hjffkj Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Ten years in this house and we've got roommates for the first time. 2 nights ago dh opened our vanity in our downstairs bathroom and was greeted by a scurrying mouse. So I woke up early yesterday and lugged 5 kids to Lowes to get all the things I need to take care of the mice. Less than 24 hours later and we've caught 4 mice, have had the bait stolen from 2 traps, and haven't found any evidence of them on kitchen countertops or in cabinets(thank you black light.) Dh goes into the attic today to see if they are in there because other than the bathroom vanity we have found no droppings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 We've had problems with them coming inside the house before just as the weather is starting to cool. (Well, that and bats!) I borrow my ds's cat from time to time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epicurean Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 What strategies are you using? We just moved into a house that sat vacant for over a year, and we have mice. I've been using the standard snap traps with peanut butter and have caught three so far. I just ordered peppermint oil on amazon because I've read that cotton balls soaked with it can act as a natural repellant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 We get mice in after harvest and at the first frost. Life in the countryside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane's Drivers Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Tips for traps - Small pea sized bait Peanut butter, fried bacon, salami, oatmeal, and chocolate Variety aside from being spice of life is advisable for traps as well More mice are caught the first night than following nights Happy Hunting 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 (edited) nm Edited September 21, 2017 by lllllll 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjffkj Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 What strategies are you using? We just moved into a house that sat vacant for over a year, and we have mice. I've been using the standard snap traps with peanut butter and have caught three so far. I just ordered peppermint oil on amazon because I've read that cotton balls soaked with it can act as a natural repellant. So far just snap traps and peanut butter. We will change up the food tonight. There has been no other evidence of them other than in the bathroom cabinet so I'm really hoping it is just a few that just took up refuge recently. Dh is currently checking the attic, the only place we haven't investigated yet. Good luck with your mouse issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjffkj Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 We get mice in after harvest and at the first frost. Life in the countryside. Yeah, I'd get used to it if u lived in the country but I don't. I am in an end unit townhouse and just can't stand the thought of them! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 We had a real mouse problem last year. Probably killed over 100 mice over the course of about 18 months. It was obvious from the piñon nuts they were stashing everywhere in the house that they were coming in and out of the house through some sort of mouse superhighway, but it took us forever to figure it out. We finally discovered two mouse size holes chewed through the flexible vent hose on the dryer. We replaced that with a rigid galvanized steel model, and the have disappeared, for the most part. Sometimes I hear them in the ceiling at night, but I don't see any evidence of them in the house. Sticky traps work best for us. We put a little fruit and nut trail mix on there as bait. When we hear them bouncing around, we pick up the trap/mouse with a grocery bag, flip it outside-in (with them inside the bag), take them out and whack with a rock. I used to think they were adorable, trap them live, and drive them miles away from the house. I got over that after about the 25th mouse. No I just kill them as humanely as I can. (Spring traps and peanut butter never work for us. The peanut butter just disappears from the trap. I think ants get it.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 We use a bit of sunflower seeds on large glue traps. We still can't quite pinpoint where they're coming in though. Clever little suckers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 I don't actually know what works so I use a variety of things, such as one of those night lights, poison and traps, and finally I clean with peppermint oil. I haven't seen them in the main house which is a good thing because if I see one I'm moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 I went on a rampage about 15 years ago and filled every possible opening with that expandable foam insulation (comes in a spray can at Home Depot/Lowes). It worked beautifully and we never have problems anymore. If you can identify entry points (check places where pipes come through the walls in particular), you can block them out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Steel wool also works well for filling in cavities/holes, entry ways that rodents use. They can't chew through it and generally will not chew next to it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Make sure you never touch the traps with bare hands because some of the mice will be able to smell your scent on the trap and avoid it. Always wear rubber gloves when setting/removing traps to keep them usable. That was our problem when we had mice - they could smell us. Once I started wearing the gloves I trapped one a night for about a week and a half and then they were all gone. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjffkj Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 I have no real interest doing all the work to seal up the entry points since we're getting ready to sell the house in a few months. Just gotta get them out and erase the evidence, which there is very little of. I suspect they only made their way into the house because we were away for 2 weeks and thought it was empty. Plus there are currently 3 empty houses on the street so they were likely branching out from one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjffkj Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 Dh checked the attic and there is zero sign of them up there!! This will be a quick enough fix I think 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.