OT~What do I do???

[dancin Disney style]

This involves mice so it's still slightly ON topic

Last night we were watching TV it the basement and started to hear noises. We turned off the TV and low and behold it's a scratching noise inside the wall up high at the ceiling. I stood on the sofa and put my ear against the wall and I could hear something running. I have to guess that it was a mouse/mice. That wall is an exterior wall.

How do I get it out of the wall?????

 

[minnie mum]

Call an exterminator. Or you could first try setting out some mousetraps. Locate them along that wall both upstairs and down. Look outside for any obvious entry points.

 

[ferris198]

It happened to my friend a few times.
An exterminator is a costly way to go so she just left it alone until they died

 

[sechelt]

Mice multiply very quickly and right now they're looking for a warm place to spend the winter. If they are in your walls, chances are they've been inside your house too. Watch for tell-tale signs like little droppings. There are humane mousetraps available if you feel uncomfortable about killing them. Otherwise, the exterminator is worth the cost, IMO.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Does anyone think it's possible that what we heard was coming from outside the house??? We haven't heard anything more. The wall that the noise was coming from is an exterior wall and we checked all along there yesterday and found no little holes. It's all cement and brick. The only opening in that general area is the dryer vent but we took it apart and it was fine.

When you say an exterminator is costly....how much might we be talking about? Do they cut holes in the walls?

 

[who's ur daddy?]

I am a veritable expert at catching mice. Honestly. Can't figure where they come in the house (older house), but if they're in the house, I can catch them.

If they're in the walls, they're probably inside the house somewhere as well. Set traps throughout the house.

This is the BEST product I've ever used. Hands down.

http://reviews.canadiantire.ca/9045...dator-fast-set-mouse-trap-reviews/reviews.htm

Put some peanut butter, one touch set and you're ready to go. You can dispose of the mouse body (icky I know) easily and re-set the trap.

This trap is so easy to use and it is very effective. A lot of other traps sometimes will snap but miss the mouse. After that, that mouse is spooked and will not return. So, it's important to get a trap that is foolproof.

The Predator trap I've linked above is the most efficient trap I've ever used!

Apologies to those who can't stomach a topic like this.

 

[ferris198]

If you haven't heard anything it could be that the mouse has left, or has died.
As for the cost, I can't recall what my friend was quoted but it can involve cutting the wall, which would then need to be repaired.
We live near a ravine and we often get a few this time of year.
We put a screen over our dryer vent so they can't come in that way.
When we do see signs of them, we just use the old wooden traps, they work fine.

 

[midaroco]

It could possibly be squirrels or raccoons as well, depending on where you live and how close trees are to your dwelling (sorry, don't mean to throw gas on the fire). It may also be nothing, meaning it simply may be a noise due to a cable from a tv or phone wire attached to your house moving slightly in the wind. How do I know this? I panicked thinking squirrels got in my attic ( I live in the city ) and was convinced they were rapidly making it their home. Every night I would hear noises from the wall next to my bed, and (what I thought was) the attic. I paid an exterminator to come look, and, embarrassingly enough - he pointed out the noise was coming from the phone cable attached to the side of the house - when the wind would blow the wire (that runs diagonal across my yard before it enters my house at the 2nd story) it would cause it to sway and wobble, causing the line where it is attached to move - creating a scratching noise. Although slightly embarrassed, I was relieved to not have a rodent issue!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I am a veritable expert at catching mice. Honestly. Can't figure where they come in the house (older house), but if they're in the house, I can catch them.

If they're in the walls, they're probably inside the house somewhere as well. Set traps throughout the house.

This is the BEST product I've ever used. Hands down.

http://reviews.canadiantire.ca/9045...dator-fast-set-mouse-trap-reviews/reviews.htm

Put some peanut butter, one touch set and you're ready to go. You can dispose of the mouse body (icky I know) easily and re-set the trap.

This trap is so easy to use and it is very effective. A lot of other traps sometimes will snap but miss the mouse. After that, that mouse is spooked and will not return. So, it's important to get a trap that is foolproof.

The Predator trap I've linked above is the most efficient trap I've ever used!

Apologies to those who can't stomach a topic like this.

Thanks...I will go and find these traps. DH just came home from the $ store with the cheapest looking traps I've every seen.

If you haven't heard anything it could be that the mouse has left, or has died.
As for the cost, I can't recall what my friend was quoted but it can involve cutting the wall, which would then need to be repaired.
We live near a ravine and we often get a few this time of year.
We put a screen over our dryer vent so they can't come in that way.
When we do see signs of them, we just use the old wooden traps, they work fine.

I'm really not keen to have holes cut in my walls. It's not something DH can fix, he's not handy. We have a screen on the dryer vent....just replaced it in the spring and checked it yesterday. We do live along a walking trail with no houses behind us. There is a fair amount of wildlife around here.

We had them in the garage once many years ago, also this time of year. They got in under the door. We replaced the gasket on the bottom and after we trapped all the guys inside there has never been another one.

 

[who's ur daddy?]

Also forgot to mention another possibility: ghosts. Just putting it out there. You never know.

 

[dancin Disney style]

It could possibly be squirrels or raccoons as well, depending on where you live and how close trees are to your dwelling (sorry, don't mean to throw gas on the fire). It may also be nothing, meaning it simply may be a noise due to a cable from a tv or phone wire attached to your house moving slightly in the wind. How do I know this? I panicked thinking squirrels got in my attic ( I live in the city ) and was convinced they were rapidly making it their home. Every night I would hear noises from the wall next to my bed, and (what I thought was) the attic. I paid an exterminator to come look, and, embarrassingly enough - he pointed out the noise was coming from the phone cable attached to the side of the house - when the wind would blow the wire (that runs diagonal across my yard before it enters my house at the 2nd story) it would cause it to sway and wobble, causing the line where it is attached to move - creating a scratching noise. Although slightly embarrassed, I was relieved to not have a rodent issue!

We had to deal with the squirrels last fall...little devils, tried to get in the attic but they made the attempt at the front of the house. So we saw immediately what they were doing. I woke up one morning to hear the most incredible noise...sounded like something was about to come right through the brick. It was really shocking to hear how loud a noise from outside could be....AND from such a small animal. They fight in the tree outside my bedroom window...always at about 7am on the weekend.

Did I mention that squirrels are nothing but rats in designer suits....I've had many an up close and personal with them from my window. Very ugly!!!!!!

 

[dancin Disney style]

Also forgot to mention another possibility: ghosts. Just putting it out there. You never know.

Very possible but I'm not that lucky.

 

[pigletto]

Did I mention that squirrels are nothing but rats in designer suits....I've had many an up close and personal with them from my window. Very ugly!!!!!!

YES!! I never had a problem with them until I really looked at one and realized it's just a fluffy tailed rat. Now I can't stand them


As for the mice.. I've never had them in this house. We saw one mouse in our last house, caught it, and never saw or heard or found signs of another. So we got lucky I guess.
I know my inlaws said they are attracted to their wood pile for the fireplace and make it in to the garage to live in it so they moved the pile out back. So it may be some place you want to check.

 

[Gigi22]

Never had any mouse problems, but I have the oldest mouse trap known to man: C.A.T.

 

[dancin Disney style]

YES!! I never had a problem with them until I really looked at one and realized it's just a fluffy tailed rat. Now I can't stand them


As for the mice.. I've never had them in this house. We saw one mouse in our last house, caught it, and never saw or heard or found signs of another. So we got lucky I guess.
I know my inlaws said they are attracted to their wood pile for the fireplace and make it in to the garage to live in it so they moved the pile out back. So it may be some place you want to check.

No wood pile here.

Never had any mouse problems, but I have the oldest mouse trap known to man: C.A.T.

Problem with that....my D.O.G. I often say he's part cat but apparently not the right part.