[Nimrod]

I have several examples on the homestead that proves the theory of natural selection. These are not scientific studies but are good enough for me.

When I mow the grass, I used to cut off all the dandelions before they set seed. The only ones that survive and set seed are the ones that are too short for the mower blades to lop off. The result is that my lawn is infested with short dandelions. Natural selection at it's finest.

I had an infestation of mice even though I try not to have food where they can get at it. The final straw was when they chewed holes in my big bag of rice. It was in the cupboard but they got it anyway. I bought some mouse traps and started catching mice. Got about 10 of them. The mice that are left are very smart. Those that are left avoid the traps. I have obviously selected for smart mice. They are scarey smart. They can turn white rice into brown rice. Alchemy?

 

[Cygnet]

I used to shoot pocket gophers with a BB gun on my old place. The gophers that survived were the ones who didn't stand up beside their holes like prairie dogs and make convenient targets of themselves. After a few years, the mostly stopped standing upright. It's a LOT harder to hit a pocket gopher who's only got his head sticking out of the hole, or who's running on all fours.

I have a sneaking suspicion I was also selecting for larger litters ...

 

[crazyfarm]

Our mice are so smart they tried to kill us. When the traps stopped working I put poison behind the oven. One day I turned it on and this awful smelling smoke was pouring out. We took the oven out and after taking it apart found that the mice had taken every piece of poison and put it into the oven. They attempted to murder us with our own poison. Freaky!

 

[simi-steading]

Our mice are so smart they tried to kill us. When the traps stopped working I put poison behind the oven. One day I turned it on and this awful smelling smoke was pouring out. We took the oven out and after taking it apart found that the mice had taken every piece of poison and put it into the oven. They attempted to murder us with our own poison. Freaky!

 

[Lady89]

sound to me like u need a cat

 

[Awnry Abe]

Lol. Thanks for the smart mice. I suggest you avoid buying wild rice. And the smart mice know the difference between the white and brown rice, to boot.

 

[Forcast]

had a Norwegian roof rats that stole keys then we found him dead in the drivers seat of the car with a set of keys. He ate 2 packs of cigarettes. Guess he got board waiting for his wife to put on her make up.

 

[Cygnet]

A cat for the mice, or a cat for the gophers? Pocket gophers have a vicious bite. I can't recommend cats for controlling them. I have a cat who's good at it, but I've also had to take him to the vet a few times to get patched up after he got bit by one. They're rat sized, and have teeth like miniature beavers.

Dogs don't work particularly well either, though if a determined dog digs their burrows up enough times, they'll move on to somewhere else. (Works for a small yard, if you don't mind filling in the holes later. Doesn't scale up very well.)

Shooting them was always the solution I fell back on. Though they definitely got pretty gun shy after awhile.

 

[Lady89]

a cat for the mice not the gophers but a good rat terrier might work for the gophers

 

[Nimrod]

The weimaraner kills cats. I did train him not to kill the chickens but we went through a half dozen. The folks at shelter would probable look at me funny if I was adopting a cat every few days.

 

[Harry Chickpea]

Some see adversity and cost, I see a profit stream:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28863315