Caught several mice

[bcla]

We've had some issues with mice in our house. Didn't see any, but there were signs of chewing (including some of my shoes stored downstairs) as well as mouse poop. My wife wanted me to set some traps. Haven't caught any in months using peanut butter bait in a couple of plastic snap traps. She wanted me to set them out in the open, although I thought it wouldn't work since mice prefer locations that are less exposed.

However, recently we actually saw mice. We'd open the door to our stairs and they were right there and scurried back down immediately. There haven't been any signs that they actually made it upstairs, but they seem to like checking out the stairs now. My wife wanted to hire an exterminator. Before going that route, I had some more traditional wooden traps but with a wider platform for more leverage and that can take more bait. I just set them side by side in a box (placed on the side) on those stairs, baited with pieces of Kraft Singles. Within a few hours we had our first mouse. While one was caught (cleanly on the neck), the rest triggered. I tossed the entire trap with the dead mouse in the garbage and re-baited the remaining traps. This time I spaced them further apart in the box.

I was up late and heard a snap sound. Then about 30 seconds later I heard another snap. So I waited a few minutes and then checked the traps. Turns out three mice were caught in separate traps. I'm thinking two of the traps were set off at the same time. One was caught well back in the neck, another right at the ears, and the other right behind the eyes. The last was a bit gruesome. No blood, but one eye was bulging out. I think all were killed instantly and/or suffocated quickly.

So what has worked for you guys? I bought more traps and I'm thinking of moving the locations. Our county provides free inspections to give recommendations to owners.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Snap traps with Velveeta.

 

[DisneyDreamer2504]

If you haven't already, I'd check for holes and other access points and close those. Use spray foam, steel wool, and calk to close even the smallest of opening. Mint can also be used as a deterrent.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Until you plug the holes where they are coming in you are going to be fighting a losing battle. Go around your basement and fill any possible holes. We used Great Stuff specifically made for rodent problems. Do the same on the outside. Then use traps inside to catch any the are left behind.

I feel your pain. We used 2 exterminators over 2 years, and all they did was stick copper mesh in holes and put down traps we could have bought ourselves. We complained that they weren't fixing the root cause (the holes) and they said that wasn't their job.

 

[Jex]

Get a cat.

 

[bcla]

Until you plug the holes where they are coming in you are going to be fighting a losing battle. Go around your basement and fill any possible holes. We used Great Stuff specifically made for rodent problems. Do the same on the outside. Then use traps inside to catch any the are left behind.

I feel your pain. We used 2 exterminators over 2 years, and all they did was stick copper mesh in holes and put down traps we could have bought ourselves. We complained that they weren't fixing the root cause (the holes) and they said that wasn't their job.

That's why I contacted our county. They don't provide full exterminator services, but they do inspect for openings and tell homeowners what they can do. And it's free. It's supposedly provided as a public health service since mice can carry diseases.

I'm not sure if the more expensive traps were worth it. I've found them closed without catching anything. They are considerably easier to set though. However, we managed to catch 4 mice in less than 12 hours with basic wooden traps. Less than $2 for 4 at Target. I'm not going to bother reusing them since they're so cheap.

And the mice don't seem to be quick learners. They're out there with at least one compatriot caught, yet they attack the next trap and get caught. I did turn off the light though, so they might have just been following the scent of the bait. Honestly - even if they can see it, I don't think they equate a caught mouse with any sort of danger per se.

 

[irishbosoxfan]

The last two years (2012/2013) we've had issues with mice in our cellar. Last fall it was so bad that they started making their way into the house.

I don't do mice. At all. Period. Whatsoever.

The exterminator brought out poison and they ate it like it was candy. Over the course of 2 days they ate 6 of those little bricks. He estimated based on that that there were approx 11 of them!

He laid out over 30 glue traps. And caught 1.

He laid out 12 snap traps. And caught 0.

I found an electronic rat trap at a local horse store. It was expensive but I was ready to try anything because my only option at that point was to move out and let them have the damn house.

My husband put it down cellar and checked it a half an hour later and we had a dead one. He dumped it and put it back and a half an hour later another dead one!

I loved that thing so much I went out and bought a second one! It ended up killing over 30 mice in a month and a half!!! The exterminator said it was multiple generations.

And the best part is you don't have to look at them! You put some peanut butter on the back of the unit--turn it on--it kills them and the light on top changes color so you know somethings in it--you turn it off and dump it--set it down and turn it back on.


Between our complaints and the exterminators our (Military) housing office finally came out and plugged some of the holes.

The link in case you want to check them out!

http://www.victorpest.com/store/rat-control/m240

 

[bcla]

I won't do solid poison. I know there are claims that the poison (usually bromethalin these days) acts slowly and the mice go outside looking for water as they internally hemorrhage over several days (might have been the case with older anticoagulants but not current neurotoxins), but one of the makers of the poisoned bait claims that's not true. The maker says that the mice wouldn't be indoors unless they had indoor water sources. I've heard of dying mice that just dropped in walls and then decayed where they couldn't be reached. We also have several cats/dogs in the neighborhood.

Seeing the dead mouse is actually kind of satisfying. I'm not squeamish about it (my wife is) although so far I haven't seen any blood from the trapped mice.

When I was a kid, my parents asked me to set up traps. I only caught one each using glue and snap traps. And it probably wasn't pleasant. Both were caught by the tail and probably struggled and died from exhaustion. I got a mouse another time. It wasn't budging from where it was. I sprayed it with ant killer. It stopped breathing within a minute. Kind of off label and probably illegal, but it's way past the statute of limitations for prosecution.

 

[Muushka]

I used the green poison bricks for a huge problem in the basement. They worked.
I never saw the dead mice but the problem was gone.

 

[bcla]

I used the green poison bricks for a huge problem in the basement. They worked.
I never saw the dead mice but the problem was gone.

I have a three year old.

 

[Janepod]

I won't do solid poison. I know there are claims that the poison (usually bromethalin these days) acts slowly and the mice go outside looking for water as they internally hemorrhage over several days (might have been the case with older anticoagulants but not current neurotoxins), but one of the makers of the poisoned bait claims that's not true. The maker says that the mice wouldn't be indoors unless they had indoor water sources. I've heard of dying mice that just dropped in walls and then decayed where they couldn't be reached. We also have several cats/dogs in the neighborhood.

Seeing the dead mouse is actually kind of satisfying. I'm not squeamish about it (my wife is) although so far I haven't seen any blood from the trapped mice.

When I was a kid, my parents asked me to set up traps. I only caught one each using glue and snap traps. And it probably wasn't pleasant. Both were caught by the tail and probably struggled and died from exhaustion. I got a mouse another time. It wasn't budging from where it was. I sprayed it with ant killer. It stopped breathing within a minute. Kind of off label and probably illegal, but it's way past the statute of limitations for prosecution.

I agree completely. We used poison for one winter and had two mice die in walls/ceiling where we couldn't get them. The odor is unbearable for a week or more. It's just repulsive. And I agree that the water thing is BS.

Use snap traps or get a cat.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

We had them in the attic and we hired an exterminator. He baited the attic with poison and put steel wool and insulation in some gaps in the siding at the corners of the house. I haven't heard them since.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[bcla]

I agree completely. We used poison for one winter and had two mice die in walls/ceiling where we couldn't get them. The odor is unbearable for a week or more. It's just repulsive. And I agree that the water thing is BS.

Use snap traps or get a cat.

I understand the idea about water was supposed to apply to anticoagulants that slowly cause the rodent (or other animal) to hemorrhage internally. Stuff like warfarin, bromadiolone, or brodifacoum - one of which is used as a human blood thinner in controlled doses. But apparently it's a myth that they go looking for liquid water outside after consuming this stuff.

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/myths-about-rodents-a-400.html

1) MYTH: Rodents will go outside to die after consuming rodenticides (rat poison).

FACT: No known rodenticide will cause rats or mice to leave a structure after consuming it. Anti-coagulants such as the bromadiolone found in Contrac Blox will generally cause death within four to ten days of consumption, but there is no guarantee as to where the rodents will die. Because of this delayed effect, rodents will often die in their nests or burrows, or other unknown locations that may be hidden in a property.

http://coventrypest.com/know-your-pests/pest-control-myths-and-faqs/

MYTH — After eating rodenticides, mice will go outside looking for water.
Truth — Mice seldom if ever consume free water. They get all the moisture they need from their food. There is not now, nor has there EVER been any truth to the line about “going looking for water”. It is, quite simply, a lie that exterminators have been telling for many years in order to get jobs.

http://www.tomcatbrand.com/faq.html#dying-outdoors

Q: Are there poisons (baits) available that will make rodents go outside looking for water?
A: Eating bait will not change a rodent’s “normal” water requirements. It is a myth that rodents will seek water outdoors after eating a bait and then die outdoors. There is adequate water in your home to meet all rodent needs. If water wasn't available, rodents wouldn't live there.

http://www.stpete.org/sanitation/free_rodent_control/rodent_myths.asp

1. Rodents dying from the effects of rodenticide will get thirsty and go outside looking for water. Not at all true. The natural reaction to commonly used rodenticides is lethargy. Meaning that the rodent becomes slow and sleepy. They will usually find somewhere safe to hide from predators. This is usually wherever they have nested. If rodents are inside an attic they are seeking shelter only(since there is no food or water there). They usually die there. Another misconception is that the rodenticide causes the rodent to mummify or simply dry up. Dried carcasses are exactly that. There is no difference between a rodent killed naturally and one that has died from rodenticide.

I'm thinking that perhaps a mouse dying in the walls or attic may not be that bad. If there's been a mouse infestation for months, their life cycle is so short that there's likely already dead mice from natural causes or starvation. I remember as a kid there were sounds of mice in the walls, and occasionally I could smell something awful, but it went away in a few weeks.

 

[LBIJim]

Haven't had a mouse in a few years. I used the live trap cubes. Dark plastic but you can still see if a mouse is inside. If still alive, you can release it in a wooded area. If dead, either empty and wash or just throw the whole thing away.

Jim

 

[lovesmurfs]

Old fashioned snap traps with peanut butter work well for us. We always put them under cabinets and/or near the baseboards -- the mice tend to stay by the wall.

My husband bought some new fangled something or other trap -- it's round and there's an entranceway. We've yet to catch anything in them.

 

[mackeysmom]

The last two years (2012/2013) we've had issues with mice in our cellar. Last fall it was so bad that they started making their way into the house.

I don't do mice. At all. Period. Whatsoever.

The exterminator brought out poison and they ate it like it was candy. Over the course of 2 days they ate 6 of those little bricks. He estimated based on that that there were approx 11 of them!

He laid out over 30 glue traps. And caught 1.

He laid out 12 snap traps. And caught 0.

I found an electronic rat trap at a local horse store. It was expensive but I was ready to try anything because my only option at that point was to move out and let them have the damn house.

My husband put it down cellar and checked it a half an hour later and we had a dead one. He dumped it and put it back and a half an hour later another dead one!

I loved that thing so much I went out and bought a second one! It ended up killing over 30 mice in a month and a half!!! The exterminator said it was multiple generations.

And the best part is you don't have to look at them! You put some peanut butter on the back of the unit--turn it on--it kills them and the light on top changes color so you know somethings in it--you turn it off and dump it--set it down and turn it back on.


Between our complaints and the exterminators our (Military) housing office finally came out and plugged some of the holes.

The link in case you want to check them out!

http://www.victorpest.com/store/rat-control/m240

I could have written the above post myself. Only difference is I use a different Victor model : http://www.amazon.com/Victor-M250PRO-Professional-Electronic-Mouse/dp/B001DKTHNC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397098568&sr=8-2&keywords=electronic+mouse+trap

- Laura