IP cam for rotents.

Tacoman

Getting the hang of it
Oct 5, 2015
97
27
I have general questions regarding detection of rodents. I have noticed signs of mice and actually caught a couple in my garage/basement. I can't figure out how they are getting in. I would like to set a camera to see if I can spot the entries/exits. Need some advice from someone who has had success.

I have taken a good long look at the house for possible entry locations. Both inside and outside. I found nothing. I re-sided the house a couple of years ago and paid a lot of attention to sealing the foundation and windows. But I may have/must have missed something.
I have a Blue Iris wired system around the house. If there is a better inside solution I am open.
What kind of camera did you use. I was also thinking of a battery powered trail cam type of set up that can be easily moved around inside. But I don't have a clue what to look for.
I originally thought they were hitch hiking on the car. If they are, I can't figure out how.
What settings are you using? IR or low light? What should I look for.?
I have set up a couple of snap traps but I think the mice are onto me. They avoid those like death. I have had remarkable success with live traps even sitting right next to the snap traps. I catch a couple a month in the live traps but they don't seem to help in the long term.
There is surprising little information on the internet.
Goals: Get rid of them and seal the ingress/egress long term.
Keep them from damaging the house and car.

If this sounds like a fools errand tell me why. I am almost ready to hire a pro.
I am willing to spend some money on an effective method.

Thanks for any help
John
 
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Sadly these cameras really are not set up for that and success can be hit or miss.

Personally I would use a thermal camera.

Here are some threads where people tried to capture rodents with these types of cameras.







 
In the boat storage business in N. Wisconsin, the outfit I worked for would load the boat compartments up with Walmart Dryer Sheets ( think Bounce). Because of the critters keen sense of Smell, it would drive them away in these large pole buildings with places Mice and Raccoons etc could get in. It's one step. Probably not full the answer. My buddy went crazy with 5 gal pail traps with water inside. I'll have to find out what his final outcome was.
They were getting into his basement somehow.
 
Oddly enough, the Amcrest IP5M- 1197EW in my back porch on fairly default settings,
was detecting the mouse, mice when they took a stroll down the main aisle.
I didn't know I had any until by dumb luck i was seeing why there was so much motion detection in a dead quiet storage area. ( turned out to be mostly the changing light with Sun and Clouds)
So i screwed with it to be less particular, and the motion annoyance went away but so did the mouse detection.