I'm sitting in my easy chair, watching a mouse race around in my kitchen. I've been aware of his presence, but have never seen him. Now he has to go. Since my lazy cats are not up to the task, does anyone have any suggestions? I'd like to live trap him and just move him out, but I don't know if that's possible. Anyone know?:shrug
Mice are cute little guys but they can carry the hantavirus and outbreaks in the US are aren't all that rare.
Mice can also wreck havoc with home electrical wiring, insulation, etc.... One isn't all that bad, I suppose. The problem is that mice breed like....rabbits. <ouch!>
As for live-traps, call a local pest control outfit for alternatives. (Some of the large supermarket chains use live traps, so it can be done)
(Don't ask what the pest control guys do with the mice once they leave your premises. I have no idea, and probably don't wanna' know.)
Mice can also wreck havoc with home electrical wiring, insulation, etc.... One isn't all that bad, I suppose. The problem is that mice breed like....rabbits. <ouch!>
As for live-traps, call a local pest control outfit for alternatives. (Some of the large supermarket chains use live traps, so it can be done)
(Don't ask what the pest control guys do with the mice once they leave your premises. I have no idea, and probably don't wanna' know.)
Chewed wires, for one thing, evan.
Don't know where you live, but if you live in a northern state or Canada, live trapping and moving the thing outside probably won't work. The mouse will be back inside where it's warm soon enough. (Unless the mouse enters someone else's house instead of yours.)
At the risk of sounding callous and mean, I wouldn't go for a live trap. And if I saw more than one, I'd go for an exterminator.
We try to be all warm and fuzzy about these things 'cause mice are cute. (We seem to have no problems like this when it comes to spiders or cockroaches...)
But mice in the house can also be a problem, chewing things up. If they get to electrical wires, it could even be dangerous.
Don't know where you live, but if you live in a northern state or Canada, live trapping and moving the thing outside probably won't work. The mouse will be back inside where it's warm soon enough. (Unless the mouse enters someone else's house instead of yours.)
At the risk of sounding callous and mean, I wouldn't go for a live trap. And if I saw more than one, I'd go for an exterminator.
We try to be all warm and fuzzy about these things 'cause mice are cute. (We seem to have no problems like this when it comes to spiders or cockroaches...)
But mice in the house can also be a problem, chewing things up. If they get to electrical wires, it could even be dangerous.
Get a "have-a-heart" trap. They works very well. Or get a cat, but the mice would die. If you don't want to kill these cute fellas, the have-a-heart traps would do the trick.
Sigh...You're right, of course. We have a cat, but she's good for nothing (currently laying upside down in my lap, looking at the bottom of the desk, and slowly sliding off the chair... )
It's a good thing we don't get too many mice, I'd be in a conniption all the time...
I never thought about the disease factor, or the chewed wires, or I would have done something about him sooner. :smack And of course Liam is right, they breed.
I do live in a northern state (Michigan) which is why the little rat is in the house in the first place, I suppose. Given that, I think the only reasonable thing to do is to kill him as quickly and humanely as possible. And why is it, as Yesh pointed out, that I have no trouble stomping on the spiders that migrate into the warmth of my living room every fall, but can't bring myself to kill a mouse?
I did check out the live traps, but I don't think I can justify spending $20 to save the life of a mouse. My hubby would freak!
Thanks for the input, everyone. Most appreciated.
I do live in a northern state (Michigan) which is why the little rat is in the house in the first place, I suppose. Given that, I think the only reasonable thing to do is to kill him as quickly and humanely as possible. And why is it, as Yesh pointed out, that I have no trouble stomping on the spiders that migrate into the warmth of my living room every fall, but can't bring myself to kill a mouse?
I did check out the live traps, but I don't think I can justify spending $20 to save the life of a mouse. My hubby would freak!
Thanks for the input, everyone. Most appreciated.
I just heard a mouse scrambling about my kitchen a moment ago, funny I should read this now
I live in an apt building and lordy I can't wait to get out. (8 months to go!) We (the whole building) have tried everything but they come back no matter what. I have a little box trap thing under the sink but I think the mice are wise to us now. Never caught one !
There are these little pellets (I am sorry I don't know the name) the mice will eat them but it is like poison to them so they eat it and die and if they do happen to die in your walls whatever is in the pellets stops them from stinking.
I live in an apt building and lordy I can't wait to get out. (8 months to go!) We (the whole building) have tried everything but they come back no matter what. I have a little box trap thing under the sink but I think the mice are wise to us now. Never caught one !
There are these little pellets (I am sorry I don't know the name) the mice will eat them but it is like poison to them so they eat it and die and if they do happen to die in your walls whatever is in the pellets stops them from stinking.
I have seen the poisons. I didn't know they prevented decaying mouse smells, though. I had one die in the ceiling of my office at work and man, I have never in my life smelled anything like that. Pew! I won't use poisons in my house, though, because of the cats and dogs. I think my best bet is the old-fashioned snap trap. It's fast and (relatively) humane.
They sell these humane traps for $7 at Home Depot. I think it's much better than poisoning or crushing these little critters.
We did, but the cat keeps eating the cheese. :smack
Fortunately (for us, not the mouse) one of our two cats is a phenomenal mouser. I just wish the little rodents wouldn't pick 3AM to decide to send in the scouting party. Hopefully when none of them return, they'll get the message. :grin
I only have one thing mouse-related. In my mom's office, my dad found a baby one get on the loveseat in the psychiatrists' office and go under the cushion. Dad caught him.
(All three of us were there to take out the trash & generally clean up after we had gone to eat.)
He held the mouse by the tail and held it over his mouth like he was going to swallow it. The mouse was screaming.
It grossed me out enough that I thought I was going to be sick.
The mouse got flushed down the toilet.
But I don't recommend catching the mice by hand. :lol
~Jen
(All three of us were there to take out the trash & generally clean up after we had gone to eat.)
He held the mouse by the tail and held it over his mouth like he was going to swallow it. The mouse was screaming.
It grossed me out enough that I thought I was going to be sick.
The mouse got flushed down the toilet.
But I don't recommend catching the mice by hand. :lol
~Jen
Why kill spiders? Most of them are harmless. They eat small insects that would otherwise infest your house.
1. I thought spiders were good too, until I learned last week they attract scorpions.
2. Give the mouse a nice last meal: peanut butter on a spring trap. Don't use d-con; mouse will eat it and die up in your wall. The spring trap is fast acting.
Animal souls re-cycle. No harm done
2. Give the mouse a nice last meal: peanut butter on a spring trap. Don't use d-con; mouse will eat it and die up in your wall. The spring trap is fast acting.
Animal souls re-cycle. No harm done
There is another thing we used, it was a thin cardboard box opened at both ends that was sticky on the inside. You put a piece of cheese in there and the mice get stuck. Again, the mice seemed too smart for that, never caught anything, which kind of relieved me because the thought of a mouse squealing until...whatever we were supposed to do with it happened.
Those pellets I mentioned were pink, if anyone does know what they are called. They came in tiny bags. The manager just dumped a couple bags behind the fridge and stove.
Spiders do not bother me at all. They used to, before I had mice problems.
Those pellets I mentioned were pink, if anyone does know what they are called. They came in tiny bags. The manager just dumped a couple bags behind the fridge and stove.
Spiders do not bother me at all. They used to, before I had mice problems.
I'm pretty good at catching mice myself, actually. I do have the aid of a cat or a dog, though. The cats carry the mice upstairs from the basement, then drop them and watch us run around to try to catch them.
Usually the mice will always run to a corner, or behind a sofa, etc. We have empty coffee grinder cans on hand for such situations and place a can at each entrance. Eventually, the mouse will run right inside, and we'll drop them down the road so the first house isn't ours, but our neighbors.
I hate the thought of killing them. They're SO cute! The last one I caught was absolutely massive, though. I thought it was a hamster, not a mouse.
Usually the mice will always run to a corner, or behind a sofa, etc. We have empty coffee grinder cans on hand for such situations and place a can at each entrance. Eventually, the mouse will run right inside, and we'll drop them down the road so the first house isn't ours, but our neighbors.
I hate the thought of killing them. They're SO cute! The last one I caught was absolutely massive, though. I thought it was a hamster, not a mouse.
In Michigan, it's rare to find a dangerous spider. However, the creepiness factor is too much for me. If I don't kill them, I spend the next several days feeling them crawl on me, usually just as I'm about to fall asleep. :ack
This is what we opted for. Just waiting to hear the snap! We use glue traps at work, and I find them to be the cruelest way to kill the little critters. Five or six times a year we come in to find one still alive but stuck on a trap. My boss has the job of disposing of them.
As far as catching them and letting them go, as someone else pointed out, this is not really an option in a cold climate. They'll either find their way into someone else's house (and most likely get killed in a trap) or back into mine. I hate killing the little buggers, too, but at least I have chosen (I believe) the least cruel of ways to eliminate them.
The spring trap is the quickest way to kill. Make sure you don't fuss with it as it normally need to be left untouched with the same bait inb the same place of 3-4 days before they will take it. They only oyther effect methid is live trap and taking them at least a few miles away to bother somebody else
Somewhat of a mouse survivor here.... we had one who lived in our dish washer for six months.... and another one (maybe the same one) TOOK the humane trap w/him. Obviously, he was in the market for a Winnebago. Finally, we got an electronic device (around $10 at Home Depot) and they've all disappeared...
Spiders are our friends, IMHO.
Clear
Spiders are our friends, IMHO.
Clear
Clear -- my wife and I were just looking into electronic pest control. Did you use an ultrasonic device like this company sells?
Speaking as an ethologist there is no way those things sgould work, maybe it's the power of positive thinking driving them out (Control studies showed no effect if high frequency in mouse infestation).
(Control studies showed no effect if high frequency in mouse infestation).Re: Mouse Control to Chunky
Dear Chunky,
Yes... the white, ultrasound device that plugs directly into a socket. Not only did it clear up the issue of our particularly ingenious mice but we haven't seen an ant in the house since plugging it in.
Clear
Dear Chunky,
Yes... the white, ultrasound device that plugs directly into a socket. Not only did it clear up the issue of our particularly ingenious mice but we haven't seen an ant in the house since plugging it in.
Clear
Re: Mouse Control to Chunky
Thanks Clear! :thumbs
Now we just have to make sure the widget won't bother our cats. The manufacturer claims that no one has had a problem with the models intended for rodents. Guess we'll see when we turn it on!
Thanks Clear! :thumbs
Now we just have to make sure the widget won't bother our cats. The manufacturer claims that no one has had a problem with the models intended for rodents. Guess we'll see when we turn it on!
Re: Mouse Control to Chunky2
Our cats never even noticed it --- and the most they could do with the mouse was shadowbox (even though they have their claws)....
Our cats never even noticed it --- and the most they could do with the mouse was shadowbox (even though they have their claws)....
Re: Mouse Control to Chunky2
Our guy Casey pounces on them and bats the poor things all over the house while his brother Finnigan follows him around to see what's going on. Get anywhere near Casey and he clamps his victim in his jaws and you get the low throat-growl of the mighty Carpet Cougar on the hunt!
Once we get the intruder away from Casey -- gently of course, we don't want to make him think we don't appreciate all he has done to protect us from these horrifying beasts -- we have to get the carpet cleaner out and do the carpets because of the blood. All of this at two or three in the morning when we should be sleeping.
Here's hoping we have the same success as you. *fingers crossed*
Our guy Casey pounces on them and bats the poor things all over the house while his brother Finnigan follows him around to see what's going on. Get anywhere near Casey and he clamps his victim in his jaws and you get the low throat-growl of the mighty Carpet Cougar on the hunt!
Once we get the intruder away from Casey -- gently of course, we don't want to make him think we don't appreciate all he has done to protect us from these horrifying beasts -- we have to get the carpet cleaner out and do the carpets because of the blood. All of this at two or three in the morning when we should be sleeping.
Here's hoping we have the same success as you. *fingers crossed*