Slipper Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 We have mice in our home and I'm just beside myself, honestly. Not too much grosses me out (and oddly, I had a pet mouse as a child), but I'm on edge. I'm not sure whether I'm missing something structural (we live in a double-wide trailer). We have floor vents and I'm not sure if they can squeeze through those cracks? We've seen activity around the floor vents which makes me wonder (even though the cracks are really small). I just found one (alive) in my washing machine but by the time I got DH involved, he was gone. (DH thought I was making it up lol). As soon as DH left again, it ran across the floor to the cabinet where the hot water heater is kept. It seems as though having seen one nearly a week ago, we now have a whole family (with extended relatives!). I hear them at night, we are seeing droppings, we found some carpet torn up in the girls room. We have not found the nest yet. Are they in my floors, ceilings or drains? I don't know. Is it possible for them to live in drains, should I cover those at night? (I've done that before to keep out creepy crawlies). I'm ready to strangle the girls because they walk away and leave food out at night (they're not afraid of mice and my dire threats of disease doesn't seem to faze them). We have a housekeeper who comes once a week and she did nothing last week except clean out of the way places and look for mice evidence. Other than a few droppings here and there, she saw nothing. I started heavy housecleaning (nicknamed Operation Ruthless by DH since I am putting everything in our rooms up on shelves and checking along baseboards daily. Since doing all the cleaning, we seem to be seeing them more. Our pest control company can't come until Thursday. I've ordered traps from amazon (I prefer the ones where you can't see the poor thing after it's dead) but they won't be in until Tuesday (even with rush shipping). (And please, no lectures on live traps. We have used those before, but once caught, you have to take them far enough outside your house so they don't come back and you have to do it as soon as they're caught. I ended up walking through spooky woods at 3 am to release them. If my husband is away on business, then I have to leave the kids alone and I don't like doing that.) Any suggestions? The only evidence we've seen of anything they eat is that they found my rolos and ate the caramel out of several of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misidawnrn Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 cat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 cat! allergic :( We do have a cat that stays at our other house. Maybe I can deal with the allergies until pest control comes in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patches Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Bed Bath and Beyond sells a device you plug into your wall, and it makes a sound that mice hate. Well worth the 20 dollars! Put peppermint oil drops in/on all your possible entrances. They hate it. Better still, grow peppermint around your house. They can come in through a VERY small opening. I'm sorry. I like mice as pets, but running around the house freaks me out too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 I've found that simple traps are best. The old fashioned spring loaded ones or the sticky ones -- both work well. The sticky ones are creepy, though. I made dh be in charge of the traps, so I don't have to see the dead things. Yuck. You just have to set out traps in likely places and then check them every morning for a while. You'll catch them! Usually when mice turn up, we put out traps, he catches a handful over a few days, and then we don't have mice issues for another few months or a year. There aren't usually THAT many if you go after them promptly! They can squeeze through very small craacks, but if you trap and kill them, then you'll get rid of them for at least a few months. If you find places where they can get in, just fill the cracks with caulk or spray foam stuff. That'll be good for keeping bugs out, too. I don't know if they could get in through vents, but it seems unlikely as the vents go TO your furnace! So, I can't see what they'd do in there. Mice can chew through wires and cause electrical fires, etc, so it is wise to get rid of them ASAP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon37127 Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 I know you said you were allergic to cats, but i have to second that idea. We lived in an apartment once and it started with 1 itty bitty mouse. Then the whole extended family moved in! The pest control company tried everything they could, but over a weekend one of my kids said they felt something in thier bed :eek:. I called the apartment manager immediately and said I wanted authorization to move in my mom's cat temporarily to rid the mice. We got the cat that afternoon and she immediately went to work. She would catch the mice left and right. Go for it. Unless the allergies will send you to the ER, get a cat today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.