Mice problem in apartment. Is this common in CO during fall ? (Denver: apartment complex, lease)

[New2CO]

So we recently moved into a new apartment in the Highlands Ranch area. Our unit is on the first floor.Before we moved in (at the time of signing the lease) when the property manager was going over all the instructions, she casually mentioned if you notice a mouse in your apartment call pest control number and they come once a week to lay traps.I was shocked and I asked her if this apartment complex has mice problem. She said during fall when it starts getting cold, the mice try to get indoors. She mentioned this very casually and also said its a very common thing in Colorado and that there is nothing to worry about. I was still bothered by it and asked her few questions about this problem. Then she said not to worry about it - we might not even get any in the house since it will already be cold by the time we move in and this happens only when the weather is starting to get cold.


Now the day after we moved in I spotted a mouse in our kitchen. I called the property manager and she said it will get caught in the sticky trap (they laid a couple of traps in the house the day we moved in) and she will send the pest control guys the coming week.


Here are my concerns and questions:


1. Is this really a common thing in Denver/Colorado? We have lived in colder places prior to moving here and I have never experienced this mice problem before.


2. Is this a temporary thing (only in fall when the weather starts to change) or will it be an ongoing problem?

3. When I spoke to the property manager, maintenance guy, pest control people - they all seem to suggest its a normal thing this time of the year. However few other local people I spoke with were freaked out about it as much as I was.


4. I think the apartment pest control guys - all they do is lay some traps. They don't cover the entry points or do anything to prevent them from entering the house in the first place. Is there anything I can do from my end. Should I call other pest control companies on my own and how much will it cost me?

5.Getting a cat/dog is not an option for us.


6. We like everything about this unit except for the mouse problem. Moving out is a last resort for us. I still don't think its an infestation as I don't see mice running around the house. I spotted one mouse 3 times in one week. At the same time I don't think I can live with having even one mouse in the house if its an ongoing thing.

I would really appreciate response/suggestions to my concerns.TIA

[CSD610]

Mice are a problem all over the country not just in Colorado, it happens, seasons change, it gets colder and mice look for warmth.
Set traps, get a cat.

Even if you move there will still be mice.

[mic111]

Unfortunately it probably means you don't have any snakes. We used to get mice every fall until we had a bull snake move into the bushes. Not a single mouse around now!
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bull_snake.jpg

If you've got snakes you won't have mice. We haven't seen the snake in the house but he moved into the garage one time when we were on vacation.

We used to get them in the spring also. I found snap traps to be the best type because they kill them right away and you can reset the trap. Glue traps are yucky. They trap the mouse alive and then you have to either kill it or wait for it to die.

[lalahartma]

I think it is common. I got a cat especially for the mice in my house. They tend to come in the fall/winter only.

[jamesdenver]

Snap traps. Does the job usually quick. They're cheap, and bait them with some peanut butter in the center of the trap. (not towards the end of the yellow paddle.)

Also make sure your kitchen is completely free of crumbs and anything that would attract them.

[camjunkie]

I never had a problem, but it wouldn't surprise me if I saw a mouse. For me, it's always been spiders in Lakewood, CO.

[Winter01]

I have never had mice in any house or apartment I have lived in in Colorado, however I have heard that they do try to come in for warmth during the Fall. I am worried about it in our current house because we have a huge open space field behind us. This will be our first Fall/ Winter in this house. We have already had racoons get into our trash cans which never happened in the summer. I have seen a mouse back by our trash cans too.

We have someone spray for spiders in our basement and I asked him if we could do anything to keep the mice away. I am totally afraid of all critters. He said since we don't have mice currently, we should not set traps but he put something called Molemax around our yard and house. Not sure if that will work but he said mice hate the smell so they stay away.

My brother in law lived in an apartment in Aurora and the mice were horrible there. I think your landlord obviously knows mice are a problem in your complex or she would not have mentioned anything. I hate mice and that would make me crazy. It might be hard to completely get rid of them in an apartment if your neighbors all around you still have them.

[Teckeeee]

I have had a few field mice trapped in my basement screens. The closer to open space the greater the chance. I have no one behind me for a distance.

[davidv]

Mice are a pretty common problem. Having mice, though, is much better than having rats.

Here is a piece the Denver Post ran about mice last month: How To Keep Mice Out When the Mercury Drops.

I hate to break the news to you: if you see one, you likely have more. Often you will set traps and you'll catch 2-4 mice in a few days. Keep setting traps until you go a few days without catching any.

[meekocat]

I never had a problem with them inside or outside but every once in a while I'd find a mouse tail in the little grass common area behind my house. The neighborhood cats would take care of them. Did find a bunny in my garage last spring, scrared the crap out of me until we figured out it was a bunny lol. Scared the crap out of him too. I agree, if you have to trap them, the snap traps seem more humane. Critters don't bother me very much, we just moved to Florida and are now battling a brown dog tick infestation. We didn't have fleas or ticks in Denver, EVER. We also have crawling AND FLYING cockroaches...so in the grand scheme of things, I'd rather have mice to deal with.