Not A Creature Was Stirring

[crokett]

except for a mouse. Saw one last night downstairs. Trapped it overnight. However my wife hates mice and threatened to move out. Instead of working on the shop this morning I spent it mouse proofing, including crawling under the one crawl space I have. I dunno how they got in there, but I stuffed steel wool in all the cracks I saw and repaired all the insulation that had fallen. The little buggers had even chewed a hole in the soft ducting for the A/C. I put some metal screen over the hole and taped over that. I left two traps in there, hopefully will catch something.

[phi1l]

Ahh.. It's that time of year again...

We currently don't have a mouse problem, We have chipmunks. I have a theory that, since mice & chipmunks both prefer the same food sources & the chippers are a bit bigger, they drive off any mice that might want to move into the area. One year I was worried that the chippers were undermining the patio, so I decided to relocate then to a not too nearby wildlife area. All summer I trapped just about 1 every day, I stopped counting at about 63. The next winter - mice in the house. I don't mess with the ecology any more.

I have observed that in a house mice will establish a "trail" from a nest to a food source, usually along a wall in a dimly lit area. If you can find that trail, you can put one trap there (it doesn't even have to be baited), & you can take out the whole colony, one per night.
The trap needs to be placed where the mice can't avoid it. You may have to set up a gauntlet to funnel the mice to the trap. Adding some cover to keep the trap area dark will help too..

As much as possible keep food picked up, and in mouse resistant containers. If they are going to find food in the house we want it to be only in one location, so they will have a single path to reach it. No snacks left out over night. Especially pet food. After the last mouse infestation I found a cache of dog food pellets behind the oven.

Good Luck

[Uncle Cracker]

If they want in bad enough, they'll chew through stuff that you wouldn't think possible. They're attracted to warmth this time of year.

[phi1l]

If they want in bad enough, they'll chew through stuff that you wouldn't think possible. They're attracted to warmth this time of year.

Of course, the point is to keep the food centrally located, & as hard to get at as possible. So they don't have an easy path to the food.
In his part of the country it really isn't getting that cold yet, but the food sources are dwindling..

[Daryl]

A mouse can get thru a hole the size of a dime they say.

[cwithboat]

I pay about $100 per month for an extermination service. Of course I still have to scoop the kitty litter.

[Richard in Smithville]

I live in a townhome so when one person gets a mouse, we all get a mouse. Now, I do have a very good cat when it comes to mousing. This causes most mice just to pass my place. The others never get the chance to leave.

[crokett]

Caught one of the buggers last night. Other trap bait was gone but it didn't trip. I will try again tonight.

[Mr__Bill]

Whatever you do don't poison them! they will crawl inside somewhere and die, then rot, then your tearing the wall apart to get at the smell.

Bill

[cabinetman]

I live in a townhome so when one person gets a mouse, we all get a mouse. Now, I do have a very good cat when it comes to mousing. This causes most mice just to pass my place. The others never get the chance to leave.

I've had cats a long time and never had one that was a hunter. We've never had any mice in the house, but our cats like to stare at insects and wait to play long enough for them to make a getaway. But, OTOH, both of my German Shepherds go after them or any critters outside like crazy.
.

[Richard in Smithville]

Whatever you do don't poison them! they will crawl inside somewhere and die, then rot, then your tearing the wall apart to get at the smell.

Bill

Mice will just kind of dry up and mummify where as rats will stink the place out( in my experience).

[ironhat]

Mice will just kind of dry up and mummify where as rats will stink the place out( in my experience).

Yes, at the cabin we have found dead ones in the tub and the smell was minor and they were mummified. But one time, in the summer, one died in the wall from poisoning and just about destroyed the place. We had a very tough time getting smell of that little booger out of there! We resorted to opening the access panel by the tube and blowing baking soda into the void. It actually helped and we have no problems now.

[Uncle Cracker]

When I was a teenager, my family had an old Bassett hound that was a roacher... His technique was unconventional, to say the least... He'd corner them, howl at them for a few minutes, and then smash them with the side of his face! Just too funny...