Ok, we definitely have mice. I need some mice advice.

[gardenista]

Cleaned out the downstairs storage area today, and found some mouse droppings. At first, I thought there were just a few, and then ran into a really disgusting corner which I guess is close to a nest.

I already learned not to tip a box that is higher than my head down toward myself to see if there is mouse poop on it. Can you say dumb move? Good thing I screamed with my mouth closed!

So what should I do? Set traps? Set out poison (I really don't want to do that), or call an exterminator?

I'm not scared of them, just find them gross, unless they're pets, in which case they're cool.

On edit: Wish we could have a cat, but our landlady is very allergic and shares the storage space where I found the droppings.

[alittlelark]

1. Do you like cats?

[arismomkoofie]

3. great minds think alike...n/t

[Vincardog]

4. Visit TSC and get traps or poison. Traps take a long time Poison leaves

dead mice laying around. Try a good hungry cat or a rat terrier.

[gardenista]

8. Love them, adore them! But our landlady is allergic and we can't have

one. *sniff*

[alittlelark]

12. Too bad... perhaps a chat w/ landlady about the rodents

Depending on the property size... a 'barn cat' could be good. They are semi-feral - tend to want to live outside, but will hang in an area w/ semi-stable food supply. Most rescue groups have a few.

[amazona]

34. cats to allergic people represent a severe threat to health

I shouldn't even have to say this.

You are asking the allergic person to give up years of her life. People who continue to expose themselves to their allergen get asthma. Asthmatics have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease and early death.

I have a severe cat allergy. I avoid exposure to my allergen, and I'm healthy.

My brother had a very mild cat allergy. He has two cats. He now has a severe allergy and asthma. At only age 40 he already has signs of cardio-vascular disease. People, it is just not worth it.

Allergists don't tell people to avoid cats just because they get a kick out of separating people from their beloved pets. It is a serious health issue.

You are asking someone to sacrifice their health and eventually their life when you force an allergic person to live with a cat. And yet I see it so often because people either don't think or don't care.

Cats who are kept as outdoor pets have a lifespan of around 2 years. This for an animal that kept indoors can live 15-20 years. So it is not fair to the cat either.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[alittlelark]

37. For a semi-feral, it is their best chance.

As to the allergies, true, there are a small percentage of ppl w/ severe cat allergies. I have an anaphalactic nut allergy. My kids love peanut butter sandwiches, and one loves trail mix, both love pistachios.

I make the sandwiches - CAREFULLY - on paper towels. Son gets trail mix his daddy pre-packages, but only at school or in the backyard. They both get to eat pistachios in the Backyard only.

If the person does not have to come in contact w/ the cat it will be fine. Outdoors there is no risk. A semi-feral will only 'warm up' to someone who is actively trying.

[arismomkoofie]

2. What about a cat?

Seriously...

If you don't want one, you might be able to "borrow" one!

A cat would make your house unhospitable to those little guys...

JMO
:)

[gardenista]

13. Wish we could. If we had one, I bet we wouldn't even have mice! nt

[ikojo]

5. Get a can and keep it a little

hungry...don't starve it but don't let it feast either. I have been told that cats who have no food worries will not hunt as readily as cats who need the food. I don't know if this is true or not.

[gardenista]

9. If only we could have a cat. Next time we move, we'll choose a place

where we can have one.

[BeatleBoot]

10. I heard bottles work better...

The whole in the cans are too small...

;-)

[alittlelark]

31. ROFLMAO !!!

[BeatleBoot]

32. T'anks

Just couldn't resist.

Oh the pleasures of Saturday Night at home.....

[Smallberries]

6. Exterminator

Seriously.

It ain't pretty, but neither is a rodent infestation.

[gardenista]

16. You're right, but I don't think it's at "infestation" stage yet. I might

try some traps and definitely monitoring the droppings situation.

[madison2000]

7. I don't have mice now, but when I did I tried every single mouse trap

and the ONLY one that worked is the one where they walk onto it in search of food and their feet get stuck. Then they are stuck there till they die of starvation or thirst or fear that the dog will do more than sniff them. Like a couple of days...

That option made the poison look like it really wasn't so bad.

[gardenista]

11. The thing about the poison is that if they die where a dog

can find their bodies, the dog might eat them and get poisoned.

I had a friend whose dog almost died a horrible, horrible death because of that. Thank God we got her to the vet in time to save her life. She needed a transfusion.

[Smallberries]

14. Glue Traps

Actually, they don't die of starvation, they die of suffocation.

(The mouse sticks his mouth in the glue in an attempt to extricate its foot. Suffocation follows---which is technically a much more humane way of dying than slow dehydration/starvation)

[gardenista]

15. Oh, man. Ok, I think I'll go get some glue traps. Poor little things.

I hate doing it, but I can't face the alternative, which is having mouse poop all over, and them chewing up my stuff.

[smbolisnch]

18. There are humane traps where you catch and release.

Let me go and find the link. Although, I'm sure that the hardware store would have them. Glue traps are the absolute worst. Please, don't use glue traps!!!

[smbolisnch]

20. Here are some links.

Hope these help you!

http://www.naturallivingstore.com/smartmousetrap.html
http://www.abundantearth.com/store/mousetrap1.html
http://www.tomahawklivetrap.com/products/35.html

Please reconsider the glue and snap traps!

[gardenista]

41. Thanks, I appreciate the links!

Where should I release them once I've trapped them?

[smbolisnch]

43. You are welcome!

Well, where do you live? Are you in a city, a suburb?
Where I live, there are woods where I can release them. If you are in a city though, you don't want to send them off to someone elses house!
Do you have any woods nearby?

[Pithlet]

27. We used the catch and release, and it worked well for us.

We only caught a couple, so we didn't have a huge infestation. No mice since then.

[gardenista]

42. Thanks, it's so helpful to hear about other people's experiences.

We'll try and find some live traps tomorrow.

[madison2000]

19. I think that once they are trapped you can put the glue trap in a bag and

either put it outside if its cold or in the freezer- I think that speeds a painless death.

I did imagine that they were screaming out for help. :shrug:

[Sgent]

25. Please don't get the glue traps

get the neck snap traps instead.

The glue traps are incredibly inhumane. The little mice often chew their feet off to get out. If their are two of them, and they get hungry, they often eat each other.

[alittlelark]

30. I'll 2nd the 'no glue traps' !!

They used them at my daughters preschool - after hearing one of the parents griping about the rat that had been making a rukus for days in the storeroom - I went in to find a rat that had been there - glued by it's side for 3 or so days. I put it out of it's misery under the wheel of my car (didn't know what else to do) It appeared to have bitten off it's tounge, and had semi-scalped itself trying to escape.

It was as inhumane a 'trap' as I have ever seen.

I talked to the principle (loudly) and they stopped the practice.

[Southsideirish]

26. My friend's (now deceased) mom once rescued a poor baby mouse from

one of those terrible things in a K-Mart. They were shopping and heard a tiny cry - and found the little guy stuck to the pad trying to extricate himself (sometimes they chew their feet off.)
She slipped him into her pocket and they went out to the parking lot where she carefully lifted his tiny feet away from the glue and released him. Humane traps/boxes are the way to go - use peanut butter as a lure.

[gardenista]

44. Awww. I'm happy the mouse didn't bite her. He must have known

that she had good intentions.

[gardenista]

38. Ok, ok, ok, no glue traps! nt

[smbolisnch]

40. Yay!!!

Glad to hear it Mgdecombe!! :hi:

[gardenista]

45. When a better alternative is available, it only makes sense!

Thanks for helping me come to a good decision by offering a good alternative and helping me with the research.

[smbolisnch]

46. Anytime!

:pals:

[hatredisnotavalue]

17. Peppermint oil

Sprinkled it all around the hole you think they are coming in thur...but back it up so they will eventually go outdoors.

Also mice hate the smell of moth balls. Had a problem with them nesting in the cars. Put moth balls underneath the back seat and never had another problem.

Also another thing about dying mice, if you set poison, they will die someplace warm. Had a cat kill a mouse and drop it in between the baseboard heater. I have never smelled anything worse after the fourth day of death, plus the body was bloated and couldn't be wedged out.
When we bought our old farmhouse, peppermint was planted around the perimeter to keep the mice from getting into the granite basement. Worked like a charm. Our only mice issues were when the cats brought them into the house.

[gold_bug]

21. I had mice awhile back...

getting into the house. Luckily I found out how they were getting into the house (they gnawed through the insulation on a basement window), I hammered a board to cover up their entrance route, so I didn't have to resort to dealing with traps and mouse killing yuckiness.

[burythehatchet]

22. nuke 'em...trust me...call a bug-man and nuke 'em

The worst thing you'll have to deal with is disposing of the cracass

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

23. is there an electrical outlet in the storage area?

If so, there's a device you can buy that you plug in (sorta like those air freshener things). It emits some high powered beep that scare the mice away. Honest to god they work, but it takes a few weeks. I know Costco used to sell them in packs of 3. I worked for a pest control company once & was reading through an industry mag where even they said it was the only thing that worked permanently. Also, make sure there's no food or water there.

best.

[MrScorpio]

24. Regular old fashioned spring traps with peanut butter bait

I know first hand that this works like a charm.

Along the wall and close to warm places

Take it from me, The Mouse Slayer

[BillZBubb]

28. I vote with you.

Meeses don't have a chance against PB in a spring trap.

[amazona]

35. MrScorpio is the man

This is indeed what works. In "mouse" years we've always been able to clear them out within a couple days using this method. And I thought my partner was odd for using peanut butter. :-)

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[ConcernedCanuk]

36. A slight modification to the Peanut Butter thing

.
.
.

I've actually found my traps unsprung with the PB licked clean off of it. More than just a few times . .

Sooo - I realized they luv the stuff, but even with a trap set "light" they could steal my bait.

NOW, I use peanuts, a few small pieces around the trap to get their interest and confidence up, then jam a good piece under the wee tab where we'all used to put the cheese, which they got good at stealing too.

The peanuts have NEVER failed me, I always "get my man/mouse, whatever"

And I used them glue traps a few times, even though they are a pesty creature, listening to them thrash around 'till they die is most disturbing. I'd have to get up out of bed, bash them to death and remove them, ewww. No more. . .

Spring traps are pretty much instant, although once I caught one by the TAIL, and had to chase him AND the trap around to finish the job - it was more laughable than anything.

If you find you have a real clever one, set the trap hanging partially over the edge of something, a counter, book on the floor, anything so they have to get off balance to get to the bait - that works great!

Good luck!

[IdaBriggs]

29. Borrow a cat for a couple of days -- best solution! :) nt

[amazona]

33. traps work best for me

I would suggest wearing a respirator mask while cleaning out places where mice have nested and/or left their droppings.

I have not had any trouble removing all mice from the home within a couple of days by use of traps. If I may be so kind as to make a tiny request, please use a trap that kills the mouse. Do not thoughtfully release live mice onto someone else's property in the country because "they won't mind." They do mind. And anyway all outdoor niches are fully occupied, so either the introduced mice will be killed or the current inhabitors of the niche will be killed, and meantime while they are fighting it out, there is a great opportunity for spread of little micey diseases.

This also holds true for squirrels, raccoons, and whatever-the-heck-else you may find in your attic.

I have never seen the need to call an exterminator to deal with mice. Maybe if you have a very large building, but for a regular modest home? Mice traps are cheap. Give that a try first.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[HeeBGBz]

39. I had mice galore 2 winters ago

I set traps and was tossing mice bodies out the door every hour or so. It freaked me out. Got one of those adhesive no kill mouse catchers. Something drug it off into the netherworld.

Finally I acquired a cat. Have not seen or heard a mouse since.