Two in the garage and one in the house... I thought those little pesky, sneaky, filthy, disgusting creepy creatures were history! SO not the case! I'm talking about mice. We have done everything and I'm honestly going insane. We put out the sticky traps and only one of them have lost their (worthless) life to that. The others somehow magnificently either long jump over them or they kick them off their feet (no lie, I saw it happen). The snap traps have also taken a life but most of time, I wake up to them completely cleared of food and the trap is still set to kill. They are seriously Houdini mice. We invested in an electric trap that took another life but they're getting smarter while they get fatter. We walked around the house sealing even the smallest port of entries and I spent an entire day disinfecting the floor in the kitchen and cleaning out my mouse poop pantry. SO DISGUSTING. I could care less if they are out in my garage but not in my house. We thought we were in the clear but last night I heard the awful, familiar scratching in the walls. I have children and I am getting paranoid about how safe it is for them to be here. I find poop everywhere! Today it was on my counter top. I was wrongly under the assumption that they weren't getting up there and almost cried when I found it. My little girl is all over the floor and puts EVERYTHING in her mouth. I've been told that I'm over reacting and that everyone lives with mice at some point in their lives but this is our 3rd winter in a row. I live in a busy city but there is a large field that they are digging up for development across the street and I know that's where they're coming from. Stupid developers!! I have a few questions for all of my cyber BF's to help with, before I admit myself into a psych ward. I know the risk of them carrying the hantavirus is minimal. But it still makes me uneasy. I don't even want to sweep or vacuum for fear of making disease particles airborne. I am okay on disinfecting the tile floors with a bleach solution but I hate using it. What do I do for my carpets? Am I being too crazy, is it okay to vacuum? All the websites pretty much tell me I have to be in a hasmat suit to clean any droppings up, including urine. I didn't even think of that! Secondly, How do I get rid of them?? And I'm apologizing now if I have offended anyone that loves mice and thinks I should be more humane in catching them to let them free. No thanks, I'm sorry but I don't like looking at them dead I most definitely do not want to watch them run around in a bucket so I can take them somewhere far away, for them onlyu to return. One less mouse means nothing to me. I'm sorry. Don't judge me. Are there any old wives tales that work? We tried the Decon in the house but I was too afraid they were going to transfer it around the house for my kids to find. We do have it out in the garage though. I want my house back. It's consuming me. I'm dreaming about them running around and last night I dreamt (is that a word?) I drowned one in our tub. I don't want to get the house fumigated but I'm afraid they've built a nest somewhere behind the cabinets. There is a large opening, about a foot between the cabinet and the wall that we can't get back to. Also our gas line from our stove leaves out a hole but we don't want to seal that up because its a gas line. PLEASE HELP ME! I will be forever grateful!
I know how you feel! When we first moved in I had them jumping across my canned goods and stopping to laugh at me when I opened the door to the pantry! We have a pest control company that has poison under the house and traps in the house. We also sealed up holes with this expanding foam stuff from the hardware store. It rocks! Did you know a mouse can fit through anywhere it's head can fit? Sooo creepy. Anyway, poison that dries them out in your attic and under neath, and traps and glue traps everywhere else. Oh, and seal up all holes with the foam and also steel wool works. Any hole at least 1/4 in. If that doesn't work, borrow a cat!
I know EXACTLY how you feel. Get the decon that is the red block insted of the dish with all the little blue chips in it... Get rid of any water supply inside the house that the mice might use as the decon will make them thirsty and you want them going outside to get a drink and die there ... And prepare yourself for dead mice. Plant the decon EVERYWHERE you can. Bad side to this is they may die somewhere in your house and it stinks!!! But in my opinion it is worth it. I found mice claw marks in my countertop butter once. That gave me the worst heebie jeebies of my life!!! Please post what works for you!!! I want to know if anything else works!?!?
I've even used watered down bleech solution sprayed on my carpets I hated it so bad! Test before using for sure but so long as you spray droppings before vacuuming or sweeping you should be fine... at least that's what I was told.
ugh we went through this 3 times...the zapper traps at walmart were only about $10 and we put them all over with peanut butter in them. made sure that there was zero access to any food. no food outside of the kitchen anymore all eating done there. pantry had everything in sealed containers. mice are disgusting creatures that can chew through most anything--I tell you the day I saw a head come up out of my heating coil on the stove I was so disgusted- that was when we got the zappers and we started hearing the zap zap within minutes of putting them in high mouse traffic areas (like under the stove and by the pipe under the kitchen sink.)
we sealed the house up and had rid of them when the fields by us were developed we had mice chew through the wall between the garage and the closet right next to it, ended up filling that hold not just with the foamy stuff that gets hard but putting steel wool in there too, so they would cut up their faces if they ever try to get back in) once again used the traps and got rid of them. when the traps weren't working it was because we hadn't seen a dead mouse in it and then had to actually get lysol wipes and clean them so that the smell would just be the food not a dead mouse smell to the nefarious creatures still in my home.
finally all sealed up again and no mice.
then dh was deployed and somehow (I think my boys left the garage and door to the house open and a mouse or two got in) we had a couple of mice again, I never saw them but I know that sound...I got a cat.
I was done.
that was 2 yrs ago and we haven't seen mice since even when they did the field just east of us for some new construction.
I was ready to call in an exterminator, even though we couldn't afford it how could we afford not to was what I was thinking.
the traps only took 3 days. we were literally emptying them over and over though--and moving them around by where the little holes were I think we had 5 traps in the house.
I like them better because you don't have to ever touch the mice just lift the lid and throw them away.
ugh. I shudder even now I truly hate the creatures.
I send prayers for your quick release from them in your home.
Hi Cindy - those guys are smart, arent they!! Definitely gross. Here are a couple of suggestions. First - there is a kind of "caulk" that you can find at Home Depot etc. that expands to fill in cracks and holes. You can certainly find one that is appropriate to fill the hole around your gas line. Secondly, we used one of those electronic pest gadgets that deter mice and bugs. It puts out a high pitched signal that humans dont hear well but it is very annoying to them.
My neighbor started having mice come into her house. She finally called the Orkin man and found out that they had built a nest in her walls in the garage. The Orkin people quickly got rid of her mice. I would call them immediately if I had a mouse come into my house, or even my garage. We have 2 cats that mice so as close as alive mice get to my house is the back fence.
The only thing I've found safe for kids that works without fail---is a cat.
That's how we handled mice in our house when we first moved.
Get a cat! I am not kidding. cats are wonderful pest control officers!
Two words: Professional Exterminator.
Now! :-)
PS: The cat suggestions are right on. If you get a cat, the mice will abandon your home in short order.
I completely feel for you! My wonderful mouser- my cat catches them outside in the middle of the night and brings them in the house to show us how proud she is like she is giving us a present. She ends up playing with them until they escape...she is old and has missing teeth so she isn't able to kill them like she used to. Anyway she was the only thing that would actually get rid of them. We had one living in our walls too.
Here is the old wives tale I was told. They can't stand peppermint. If you get peppermint oil and soak cotton balls in them and wipe where you think they go, they will avoid that area...not sure if it works but worth giving a try. Good luck!
The only thing they won't eat through is steel wool. They can colapse their heads and fit in the tiniest hole you can imagine. I just filled every hole coming in the house with steel wool. I hope it will help.
Hi, Cindy,
I had the same problem and about went crazy! I tried everything anyone suggested and finally came up with an idea of my own that WORKED. (I caught 9 in one night.)
I used the old-fashioned traps with the wooden platform and the wire, spring-loaded bail. But, here is the trick: I put half a peanut in the bait place -- flat side down -- and pushed it tightly under the teeth of the bait holder. The mouse had to work hard to try to get the bait and triggered the trap. Also, set the trap sideways right up by the wall as the mice travel along the wall and if you set it so that it is away from the wall even an inch, they can walk past it -- also, if you set it facing out from the wall, they can walk across the back end of it and probably won't venture out around it to find the bait.
Anyway, I caught them every night for about 2 weeks and it finally stopped. Of course, in the next season, I had to do it again -- but, it worked. Finally, I have moved to a different house and have not seen a mouse in over 3 years!!! Yea!!!
Just a side note: I hated the sticky traps because they would get caught and squeal and scream and not be dead -- I think those are inhumane for the mouse and the PERSON who has to deal with them. Also, I tried the expanding foam and even mixed it with steel wool. They just climbed over it and chewed holes through the sheetrock above.
Perhaps invest in a cat. :) You could select a mature cat from the pound. I've never known one that wasn't good at keeping the mice at bay. My friend even has a cat that doesn't bother her allergies (some special breed), in case that's an issue.
Hi there- so I haven't had mice int he ouse and If i did i'd be right along with you but go to home depot or some other home mprov store and look for the mouse poison, i put it in the corners of our garage 6 months ago and haven't seen a mouse since. good luck
i just found a mouse in my house. and i noticed where iyt may have come in and somebody shoved a piece of steel wool in there, but there was a small gap for a mouse to fit through. you could try steel wool for your gas inlet. the mice cant chew it, but it probably lets air through.
there is no way to kill off the mice without poisoning your family. you will never be rid of them fully. but the only way to keep them out of your home is to get or make humane traps, let your husband deal with releasing the mice, be meticulous about not leaving the door open for a second, and find all the holes and cover them.
AND STOP WORRYING!
your anxiety is transfering to your kids. children who learn kindness to animals learn kindness in all aspects of life.
First, clean the droppings up right away. The particles get airborn (and spread hantavirus) when they dry. But leaving them there, even in the carpet, is not good either. Go to a pet store and ask for something to clean up pet messes in the carpet. That should work for mouse poop too. And be extra vigilant in cleaning and disinfecting.
Consider getting a cat or a dog (some dog breeds were bread for hunting rodents - generally terriers and such. I'm sure you could find it on the internet). We had a cat that was so good at catching mice we didn't even know we had them until he was teaching to new kitten how - she was a bit clumsy at first. But some cats will leave you a present of the corpse, so be ready to clean that up if you need to.
Fill the wholes with that wiry stuff that looks like brillo pads. Its like a buck for a bag. I had to keep my food in tupperware boxes until I knew they were no longer in the house (6 months!!!). It was a pain but it worked. Every hole I found in the garage, I filled with that wiry stuff then used cement to patch it (also comes in little packages). You could feed them with that poison, too, if traps aren't helping. If you start seeing blue poop, it won't be long. LOL!
Another thing... My two dogs did nothing. They have NO problem chasing cats and squirels but just look at mice like they are nothing. We keep all foods in upper cupboards and pet food in tupperware bins.
Yes you sound a little crazy ;-) but with that, we have had the same problem. I knew we had a few (my dog has made me aware of them) and realized I should do something for the dog's sake. I had not seen droppings or left over mice "stuff" so I really wasn't too concerned, it really was for my dog's obsessing behavior that I found more annoying than the little rodents. I knew their source of food, the dog's bowel. We set a trap and started snapping traps one after another and had 3 to 5 in the first day. That's when I got grossed out...that is a lot. As we have snapped more the mice have gotten smarter so we have changed the location of the (one) trap and here and there we get one.
I have figured that we will continue to have mice because the house is so old and I cannot locate their entrance. My solution, limit their source of food.
OMG I know how you feel. I went through the same problem a couple months back. I found that what worked for me was covering the holes with brillo pads for some reason mice cannot chew through those. I also tried the sticky traps. What i did was put sticky traps next to the holes that I thought the mice where getting in through. To this day i still have sticky traps under the kitchen sink and in the garage. And i wouldn't worry too much about getting sick from the mice. I remember growing up we would get mice in our house and i helped my mom clean up the poop. Just make sure you use gloves and bleach to disinfect your counters and floors. Well hope this helps and best of luck.
Have you considered getting a cat? My cat kills all kinds of mice. We dont' have any in our house, but he is getting them outside nearly every day right now. Mice can be quite dangerous, in particular if we are having a plague situation... which we are not, but New Mexico still does. You really don't want mouse fecal matter anywhere.
Anyway I think you agree about that.
Cats are effective hunters if you get a good hunting cat - Bengals are very good at it, but they are also pretty expensive. The other way to get a good hunter is to get a barn cat - and that cat you could leave outdoors and just bring her in to hunt. I have a cat igloo outdoors with a huge fluffy bed in it, right by the back door. When my cat it outdoors he sleeps in there, very warm. He comes in when he wants though.
Dogs can also be effective hunters, especially the smaller dogs like pommeranians.
I would steer clear of poisons because of the kids. Good luck!