Mouse problem?

Question

I have a serious problem with mice in my home. I thought I had gotten rid of them, but they are back. And they brought the family and friends with them. Outside of calling an exterminator, what can I do to get rid of them, and keep them away? I don't really want to use poison, because I have a little dog.

Answer 1

Make sure all of your holes under sinks and such are closed up, they can get into the littlest holes.......don't leave any food out etc. Set traps, glue traps work to...but, you will have to deal with a live one....so there are ups and downs. As for the little cracks and stuff, stuff them with steel wool, and dryer sheets are supposed to repel them as well. They also sell these things that you plug in and they are supposed to send out some sort of "vibes" to keep the nasty things away. I have seen them before at Wal-Mart, in the mouse trap aisle. I hate to say it, but I do keep the d-con in my basement, and I haven't had that much trouble with them. Is there any way you can leave it outside or around the house? Under cabinets so nothing else can get to it? Just be sure that if you do use it, nothing gets into it.

Answer 2

First you need to find all the holes where they are coming in and start plugging them up with steel wool. Secondly, you need to get every bit of food that they might eat up off the floors. As long as they have food to keep eating they will keep coming in. Next, see about getting a mouse trap that contains the mouse. There are some that look like a small cylinder that will twist shut. Or you might see about getting some old spring loaded mouse traps there are some that work pretty well that look almost like a potato chip bag clip. Use peanut butter as the bait or possibly a small piece of bread. Your little dog might get into the spring loaded mouse trap but the worst that will happen is a nip on the nose or paw and after a time or two the dog will learn better than to mess with them. Keep the mouse traps along the walls especially along walls where you see mouse droppings or holes. Try putting the traps in places where the dog can't get to like behind something like the couch or behind a filled box or something.

Answer 3

Mice will continue to come in your place especially when it gets warmer. I have had the problem for years since I keep dog food out and my door open. Unfortunately there is no good way to stop them. I have used glue traps for years and it is the only thing that keeps them down to a dull roar. Even if you use poison, which I also have done, the little fur bags go off and die in your walls and stink to high heaven-not a good thing. You might look into those little live-catch cages out if you don't want to use my method. This leaves you with the dilemma of what to do with them when you catch them though. Obviously you cannot release them close to your house or they will be back inside before you are. I'm sticking to my glue traps-no pun intended. Hope this helps!!

Answer 4

Please don't use glue traps or poison. Glue traps are so cruel that they've actually been outlawed in some countries. Mice have been known to gnaw off their own limbs and tear off their skin in an effort to escape, as they starve or dehydrate to death or suffocate in the glue. It can take three to five days for them to die. Poison isn't any better, as the mice die slowly and painfully from internal bleeding. It can take up to a week for them to die, and then they smell as they rot behind your walls.

I've had great success with this live trap in my house:
http://veganstore.com/index.html?stocknumber=266

It’s also available for $2 cheaper here (although I prefer to buy it from the other place since I’m not a big fan of PETA):
https://www.petacatalog.org/prodinfo.asp?number=HP200

I've caught over a dozen mice with it so far and it can be used over and over indefinitely. Or, you can try making the free homemade humane trap described here. It can catch more than one mouse at a time:
http://www.helpinganimals.com/wildlife_livingWithMice.asp

If you do live trap mice, please be sure to check the traps several times a day and release the mice promptly, approximately a mile away from your home. It is much more cruel to allow a mouse in a live trap to slowly starve to death than to kill it quickly with a snap trap. When you release the mice, do it in an area with some sheltering bushes or plants.

If you aren't willing to check live traps frequently or take the mice away from your house to release them, snap traps are the most humane way to kill mice.

Answer 5

They make a sticky trap but it's pretty gruesome because they get stuck inside of the box so if your squeamish I don't recommend it. Know anyone with a cat you can borrow :). I would just contact the exterminator otherwise.

Answer 6

Either use a covered mouse trap, glue boards, or a repeating trap.
You have to find where they're comming in at and seal the openings with tin, steel wool, or concrete.

Answer 7

d-con pellets behind the fridge, under the sink & other various hiding places that your dog cant reach.
We go through this every time the weather changes. And yes, we have a small dog. Never had a problem

Answer 8

You should get a good ole house cat.

If you don't want that get those sticky traps that they walk on and it holds them in place till you can dispose of them.

Answer 9

Mice are cute. I used to have them and I used to feed them through a hole where they used to live. Rats are wonderful, too.