[Ponderosa]

I have a vacation place in a rural area near L. Tenkiller. It is old and every time we come, we have to deal with mouse "signs", order, etc. I have filled every hole I can find, remove all the food, put things in plastic boxes, but the mice still have their way with the place when we are away. I am curious if it's just me or if mice are a common problem and, if so, do you have an control secrets to share? Also, in AZ we have hantavirus - a deadly disease carried by mice. OK has had only 1 case of it, but does anyone get concerned over this?

[_redbird_]

A mouse only needs a 1/4" opening to come into the house. One mouse can make up to 80 babies in one year. I was going to say get a cat and make regular use of traps to catch ol' Mickey and his buddies, but since you are not there all the time, you'll just have to get used to having uninvited guests while you are away.

[Synopsis]

We had the problem about a year ago with several mice in our house. I tried and tried the "humane" method with those traps that don't hurt them, but it never worked. Finally, afraid for our health (mice can carry some very dangerous stuff), I bought some rat poison and placed it in areas where I thought they came in or hung out and within two or three days they were dead. We found them in various locations throughout the house; there were four.

[TulsaArtist]

No mice.... have 2 kitties. :-)

[karibear]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I have a vacation place in a rural area near L. Tenkiller. It is old and every time we come, we have to deal with mouse "signs", order, etc. I have filled every hole I can find, remove all the food, put things in plastic boxes, but the mice still have their way with the place when we are away. I am curious if it's just me or if mice are a common problem and, if so, do you have an control secrets to share? Also, in AZ we have hantavirus - a deadly disease carried by mice. OK has had only 1 case of it, but does anyone get concerned over this?

Mice are everywhere. You also need to pack steel wool around all plumbing lines that run into the house, and make sure they can't get in through a dryer vent. I used to have a feral cat under my house, but I guess she got tired of the dogs trying to get to her and left. Other feral cats go into the garage where the hay is stored and they've cut down radically on the mouse population there, but they only come when the dogs are inside. I keep mouse bait in the house where the dogs can't get to it, and I find dead ones sporadically. One thing I can tell you for sure is that those electronic repellers don't work in the slightest - I found a nest under one, but I leave them plugged in anyway because they are also night lights. Mice never give up, and neither will I. Eventually I'll get a cat, but right now I have one dog that thinks cats are lunch.

[BigOkie]

We had that problem starting in 2005 when I moved back into my childhood home to help care for my mother. We tried tradition traps (never really worked), glue traps (worked for a while) and finally settled on D-Con bait boxes. The poison used in D-Con keeps the mice (this is now getting a little graphic; don't read further if you're squeamish) when they pass on from decomposing by coagulating their blood. They essentially just dry up, and there is very little, if any, odor involved. Since we put the bait traps down about two years ago, I have found two dead mice, one outside and one inside and haven't seen or heard a live one inside at all.

[EarthBound?]

Mice not only live in the house, but they do go outside to forage as well. So you need to look around outside for possible entry points and block those as well. You can go to your local hardware store and ask them for poison that coated for indoor and outdoor use and place it around your foundation and inside your home, it stays active for a very long time. Most poison are made to cause the little furry bugger to dehydrate very rapidly and if they do get to water it will swell up in thier bodies and kill them that way. Throw away the traps and just go and get some poison and do it the right way, or if your realy brave, find a "black snake" and set it free in your foundation. Thats what most farmers do around here to keep the rats and mice population down in thier barns and grain bins. But if you do decide to get a cat, make sure its a female, they make the best mousers, toms a lazy.

[HeatherDawn]

I have always thought cats were the best prevention. Unfortunately, I rent from a Nazi and don't have a cat (what would an outside cat hurt? I'm thinking of getting one and calling it a stray) and I already killed two mice just today. Traps help.

[EarthBound?]

Originally Posted by HeatherDawn

I have always thought cats were the best prevention. Unfortunately, I rent from a Nazi and don't have a cat (what would an outside cat hurt? I'm thinking of getting one and calling it a stray) and I already killed two mice just today. Traps help.

Unless you plan on feeding the cat, he or she may just go find some other place to live. And, would that be fair to the kitty? Besides, how would you know if the cats going to be a natural mouser, not all are you know. Some are lazy and want you to take care of them.

[karibear]

Originally Posted by HeatherDawn

I have always thought cats were the best prevention. Unfortunately, I rent from a Nazi and don't have a cat (what would an outside cat hurt? I'm thinking of getting one and calling it a stray) and I already killed two mice just today. Traps help.

If there are many feral cats around where you live, just put a dish of kitty kibbles and a dish of water out every couple days and they'll find you. They won't ever be pets, but they certainly will discourage outside mice from coming in.