Getting RID of MICE

Updated on June 17, 2013
F.B. asks from Kew Gardens, NY
14 answers

Mamas & Papas-

We live in a multi unit co-op apt building, and recently we've had mice. Hubs caught two in glue traps this weekend under the kitchen sink. Any tips on how to get rid of them, and how to stay rid of them?

We've got a toddler in the house, so I'd prefer not to use poisons.

Thanks,
F. B.

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So What Happened?

The super was in today and packed the pipes with steel wool. Tomorrow night, the exterminator will be by, and might put down some bait/ poison/ traps, with our review/ consent. Hopefully we'll get the better of this sooner rather than later. Thus far they've relegated themselves to under the kitchen sink, but the thought of one up and about, or worse, crawling up a pant leg, is very off putting.

Thanks again for all your tips and responses,
F. B.

Featured Answers

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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

If they are coming in through a hole somewhere, find the hole and put steel wool pads in the hole. Mice cannot chew through steel wool. And also do everything B suggested.

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More Answers

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

ooo, yuck.
find all holes and potential egress points, and seal them up (your landlord should help with this.)
get snap traps. glue traps are vile.
is a good cat an option?
khairete
S.

2 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Keep trapping them, check the traps every day and keep putting them out till they stay un-sprung for 2 solid weeks.
Secure the food in your pantry.
Anything that's not in glass jars or metal cans put into plastic containers with lids.
If this were your own home you would then look for places where the mice are getting in and then plug the holes/gaps with steel wool - mice won't chew through it.
You might have to get your landlord to do it.
Keep the grass/bushes against the house very trimmed and cut back so there are fewer hiding places near the house.
Don't leave pet food out and if you feed birds outside, move the feeding station away from the house.

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J.C.

answers from New York on

I'd suggest snap traps and finding all holes and sealing them as best as you can.

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C.V.

answers from Columbia on

Call the landlord.

We have two kitties. I think just the smell of a kitty in the house keeps mice out, because we are surrounded by woods and should have TONS of mice when it rains. But we don't.

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E.M.

answers from Phoenix on

You need a good barn cat! My mom lives in a 100 year old house. She had a problem with mice until she got a barn kitten. Ever since, no mice! You do have to learn to deal with "presents," but if you are planning to off them anyway, no real difference. My mom would give her cat a treat every time it brought her a mouse. The other cat, a highly in-bred, deaf, white angora would bring my mom wadded up dryer sheets, socks, tissues...making her fierce hunting noise and coming for her treat! So definitely look for a mouser :)
If you are more of a dog person, I understand terriers were bred to be ratters :)
Other than a predator, I think a building-wide extermination solution is the only thing that will work.

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D..

answers from Miami on

First and foremost, you have to prevent them from getting in. You must find their point of entry(ies). If it's as easy as under the sink, it is probably around the pipes. The ONLY thing that seems to work is steel wool. It tears their mouths up and they stop trying to chew through it. Stuff the steel wool in there and somehow anchor it so that they don't pull it through.

You will have to clean your house from top to bottom because they leave their nasty little evidences everywhere in your house, including up in your cabinets, and the like. Get some plastic containers to put your dry food stuffs in. (They love boxes.) If they are making nests, you'll find little pieces of toilet paper everywhere (yeah, they'll get into your toilet paper...)

When I was a kid, we moved to houses with mice and rats. What my poor dad went through to get rid of them!! What you are supposed to do is use traps inside instead of poison because the poison attracts them to come in your home. Of course, if you prevent their entry, that's most of the battle. If you don't want to use traps, put an inch of water in your bathtub at night and in the morning, look in the tub. If they are thirsty, they will get into the tub to drink and they can't get out. You can also buy humane traps that don't hurt them. They can smell peanut butter a mile away.

So sorry about this. Getting rid of mice is HARD!

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P.G.

answers from Dallas on

Landlord - we had RATS in our house in CA, there was a huge over-run one year and they were in a lot of houses. I'm guessing it's done the same way. They have to find where they are getting in and plug the holes, otherwise, you're not going to stop them.

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R.K.

answers from Appleton on

Get some sprigs of mint leaves or oil of peppermint and put it where you see the droppings. Mice do not like mint, they will leave.

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M.H.

answers from Chicago on

Peanut butter on the traps works well. We had them this year as well. Unfortunatuly it is not a matter of places not bieng clean, even the cleanest of places get them.

We had them in our condo, and there is nothing we can do but catch them and get them out. They can get back in under the doors, etc. Being in a multi unit place, there is nothing they can do to keep them out. with the nicer weather, they should be vacating. Just keep the traps out and hope for the best.

Good luck

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C.S.

answers from Jacksonville on

I ve heard you can put cinnamin or peppermint oil on cottonballs and put them in areas where you have seen the mice or their droppings ! They'll stay away from it !

C. S.

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B.P.

answers from Cleveland on

You'd have to talk to your landlord. Normally mice live in groups especially on apartment buildings and the whole building would need to be checked sealed and exterminated

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M.C.

answers from Bellingham on

We helped a friend with her mouse problem and basically put wire netting/mesh over all holes leading into the house and then covered it with duct tape.

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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

Rotsa ruck.
Our cat used to catch mice outside and bring them in still alive, then turn them loose to play with them. When one got away from her, it got into our pantry. We set glue traps and spring traps in the pantry. and never could catch it. It would steal the bait and sidestep the trap.

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