There's a mouse about the house

[Dadface]

Whilst attempting to carry out a plumbing job under the kitchen sink just recently I had to open up some little gaps which were previously sealed with wire wool to stop mice getting in. The job's yet to be finished and the gaps yet to be resealed.

We were watching TV last night and... you guessed it... A little furry guest (uninvited) poked his twitchy nose from under a cabinet before disappearing again under the cabinet. He partly emerged several times and seemed to be having a laugh at us. I tried to catch him but he was pretty smart and was having none of it. He is a cheeky little so and so and we've grown a bit fond of him.

But what to do next? Although we like his company (but just a little bit) he and any pals he might are not contributing anything to the household. They must go. Apart from cats, any ideas?

 

[adjacent]

There are mice traps.Like those in Tom&Jerry.

 

[Dadface]

Thanks. I don't like to hurt the mice but killing traps seem to be the main option. I don't know how effective humane traps are.

 

[adjacent]

How about this?

I remember killing a live mouse trapped in a humane trap in my grandpa's house years ago.
It's design was also similar to this.
See:

btw,why don't you just kill it?I hate mice more than the cats which live above the ceiling of my house.

 

[PhysicoRaj]

I used to make that simple 'topple trap' those things are really effective. I took an old heavy box, stood it on it's open side down, lifted up a little and placed a stick for support. Tied a string to the stick and the string was pushed through a hole at the top of the box. Then tied cheese to the hanging end.
The trash can method is also a simple n effective way..

 

[Monique]

The trash can method is also a simple n effective way..

Yes, add some peanut butter as a treat. Just make sure the trashcan is high, those tiny mice can jump really high (I had one that almost jumped out).

I had another mouse that was entering the house from atop a build-in closet, every time it let itself fall down to the ground. Way to catch the mouse: just put something underneath that will catch the mouse. A plastic bag did the job.

Or if the mouse is actively walking around, prepare a shoebox standing upside down with one end suspended from the ground. Put a treat inside, wait for the mouse to enter and let the shoebox fall down on top.

We're experts in catching mice, a skill needed when you live in a >300 year old house.

 

[lisab]

Yes, add some peanut butter as a treat. Just make sure the trashcan is high, those tiny mice can jump really high (I had one that almost jumped out).

I had another mouse that was entering the house from atop a build-in closet, every time it let itself fall down to the ground. Way to catch the mouse: just put something underneath that will catch the mouse. A plastic bag did the job.

Or if the mouse is actively walking around, prepare a shoebox standing upside down with one end suspended from the ground. Put a treat inside, wait for the mouse to enter and let the shoebox fall down on top.

We're experts in catching mice, a skill needed when you live in a >300 year old house.

Where do you release it?

 

[reenmachine]

I've been having the same problem for two weeks now , still not resolved.I hear something walking in my ceiling and walls every night.I've put snap traps with peanut butter all over the place including one inside the ceiling where I have access.No luck yet.

I originally set up glue traps but I heard they were extremely cruel so I took them out.At the beginning I felt bad for trying to kill the mouse but this is lowering my quality of life , especially when I go to sleep knowing they could come into my bed which is disgusting.I also don't want them to reproduce and have an infestation.

 

[Dadface]

Thanks for your replies everyone. There's been no further signs of the intruder, but he might be in hiding somewhere. Possibly he just made a flying visit and finding no food went out the same way as he came in. Since a mouse visit of years ago we store all vulnerable foodstuffs in boxes.

Since reading about the health issues with mice I have lost all sympathy for them. It's all out war and I have traps set in various places. I'm out to buy some more today. The area where the plumbing is being carried out is now blocked so hopefully the little so and sos can't get easy access.

reenmachine, if you don't have household pets you might consider poison. A big downside is that you may not have easy access to dispose of any dead rodents.You may may then get flies and the smell of the rotting carcasses but this will be temporary. In the meantime try to deprive the creatures of any food supplies.

 

[Monique]

Where do you release it?

We walk several blocks and pick a nice big house to release it in front of

Our track record is not too great though, one mouse was instantly eaten by a cat upon release, another jumped straight into the canal and was left swimming for its life (stupid mice) I hope the others found a nice new home.

 

[Monique]

I've been having the same problem for two weeks now , still not resolved.I hear something walking in my ceiling and walls every night.I've put snap traps with peanut butter all over the place including one inside the ceiling where I have access.No luck yet.

I originally set up glue traps but I heard they were extremely cruel so I took them out.At the beginning I felt bad for trying to kill the mouse but this is lowering my quality of life , especially when I go to sleep knowing they could come into my bed which is disgusting.I also don't want them to reproduce and have an infestation.

Try closing all gaps with wire wool, it works really well to keep them out of undesired places.

 

[Dadface]

Have just found one nearly decapitated trapped mouse close to the area where it (or one of its friends) was first spotted. Couldn't help feeling sad when I disposed of its body. We hope that's the end of it but have kept traps primed and ready to go as a precaution.

 

[AlephZero]

I've put snap traps with peanut butter all over the place including one inside the ceiling where I have access.No luck yet.

Forget about the peanut butter. You don't need to bait mouse traps at all if you put them in the right places. Mice prefer to run along walls etc where they are touching something with their whiskers, not across open spaces. So set your unbaited traps with the trigger platform end touching the wall.

The most important thing is to keep the smell of humans off the traps. Always wear gloves. Old mouse traps often work better than new ones, because they smell of mice. Don't clean the traps with strong smelling household bleach after use!

As dadface said, the problem with poisoning rodents is that they usually go back to their inaccessible nests to die, and if they rot rather than mummify you have to choose between putting up with the smell or tearing the house apart to find where it is coming from.

Mice are stupid, inquisitive, and easy to catch. Rats are a different ballgame. They are smart enough to trigger a trap without getting caught, eat the bait, and then drag the trap away and hide it somewhere so you can't use it again!

 

[AlephZero]

Try closing all gaps with wire wool, it works really well to keep them out of undesired places.

Concrete mixed with broken glass works well for holes in brick or stone buildings. They can chew their way through ordinary concrete, but getting cut by the glass makes them lose interest in that idea.

 

[jim hardy]

peanut butter is good bait but the little fellows can lick it off without springing the trap.

I tie a piece of twine around the trigger and leave ~ half inch dangling, making sure it's well coated with PB.. When they tug on the string to get the last taste, snapp-o..

Works on rats, too.

Poison is apt to get whatever finds and eats the carcass. I'd not want to poison a hawk or owl.

 

[lisab]

Poison is apt to get whatever finds and eats the carcass. I'd not want to poison a hawk or owl.

Or a cat (or dog, for that matter).