Jump to content

Getting rid of mice


2 Sweet
 Share

Recommended Posts

I've got a two story house on a slab, older neighborhood in Hilliard. Last year I found a mouse outside the house, killed it with a shovel. Well now twice this year I've caught a little bastard inside the house, running across the kitchen floor. There's been no sign of them, no damage or droppings, no food in the pantry getting eaten, etc. But the last couple days I've been on the first floor and heard some little fucker running around in the ceiling above me. I think there's one between the first and second level.

 

We have a dog so I can't set out poison, can't just get a cat because the dog would hate it. And I really don't feel like dicking around in the attic or crawl space or whatever to set out traps. I would rather hire an outside service like Orkin or whoever, but I don't really know what to expect as far as the cost. Are they worth the money, or is it just some dickhead that comes out and sets a few traps, then comes back once a month and charges $250 for every visit?

 

Any recommendations would be appreciated!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had good luck with sitting a large fire at the building, if thats not an option...

 

poison or traps should be fine if you are dealing with a few mice. I feel like you do some research on some traps and place them (if they are poison) where the dog cannot get to them. behind the washer/dryer, underneath the sink, etc.

 

We've had more of an issue with insects in the past(ants to be exact) and find that making sure all containers are air-tight are a huge help. A "Chip-clip" is not air-tight! :p

 

They are really only coming around, or rather staying because they smell/are after food so might want to consider what they have access too. A little bit of DIY/Extra effort help our issue. Growing up (in the country next to farm fields) we always did the peanut butter/etc. snap traps. Just place PLENTY of those and you will be fine. I remember dad would just place 20+ of them. again places (we had cats so that's even harder than a dog) can't get to and you will be fine.

 

Whatever you go with I DO NOT think a few mice is necessary to consider a professional. You get some kind of beetle, bee, termite, large rodent infestation then yeah move on to the professionals. A few mice, go to Walmart or Amazon and order some traps whatever you want to mess with. Close up your food extra good and CLEAN the kitchen (no crumbs, etc.) your problem will be solved.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1. The bastards are getting in somewhere. Find the hole, which could be as small as a dime, and seal it up.

2. Exterminate with prejudice. Shock traps baited with peanut butter are like the fuckin' Hotel California to these guys. Always checking out, but never leaving :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1. The bastards are getting in somewhere. Find the hole, which could be as small as a dime, and seal it up.

2. Exterminate with prejudice. Shock traps baited with peanut butter are like the fuckin' Hotel California to these guys. Always checking out, but never leaving :D

 

Oh yeah I forgot about the GREAT STUFF FOAM! :dumb:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The sticky traps worked good for us in the days before we got a couple cats. Wife would see the mouse, we'd lay out a trap and within a day or two the mouse would be stuck to it.

 

Glue traps. We had a mouse earlier in the year and I went through so many different types of traps until I got fed up and started calling exterminators. Most offered to come out for a few hundred but none would give a guarantee. Luckily, one older guy said he wouldn’t take my money, just go get glue traps from eBay or amazon and put them near their suspected paths. Son of a bitch if he wasn’t right as that little bastard was stuck on that trap within hours. I gave a few to a neighbor and sure enough it got rid of their mouse problem too. Down side to living outside city limits near the edge of the woods I guess.

 

Edit: also as mentioned above, seal up everything and that’ll help keep them out too. They are getting in somewhere and will keep doing so until you stop it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check near your gas riser outside. Years back when Columbus fixed/replaced them they did ours and left a quarter sized hole in the concrete block. Dumb asses. Turns out that's where a couple mice over the years came into our place and we only discovered it when doing our remodel. Outside it was hidden below the landscaping/ground cover thus I never suspected it.

 

In terms of traps, YouTube Bucket Trap. Get a small pale or best a 5 gallon bucket and make one. In the Spring and fall I put one outside our house near the corner by our crawl space, etc as we have a wooded lot behind us and they come looking for a winter place. This spring I caught 5 in one night and several for the subsequent nights. Never would have eve suspected mice that close to the house outside so regularly like that. After it goes empty for a couple days I take it down. I'll be putting it out again here shortly given the nights are cooling. Seems to thin the heard spring and fall as added protection from any unwanted pests.

 

 

Standard traps.....this style is awesome and the best I've used. I have 6 or so of these I have deployed over the years too. They always work solid.

https://www.amazon.com/trap-Outdoor-Indoor-Best-Reusable/dp/B07DZQMT6R/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=mouse+traps&qid=1568370592&s=gateway&sr=8-12

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to be that tree hugging falconer here and ask that you not use poison. When you use poison, you typically harm and kill much more than just the intended target. I've seen it and dealt with it first hand with raptors, but it doesn't just pertain to raptors. Any predator eating a mouse that has been poisoned will also suffer the consequences.

 

That being said, Shawn from Moustrap Monday's on youtube has some AWESOME trapping solutions, and the videos of his traps in action are pretty entertaining.

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/historichunter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Old school mouse traps and peanut butter or glue traps. Poison will def kill them but who knows where they end up dying? You may end up with a rotting mouse carcass or 7 you can't locate. Not a pleasant odor.

 

Bucket traps and all the others are fine but meh. Just go old school. There's a reason they lasted and you don't want to trap and release a mouse/mooses.

 

Any holes you find anywhere around the foundation, around trim, etc. should be packed tight with steel wool. LOL great stuff foam.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glue traps are good, I had 1 or 2 that you could tell a mouse was on it, but chewed a leg off to get out. Never found that fucker. Snap traps I found at home Depot were great for easy disposal and reuse. They are white plastic and come in a 2 pack and have teeth to them to hold them down.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Same thing here, did not want to use poison & have them crawl in and die in a wall.

I have 2 of these and they work great, watch the videos..

 

https://goodnature.co/

 

That's awesome actually. It's like the action of an air rifle used to crush skulls instead of launching a projectile.

 

Cool gadgets aside, I've been successful leaving old school traps set in the basement and garage + plugging all exterior entry holes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any holes you find they are getting in that you cannot seal you can stuff steel wool in there (they hate it). Also, you can get the no mess traps (or whatever they are called). There is a small enough opening where your dog cannot get into it and hurt himself, but they work much like a spring trap. One time use, you pitch them after the mouse has been killed.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good advice, fellas. Thanks for all the replies. Still not sure what to do about a mouse that's between the floors, but I'll figure out some good spots to set some traps baited with peanut butter and hope for the best.

 

Like I said, a cat isn't an option. My dog would probably kill it

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...