Chris in VA Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Yuck--we have mice. At least one, anyway, has shown up via droppings and mouse pee in our hall closet and now in dd's room. We can't seem to get the little bugger. We were going thru her closet yesterday, and smelled something pretty bad--a mouse had peed all over a plastic bag full of shoes we were saving for our church garage sale. Other than keeping things off the floor, and mopping the wood floors, how do I get the smell out, wash stuffed animals w/o "felting" their fur, keep the mouse away, etc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy in Va Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Yuck--we have mice. At least one, anyway, has shown up via droppings and mouse pee in our hall closet and now in dd's room. We can't seem to get the little bugger. We were going thru her closet yesterday, and smelled something pretty bad--a mouse had peed all over a plastic bag full of shoes we were saving for our church garage sale. Other than keeping things off the floor, and mopping the wood floors, how do I get the smell out, wash stuffed animals w/o "felting" their fur, keep the mouse away, etc.? I feel for you. We've had mice several times and even a couple of rats (old house - what can I say), and unfortunately, where there's one there are usually several friends and relations hangin' out with him. What we've done, after cleaning up all the droppings, is just wash everything down with Lysol and then spray with Lysol. It seems to work. Unfortunately I don't have any advice for the stuffed animals. As far as getting rid of the "little darlings", for the rats we used this sticky trap thingy. It really is very inhumane. For the mice, we used a V trap with peanut butter on it. It worked great. It kills them, but it's a very quick death. Unlike, the rats which were still alive the next morning. We choose not to use poison, because I didn't want them crawling back to the nest and dying there. I know that they're not supposed to smell when you use it but I'd rather be safe than have to live with that smell for weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 "church mice" :) I wash stuffed animals in a pillow case in the washing machine. They do quite well. We use mouse traps that snap down on the poor critters. I don't think you can talk them out of leaving. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy in Va Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 I forgot, as far as placing the V trap or any trap, make sure you put it where you've been finding the droppings. But don't put it out in the open, hide it a little if you can, like behind something that's in the same area where they have been going. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizabeth Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 The Method: snap traps The Goal: extinguish the family of mice...it is not one The End Result: No more mice...alive that is Place all traps along the baseboard with "jaws" open facing the wall. Place a pinsize amount of peanut butter on the UNDERSIDE only of the little metal bait flap. This is serious business we have a goal here. If it is baited on the underside the little monster must slide his head under the trigger and SNAP!! Buy at least 10 traps place along the baseboards where they travel along, space the baited traps at least 1.5 yards apart. Many fail due to baiting the top side of the trigger, not enough traps place along the baseboard or not facing the wall with the open trap. You must get rid of the food source. Put crackers, cereal, nuts in Rubbermaid and check under all beds etc for the foodsource. Our house was built in 1860 , I know mice and kill them in this fashion when one dares to enter my domain. I often think to myself , I went to law school for this???? Trust me it works . About 11:00 tonight snap o rama. Make sure your dh is there to dispose of the critters as it is a bit messy. There is nothing so deeply satisfying as that snap after they have eluded and mocked your efforts for weeks. If this fails my friend from the UK has a drowning method she swears by that developed when she fought them in her bed and breakfast. Let me know if you need the water method and yes ,I am like Christoper Walken in the movie Mouse Hunt. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Have you ever thought about getting a cat? I have four and they are great mousers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highereducation Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 The Method: snap traps The Goal: extinguish the family of mice...it is not one The End Result: No more mice...alive that is Place all traps along the baseboard with "jaws" open facing the wall. Place a pinsize amount of peanut butter on the UNDERSIDE only of the little metal bait flap. This is serious business we have a goal here. If it is baited on the underside the little monster must slide his head under the trigger and SNAP!! Buy at least 10 traps place along the baseboards where they travel along, space the baited traps at least 1.5 yards apart. Many fail due to baiting the top side of the trigger, not enough traps place along the baseboard or not facing the wall with the open trap. You must get rid of the food source. Put crackers, cereal, nuts in Rubbermaid and check under all beds etc for the foodsource. Our house was built in 1860 , I know mice and kill them in this fashion when one dares to enter my domain. I often think to myself , I went to law school for this???? Trust me it works . About 11:00 tonight snap o rama. Make sure your dh is there to dispose of the critters as it is a bit messy. There is nothing so deeply satisfying as that snap after they have eluded and mocked your efforts for weeks. If this fails my friend from the UK has a drowning method she swears by that developed when she fought them in her bed and breakfast. Let me know if you need the water method and yes ,I am like Christoper Walken in the movie Mouse Hunt. ;) Impressive! I'm going to save your advice just in case (our house is over 100 years old) - you never know! I, too, have a drowning method that I use, only in this case it's for camelback crickets [cave crickets]. From about April through November they invade our basement and it's like a horror movie down there. They crawl onto the ceiling and jump down on me while I'm doing the laundry (blech). Once in a while they make it up into the kitchen. I trap them in a gallon container and then turn the container upside down in a sink full of very hot water. It gives me the skeeves, but then again, so does looking at a live one of those! Eww. I can't even convey my disgust for those things. They look like an evil combo of a grasshopper and a spider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 Turns out we have mice, but also... OUR CAT has been peeing in the closet! :mad: I caught her yesterday in my room, just as she was starting. So, here we have a mouse, a cat who will not only CATCH the mouse, but also pees in the closet! Such is life. I will probably let the pest control person handle the mice--he tried to set some traps outside, but he needs to come in and do the attic and the bedrooms, I guess. We do keep kitty food in the hall, so we are going to have to rethink that. Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Apparently spraying peppermint essential oil around will deter mice. I'm not sure if it works though, since spraying it in our oven doesn't seem like a good idea. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS mom Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 (edited) The Method: snap traps The Goal: extinguish the family of mice...it is not one The End Result: No more mice...alive that is Place all traps along the baseboard with "jaws" open facing the wall. Place a pinsize amount of peanut butter on the UNDERSIDE only of the little metal bait flap. This is serious business we have a goal here. If it is baited on the underside the little monster must slide his head under the trigger and SNAP!! Buy at least 10 traps place along the baseboards where they travel along, space the baited traps at least 1.5 yards apart. Many fail due to baiting the top side of the trigger, not enough traps place along the baseboard or not facing the wall with the open trap. You must get rid of the food source. Put crackers, cereal, nuts in Rubbermaid and check under all beds etc for the foodsource. Our house was built in 1860 , I know mice and kill them in this fashion when one dares to enter my domain. I often think to myself , I went to law school for this???? Trust me it works . About 11:00 tonight snap o rama. Make sure your dh is there to dispose of the critters as it is a bit messy. There is nothing so deeply satisfying as that snap after they have eluded and mocked your efforts for weeks. If this fails my friend from the UK has a drowning method she swears by that developed when she fought them in her bed and breakfast. Let me know if you need the water method and yes ,I am like Christoper Walken in the movie Mouse Hunt. ;) Elizabeth, I honour you. :) P.S. Dear Lady, no more mention of the water method...let those secrets lie undisturbed. Edited April 26, 2009 by HS mom we must be nice, even to mice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS mom Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Have you ever thought about getting a cat? I have four and they are great mousers. Very true, there is nothing like a cat. Unless you have Elizabeth to visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 I *hate* to have to ask this, but ... How many droppings can a mouse leave in one night? Do you just see a couple? or a bunch? I ask because (eww, eww, eww) I just cleaned out our hall closed from all the winter stuff. Put all the winter stuff in the laundry, vacuumed/cleaned the floor of the closet. The next day, there are what I think are mouse droppings all over the floor of that closet. I was baffled, though, because I thought that was too much for one night. Not so? Did mice like to hide in our winter shoes, and come back to that closet at night? Where are they coming from?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 I, too, have a drowning method that I use, only in this case it's for camelback crickets [cave crickets]. From about April through November they invade our basement and it's like a horror movie down there. They crawl onto the ceiling and jump down on me while I'm doing the laundry (blech). :lol::lol::lol: I'm so sorry, I can't stop laughing! I know it must be horrible to live with, but someday you'll be able to see the darn funny humour in it! :lol::lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS mom Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Impressive! I'm going to save your advice just in case (our house is over 100 years old) - you never know! I, too, have a drowning method that I use, only in this case it's for camelback crickets [cave crickets]. From about April through November they invade our basement and it's like a horror movie down there. They crawl onto the ceiling and jump down on me while I'm doing the laundry (blech). Once in a while they make it up into the kitchen. I trap them in a gallon container and then turn the container upside down in a sink full of very hot water. It gives me the skeeves, but then again, so does looking at a live one of those! Eww. I can't even convey my disgust for those things. They look like an evil combo of a grasshopper and a spider. I understand the feeling of being overwhelmed by critters. They have to go, but make it quick. I highly recommend a good, fast swat. (Or, in the case of mice, a cat. Absolutely no swatting mice. Yech.) Not only will their end be merciful, but you will build courage. And aim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizabeth Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 I *hate* to have to ask this, but ... How many droppings can a mouse leave in one night? Do you just see a couple? or a bunch? I ask because (eww, eww, eww) I just cleaned out our hall closed from all the winter stuff. Put all the winter stuff in the laundry, vacuumed/cleaned the floor of the closet. The next day, there are what I think are mouse droppings all over the floor of that closet. I was baffled, though, because I thought that was too much for one night. Not so? Did mice like to hide in our winter shoes, and come back to that closet at night? Where are they coming from?? I have considered the possiblities and wonder if you have mice where other things were stored and placed in the hall closet for spring/summer? Traps all along baseboards as per the previous post. Yes it is possible for them to leave little remembrances and quite a bit. Several traps bait on the underside of the little metal paddle just a bit of peanut butter like a pinhead size and tonight you should hear the sweet sound of vermin brought to justice. Use at least 4 traps in the closet all along the sides. If you really need to know where they are nesting dust before sundown along baseboards with cornstarch the mouses tails will leave an obvious path. I told you guys , like Christopher Walken in Mouse Hunt I have my methods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommy2be Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I'm guessing your cat was going potty just because she was pissed that there were some other animals in her territory. I bet that after you get rid of the mice and get everything cleaned up she won't do that any more... Hopefully! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 :grouphug: You poor thing. We used the TomCat brand of sticky traps, backed up with Decon in our garage. The poison dehydrates them, and the traps...well they are removed by dh. There is almost always more than one. Keep setting which ever method(s) you choose. Peanut butter on the snap traps does a good job too. I'm not sure what to do about the cat. Is she marking the closet to keep the mice out or does she have a uti or something? Big hug. Turns out we have mice, but also... OUR CAT has been peeing in the closet! :mad: I caught her yesterday in my room, just as she was starting. So, here we have a mouse, a cat who will not only CATCH the mouse, but also pees in the closet! Such is life. I will probably let the pest control person handle the mice--he tried to set some traps outside, but he needs to come in and do the attic and the bedrooms, I guess. We do keep kitty food in the hall, so we are going to have to rethink that. Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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