Mouse Problem

[disneyfav4ever]

Mice have recently invaded my apartment. I've been setting up a paper towel tube trap that catches them in the trash can, and then letting them go in the morning away from my building. But there are still mice. Almost every morning when I wake up there's another mouse in the trash can.

I really don't want to kill them, but I'm very close to going out and getting a bunch of snap traps, since I just can't stand them in my kitchen anymore.

I was just wondering if anyone knew of an effective way to get rid of mice for good without killing them?

 

[castmember19]

The only thing I've really heard that works is to get a cat... I don't think there's a way to get rid of them without killing them, but maybe someone else can prove me wrong.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Should've mentioned, my apartment doesn't allow cats. But thanks for the suggestion!

 

[TheColtonsMom]

Define "away from my building" next door? 10 miles? If you are dropping them off anywhere nearby they are coming back! If someone dropped you off at the corner wouldn't you walk back home?

The most effective thing is a cat but since as you said it is out of the question...If you rent what is the landlord doing about it? If you own your apt get some snap traps or another form of permanant solution if you keep walking them outside they will keep walking back in.

On the other hand here's how you get rid of mice non-lethally...If you don't mind putting your trash and every edible thing in your cupboards into non-chewable metal containers with tight fitting lids they will have no free groceries. When they have nothing to eat they will move to your neighbors house and since she has been watching you walk them to the corner...she will know where they came from.

 

[skiingfast]

Expensive but you can get live traps. But I would clean up food. Put traps along the wall near openings. Doors usually or holes in the wall.

Pull the furniture out from the walls to create a "rat race", the gap between a wall and object about 6 inches wide. This will encourge them to run by the traps if you put them in the race. Live traps should be 6 inches wide, so you put it behind a chest and they try to run right through it getting trapped.

Are you sure they aren't coming back in? Maybe you should mark one with a felt marker or sharpie to be sure. They will come right back if you are only taking them 100 yards, which to some people is a long way.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Define "away from my building" next door? 10 miles? If you are dropping them off anywhere nearby they are coming back! If someone dropped you off at the corner wouldn't you walk back home?

The most effective thing is a cat but since as you said it is out of the question...If you rent what is the landlord doing about it? If you own your apt get some snap traps or another form of permanant solution if you keep walking them outside they will keep walking back in.

On the other hand here's how you get rid of mice non-lethally...If you don't mind putting your trash and every edible thing in your cupboards into non-chewable metal containers with tight fitting lids they will have no free groceries. When they have nothing to eat they will move to your neighbors house and since she has been watching you walk them to the corner...she will know where they came from.

Yeah, they've only been going a couple streets over, so they may be finding their way back. I didn't think of that. Are mice that smart that they can find their way back?

I did put most of my food into containers. The only thing I didn't take care of besides the canned food, was boxes of pasta that I don't have containers for. Other then that everything is in containers, or is just canned goods, but most of pantry is grains and nuts from bulk bins that had been in containers anyway, and the only thing I had to move were plastic bags of sugar, chocolate chips, raisins, etc.

 

[disykat]

We have been having a mouse problem at work and, in the room I work in we've been using peppermint oil around the room on cotton balls. Over spring break we were the only room on our side of the hall with no mice caught in the traps they set.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

Another tip from the more than you wanted to know about mice camp... I saw this on DIY network the other day. Mice have collapsible skulls...they can squeeze through any opening in your home that is bigger than a dime... DIY recommended walking around your home with a dime and a can of expanding foam and filling every opening... hard to walk all the way around the outside of an apartment building but couldn't hurt to look around pipes and things like that for gaps that need filling so they don't have a way in.

 

[EMom]

I think rats leave urine trails to follow. I would imagine mice do the same. So yes, they will return. As for your apt. not allowing cats, maybe you should tell them that so long as they "allow" mice, they need to make an exception for cats.

I'd be on them like white on rice to get rid of the mice. But then, I'd kill a mouse without a second thought even though they are a little cute. They freak me out. When we moved in this house, we heard a noise and thought we had rats, but it was a false alarm. I had three pest control companies come over and the first two found nothing, but the third guy realized what was causing the false alarm. I won't go into details, but we still joke about him. I will say his heart was in his work. He was passionate about it. We paid him to seal this place up tighter than a drum and while neighbors have had issues, we've been spared. Rats, which are MUCH bigger than mice, can get into tiny openings. You have to seal any and everything.

 

[skiingfast]

Another tip from the more than you wanted to know about mice camp... I saw this on DIY network the other day. Mice have collapsible skulls...they can squeeze through any opening in your home that is bigger than a dime... DIY recommended walking around your home with a dime and a can of expanding foam and filling every opening... hard to walk all the way around the outside of an apartment building but couldn't hurt to look around pipes and things like that for gaps that need filling so they don't have a way in.

If you do foam, they will chew through it. If you stuff steel wool in those gaps, they won't get in.

 

[emma'smom]

I still say "cat"....maybe have one "visit" for awhile. We had this issue when we lived in an apartment in Brooklyn and it was the only solution that stuck. Once kitty moved in, they were gone within days--- and never returned. Otherwise they just bounce between apartments.

The mice smell the cat--- so it isn't just about the cat catching them. Those little mice high tail it out of there.

 

[Mrs. Sojourner]

When we were first married we lived in an apartment where we had a mice problem. We used one of those Ultrasonic rodent repellers and that really seemed to work. Hope you can figure something out; I know that is a huge pain!

 

[Kath2003]

Get a cat.
If you catch them alive, you need to drive MANY miles away to release them or they'll just come back.
They prefer chocolate to cheese if you're trying to catch them.
But seriously...get a cat.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

What does your apartment plan on doing with your pest infestation? Have you told them? What do they say about extermination?

My parents have a summer home so we have been killing mice for 30yrs. They are a pest and unsanitary. They carry disease.

I would put some pressure on my landlord, for sure.

 

[FredinFL]

I'd call the superintendent/manager and have them take care of the problem.

 

[LIDisneyFan]

Mickey will NOT be happy with this thread

 

[FredinFL]

 

[Colleen27]

If you really want them gone you'll have to get your apt manager to do something about it. Otherwise you can set traps and lock down all your food to make your apartment as inhospitable to them as possible, but odds are if they're getting into the building they'll still come poking around your space.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

If you do foam, they will chew through it. If you stuff steel wool in those gaps, they won't get in.

I've heard steal wool as well. From what I can tell they are coming in from behind the oven, so I'm going to try and have the landlord come over today and see if he can pull it out and deal with it.

I still say "cat"....maybe have one "visit" for awhile. We had this issue when we lived in an apartment in Brooklyn and it was the only solution that stuck. Once kitty moved in, they were gone within days--- and never returned. Otherwise they just bounce between apartments.

The mice smell the cat--- so it isn't just about the cat catching them. Those little mice high tail it out of there.

I've heard it's the smell of a cat too, trust me, I'm very tempted to get mine from my parents.

When we were first married we lived in an apartment where we had a mice problem. We used one of those Ultrasonic rodent repellers and that really seemed to work. Hope you can figure something out; I know that is a huge pain!

I've read about those, but everyone I've talked to have said those don't work. Is there a specific brand you bought that you could link me to? They seem to be the easiest solution if they actually work.

Get a cat.
If you catch them alive, you need to drive MANY miles away to release them or they'll just come back.
They prefer chocolate to cheese if you're trying to catch them.
But seriously...get a cat.

I'm suprised they'd eat chocolate. That wouldn't poison them like it does cats and dogs?

I'd call the superintendent/manager and have them take care of the problem.

I'll be talking to him today.

Update on the mice; caught two more last night with my peanut butter tube. The only problem with that trap is it can only trap one, and then has to be reset before it can catch another. The only reason it got two last night is because one went in before I went to bed, so I was able to reset it.

 

[FredinFL]

You really need to do something and inform the manager. If they are all over like that in your kitchen they will start getting into your food. They pee EVERYWHERE and poop too, it's just not healthy. You can do all you want, but if the source isn't found and contained, it will just continue. They can have tons and tons of babies relatively quickly.

Believe me, I'm an animal lover, but you can't live with rodents crapping all over your kitchen. You can get sick.