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Or simply realize that mice are part of your local ecosystem and hope you never get rats in the house.[/quote]
Well, I guess this is what I'm asking. Is this no big deal and I should just accept it as inevitable and not worry about it, or is this something that if I ignore they're going to start breeding in our house and it's going to be absolutely disgusting?
I guess the live traps are our only option. Our cat is old and has irritable bowel syndrome so not feeding him is not an option - trust me, it would be worse than the mice. ick ick ick.
Bait the snaps with peanut butter.
Kittys and kids learn not to touch after paws or fingers get snapped.
Sounds harsh but nobody's gonna get harmed by a mouse trap - except the mousie that is.
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Originally Posted by NH2008
Is this something I could buy at Lowe's? Also, what would I do with a live mouse? Is this a situation where trapping individual mice will even help, or are there likely to be thousands already?!
The thing is, I'm scared to put out traps or poison because I'm afraid the cat will eat it or get caught in it. Are any of them safe for cats and kids?
Hubby says sealing the basement is not an option
if there are mice, i guarantee there are snakes outside too....
I would not just live with them. There will be more. They will get up into your insulation and nest there. I peeled back some insulation and found a bunch of babies. They met their maker. The mice are also meals for the snakes. So if there are less mice there will be less snakes. I had a mouse get into my utensil drawer and eat part of my rubber spatula. Must of smelled good as it was stained from tomato sauce. You don't want them running around in your cubbords.
if there are mice, i guarantee there are snakes outside too....
I've seen a good number of snakes. Just small garter snakes- nothing to worry about. The poor things are terrified of our tractor, one lives over by my blueberries...the little fellow also eats bugs .
There are Timber Rattlesnakes in NH- but they don't like people and stick to wooded/rocky areas for the most part.
Your pediatrician was right, mice are a fact of life, particularly in an old house, and they are basically harmless. Mice come in to houses for food, so it is important to make sure all food is inaccessible to them. This is more challenging than you might think because mice will chew through almost anything. If you didn't have pets, I would say that D-Con would be an option; I have never had a problem with mice dying in the walls. I wouldn't even think about using it if I had cats, though. I prefer the basic snap trap to take care of the occasional mouse or vole that gets into the house in the winter.
when I bought my first house I saw a mouse in the garage and I thought as long as he stays in the garage I was alright with it (stupid me) wasn't long before I found mice droppings on a counter. I put out 5 snap traps in the garage with peanut butter, next morning 5 caught mice. next night 5 more traps in the morning 5 dead mice, put out 10 ... 10 dead mice.. put out another 10 only 7 and I kept 10 out untill they stayed empty. point is if you see a mouse you don't have just one. What I found was every fall at first frost is put out 10 or so traps and catch them before they breed and you should be mouse free the rest of the year. put the traps on the sill of the house where the basement wall meets the 1st floor of the house and should keep out of the reach of your kids. there are also some devices that give off an unpleasant pitch that keeps mice out , drawback is it only works in one room of a house so to keep your house clear would require a lot. also store garbage in garbage cans and keep any pet foods in sealed containers.
I purchased a live trap on Ebay a few years ago, I think it was about $6 or $7. If I can remember who I bought it from I"ll send you the link. The peanut butter on a piece of cracker works well, and they really love chocolate, too. I never had the heart to drown them, so when I would find one in the trap, I'd pick up the whole trap (it has a handle), put it in a bag, and then drive a couple of miles to some nearby fields and let it go. By no means is the problem one of older homes, we bought this house new and from day one, I would see the occasional mouse. I agree that another cat would help.
i had them also, and the vermont country store had a metal box trap where if you put this trap
in a corner they would go into it and the door would close on them. I think maybe i did put peanut butter there also, I think a feed and grain store would have it, and it worked well. becarefull if
with any poison. The glue trap works ok also.
I purchased a live trap on Ebay a few years ago, I think it was about $6 or $7. If I can remember who I bought it from I"ll send you the link. The peanut butter on a piece of cracker works well, and they really love chocolate, too. I never had the heart to drown them, so when I would find one in the trap, I'd pick up the whole trap (it has a handle), put it in a bag, and then drive a couple of miles to some nearby fields and let it go. By no means is the problem one of older homes, we bought this house new and from day one, I would see the occasional mouse. I agree that another cat would help.
so you're the one that's been dumping those mice in my yard
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The mice are also meals for the snakes. So if there are less mice there will be less snakes. I had a mouse get into my utensil drawer and eat part of my rubber spatula. Must of smelled good as it was stained from tomato sauce. You don't want them running around in your cubbords. 
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