Mice in house...

[conuly]

Yeah, we have a bit of a mouse problem. But I don't want to *kill* them. I want to catch them humanely, and then take them far away in the freezing cold where there's lots of cats. Then it's nature killing them. Alternatively, I want to bring a cat inside. Then it's a cat killing them, and I get a pet cat out of the deal.

Right now I'm looking into humane traps. Because I really don't want to be the one dealing the death blow.

Yesterday, I got one cornered in the kitchen radiator. I kept trying to nudge it out, so it'd land in a big pot and I could take it outside (far from the house) and let it go, but it was too smart for that. It finally scurried under the little fridge. And then, when I moved the fridge, it ran out to my mom. BROOM! Back to me. POT! Mom. BROOM! Me. POT! BROOM! POT! BROOM! POT! BROOM!

RUNACROSSFLOORUNDERBIGFRIDGE!

Where it's no doubt still sitting, assuredly plotting death and destruction upon this house. Cute little thing, but far too smart for its own good.

Comments

[moggymania.livejournal.com]

That's assuming the cat kills them, and doesn't just deposit it unharmed in your lap thinking it's just another toy you'll throw for it to chase! *grin*

[conuly]

Yes, definitely. But hopefully the mouse would be stunned, so I could pick it up and deposit it safely in a box to take outside. Where there's more cats. And cold air.

[moroveus.livejournal.com]

I hate rodents. My brother still jokes about the time a mouse ran across the floor into my dirty laundry and I went berserk and started smacking the laundry repeatedly with a baseball bat. I had to throw away the T-shirt that became that splattered mouse's coffin.

[conuly]

*backs away slowly*

[moggymania.livejournal.com]

As far as humane traps go, btw, the one I've always heard the most about is the Havahart:

http://www.havahart.com/nuisance/critters/critters_mice.asp

They've been around for ages, and have a good rep.

[malantha.livejournal.com]

My mom had a few mice in her apartment and I found a really helpful tip on some site on the net. I was able to catch a couple of them this way.

I got a smallish sized trashcan that was smooth inside and too tall for them to jump out. I put some nummy treats inside (I used peanut butter, apples, and cheese) and piled some books and things right next to it so mice could climb up to get the food. Then they drop in and can't get back out. It works better if you set it up in a dark place rather than the middle of the floor.

[conuly]

Will try, thanks.

[adiva_calandia]

We used to have mice -- back when our dog was alive. He would chase them. His last day of life, we caught a couple, and he spent a few hours staring at them, tail wagging madly. My two best mouse stories:

So my dad was cleaning out the back of our RV, when he came across a huge pile of shredded newspaper (this was at the height of our mouse invasion) that was rustling. "Oh boy," he thought, "I've got a nest of baby mice on my hands." So he pulls out the ShopVac and vacuums up the babies. Keep in mind that a ShopVac is pretty much just a tube that sucks air -- and about half the babies survived the following few days. We raised them to adulthood, and they acquired the habit of jumping up to the wire screen that covered their cage, hooking their claws into the mesh, and walking around upside down with a little "Chpok-chpok-chpok" noise.

The other story is from when my dad was in college, working as a shakerat (it has something to do with lumber *shrugs*) and living in a trailer with his buddies. Well, they got mice, and the mice took up residence between the walls of the trailer. They set traps, and got rid of most of the mice. But one night, Dad woke up to a weird sound -- POONK rattle-rattle-rattle. . . . POONK rattle-rattle-rattle. . . he traced it to a mouse that had gotten stuck in a glass Coke bottle. It would leap up and hook its paws around the rim of the bottle (POON), be unable to get out, and drop back down (rattle). So Dad took it outside, got a good grip on the bottle, then swung his arm around so that centrifugal force ejected the mouse forcibly as far into the woods as possible.

I doubt either of these stories really help your mouse problem, but at least they're amusing. :) Just don't use sticky traps -- I understand mice will do the whole gnawing-through-the-leg bit to escape those *shudder*

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Helpful hint: when you're trying to catch a mouse, use a brown paper grocery sack, strategically placed on its side on the floor so that the mouse runs into it of its own accord - their instinct is to seek cover, so this generally works. Then you just tip the bag upright, and the mouse can't jump out.

Helpful but kinda grim hint: once the mouse is in the bag, the easiest, fastest and neatest way to dispatch it is to carry the bag outside and whang it hard against a wall a few times. Then you can put the whole bag in the garbage can without looking inside, or if you live where there's crows, you can leave the mouse where they'll come for it - that's what I always do, and the crows here don't waste any time.

I like mice. I had pet mice all through my childhood, and they were adorable - wild mice are just as cute, and I really hate having to kill them - wee sleekit cow'rin' timorous beasties that they are, and just trying to get along in this world, like everybody else. However, mice in the house are incredibly destructive, a potentially lethal health hazard, and breed at a phenomenal rate, so peaceful co-existence is not an option.

They hate the smell of mint, so putting peppermint oil in your cupboards and things will help keep them out. If possible, find where they're getting into the house and block up the holes. They like to chew their way into cardboard storage boxes and make safe little nests inside them, so if you've got such boxes around, better check 'em - the wee bastards ruined an entire box of my good linens that way once.

Adopting a cat from the Humane Society might be a good solution. In my experience, female tabbies are the best mousers. Unfortunately, cats that eat mice get worms, so you'll have to be prepared to de-worm your hunter on a regular basis. A lot of cats do seem to look on mice as "toys" rather than as "food", which still leaves you having to administer the coup de grace when you can no longer stand to watch Kitty torture the poor little thing. Havahart traps might be a better option. Anyway, good luck!

[conuly]

I am NOT killing the mice, but I *may* try the paper bag trick. I'll just run down the block holding the bag and dump it outside. Where it can freeze to death.

Mint also sounds like a good idea, thanks.

[fjorab-teke.livejournal.com]

MICE CUBES! (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00018R6P8/103-2580134-4287029?v=glance)

I wish I could find the entry, but I posted at one point about finding these at Wal Mart and indeed catching some mice...then releasing them at my parents' house out in the woods across the creek. :-) These do work, and the worst that happens is the mice get stressed out from being trapped. The ones we caught had food, and we checked the traps daily. Wes till have the traps in our snack cabinet but haven't seen any more, just the two.

[eclectic-1.livejournal.com]

We lived on a farm growing up and always had mice. Simplest thing; take a big bucket, put some cheese and peanut butter at the bottom, and stack something next to the bucket so they can make their was in. Lave for a few days.

[moggymania.livejournal.com]

That's assuming the cat kills them, and doesn't just deposit it unharmed in your lap thinking it's just another toy you'll throw for it to chase! *grin*

[conuly]

Yes, definitely. But hopefully the mouse would be stunned, so I could pick it up and deposit it safely in a box to take outside. Where there's more cats. And cold air.

[moroveus.livejournal.com]

I hate rodents. My brother still jokes about the time a mouse ran across the floor into my dirty laundry and I went berserk and started smacking the laundry repeatedly with a baseball bat. I had to throw away the T-shirt that became that splattered mouse's coffin.

[conuly]

*backs away slowly*

[moggymania.livejournal.com]

As far as humane traps go, btw, the one I've always heard the most about is the Havahart:

http://www.havahart.com/nuisance/critters/critters_mice.asp

They've been around for ages, and have a good rep.

[malantha.livejournal.com]

My mom had a few mice in her apartment and I found a really helpful tip on some site on the net. I was able to catch a couple of them this way.

I got a smallish sized trashcan that was smooth inside and too tall for them to jump out. I put some nummy treats inside (I used peanut butter, apples, and cheese) and piled some books and things right next to it so mice could climb up to get the food. Then they drop in and can't get back out. It works better if you set it up in a dark place rather than the middle of the floor.

[conuly]

Will try, thanks.

[adiva_calandia]

We used to have mice -- back when our dog was alive. He would chase them. His last day of life, we caught a couple, and he spent a few hours staring at them, tail wagging madly. My two best mouse stories:

So my dad was cleaning out the back of our RV, when he came across a huge pile of shredded newspaper (this was at the height of our mouse invasion) that was rustling. "Oh boy," he thought, "I've got a nest of baby mice on my hands." So he pulls out the ShopVac and vacuums up the babies. Keep in mind that a ShopVac is pretty much just a tube that sucks air -- and about half the babies survived the following few days. We raised them to adulthood, and they acquired the habit of jumping up to the wire screen that covered their cage, hooking their claws into the mesh, and walking around upside down with a little "Chpok-chpok-chpok" noise.

The other story is from when my dad was in college, working as a shakerat (it has something to do with lumber *shrugs*) and living in a trailer with his buddies. Well, they got mice, and the mice took up residence between the walls of the trailer. They set traps, and got rid of most of the mice. But one night, Dad woke up to a weird sound -- POONK rattle-rattle-rattle. . . . POONK rattle-rattle-rattle. . . he traced it to a mouse that had gotten stuck in a glass Coke bottle. It would leap up and hook its paws around the rim of the bottle (POON), be unable to get out, and drop back down (rattle). So Dad took it outside, got a good grip on the bottle, then swung his arm around so that centrifugal force ejected the mouse forcibly as far into the woods as possible.

I doubt either of these stories really help your mouse problem, but at least they're amusing. :) Just don't use sticky traps -- I understand mice will do the whole gnawing-through-the-leg bit to escape those *shudder*

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Helpful hint: when you're trying to catch a mouse, use a brown paper grocery sack, strategically placed on its side on the floor so that the mouse runs into it of its own accord - their instinct is to seek cover, so this generally works. Then you just tip the bag upright, and the mouse can't jump out.

Helpful but kinda grim hint: once the mouse is in the bag, the easiest, fastest and neatest way to dispatch it is to carry the bag outside and whang it hard against a wall a few times. Then you can put the whole bag in the garbage can without looking inside, or if you live where there's crows, you can leave the mouse where they'll come for it - that's what I always do, and the crows here don't waste any time.

I like mice. I had pet mice all through my childhood, and they were adorable - wild mice are just as cute, and I really hate having to kill them - wee sleekit cow'rin' timorous beasties that they are, and just trying to get along in this world, like everybody else. However, mice in the house are incredibly destructive, a potentially lethal health hazard, and breed at a phenomenal rate, so peaceful co-existence is not an option.

They hate the smell of mint, so putting peppermint oil in your cupboards and things will help keep them out. If possible, find where they're getting into the house and block up the holes. They like to chew their way into cardboard storage boxes and make safe little nests inside them, so if you've got such boxes around, better check 'em - the wee bastards ruined an entire box of my good linens that way once.

Adopting a cat from the Humane Society might be a good solution. In my experience, female tabbies are the best mousers. Unfortunately, cats that eat mice get worms, so you'll have to be prepared to de-worm your hunter on a regular basis. A lot of cats do seem to look on mice as "toys" rather than as "food", which still leaves you having to administer the coup de grace when you can no longer stand to watch Kitty torture the poor little thing. Havahart traps might be a better option. Anyway, good luck!

[conuly]

I am NOT killing the mice, but I *may* try the paper bag trick. I'll just run down the block holding the bag and dump it outside. Where it can freeze to death.

Mint also sounds like a good idea, thanks.

[fjorab-teke.livejournal.com]

MICE CUBES! (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00018R6P8/103-2580134-4287029?v=glance)

I wish I could find the entry, but I posted at one point about finding these at Wal Mart and indeed catching some mice...then releasing them at my parents' house out in the woods across the creek. :-) These do work, and the worst that happens is the mice get stressed out from being trapped. The ones we caught had food, and we checked the traps daily. Wes till have the traps in our snack cabinet but haven't seen any more, just the two.

[eclectic-1.livejournal.com]

We lived on a farm growing up and always had mice. Simplest thing; take a big bucket, put some cheese and peanut butter at the bottom, and stack something next to the bucket so they can make their was in. Lave for a few days.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

my mom ahd these wierd traps that you put peanut butter in, the door would drop down, and you'd bring them out and set them free. but then, we also had the cat...

[conuly]

*nods* That's the trap I'm planning to use. Of course, you're welcome to catch mice as pets...

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

my mom ahd these wierd traps that you put peanut butter in, the door would drop down, and you'd bring them out and set them free. but then, we also had the cat...

[conuly]

*nods* That's the trap I'm planning to use. Of course, you're welcome to catch mice as pets...