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We are currently dealing with mice in our home and it is driving us crazy. We first noticed their presence about three weeks ago, not sure how long we may have had them. I am having a very hard time catching them and have thus far only gotten rid of two and have no idea how many more we have to go. I’m looking for advice from experienced mousers out there.
For background on the situation, we live in a split-level home. The lowest level is half below grade, cinder block walls on the half that is below, on top of a slab. The middle level is on a slab at ground level. We first noticed debris in a corner of the bathroom on the lower level, which is what alerted us to their presence. There is a small hole in the drywall near the floor that I have been needing to seal up but haven’t. As an FYI this is an interior wall. This wall connects to the kitchen, which is the only other place we’ve noticed activity. In the kitchen I know they have been under the sink cabinet and under the dishwasher. They were also running across from under the dishwasher to behind the stove across the room. I did close up this particular pathway. Luckily, we emptied our entire pantry, checked all boxes, and didn’t see any evidence they’ve been in there (yet).
My problem is that I can’t seem to trap these things. I have several different types of traps out with different types of bait. They aren’t stealing the bait. What they are doing is pushing the traps around which sets them off. I then find triggered traps sans mice. I’m placing them as I should, to make a T with the walls, but these mice don’t seem to care. Any advice out there on what I might do differently? Of the two mice I have caught, one was injured by a trap but not caught in it. I find it nearby and had to dispatch it myself. The other one I caught myself in a bucket after chasing it around the room for 20 minutes. I am beyond frustrated!
I also want to close up interior access to the kitchen by better sealing the pipes where they come into the cabinets. I’m sure this is how they are traveling to that location from within the house. However, I’m hesitant to do this before we eradicate them because I don’t want to drive them to a new part of the house and not have an idea of where they are. Would you close this up now, or wait as I’m currently doing? I did go around the outside and seal up any exterior spots that looked at all questionable.
We are currently dealing with mice in our home
Thanks for any advice!
Determine where and how they are getting in. Seal that up.
Borax powder glue traps and the water bucket all work.
A hungry black snake will also do wonders.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrRational
Determine where and how they are getting in. Seal that up.
Borax powder glue traps and the water bucket all work.
A hungry black snake will also do wonders.
I made one of these (similar) for rats, when the house next door was vacant after a foreclosure in 2010. It worked great, but it also got squirrels as collateral damage.
Some years ago I had a mouse family. Caught them with traps using peanut butter. Also stuffed any holes in walls, near baseboard etc with steel wool...that's SOS Pads without the soap for those who aren't familiar. They can't chew through steelwool.
If they find your pantry they will chew through cardboard and plastic. I had to put everything in large plastic containers.
I don't set the traps as a T to the wall. I set them parallel to the wall.
Glue boards really seem the best, but I get complained to that they're inhumane.. So, I've gone with the old school snap traps. We have one of those 'rolling' garage doors at our office and the little buggers seem to get in under it every year.
Prevention is the best. As someone said above, seal up holes, especially around pipes and the like. A little steel wool and that expansion foam does wonders.
And even setting out some bait boxes to control the population. I did that this year at the office and so far.. We've not had any inside that that have left any evidence.
Could they be shrews? Shrews won't readily eat peanut butter or cheese. They like dog food and meat. Nasty lil carnivores, look like mice but are actually poisonous and hard to get rid of. I've had them here in PA, not sure where you live.
I don't set the traps as a T to the wall. I set them parallel to the wall.
Glue boards really seem the best, but I get complained to that they're inhumane.. So, I've gone with the old school snap traps. We have one of those 'rolling' garage doors at our office and the little buggers seem to get in under it every year.
Prevention is the best. As someone said above, seal up holes, especially around pipes and the like. A little steel wool and that expansion foam does wonders.
And even setting out some bait boxes to control the population. I did that this year at the office and so far.. We've not had any inside that that have left any evidence.
I've already been working at identifying and sealing up spots outside. I didn't find anything super obvious, but I sealed up anything that was super obvious. I do wonder if may have brought them in when we decorated for the holidays, our decorations are stored in a detached garage.
On the interior I know the spots they are entering the two rooms I'm sure they have been hanging out in. I'm hesitant to seal the indoor places up until I feel I have the problem under control. Once I do I'm closing those in ASAP. It doesn't seem to matter what orientation I place the traps in, they seem to be pushing them around. I can sometimes hear them doing it at night, then SNAP and no mouse. Tonight I plan on building one of those homemade bucket traps. I'm hoping that will be the solution I'm looking for.
Could they be shrews? Shrews won't readily eat peanut butter or cheese. They like dog food and meat. Nasty lil carnivores, look like mice but are actually poisonous and hard to get rid of. I've had them here in PA, not sure where you live.
Ugggggh, I'm not sure how u folks even live like this. I had a mouse problem growing up in Brooklyn and thankfully most places here in Los Angeles don't have that problem. I can't deal with ONE mouse running around.
On person suggested wool pads, I would go another way and plug holes using inflatable foam. If the mice chew through it they will suffocate.
But I urge anyone when they move, before moving in a single piece of furniture to go over the entire interior inch by inch checking for holes. It's time consuming but worth it. At the point you move a bunch of junk in, it's too late.
Do you have cats? When my cat was young she would catch lots of mice. I was able to kill several with kill traps a couple of years ago when kitty refused to hunt.
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