# The only good mouse is a dead mouse!!!!!



## Missdaisy (Nov 10, 2009)

I have got a bit of a mouse problem and I can't take the parranoia any longer.  I find daily evidence of these unwanted tennants.  

Does anyone have any tips on how to evict these nasty critters???

A couple things though, I have two yound kids and a dog so I'm not too hip on using poison.


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## PhotoXopher (Nov 10, 2009)

Mouse traps with peanut butter for bait always works if you can put the traps where your kids won't get to them.

If you know where they are coming in, try plugging the hole with steel wool. Also try laying Bounty softener sheets around, for some reason they hate it... plus they make the house smell nice.


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## Missdaisy (Nov 10, 2009)

Ok, I hadn't heard the dryer sheets idea, I'll give that a try.  
I set out 4 glue traps in hotspots with known activity several days ago and no mouse yet.  
This morning I set up a tunnel type trap with peanut butter in it, I've been wondering if I will have a new "pet" when I get home.  
I feel like my house is infested and I read online today that a happy couple can produce 100 offspring in a year, I about had a melt down.  These creeps are reproducing at a stealth rate!!!!


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## Overread (Nov 10, 2009)

I could recomend adding a feline pet to the mix - that might solve your mouse problem. I don't recomend a husky though - as good a hunter as they rae they just can't get under/into things the same way a cat can....


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## Hertz van Rental (Nov 10, 2009)

You can get humane mouse traps that don't kill the poor things. Traps that kill are messy and dead mice smell worse than live ones.
I used to live in an old house and we had a mouse problem. I used a couple of these baited with cheese and they work.
[link removed by request of site owner]
Just remember to release the mice at least a mile away or they will race you back to the house.


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## kundalini (Nov 10, 2009)

^^^  Cheers for the link.  I happen to be in the midst of a rodent problem myself.... colder outside, warm inside.


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## Missdaisy (Nov 10, 2009)

So I got home from work and no mouse in the trap????  They are here, I can hear them in the walls!

I did think about borrowing a cat from someone for a few weeks but that will be a last ditch effort to remedy my problem.  Remember there is already a 2 year old boxer that lives here and I wouldn't want the cat/dog introduction to go the wrong way.  

So far I have executed my attacks in a humane manor, glue traps and a live catch trap, no luck though.  

This is going to end up getting real interesting if something doesn't give.  I found a website that gave a few ideas.  One in particular was to take a 5 gallon bucket and fill about 6 inches of water, then tape together several empty paper towel roll tubes together.  Then attach the paper towel tube to the bucket, put a bunch of peanut butter in the tube to lure the mice up the tube.  Once they reach the top they drop into the bucket and can't climb out.  They would eventually drown.  I think I could get the same results without drowning them, I will just have to catch them in an empty bucket and release.


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## Missdaisy (Nov 10, 2009)

Overread said:


> I could recomend adding a feline pet to the mix - that might solve your mouse problem. I don't recomend a husky though - as good a hunter as they rae they just can't get under/into things the same way a cat can....


 
 Yeah I don't recommend Boxers either, mine just watched a mouse run across a room.  She didn't even bother to get up!


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## --ares-- (Nov 10, 2009)

N0YZE said:


> Mouse traps with peanut butter for bait always works if you can put the traps where your kids won't get to them.
> 
> If you know where they are coming in, try plugging the hole with steel wool. Also try laying Bounty softener sheets around, for some reason they hate it... plus they make the house smell nice.



This but make sure the peanut butter is hard when you set the trap out. Some people over look that part and it really makes a difference as bad as that may sound.


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## clarinetJWD (Nov 10, 2009)

Personally, I prefer Logitech, but I hear good things about dead as well.


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## rocdoc (Nov 10, 2009)

I have to second the cat suggestion. I had mice once, and got the humane traps. Then I found mouse poop ON the traps... So then I went and got the inhumane ones...  But still didn't solve anything. I got my kitty from a shelter when she was one month and weighed 1lb (!), not really expecting she would wrestle any beasts, but surprisingly all the mice disappeared the moment I brought her home. I think the smell of cat alone might be enough to chase them away? Now she is a big scary but lazy monster... I have no mice, so by faulty reasoning she could claim she is doing her job...  
Here is my cat, for fun: man-eating beast - a set on Flickr
Your results may vary...


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## Mitica100 (Nov 11, 2009)

Missdaisy said:


> Overread said:
> 
> 
> > I could recomend adding a feline pet to the mix - that might solve your mouse problem. I don't recomend a husky though - as good a hunter as they rae they just can't get under/into things the same way a cat can....
> ...



:lmao::lmao:

Get a Dachshund, it'll do the job!


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## Missdaisy (Nov 11, 2009)

rocdoc said:


> IHere is my cat, for fun: man-eating beast - a set on Flickr
> Your results may vary...


 

Oh my gosh your cat is beautiful!!!  Great pics!


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## icassell (Nov 11, 2009)

I'm surprised no one has suggested this solution yet ...


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## Missdaisy (Nov 11, 2009)

No offense but I would have more of a problem with the snake on the loose than a mouse.  That just made me shiver to look at that picture.

Points for creativity though!


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## Rekd (Nov 11, 2009)

I live in the country in San Diego County on a measly acre of land. My 3 cats took care of the mice, rats, birds, gophers, squirrels AND rabbits. Yes, my cats have killed and eaten over half a dozen rabbits, most full grown, in the last 5-1/2 years.

Usually all I find is a pile of fur/feathers and the occasional jaw-bone or pelvis/tail. They're pretty thorough.


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## rocdoc (Nov 11, 2009)

Missdaisy said:


> Oh my gosh your cat is beautiful!!!  Great pics!



Thank you Miss Daisy! Although we try not to feed her ego, she already thinks she's queen of the world...


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## itznfb (Nov 11, 2009)

Go with the cats. Cats are awesome. Adopt a few and let them run wild. Are you sure they are mice? When I lived with my parents my dad thought we had mice in the attic and walls. Turned out to be red squirrels. We went up in the attic and shot them.... though that has little to do with my suggestion.


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## Missdaisy (Nov 11, 2009)

They are absolutely mice, they have been seen!  We had another spotting this morning, my 6 year old was sitting at the table eating cereal and started shouting that he just saw the mouse run under our buffet.  My 9 year old looked under there and the mouse ran out and scurried under the couch.  I lifted up the couch and spotted a hole in the bottom of my couch.  I had to leave for work so I wasn't able to do any further investigation, I believe that is where the nest is.


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## itznfb (Nov 11, 2009)

Cat for sure. Just hope it doesn't end up fat and lazy like my oldest cat.


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## loopy (Nov 11, 2009)

itznfb said:


> Cat for sure. Just hope it doesn't end up fat and lazy like my oldest cat.



haha mine too. We had a mouse problem once, my cat offered no help.

Although I can't offer any advice, we solved out problem by moving. Not just because of the mice, there was other problems with the house too - and a liar of a landlord.


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## battletone (Nov 11, 2009)

Sticky traps.  If you haven't seen two caught in the same trap before, it is totally possible.

The down side is if you think you will have a hard time killing it yourself...

CB Caps for for .22 rifles (will sound like an air rifle).  Just a primer and no powder.  Great for inner city dispatching of rodents.

So with that said, peanut butter and a conventional mouse trap.


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## Mitica100 (Nov 11, 2009)

rocdoc said:


> I have to second the cat suggestion. I had mice once, and got the humane traps. Then I found mouse poop ON the traps... So then I went and got the inhumane ones...  But still didn't solve anything. I got my kitty from a shelter when she was one month and weighed 1lb (!), not really expecting she would wrestle any beasts, but surprisingly all the mice disappeared the moment I brought her home. I think the smell of cat alone might be enough to chase them away? Now she is a big scary but lazy monster... I have no mice, so by faulty reasoning she could claim she is doing her job...
> Here is my cat, for fun: man-eating beast - a set on Flickr
> Your results may vary...



Cuuute! How come the caption on the first one is in Romanian? Just curious... 

I have had cats that were just plain lazy and others that presented me overnight with 'gifts' such as a half-eaten mouse. I suggest you get a kitty on the 'wilder' side, such as a newer breed. Scottish Fold comes to mind, they're ferocious hunters. I have one that's 12 years young and he is a big boy killer.


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## rocdoc (Nov 11, 2009)

Mitica100 said:


> Cuuute! How come the caption on the first one is in Romanian? Just curious...
> 
> I have had cats that were just plain lazy and others that presented me overnight with 'gifts' such as a half-eaten mouse. I suggest you get a kitty on the 'wilder' side, such as a newer breed. Scottish Fold comes to mind, they're ferocious hunters. I have one that's 12 years young and he is a big boy killer.



Well, my cat is bilingual in Romanian and English. Given the name in your avatar, I gather we may share one of the languages we speak. Thanks for the kind words. 

And I have to also agree on picking the cat. If you don't want to focus on a specific breed, do what I did: look in the box of kittens at the shelter and pick the one hanging to a sibling's tail by her teeth...  Indicates aggression, resourcefulness and imagination


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## Mitica100 (Nov 11, 2009)

rocdoc said:


> Mitica100 said:
> 
> 
> > Cuuute! How come the caption on the first one is in Romanian? Just curious...
> ...



Yes, I was born, raised and educated in Romania, so I am very fluent in Romanian. :thumbup:  Makes me happy to know there are other Romanian speaking forumites here.

I do have three other cats that are saves, either from the streets or from shelters. The youngest, a very pretty 3 year young boy, named Hobbes, is a natural killer of things and we usually end up with various 'gifts' such as dead insects (scorpions) on our floors. The Dachshund dog we have now is also adopted. My wife worked for a no-kill shelter as well.

OK, now back to the original intent of the post. I agree that a cat will do the job.


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## Hertz van Rental (Nov 11, 2009)

Personally I always found a shotgun better - and way more fun. But you do need to re-plaster the walls when you've finished.


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## Rekd (Nov 11, 2009)

Hertz van Rental said:


> But you do need to re-plaster the walls when you've finished.



Methinks you should trade in that 4-10 for a 12. :thumbup:


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## icassell (Nov 11, 2009)

About ATVs said:


> Hertz van Rental said:
> 
> 
> > But you do need to re-plaster the walls when you've finished.
> ...



An RPG works wonders on rodents.


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## Rekd (Nov 11, 2009)

icassell said:


> About ATVs said:
> 
> 
> > Hertz van Rental said:
> ...



LoL, yeah. Cuz if you miss, you destroy the whole house and the mouse goes with it. :mrgreen:


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## Hertz van Rental (Nov 11, 2009)

I thought RPG stood for 'role playing game'. I have this vision of you boring the mice to death with non-stop Dungeons & Dragons.


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## Missdaisy (Nov 11, 2009)

I may just have to set the couch out in my driveway and light it on fire and watch them scurry.


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## Actor (Nov 11, 2009)

Hertz van Rental said:


> I thought RPG stood for 'role playing game'. I have this vision of you boring the mice to death with non-stop Dungeons & Dragons.


RPG = Report Program Generator.


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## Actor (Nov 11, 2009)

Years ago we had a mouse problem.  We called an exterminator.  He told us the only way to get rid of mice is to get a cat.

The trick with keeping a mouser is feeding it.  Feed it too much and it won't hunt.  Don't feed it enough and it will leave.

Many years ago we had a cat that was rather large as domestic cats go. We called him Big Butt. The kids named him that and, although we told the kids the name was not appropriate, the name stuck.

Big Butt had access to the house via a swinging pet door and could come and go as he pleased. He would occasionally bring home dead mice and small rabbits which I would take away from him and flush down the toilet.

Through sheer neglect we ran out of cat food one day. Big Butt did not get fed for a couple of days. A couple of nights later I was alone in the house when I heard Big Butt come in through his swinging door. I turned and looked, and there he stood, standing tall in the middle of the living room with the neighbor's chihuahua clamped in his teeth. The poor dog was dead as a door nail.

I got the dog's corpse away from Big Butt. He was to big to flush so I put him in a trash bag and dumped him in the garbage can. Then I went out and got some cat food. I'm sure Big Butt interpreted the return of tuna to his bowl as a reward for killing the dog.

For months afterward the neighbors posted a reward for the return of their dog.  I never said anything.


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## Hertz van Rental (Nov 12, 2009)

When I lived on a farm we kept chickens and they used to catch and eat mice (quite frightening to see them swallow a live one whole) and you get the added advantage of fresh eggs.
But mouse poo is less horrid than chicken poo so it might not be a solution worth considering.


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## rocdoc (Nov 12, 2009)

Actor, your Big Butt story is just awesome!! It's really creepy and horrible, yet I could not stop laughing hysterically. Excellent dark humor! Made my day.


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## Missdaisy (Nov 12, 2009)

rocdoc said:


> Actor, your Big Butt story is just awesome!! It's really creepy and horrible, yet I could not stop laughing hysterically. Excellent dark humor! Made my day.


 
Same here, however in Big Butts defense Chiuauas do resemble mice.


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## IgsEMT (Nov 12, 2009)

I got few of these around my apt BLACK & DECKER 										 										Pest Repeller 2-Pack With Night Lite  									 								 							got it in Home Depot.


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## Missdaisy (Nov 25, 2009)

Nothing has worked, I STILL have mice!  I've poisoned them AND my dog in the process (my dog is fine, if you are wondering I do know how deal with that problem now).  I would get a cat, but I don't want to poison a cat.  The mice are eating the poison but they are still coming back for more so there's either WAY more mice than I thought or it's not killing them.  I have 6 traps set up all over my house in "hot spots" and I haven't caught a single mouse.  I am getting desperate!


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## Overread (Nov 25, 2009)

I've heard that some chemical companies will rush out and terminate any rats found resistant to posion (to prevent spread of immune genes) don't know if it works with mice though...

All I can say is start getting a lot of metal tins and dry up their food source - if all your food is in tins and you keep your rubbing stored a distance away from the house you might discourage them from nesting in large numbers.


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## itznfb (Nov 25, 2009)

Time to get yourself some peanut butter, some camo and a sniper rifle. Lots of ammo.


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## mJs (Nov 25, 2009)

We had a mouse problem at our cabin, i bought these traps:

Mouse Traps, mouse traps, traps mouse, victor mouse trap, mouse trapping to kill mice.

they are super easy to use, no Houdini escapes and sounded quick too (i heard one go off once).  

The audio (sonic?) repellents also worked really well, but then either it broke or they just ignored it and came back.

I recommend the trap, stick it in a high traffic area where you think they will be, take everyone out of the house for an afternoon to lull them into a false sense of security and...


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## Dominantly (Nov 25, 2009)

Bottom line is they reproduce at amazing rates. Traps aren't going to catch them all, and the ones who live, again, reproduce. It's a cycle that has you beat I'm afraid.
So where does that leave you.. Well you can have an exterminator come in who can try and locate their nests and bait those, but if there are quite a few and inside walls, that will get messy and might cause damage to drywall... He can set poison traps they take back, but then you end up with dead mice in the walls... You can try those electronic controls like this Electronic pest and mouse repeller(ultrasonic) for rodent pest control, mice, rats, mouse, and other insects, coupled with good house management (leave no food or water available) and you might see some results that way.
Or you could go and find a good family friendly breed of cat like a Ragdoll Welcome to RagsGalore Ragdolls
Then let it take care of the mice and have some fun doing it.


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## Missdaisy (Nov 25, 2009)

Dominantly said:


> Bottom line is they reproduce at amazing rates. Traps aren't going to catch them all, and the ones who live, again, reproduce. It's a cycle that has you beat I'm afraid.
> So where does that leave you.. Well you can have an exterminator come in who can try and locate their nests and bait those, but if there are quite a few and inside walls, that will get messy and might cause damage to drywall... He can set poison traps they take back, but then you end up with dead mice in the walls... You can try those electronic controls like this Electronic pest and mouse repeller(ultrasonic) for rodent pest control, mice, rats, mouse, and other insects, coupled with good house management (leave no food or water available) and you might see some results that way.
> Or you could go and find a good family friendly breed of cat like a Ragdoll Welcome to RagsGalore Ragdolls
> Then let it take care of the mice and have some fun doing it.


 

I have cleaned and cleaned, I have my kids scared to even drop a crumb, we are vacuuming 2500 sq ft on a daily basis!  I am just exhausted with the whole thing.  I would get a cat but I have put out so much poison I am afraid that if I got a cat I would poison it accidentally.


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## Overread (Nov 25, 2009)

if you got hte cat the need for poison would be 0 - the cat would do it all. Jut leave your home poison free for a good long time first (and remov any remaining posion traps) and just lump it with regular non-poison based traps


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## Dominantly (Nov 25, 2009)

Hmm.. well seems like the only option for the super mice is to set the home on fire and try again.


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## Missdaisy (Nov 25, 2009)

Dominantly said:


> Or you could go and find a good family friendly breed of cat like a Ragdoll Welcome to RagsGalore Ragdolls
> Then let it take care of the mice and have some fun doing it.


 
Oh my gosh those are some really cute cats!  What is the difference between a Ragdoll and a regular cat?  Looks like they are all white for the most part and blue eyes, adorable!


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## Dominantly (Nov 25, 2009)

Well Ragdolls are bred for their temperament. They are not reclusive or scared of strangers, in fact they are inside only cats because they will walk up to strangers and get stolen with the quickness.
They have no health problems, are fairly large, and are very smart. I have two of them that I enjoy more then any dog I have ever owned. The male speaks on command, comes when you call him, and sleeps by the bedroom door. He also follows me all around the house which trips people out.

They are great for people who want an affectionate, friendly, smart cat, especially for those with kids and other pets.


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## Overread (Nov 25, 2009)

hmm fire will work 

on the subject of cats I do think its important to decide if your going for a housecat only or a freerange cat - esp if your considering the ragdols. I have to say that the idea of a cat spending all day indoors is odd to me - ours were always allowed to roam free - though we are in the countryside (and lets face it 90% of the time they were curled up indoors somwhere anyway  -- least that was till we got the husky - most of them now recall their outdoors nature far more)


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## Dominantly (Nov 25, 2009)

With Ragdolls they are actually bred to be indoor cats. It's also been said that indoor cats live longer lives, so I see that as a plus.
They aren't well adapted for defending themselves, so staying inside helps keep them free from danger aswell.
They love their window perches to no end, but if you put one of them outside and shut the door they will start screaming bloody murder until you let them back in. They will only really venture out on a leash, or if you are sitting outside the door with them.


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## Mitica100 (Nov 30, 2009)

You might also want to consider a Scottish Fold cat, they are ferocious hunters and very, very agile. I've had one for 12 years, very healthy cat and quite a clown. But when it comes to hunting nothing escapes him.


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