it. Prob’ly not yours from what you’ve said about them earlier!