How do you control mice/rates/possums

My husband has taken up a new hobby. He is now raising birds. We have several outside pens and an aviary. We have fenced off the area for the birds so our dogs and cats cannot harass them. We loved it when other birds started hanging around but then we had a real problem with mice.

I have the mice in check...just set a few traps around the outside of the pens each night and think we have caught all that had decided to make their homes close by. We continue to set traps for the "occasional newcomer".

But now we have a new problem. A couple of day ago, we found one of our cockatiels at the bottom of the cage...dead. We noticed that one of her feet had been gnawed at and was shredded. It was horrible to think that the poor little thing suffered like that. But, we aren't sure if it could be a field rat or a possum. We don't have many (if any) raccoons around here but possums and rats are a real possibility.

Does anyone have any "real" advise about how to control rodents without using poison?

Please help!!! I don't want this to happen again!

Keeping your birds inside rather than outside would be the best. Your birds would be protected from any and all outdoor elements. They would be all around much healthier and better off.

The mice aren't attracted to the birds, they are attracted to the bird food. Keeping the cage and the area around the cage as clean as possible should help greatly.

Get a couple of Jack Russell Terriers. We have a yard free of possums, mice and squirells now thanks to the little buggers :rolleyes: :o

But seriously, hope you find a resolution to your problem!

Coca Cola.,

Put a saucer of coke out for them.

They can't handle it and explode.

Sorry, but keeping the birds in the house could never work. He has about 20 breeding pair. The birds have inherited my covered carport and the cages are also covered on the tops and have shading partially down each side which protects them from the weather and sun. Since the flooring is concrete and each cage stands about 3 1/2 to 4 feet off the ground, we are able to clean the area quite well each day. I probably should have mentioned all this earlier...sorry!