NBR: Mice!!

jackson290721 · April 2013

So we have mice. Ugh. Have not seen them, but I have found droppings in the bathroom. So far that is the only place I have found droppings, and I am pretty sure I know how they are getting in.
Question, what are some ways I can go about getting rid of them? I want to try myself before we call an exterminator.
I would rather not use poison, I am pretty sure my dog would find it somehow and eat it. Does anyone know of poisonless ways to get rid of/repell that will actually work?
TIA! I am terrified of my bathroom now and very grossed out!

PrimRoseMama · April 2013

You can try the Have a heart traps. They are humane* and just trap them so you can relocate them. The trick is finding the way they got in and usually an exterminator can locate that and block it off.

https://www.havahart.com/store/live-animal-traps/mouse

jackson290721 · April 2013

PrimRoseMama:
You can try the Have a heart traps. They are human and just trap them so you can relocate them. The trick is finding the way they got in and usually an exterminator can locate that and block it off.

https://www.havahart.com/store/live-animal-traps/mouse

Oo! Thank you.
I'm pretty sure I found how they are getting in. Turns out there is a hole behind the toilet that goes straight outside. The insulation is all torn out in that spot. Patching that tonight. It's amazing what mice can fit through.

fabk · April 2013

I feel your pain. I have a complete and utter mouse phobia. It's pretty bad.

We have regular mouse traps set throughout our basement. We regularly catch mice down there during spring/fall. At our cottage we use a 5 gallon bucket, with a couple of inches of water in the bottom. Using a wire, we put a empty pop can and suspend it across the top so its free hanging and can spin on the wire. Spread peanut butter on can and rest a board on side of bucket reaching up to can. It's crazy and weird but it works...really well. MH swears by this trick.

Goodluck!

jackson290721 · April 2013

LivvyKH:
I really hate mice - an irrational amount, even.
Peppermint oil is reasonably effective. Your dog won't like it either, though - but it isn't poisonous. Buy it from a health food shop or similar - I'm not sure that peppermint extract you can buy at the supermarket for baking is as strong. Put a few drops on some cotton balls and put them around the edges of the bathroom. It makes a mouse's eyes sting and the scent is too strong for them.
You can get covered poisons which pets can't eat. The mice go into a box to eat the tasty poison, but it's too small of a hole for a dog or cat.

Makes so much sense now! I typed in "mouse trap" to amazon and pepermint oil came up as a "related search". I figured amazon was just insane. I will be trying that!

I really can not stand mice. DH thinks I'm crazy. I don't think he realizes how they can get everywhere! I had him check the bed last night, pillows and everything. He really thought I was insane. I keep the bathroom door shut now, and wont open the door without banging on it, in hopes to scare the mice out before I go pee. haha I do not like them.

fabk · April 2013

jackson290721:
PrimRoseMama:
You can try the Have a heart traps. They are human and just trap them so you can relocate them. The trick is finding the way they got in and usually an exterminator can locate that and block it off.

https://www.havahart.com/store/live-animal-traps/mouse
Oo! Thank you.
I'm pretty sure I found how they are getting in. Turns out there is a hole behind the toilet that goes straight outside. The insulation is all torn out in that spot. Patching that tonight. It's amazing what mice can fit through.

Put steel wool inside the hole before you patch it up! Mice can't/won't chew it.

jackson290721 · April 2013

fabk:
jackson290721:
PrimRoseMama:
You can try the Have a heart traps. They are human and just trap them so you can relocate them. The trick is finding the way they got in and usually an exterminator can locate that and block it off.

https://www.havahart.com/store/live-animal-traps/mouse
Oo! Thank you.
I'm pretty sure I found how they are getting in. Turns out there is a hole behind the toilet that goes straight outside. The insulation is all torn out in that spot. Patching that tonight. It's amazing what mice can fit through.
Put steel wool inside the hole before you patch it up! Mice can't/won't chew it.

Oh really? haha I'm learning a lot. I will do that.

I swear DH thinks I'm preparing for war or something. lol I want them gone now!

MagickalNarwhal · April 2013

Get the rat zapper!!! We had a rat and did our own attempts, then the exterminator came out TWICE. Still had them. The rat zapper worked great. Seriously. Amazing! A little gross, but amazing.

blairwitch · April 2013

They are attracted to beer as well...the earlier mentioned bucket idea with beer in it. And I will vouch for peppermint oil. It drove them out ir into the traps they were avoiding...plus make the house smell like Christmas. Just make sure it is 100 percent pure peppermint oil.

jackson290721 · April 2013

MagickalNarwhal:
Get the rat zapper!!! We had a rat and did our own attempts, then the exterminator came out TWICE. Still had them. The rat zapper worked great. Seriously. Amazing! A little gross, but amazing.

haha I'm a little scared to google the rat zapper.

aehamilton13 · April 2013

We had mice, and we tried EVERYTHING to get rid of them. What ended up working was making sure that there was not any food accessible to them at all. We literally packed our entire pantry up into rubbermaids to seal the food off from the mice, and that did it. If there's nothing for them to eat, they'll leave!

eggymaye · April 2013

You can plug up any gaps in or near the pipes with steel wool, if that's the way you think they are getting in. Those suckers can't eat through that.

Erinm278 · April 2013

I should probably tell you to use humane traps, but I have never done that. When we lived in our apartment there was a summer where mice were a problem. We got the traps where you can't see the dead mouse inside. We placed them where we noticed the droppings. We caught 2 mice and set more but never caught anymore.

rooter84 · April 2013

When I was pregnant with dd2 I found mice in the house. Actually the cat did, he was playing with them. We had an exterminator come out ASAP. They did what everyone here is telling you to do. We set traps with poision inside and they would eat the posion, leave and go die some where. possible in the walls, exterminator said to prepare for a smell come summer. Thankfully it never happened! Some of the traps also closed after a mouse went in and then it died in there
Also I don't know if you live in a house or what not but put some wire where the dryer vent goes outside. That help keeps mice out and is one way they said they were getting into our house.

supersarah77 · April 2013

We tried the humane traps years ago but all the mice had heart attacks and died inside anyway! So either way, traps are effective. Make sure you seal off ANY entry points no matter how small, they can squeeze through really small spaces. I echo PPs with the steel wool and putting any food in Rubbermaid containers. It was a dog food bag that was attracting mice for us.

larthawyn · April 2013

The cats at my dads house take care of any mice. Though they usually bring them around as 'presents' for us to find later...

jackson290721 · April 2013

larthawyn:
The cats at my dads house take care of any mice. Though they usually bring them around as 'presents' for us to find later... :

Haha my cats apparently don't realize they are cats. They aren't doing anything about the mice. I'm disappointed.

Kitten80 · April 2013

My grandma (who we took care of) got mice & because she didn't go in the basement anymore, it was quite the population by the time I realized. There was no way for us to do the catch & release (too many and I lived to far away to come every day or two to release them). We did ones that closed so you didn't have to see them. I found baiting some with cheese, some with peanut butter worked well. Put along walls where you suspect activity.

Things to eliminate to make it less inviting: any food sources including dried grains, etc like you might find in wreaths or decor, books/boxes/papers/clothes or linens that they can nest in. In your kkitchen, make sure food is put away and in hard containers. Heck back of cabinets and under sink where there are pipes. Don't keep food, bird food, pet food elsewhere in continers the mice can eat from. Sorry you are dealing with them. Ick! Good luck. And sorry for errors, I'm mobile.

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