At 18:19 13-12-2005, you wrote: >Mike's mention that the worst problem growing crocuses in his area is >animal predators motivated me to mention yet another new attempt at >controlling mice in a crocus collection. Field mice won't take many of the >baits sold for control of house mice, and the ones currently at large here >seem unusually clever at robbing the bait out of traps without triggering >the traps. I finally decided to try distraction. Since they love sunflower >seeds, I just put a bowl of sunflower seeds (the kind sold for bird >feeders) in the crocus area of the bulb frame where they were digging for >corms. They've been taking the seeds and have left the pots alone for a few >days now. I hope this will be an environmentally safe compromise. I plan to >move the seeds gradually away from the crocuses and teach the mice to go >somewhere else for food. > >Jane McGary >Northwestern Oregon, USA Good idea, Jane. However, do you make a real distinction between field mice and house mice? In Denmark house mice are field mice that get cold and hungry around late November and move indoors, leave for the fields in March-April. We never have mice in gardens in summertime, as there is so much to eat in the fields. Carol