So this morning my mom found a mouse in her room. Apparently she woke up to a strange sound at 4am which turned out to be the mouse on her desk. Needless to say, she was out buying mouse traps as soon as the stores opened. We have since caught that particular mouse, but I'm thinking the rest of its family might still be around.
We just moved, and have only been at the house for about a month and it hasn't been lived in for months prior to our arrival. The house is also adjacent to a wooded area, so its not to surprising to have wildlife nearby. My mom had an exterminator spray the place for insects before we moved in, but we were not expecting furry critters. Any suggestions on how to detect and get rid of and/or how to prevent them from coming back?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Don't kill it. *likes mice*
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
I've had good look with those "Rodent Repelling UltraSonic Devices" one can buy at Home Depot.
At least, they've worked for over a year. I've read conflicting reports on whether the effect lasts, or whether rodents eventually adjust and re-invade.
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
Whatever you do, don't give it a cookie.
Posted by HalcyonDreams (Member # 10000) on :
Don't give a moose a muffin either.
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
And pigs and pancakes? Don't mix.
Posted by HalcyonDreams (Member # 10000) on :
Does that leave out bacon and pancakes?
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
Oooh.. hadn't considered that. Good point.
Well, here's how I see it, through my rose tinted glasses. Bacon does not come from a pig. Because eating a cute little piggy is not pleasant. Rather, bacon comes from the magic bacon fairy to your local grocery store and has absolutely nothing to do with anything that might have once been alive and happy.
Posted by HalcyonDreams (Member # 10000) on :
Oh right. I forgot about the bacon fairy.
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
Ok, no real suggestions, but if they are up in the attic, don't put poison out! In fact, poison is probably a bad idea period. Because then they die. Which is good. But they likely die in a place us big humanoids can't get to. And they stink. Badly.
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
(insert incredulous expletive here)
There are two of us with mice problems?!!! woah....
AJ
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Huh. And I thought - until I opened your thread - that you were dobieing. Posted by DSH (Member # 741) on :
Get a cat.
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
nope didn't even look at the other thread titles when I posted my thread because I was too busy freaking out.
However my title is in reference to a children's book by the same name.
AJ
Posted by signal (Member # 6828) on :
Oh man, I hope they haven't already gotten comfortable somewhere. The cat suggestion might work if I wasn't crazy allergic to anything with fur. My mom said she heard more, but we couldn't seem to find any. I think if they are around, they may be hiding under her filing cabinet.
The question I have is how on earth did they manage to get to the second floor without being detected? I may stop by Lowes/Home Depot tomorrow to check out those ultrasonic things that Puffy Treat mentioned.
I think my mom is way more freaked out than she lets on. She essentially bought some sort of poison for every sort of living thing that she could get her hands on. I told her the same thing that Dr. Strangelove mentioned, about not putting that stuff in or near the house for fear of finding (or not finding) dead critters.
I'm going to call an exterminator and talk to the people at the store to see if they've got any ideas. I'll post back if I hear anything, AJ.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
One year we killed 34 mice in our house. Mowed the little punks down.
If you're using mouse traps, the regular ones, spread peanut butter all over it, and UNDER it, so the little guys have to get in it really well.
After we committed moustracide, we just made sure not to have ANY food laying out, and cleaned up really well, including spills. Also, made sure the food in the dog dish never stayed out for too long. And they haven't been back in the last couple years.
Also make sure that you or your neighbors don't have any mouse breeding grounds. Our neighbors had this huge rotted wood pile that they were breeding in, and we made them get rid of it, and the mice stopped coming around.
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
Also, look for and plug ALL holes that go between the great outdoors and indoors (around pipes, etc. As the weather gets colder, more little furry critters will want to join you indoors where it is warmer.
You also might reconsider the cat idea -- even if you just get a big 'ole outdoor cat, that can help. Or maybe borrow one for a few days while you block holes and trap, etc.
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
There are plenty of feral cats in our neighborhood... maybe it is because the mouse population is thriving.
Incidentally here is the note I wrote while chanelling Mrs. Weasely. I left it on Steve's computer keyboard for him to read this morning (He has to get up early and so was sound asleep at the time of the latest mouse incident... I figured a morning note would be more effective than late night hysterics that he wouldn't properly appreciate while groggy...)
*****
Pick AT LEAST ONE of the following:
A) PROFESSIONAL RODENT EXTERMINATOR
B) CAT
C) HOTEL ROOM FOR AJ
PLEASE SEE THAT APPROPRIATE MEASURES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED BY THE TIME I GET BACK FROM WORK.
LOVE,
AJ
***** It shouldn't take a National Merit Scholar to figure this one out... and he is one so he really has no excuse.
AJ
Posted by signal (Member # 6828) on :
LOL. We had the exterminator guy come and he set a few glue traps and put some bait outside. He said the probable casue was the cold front we got a week or so ago. I'm a little weary of putting peanut butter out as I don't want to attract even more mice into the house. Besides, I don't think peanut butter and carpeting go together very well.
I need to make a trip to the hardware store, so I'll add some caulk to the list. I'm going to go around and try to patch any holes I see.
I was reading the old thread that Quid bumped. Thank God it wasn't geckos. My mom is PHOBIC of those and our house would be back on the market with her in a different state by now.
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
*giggling*
Priceless and graceful, AJ! Well done!
*keeps giggling*
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
We have geckos.
Every house in this country has geckos.
I still scream at the geckos.
And at teeny tiny little one inch frogs.
I'm pathetic. *whine*
Posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion (Member # 6473) on :
quote:Originally posted by DSH: Get a cat.
I'd do this.
Posted by Anshi (Member # 9643) on :
quote:Originally posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion:
quote:Originally posted by DSH: Get a cat.
I'd do this.
signal mentioned that he would, only he's allergic to furry animals. Posted by Anshi (Member # 9643) on :
quote:Originally posted by Anshi:
quote:Originally posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion:
quote:Originally posted by DSH: Get a cat.
I'd do this.
signal mentioned that he would if he could, but he's allergic to furry animals.
Posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion (Member # 6473) on :
quote:Originally posted by Anshi:
quote:Originally posted by Anshi:
quote:Originally posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion:
quote:Originally posted by DSH: Get a cat.
I'd do this.
signal mentioned that he would if he could, but he's allergic to furry animals.
But this is no furry animal.
Posted by Anshi (Member # 9643) on :
quote:Originally posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion: But this is no furry animal. [/QB]
I am nostalgically reminded of Gremlins.
(People who own this breed of cat is NOT allowed to beat me up. There is no line to get into either. Really, I'm just a fragile little flower with a rampant imagination. )
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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