I haz a garden!

[Alpaca]

Put some out in a bowl for the mouse, and then suspend the back from the ceiling.

[Opsanus tau]

I used to keep my bird seed sack in the shed until the mice found it and split it open. I then put it in a plastic bucket with a lid. That pretty much kept them out.

Except

after the winter I went out to put the last of the feed into the bird feeder and there in the bottom of the bucket was one dead mouse, fat and smiling, but quite deceased.

[Alpaca]

We have a bird feeder, and now that we've found some birdseed that doesn't go bad in Floridian conditions (I dunno how the previous one managed it, but it did), the birds have been gobbling that stuff up in insane quantities. We're planning to get a second "arm" with another feeder, because right now, when the bigger ones want to eat, they drive the little ones away first.

[anthrobabe]

Critters in the seed...... (and yes mice are cute-but don't need in things)

There is a reason for saving (hoarding) some of the crap I hoard.

Large gallon size glass jars with screw type lids-- they are hard to come by around here anylonger-- all plastic now it seems. People were like - 'do you really need all of these jars' --- yes I do.
One use for them (if you can get them), put the birdseed or whatever you want in them, screw on that lid very tightly and nothing will get in (well except for racoons and some squirrels)-- so be sure and put some nice hot powdered chili pepper in your birdseed-- it doesn't bother the birds at all but most racoons and squirrels do not like spicy food and will leave it alone. (notice I say most squirrels and racoons-- not all).

Hippy Schnauzer--- sounds like a super hero!

[Black Bart]

Fantastic advise as usual.  Caught the mouse eating the bird seed again last night...shot him.

Only joking...is it possible the mouse is nibbling my young plants in the potting shed as well...a vegetarian mouse?  Only the lower leaves are being eaten and it doesn't look like snail damage.

[Opsanus tau]

It is quite possible, Bartie. At http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/zoo00/zoo00573.htm there is a list of what mice eat, followed by a paragraph which includes:

"White-footed or deer mice, the common wild mice of much of the midwest, are "opportunistic omnivores," according to The Mammals of Illinois. That means they eat almost anything they can find, including seeds, insects and insect larvae, and leaves and other plant parts."

[Black Bart]

The little blaggard...I'll get the chili powder...ironically they are chilli plants!