Need help with MICE - not Mickey or Minnie

[rapriebe]

I have suddenly become invaded with mice in my house. It seems a pair got in and they multiplied. I have tried traps but that only worked so-so. I also tried the humane traps so I could take them out to the woods and release them, but they did not work at all. I have been able to catch quite a few on the glue traps but that breaks my heart to see them struggling on them. I also purchase those plug in electric devices that are suppose to make a noise that drives them away but obviously that is not working. They have gotten in my love seat and ruined it - it stinks.

Does anybody have any ideas on how to get rid of these critters. We have sealed all of the openings to the outside that we can find but they seem to keep coming.

HELP!!!!

 

[Pop Daddy]

stand on a chair

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I think at this point your best bet would be to call an exterminator and ask if they have any humane solutions. Mice multiply pretty rapidly, and it sounds like they are being really problematic.

 

[Kallison]

We had a big mouse problem when we first moved into our house. Yes I hate the sticky traps too -- ever since my kids were toddlers and yelled "Look Mom we have a pet", they were gathered around with their thumbs in mouth with one hand and stroking the stuck baby mouse with the other hand - YUCK! My pest control brings out poison traps, they eat it and go outside to look for water. We still get them in the house, but not in our living areas. They go down the basement and around the corner of the crawl space areas or up in the attic or in the walls. When you live next to a corn field you have no choice but to live with them. I've only found one in the pool this summer, so I think we are doing well. I also tried the setting them free route. I took one way out in the corn field in winter and let it loose, went back to the house and watched it run all the way back across the field back to my warm basement! I did save a drowning mouse in my pool last summer. Mice can fit into the tiniest of spaces. Something ridiculous like a 1/4 of an inch crack. Good luck.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I had a terrible surprise one day when I was cleaning out my glove compartment. In the very back corner there were some droppings. My glove compartment also contains the air filter. I very cautiously removed the cover and the entire filter was full of droppings. So, every time I ran the air or heat, I was breathing in mouse poop! I thought I was going to be sick. I never did see a mouse but keep checking to make sure the new filter is clean.

 

[rapriebe]

I thought about buying the poision that you can put out for mice but if they die in your house, don't they start to smell after awhile??? I was also wondering if anyone had tried the more expensive $~35 electronic mice repellents. The ones I bought were four in a pack for $20 at Wal-mart. I have seen more expensive ones advertised but didn't want to waste the money if it was just a gimmick.

Thanks for all your help - appreciate all the posts. (Pop Daddy ?? very funny)

 

[cvemom]

How would you like to find them in the bottom of your washer when you take your laundry out????? That mouse was clean but didn't survive. My sister set a trap and caught another.Set more traps and so far nothing new to report. Good luck getting rid of yours.

 

[cgcw]

Originally posted by calypso*a*go-go
I had a terrible surprise one day when I was cleaning out my glove compartment. In the very back corner there were some droppings. My glove compartment also contains the air filter. I very cautiously removed the cover and the entire filter was full of droppings. So, every time I ran the air or heat, I was breathing in mouse poop! I thought I was going to be sick. I never did see a mouse but keep checking to make sure the new filter is clean.

Not in my air filter, but when my old van had a flat and the service guy came out to change it, he found a huge mouse nest in with the spare tire. I wondered how many rides I gave those mice before they were found out. We laughed at the time that it was a good thing one of the mice never showed up on the dashboard as I was driving. I certainly wouldn't have been paying attention to the traffic.

We got a delivery of mulch one year loaded with mice which nfested our garage. The poison baits worked the best. I think we only found a couple after they were dead. Most run away looking for a source of water.

Good luck.

 

[acepepper]

Get a cat.

 

[Mskanga]

First of seal any possible openings from the outside of the house with steel wool pads, then place poison traps. My husband put in the normal traps ( the ones that killed ) with peanut butter, we haven't had another mouse yet. But I know they somehow always make it in.... YIKES!

 

[Kallison]

Sometimes they do die in the walls and you may smell them for a day or two. They disintegrate quickly and dry up next to nothing. The poison traps are supposed to make them go outside to look for water. It must work because I find them in my pool once in awhile. Like I said -- I've found one this year which is amazing. As long as they are not running under my feet I don't worry about them! They run around the perimeter of walls, so that is where you place the poison traps. I never understood people who buy mice for pets!

 

[AllyandJack]

I have found two in my house so far. They have never gotten past the basement of the house. They got up above the insulation in my unfinished basement and bit into the water line of my central AC. I have found droppings in the garage, but not in the basement.

I have 3 cats. I don't know what they did to these poor mice, but they looked like they were scared to death. There were no bites on them and no blood, but they were dead with looks of horror on their little faces. I don't know if they told the others, but the cats don't show signs of their being anymore in the house. I got the sticky traps, but haven't put them down yet since we haven't seen any in over 2 months and the cats aren't looking around like they used to.

I would call an exterminator. Some mice carry bad illnesses like hantavirus (which I thought I had for weeks!), so if it's more than one or two stragglers, you should call a professional. Better not to take any chances with your family's health.

 

[zaxmom]

2 weeks ago, I opened my glove compartment and one ran across my hand. I freaked out like you won't believe. We called our exterminator and he put glue and snap traps in there. We closed the doors and waited because I wanted to know for sure that he was dead. For 3 nights he crawled around at night and ran all over the car, but never wanted any peanut butter. Finally I turned the car on and blasted 80's rock for three hours and opened all the doors. He must have left. I hope. There are no signs of him any more, like poop, torn up carpet, torn up rubber molding. I let it sit for 4 days before my husband took out all the seats in the van and steam cleaned the floors, walls, ceilings, seats. I am pretty sure he is gone, but every time my pant legs brush my ankle I jump.

I had one of the electric things in the garage because I had one in there before. I had taken it out and put it in my kitchen when this one came in. Needless to say it is back in the garage. My bug man said they work, maybe not on all of them, but they do work.

So everybody take this advice. Do not leave your car door open in the garage. Do not leave your garage doors open, especially at night.

 

[sjh801]

Originally posted by rapriebe
I have suddenly become invaded with mice in my house. It seems a pair got in and they multiplied. I have tried traps but that only worked so-so. I also tried the humane traps so I could take them out to the woods and release them, but they did not work at all. I have been able to catch quite a few on the glue traps but that breaks my heart to see them struggling on them. I also purchase those plug in electric devices that are suppose to make a noise that drives them away but obviously that is not working. They have gotten in my love seat and ruined it - it stinks.

Does anybody have any ideas on how to get rid of these critters. We have sealed all of the openings to the outside that we can find but they seem to keep coming.

HELP!!!!

Followup, please! Whatever happened???

 

[cati]

My cat is wonderful. I dont have mice anymore. Plus, he usually catches them at night so I dont see anything except for the few times he catches them early in the evening and brings me a present

I have not had any since last winter... figure it is about time again with fall coming in.

 

[sjh801]

Bump

 

[rapriebe]

Well - the mice story has officially ended (knocking on wood). We finally decided to be very aggressive with catching the critters and we did it. We went in the room where it seemed to be the source and starting tearing everything apart to find their nest. It turns out they made a home in the bottom drawer of my husband's gun cabinet. We were in the room vacuuming, opening drawers and moving furniture. All of a sudden my DH opened this drawer and the mice started running everywhere. I ran from the room screaming and hollering "Suck them up in the vacuum". Well he did get 3 with the vacuum but 3 of them came running to the door, down the hall and into the master bedroom. Now I forgot to mentioned that we started this project at about 10:30 at night. I had been thinking about it all day at work and when I got home the power was out until 10:00. So as soon as we got lights, we went to work looking for the critters.

Well we finished vacuuming all the mess that was left behind from their bed. Goodness I have never seen such a mess in my life and boy did it stink. So finally at 11:30 we went to bed and I wasn't a happy camper because I knew that 3 had made their way into my bedroom. We put some of the glue traps around the wall near the gun cabinet figuring they would try to get back to their home during the night and it worked. In the morning there were 4 caught in the traps.

It has been a week and no more mice. We had to remove all the furniture from the room and shampoo the carpets to get the smell out. I also had to wash 4 loads of clothes that were stored in the closet because they were full of little turds and urine spots everywhere. I had to throw away the loveseat that they had destroyed and lots of clothes were chewed up.

The lesson I learned from this adventure - Be more aggressive at the beginning and catch them before they multiply.

 

[sjh801]

Thanks for the reply.

Hope I can quickly find any inhabitants and be done with them.

 

[Lewski709]

Prevent them from coming back, get some HEDGEAPPLES. Just stick them in return air ducts or corners, out of sight, and they won't return. REALLY, we do this every year. We need some right now.

 

[sjh801]

Originally posted by Lewski709
Prevent them from coming back, get some HEDGEAPPLES. Just stick them in return air ducts or corners, out of sight, and they won't return. REALLY, we do this every year. We need some right now.

What in the world are hedgeapples?