Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Got mice?

So there is a mouse in my house (at least, I hope it's just one!) I have never had a mouse before. I have set out 4 live catch traps, moved them around, tried various baits, but it's been about a week and the wiley little guy refuses to be caught. Killing him is a last resort, and I'm thinking, if he avoids the live traps, wouldn't he just avoid the lethal ones as well? Anyone have any suggestions as to how to get rid of him?

I borrowed my aunt's cat for a week and he went all Wolverine on the thing.

Or maybe, place a big wheel of cheese with a large wooden mallet rigged over it. It seems to work in cartoons...

Well, I just had some mice in my apartment. My roommate and I set out some lethal traps and they seem to have gone away without being caught in any of the traps.

It would only work in the cartoons; the idea of mice wanting cheese isn't true. They prefer grains and fruit, but will scavenge meat if needed. I saw somewhere that peanut butter acts as a better lure in a mousetrap, but can't find the source again.

I've made a bait of oats mixed with peanut butter and left a little in one of the places where I know he hangs out, and sure enough he ate it, but he won't go into the traps for it. It tell ya, he's a clever one. I guess I just have to do a thorough house cleaning and eliminate any food sources but the ones I give him. The only bright spot is that so far he is not a climber, and seems to be limiting his mischief to floor level.

Ack!!!! I take it back about him not being a climber! I just looked up to see him sitting on my desk, nibbling at the crumbs on a used plate! I've got to be a better house keeper. It's hard to believe something so tiny and cute can be such a nuisance! Man I hope there's only one.

About a year or so ago, one night, I was sitting at my computer when I heard a noise above me. I figured it was either birds outside, or rain, or hail, or... SOMETHING. I looked up... and my jaw dropped. A mouse was CLIMBING the thin plastic blinds on my window, just 2 feet to my left. He got all the way to the top, turned around, and looked down at me. I coudln't believe it. I said to him, "Where do you think you're going NOW?"

I tried to see if I could knock him from his perch, maybe catch him in a box or something... nope. He dropped to the floor, skittered away FAST and disappeared. Oh well.

Over the previous few years, I'd REPEATEDLY seen mice up here on the 2nd floor, usually poking around one particular doorway. I've never found a hole in that room, but I figured there must be one somewhere. Anyway, I set a pair of traps right near the doorway-- sitting along the walls on each side of the door frame. Must have gotten 6 or 8 of 'em over the years, all in the same place. In fact, it always seems to be the SAME trap that gets 'em. It got THIS one, by the time I woke up the next day.

I don't like killing mice... I think they're cute! But my patience is thin, and I figure, "This is a PEOPLE house!" They belong outside, they found their way in, they won't find their way out... too bad.

The COOLEST traps I found are these with a black plastic casing. They're spring traps, but you pull a lever back on the outside of the "box", until it clicks in place. There's a round hole at the other end. When they've done their work, you pick the whole thing up, with the mouse inside-- hold it over a trashcan (or sealable plastic trash bag, even more sanitary), PULL BACK the lever and shake the mouse out. You never have to touch the mouse-- and you can reuse the trap! Amazing.


That said, the springs on both traps went bad some months ago and had to be replaced. But I guess after 5 YEARS using the same traps, that's not bad.


I had the main sewer pipe in the house replaced 5 years ago, and when they did it, the plumbers also sealed a hole in the foundation wall with cement. Ever since, the number of mice has steadily declined. NONE this year so far. Makes me think the few I've had over the last couple years were leftovers from before the hole was closed up. There may be none left now... but who can tell? (I guess I'll find out when the temperature PLUNGES in the next month or two.)

Maybe city mice are smarter than country mice? Between cats & traps, we don't get many inside the house now. I used to rescue mice outside that the cats were tormenting, but now I just walk away. Even if they are sweet and helpless-looking (and I suffer from Cute Cartoon Rodent Syndrome), they do carry disease (Hanta virus! ), chew electrical wires and nibble any food they can get into. So off with their heads!

You need another cat! - although not all cats are mousers.

You might try disguising the trap - camouflage. How you do that inside the house, I'm not sure - cover it with leaves and twigs? Or a pile of potatoes? I suggest this because I had a real problem with a very smart rat a few years ago. Too big or clever for the cats and he eluded every trap and poison bait set for him. I set up a rat trap in the compost heap, covered it with some long grasses and leaves and finally caught him.

Good luck!

I say you should take off and nuke the site from orbit... it's the only way to be sure.

I didn't know there were live traps for mice.

Some moved into the house a couple winters ago and wouldn't leave when I asked so I purchased some mice traps, doing my house owning duty not thinking any mouse would be stupid enough to mistake that yellow plastic for a piece of cheese.

I can still see his cute little eyes.

I've been on a murderous rampage since, both in the house and in the garage.

I've nothing against the little guys if they'd leave alone the wiring and poop outdoors. In fact, I'd welcome them because their little squeeking and pitter-patter of teeny feets in the ceiling drive these two stupid do nothing cats crazy.

So? Anyone know of any "mice repellant" that's effective? I'd much rather keep them from even coming in the house or garage than keep killing them but living next to the water and a big field, I'm afraid it's inevitable.

Thanks for the advice everyone. Unfortunately, Mr.Mouse is not alone; last night I heard rustling from 2 rooms at once. Arrggh! If they start breeding I'm doomed! I guess I'll have to try a variety of traps, and see if a different one will interest them. FC, I will try your idea of disguising the trap. In hindsight I wonder if I should have worn gloves when I set them up to try and keep my scent off them.

BB, they do make these electric devices that are supposed to emit sonic waves that will drive the mice away. The downside is that you need one for every room since the waves won't travel through walls, and they can develop an immunity. Apparently the only guaranteed way to keep mice out is to prevent them from getting in, but since they can get in an opening the size of a dime, that would require an incredibly thorough house inspection!

maybe place a picture of a really attractive mouse next to the trap to lure him/her in?

I am not opposed to extermination. In fact, when we removed a shed from our back yard, years ago, we lifted up the plywood floor (foundation) and found a whole family of mice under there. Let's just say it wasn't pretty, what happened. We didn't have any other sitings after that...for a while. We've had a dog for years, but my little daughter really wanted a kitty and my wife consistently didn't want to take on any more responsibilities. We were sitting out on our patio and watched a little rat scamper across the fence. My wife said, "I think it's time to get that cat we've been discussing!" We've heard that for every rodent you see, there are SEVERAL more you don't see. We got cute little Zelda and feel very sure that the interior of the house is pest free. There have still been sitings oustide, however, Zelda is a mouser. We've seen her at it. We don't kiss her on the mouth like we used to. We still love her, though, and appreciate her efforts.

I live right near the woods, so I get field mice every so often. I believed them to be cute, but like teenagers they take advantage of the slightest weakness. Soon I had mouse poop all over my dishes. Just the plain old Tom and Jerry mousetraps, baited with peanut butter. Sometimes they get the peanut butter without setting off the trap, but I don't mind smart mice surviving.

A neighbor of mine loves the D-Con poison bait--they take it back to the nest. It apparently dehydrates them to the extent that they don't even stink if they die in your wall.

Another hint:

seek out places they may be getting in (holes can be verrry small) and stuff them full of steel wool.

The saga continues. They've been a little quieter lately, but I know they're still here. Every night I loudly threaten them with extermination if they don't leave. Yeah, I know they can't understand, but I'm hoping it will make me feel less guilty if I have to kill them. Can't say I didn't warn them! I'm such a softy.

I've heard the poison causes them intense suffering. If I have to kill them, I want it to be quick.

I haven't had any sightings for 2 days, since the brazen little one climbed onto my desk for some choclolate cake crumbs. I guess I'll try chocolate as the next bait. Maybe I have mice with a sweet tooth.

Or you could fatten them up until they die of heart disease.

Here's why I DON'T use poison traps (like my Dad USED to):

They die. And they SMELL. And they always-- I MEAN ALWAYS-- drop dead, and rot, and SMELL, where you either CAN'T find or get at the bodies, or it's EXTREMEMLY difficult to reach them.

No, no, no... I prefer those neat little traps with the plastic box containers. I leave them where the mice tend to run... AND, where I know the traps are, and I can reach them without getting down on all fours of lying on my stomach and using a yardstick to try and reach something once it's already been STINKING up the entire area for days on end.

AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH! This morning I found mouse poop on my kitchen counter!! This means war! The second I meet my deadline, I'm devoting my lfe to taking those little *&$#@*! out!

ESTABLISHING SHOT: A quiet midwestern residential city street.

MOVIE TRAILER VOICEOVER GUY: Winnipeg. Behind the quiet, polite Canadian exterior, there lurks a menace.

SCENE: (An army of mice squealing, crawling down a sewer.)

SCENE: (A family at breakfast. Suddenly the kitchen is overrun by mice. The chlidren scream, the mother swats at the rodents with a fire extinguisher, and the father glances, but goes back to reading the paper.)

V/O GUY: One woman's had enough.

MECHANA: (armed to the teeth with futuristic-looking devices) No more, you little devils!

FAMILY: (from scene 3, in unison) Who ya gonna call?

V/O GUY: MOUSEHUNTER!

***

This film is not yet rated

Coming soon to a kitchen near you.

PS Best of luck, BTW. I sympathize - in the house I grew up in, we had a mouse problem when I was a teen. I couldn't sleep with those things in the wall!

Actually that title was already used Mousehunt on IMDB A very funny movie with Nathan Lane with an excellent scene by Christopher Walken.

I'd forgotten about that! I remember the trailer.

One of Dreamworks' 1st pics, IIRC.

So, whatta ya do when a mouse keeps running across the keys when you're tyring to play a concerto on a grand piano?

You play a duet of course.