Mouse or something in the rafters

[The_Jeff]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
When we've trapped mice, I've thrown the remains out onto the lawn to be mulched in with the mower. A little free fertilizer.


I do this too, and hope that it attracts owls or some other natural enemy. Though it probably brings vultures instead.

 

[demarpaint]

Another vote for snap traps and peanut butter. Just slap a good coat on the trip mechanism and check them often. They like to travel along the area where the wall and floor meets.

The humane traps work well too, peanut butter in those is the bait of choice.

 

[Rick in PA]

I usually use Victor type snap-traps. They're generally quick and effective. The mis-fire rate (not a quick kill) on snap traps is, I would guess, low single digit percentages. I've tried live traps, they work but maybe not quite as effective. I don't use glue traps, the animal gets caught and then dies a lingering death. Ditto for drowning, a quicker, but panicked death.

Placement, think like a mouse. Their comfort zone is small, confined places. They like to travel along walls, base boards, etc. but not out in the open. Place the traps there, with the bated end towards the wall. We've had some mouse activity on the kitchen counter tops. For this, I'll take a small box and cut a couple of mouse-holes in it, then place the traps in the box and set the box in a corner. Fairly neat and effective.

 

[fdcg27]

We actually had a vulture or two around here for a while over the summer.
Awesome bird with an enormous wingspan.
We also had a family of foxes that seemed to be able to catch and kill things that seemed a little large for something as small as a fox.
The vultures may have shown up to dine on the leftovers.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Mice and rats are a serious problem. Not only do they damage homes and wiring, but they carry plenty of diseases. Not good when there's a child around. Not to mention that they're downright disgusting.

The first thing you'll want to do is make certain you seal up their entrance, or anything else you do is an exercise in futility. You'll need to find out where and how they're getting in and stuff the holes with steel wool or cover larger holes with wire mesh. Every single possible entrance has to be sealed. Caulking won't work-they'll chew right through it. Trim back bushes and tree limbs so they don't have a route to the upper portion of the house.

Then you can begin to assess the damage and start trapping. You'll want to get into the attic and check any exposed wiring, and replace any that's been chewed. More than one electrical fire has been started from rodent damaged wiring. I'd also be concerned about wiring in the walls-they have no problem burrowing through loose insulation to get to food sources such as old wiring.

Rats and mice have very poor eyesight-they normally don't run across the middle of a room. They'll run against a wall, allowing their whiskers to touch the wall as a feeler. You can look for smudge marks made by the oils in their fur as an indicator of their runs. You'll also see areas in the attic where the insulation (if you have any) is disturbed. This should give you an indication of where you need to place the traps. Make certain the house is kept clean of human food. With an established rat/mouse infestation it won't be long before they'll migrate to the kitchen-the smell from the trash can, cereal boxes, or any other porous food container is an open invitation for them.

Assuming you get all of the exterior holes sealed, you can use bait stations around the outside of the house near the old entrances. That way the rats and mice have something to feed on, and they die before getting into your home.

Fortunately, despite our rural location, we've never had a rodent problem. I keep bait stations around the outside of the house and buildings; on occasion I've found a dead mouse just outside the garage door (ate the bait and then went to find water), but never inside the house.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
I don't use glue traps, the animal gets caught and then dies a lingering death. Ditto for drowning, a quicker, but panicked death.


Tangential short story. Years ago, we had a cheap plastic wading pool for the kids to play in, and at season's end, I threw it behind the shed for the winter. There's a 3' gap between the shed and the fence so the pool laid there at a 45 degree angle between the two. Over time, that pool filled up with rain water at at some point in time, a young bunny got into the pool, couldn't get out, and drowned. I found it after the fact, but was sick about it for days. I vowed to never keep anything in the yard that would catch water like that again. Any buckets or Rubbermaid containers (for grass clippings) are always turned over or stored indoors now.

We have a consistent den of rabbits under our shed now, which is an 12x12 built up on a nice foundation. That winter may have been when they moved in. Our cat loves watching them from our bedroom window. The dog enjoys chasing them, but is far fast enough to actually catch one.

 

[whip]

Every fall, I get mice in my attic. They make a ton of noise scratching away. The first time, I thought it was something much bigger. I've tried to seal the house, but they still get in. I keep poison up there year round, and around the middle of October, I start setting snap traps. I usually catch 3-4 a year. The joy of rural living.

 

[R80RS]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: R80RS

You said you don't want to use poison, but I'd advise you to reconsider. I find rodenticide indispensable to knock down a serious infestation. Rodents are like roaches, for every one you see, you can be sure there are more you don't. If you have them in an upper level, they are probably inside your walls. You don't want them to chew the wiring. I recommend the poison blocks that fit inside a bait station over the pellets, esp. if you have pets or kids. I'd place bait stations in the area you observe the mice, and then at intervals around the exterior perimeter of your house.


Hmmmm. What about dead, rotting rodents stinking up the house from odd spots in the walls???


I'm sure I've left quite a few dead ones in various inaccessible spaces in my house, and I've never had a problem with odor. The biggest worry about odor is the droppings, and they can't make those when they are dead. Besides, if they are running in the walls and nesting in there, they will die in there naturally anyway. Again, if you have rodents in your walls, it's highly likely they will find the wiring and chew it, creating a serious fire hazard.

 

[Whitewolf]

Good suggestion we just got rid of one from our roof. If that's what it is I would suggest cage trap and peanut butter. Of course then you have the disposal to address.

 

[BISCUT]

I am lucky enough to have about 8 red tail hawks nesting in my area. Even with them around we still have plenty of mice. Snap traps and peanut butter seem to work best for me. As said good to put em against walls as they often wont go "get" the food in center of a room. I put the green tabs of poison down as wll but it does not get eaten much. I always wondered if the learned it was bad news and stayed away.

If you have mice, get rid of em asap! They bring along other issues like snakes. I had 2 very happy and well fed corn snakes in my garage and one ended up in my finished basement. Nightmare!

While yes, corn snakes are usually good news there are 2 factors to consider:

1) and most impt. I FXXXXX HATE SNAKES!!!

2) Corn snakes look very similar (reversed pattern and viper head notwithstanding) to copperheads. Over the summer nasty heatwave caused 2 copperheads to seek cooler concrete of a garage of a neighbors house.

[censored] mice!!!

 

[Donald]

The theory behind poison is it make them thirsty and they go outside to find water and die. Thats the theory at least.

Snap traps are cheap and work well. Just check them for dead mice and peanut butter that is gone.

You can certainly reuse a snap trap, but they are also cheap enough you can toss them with a dead mouse.

There are always cats for adoption.

 

[Donald]

Maybe you could borrow a cat for a month?

 

[ddrumman2004]

We use snap traps with peanut butter when we have a mouse problem.
When we catch one and the trap is clean...no blood.....I toss the dead mouse over the back fence and reuse the trap.

I usually modify the traps to give them "hair triggers". I gently squeeze the part where you hook the rod that holds the mechanism down.

I have modified them in the past where you could just blow on the trap and it would snap. Takes some care in arming them however. But they will always catch a mouse....not feed them.

 

[JHZR2]

Well I set up four snap traps and then two no-kill one way traps. Ill check them daily. Used a bait of peanut butter with a little cheese on it. We will see. Will probably outfit a few more in the basement tomorrow. The ONLY place I saw any signs after a very thorough review was on a windowsill of one of the attic windows, which was closed and locked tight with no obvious entry points nearby.

In the basement I assume placement along the cellar walls is the best approach?

Thanks!

 

[Rick in PA]

If you had activity on a windowsill... I'd look for ledges around the perimeter of the basement up near the ceiling and set some traps up there. Mice sure can get around.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
If you had activity on a windowsill... I'd look for ledges around the perimeter of the basement up near the ceiling and set some traps up there. Mice sure can get around.


OK... The attic windows are three stories up and it is a straight shot from some of the interior wall sill plates to that window. Good idea!

Thanks!

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: MolaKule
Snap traps with peanut butter works best, especially the Chunky type of PB.


Agreed.

I use this kind of trap with great success:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ortho-Home-Defense-Max-Press-N-Set-Mouse-Trap-0321110/202601814

If it ends up being a squirrel, use a have a heart trap and also bait it with peanut butter.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Havahart-Medium-2-Door-Animal-Trap-1030/100348069

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1989743&page=2

 

[ddrumman2004]

Also remember that mice can squeeze through a pretty small place. I have crammed steel wool in every little hole I can find in my house and pretty much have controlled the mice getting in.

Good luck with the fight!

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: Donald
The theory behind poison is it make them thirsty and they go outside to find water and die. Thats the theory at least.

Snap traps are cheap and work well. Just check them for dead mice and peanut butter that is gone.

You can certainly reuse a snap trap, but they are also cheap enough you can toss them with a dead mouse.


Nearly all rodenticides available over the counter are anti coagulants. They cause the blood vessels in the lungs to rupture and the animal expires from lack of oxygen. Zinc phosphide causes their stomachs to explode due to gas formation and rodents cannot regurgitate, but it is a restricted use product. Some mice species will cache the anti-coagulants, which poses a threat to your pets if they find it (vitamin K is the antidote).

Home sanitation and sealing cracks is good, but not fool proof. Mice can get thru an opening about the size of a dime (look it up). Rodents and roaches are often just a part of our environment and not a reflection on our lifestyle (not always!).

At my workplace where I am a certified pest applicator for many categories, we use many dozens of snap traps. It just take perseverance, but is often a big part of a multi-faceted offense.

Go get em!

 

[JHZR2]

Bummed. Set traps last night and not a single one tripped this AM. Hoping for something better when I get home.

We have never had any signs of insects of any kind, nor rodents in our home before. Last week the basement windows and the lowest-level door (our side door) were open continuously during the working hours for some stuff we had going on. Im sure that was the cause.

I have to wonder if the mice would choose to nest in the attic under the roof, or if that was just exploration. Last night when I went up there was no noise signs of them like the night before.

Ill be setting up traps in the basement of course... High and low!

How well can mice scale vertically when there isnt something to wedge themselves between?

Can they scale short sections of bare or textured walls in a vertical manner? Would they typically climb up stairs to go upwards? I can understand them climbing wires vertically, I suppose...

Thanks!