Ach! Mice..

[mattl]

Luckily I've never had to deal with a mouse problem, but my luck ran out.  Last year I saw a mouse scampering across my basement floor a few times, opened the right oven on my Frigidaire range and found a small nest in a roaster pan I had lined with paper towels.  Tossed the lid on it and dumped them out in the yard, thought that was the end of it.  There are a few feral cats roaming the neighborhood so I think they were a quick dinner.

 

Yesterday my dishwasher would not drain, so I ended pulling it out to clear a blockage in the drain line, pulled out the back flow flapper, it's caused problems in the past - but that is another story...  Well it looked like a mouse had taken up residence there in the insulation.  Found a pile of sunflower seeds and droppings.

 

Anyway, what is the best way to deal with them?  I have not seen one visibly since last year, but that does not mean they are gone.  Decon? Traps? Not sure.

 

[launderess]

First you have to find out where and how mice are gaining entry and seal off. Not just from the outside indoors but getting from your basement to ground floor. Pipes, electrical wiring... anything that creates a hole in wall should be well sealed and "rodent proofed".

Personally prefer those mouse zapper traps. They are quick, effective and have never let me down in the past. Next up are good old fashioned snap traps. Either way the things must be baited and placed properly. They also require checking to see if the job was done, bait replacement, moving to new site if not working...

Poison isn't the best option. DeCon or other supermarket baits are almost like candy to rodents as they have either developed an immunity or the stuff is so weak they'll have to eat tons to die. Either online, professional supply or hardware stores will have the real McCoy.

Problem with baiting is the rodents can and often do die in areas inaccessible such as walls. Then you have to put up with the stink (and perhaps flies) for several days or weeks until the rotting as stopped.

P.S.

Whatever you decide to do action needs to be taken sooner rather than later. If you've seen two or three nests then odds are you've got more mice than you think, and worse they are breeding.

 

[wayupnorth]

Since I have a dog and cat, no way I would use any poisons around them. My golden was next door and found a d-con and ate it, thinking it was candy. After a trip to the Emergency Vet Clinic and peroxide, she was better. Best defense I have found for mice is a cat.

 

[ea56]

A cat is probably your best bet to get rid of mice and keep them away. Be careful with Decon. When they eat it it causes the mice to be thirsty and look for water, then they hemorrhage internally and die wherever they happen to be, which can be inside of a wall, causing everlasting stench. Many years ago I used Decon, thought the mice were gone. One day I needed my cheese grater that was in back of the cutlery drawer, when I pulled it out I nearly jumped out of my skin, there was a dead mouse on it and it was decompsoing, nasty!!!! That was the last time I used Decon.

Another mice related story. When I was about 20 I spilled some unpopped popcorn, so I vacuumed it up with my Hoover Convertible. Later during the week I pulled out the Hoover to do the house cleaning. When I turned it on dust and dirt blew all over me. Mice had apparently smelled the popcorn in the vac bag and chewed a hole in the outer and inner bags to get at it and the end result was a big damn mess for me to clean up. If you can't have a cat, then try traps. Best of luck to you!
Eddie

 

[DADoES]

 
Traps.  Poison poses too much risk of the critter(s) getting stuck somewhere inaccessible and emitting a foul odor while rotting.  My neighbor had that happen in his then-new Jaguar.  I warned him not to use poison but too late, mus expired in the car's a/c ducting.

 

[joeypete]

OMG

I hate mice!!!! I had them in the house I was in previously...it was awful. Luckily they stayed mostly unseen, but just the sound of them running in the ceiling drove me (and my cats) bonkers.

Launderess has it spot on. You NEED to find out where they are coming in from the outdoors...otherwise it will be a continuous battle. At least if you can seal their entry, then you just need to trap who's left. Makes a world of difference.

In my previous house I found they were coming in from the garage where the wiring went under the floor...there were clear chew marks. Smart me decided to use spray insulation to sell the openings which worked great but I didn't realize that I had just sealed them in the house. They were not getting into any of my storage areas so they had to be going back outside for food. Later that night I heard a loud squeal while I was making dinner. Shortly after I was invaded by mice. Yes, I screamed like a little girl hahahahaha. It was an AWFUL night. I let my cats upstairs (where my roommate lived) and one managed to chase a mouse under the stove where I later trapped him. But they must have found another way in the next year because I heard them in a different part of the house.

Best of luck to you...but yes, you need to find out how they are getting into the house. Either that or seal any opening in your living area with steel wool or whatever else works, to at least keep them out of your living area.

 

[launderess]

causes the mice to be thirsty and look for water,

That actually is an old wives tale.

No poison causes rodents to "seek water". Rather the anti-coagulant types do cause internal hemorrhaging which eventually leads to death.

In past there were some pretty potent poisons you could dilute with water (IIRC the pros still have access to newer versions), but that was to get over bait shyness by taking advantage of even rodents must drink.

 

[joeypete]

Here kitty, kitty, kitty....

Cats are natural predators obviously with rodents. Some are just lazy mofo's and won't do crap to catch them, but if anything they keep the mice away. At my last residence the mice NEVER came into my living area where my cats were...never. They can smell them. I think mine def would catch one...my tuxedo goes crazy when the chipmunks run by my patio now lol.

 

[yogitunes]

FYI.....mice will slide in under a door......

that's how I knew they were getting in, was standing in the kitchen, and with the back door closed, seen one come in by sliding underneath...and theres a threshold and rubber seal.....just blew my mind!.....

and then the little jerk jumped right through the heat registers.......

D-Con poison worked for me......thank goodness

 

[jmm63]

That's to funny because I'm having a big mouse problem right now too.  But my mice seem to be the acrobatic type because I am finding droppings in the most unusual places....like the 3rd shelf up in the pantry (but not the lower 2),  on the stove top, behind the toaster etc.  Totally skeeves me!!

 

I've sealed all points I can see with steel wool or spray foam but clearly they are still getting in somewhere.  The house is a on crawl space with dirt floors so there is no good way to keep them out of there.  

 

I have taken to poison, traps, and heavy use of peppermint oil and sachets.  I don't like the idea of poison but my thoughts are that they are going to die in the house anyway at some point, they don't live forever.  I don't think they hold little mouse burials in the crawl space.  

.   I'm using the peppermint oil treatment in the pantry and it seems to have stopped the activity in there.  Only 1 caught in a trap so far.

 

My cat, Roxie, God rest her sole, used to keep things at bay last year.  The only problem was she would frequently catch them and bring them upstairs to the bedroom as a "gift".  Some of them were dead but some were alive and then we had to deal with mice in the bedroom running around..  want to see a grown man scream like a girl!   

 

I'm open for any other suggestions to get rid of this invasion.  

 

[kb0nes]

I would never choose poison. I don't want them dying in the walls. Or dying outside for another animal to eat and be poisoned... These blood thinning poisons are causing damage to wildlife around farms and places they are commonly used.

By far the best trap I ever found is a Hav-A-Hart live trap. Yes you do have to confront the mouse and get rid of it. The ones I have caught in the past were released in the woods a couple miles away.

I keep the trap set year around underneath my basement steps. A smear of peanut butter is the bait. I have NEVER had the trap false, if the doors are closed there is a mouse in it. I generally hear them rattling it if I get a catch. There is also zero fear of injury when setting it!

I second Launderess's suggestion to try to find the ingress point and fix it! Since my home was re-sided I haven't had any rodents visit.

 

[launderess]

Better than steel wool

Is a type of copper mesh, see: http://www.amazon.com/Stuf-fit-Copper-Mesh-Control-30/dp/B00149P89E

Most all the professional exterminators here in NYC use and swear by the stuff. If you cannot find it those copper "Chore Boy" scrubbing pads will work in a pinch.

Unlike steel wool the copper mesh will not rust and or break down over time. While rodents can and often do pull out or get through steel wool, for some reason the copper stuff stops them in their tracks. My guy says it is because bits of the stuff break apart in rodent's mouths and they just don't like it.

Another thing: rodents do not have excellent sight but detect openings via currents of warm or cooler air. Thus they do not always "see" a hole but can tell when something is there; so best to "stuff and seal" any holes/openings.

 

[ea56]

Old wives tale

According to ask.com the active ingredient in D-Con is brodifacoum which causes an insatiable thirst causing the poisoned mice to seek water outside, thereby reducing the chance that they will die inside a wall. Apparently, they haven't used warfarin for quite some time. So I guess this isn't an "Old wives tale"
[this post was last edited: 1/21/2016-18:16]

 

[glomain]

mice

as you can see I liveout in the sticks,barn cats outside & traps inside bated w/ jif,no poison in or out because of the critters (dogs /cats) also peppermint on cotton balls where you see a trail(mouse shit)will get them to move along.hope that helps,but where im from its a part of life.

 

[launderess]

Then I Stand Corrected

As everything one was told stated the opposite.

") MYTH: Rodents will seek water after consuming certain rodenticides.

FACT: No known rodenticide will make a rat or mouse extra thirsty. While rats do require water daily, mice get most of their water from the foods they eat. Rodents have already found a food or water source nearby if they are nesting in a particular area. Mice will only explore areas within about 30 feet of their nests.

Myths About Rodents

There are more rumors and myths about rats and mice than perhaps any other pest. While many myths seem feasible, it is important to know the difference between fact and fiction for proper rodent control. Dive into the facts and some of the most common rat and mouse myths we encounter.

www.domyownpestcontrol.com

 

[mattl]

I think I know where they got in, just need to seal it up.  Thing is I have no idea if they are still here.  I caught a couple last spring, plus the family I evicted - I've seen no evidence since.  So the mess under the dishwasher might have been from last year.  I have a couple of live traps with peanut butter set out, but no takers.

 

I know what caused the problem.  A few years ago my brother bought a big bag of sunflower seeds for my dad to feed the birds.  After he died I put the bag in a corner of the garage and forgot about it, I'm not a bird feeder, well the mice found it an had a feast.  When I was cleaning last fall I found little piles of sunflower seeds in odd places.

 

[ea56]

Laundress

then I guess I stand corrected too! LOL Apparently, there is more than one opinion on what actually happens to the rodents between consumption of the poison and death. All I know is my experience using this product was unsatisfactory.
Eddie

 

[wayupnorth]

I have no places mice can get in here any more as this place was completely redone in 1995, BUT squirrels pulled the flashing off the fireplace chimney and dug into the cathedral ceiling of the living room. Sealed it again and so far so good. A few mothballs works as a good repellent but use very few as its not good for humans or domestic animals just in a space they cant get at and the vermin can. And yes, a mouse eating d-con will bloat and die in any basin of water.

 

[glomain]

walls

they usually only follow walls,boards,& always have the same path.they will make nest anywhere, but they most always follow walls if they are field mice.thats where ya put the traps.hope that helps