Mousies.

[Carina]

OK, now that Daphne won't let me have a cat and Egg is in Canada now, a mouse made its first appearance yesterday. Practically ran over my foot, about 3' from the sleeping dogs, and under the baseboard.
Today I found mouse poop in the silverware drawer.

So, I like mice, I think they are cute. I don't even mind the occasional mouse coming in to get warm.
But I don't want them in my food or silverware drawers! Or making nests in my clothing!
(I almost said "I don't want them in my drawers" well I don't, but that looked wrong.)
It's been a long time since I've had to deal with mice, since I've had cats for gazillion years until recently.
I don't really want to start putting out poison or anything, what are various mouse-control methods people can tell me about?

[happycats]

We have had problems with mice in our trailer, here are a few things we have done which worked. All are non-toxic and not harmful to other animals

mice hate mint, so I soak sponges with mint mouthwash,and putthem everywhere. I also purchased a "tincat" and it holds lots of mice,(your supposed to use glue paper inside, but I think thats cruel so I just release them far from the trailer) I bait the traps with peanut butter.
Once you get them out try plugging every hole and crevice with steel wool, they can't chew through that.
pour mint mouthwash all around the outside of you home.

[Karin]

While the cat's away......

[Carina]

Mint! That's a good idea. My house will smell fresh and minty.
Plugging entrances would be next to impossible...I have a full basement and I could never seal every tiny space.
Yes, I figured a humane trap, if anything...I think that sticky stuff is awfully cruel!
Really, Karin. Since Daphne is rude enough not to let me have a cat, maybe I should put her butt to work as a mouser!
I could also get a Jack Parson's Terrier....but I don't think I'm up for one of those. Plus I don't know if Daphne will allow me to have a small dog, either....

[Karin]

Originally Posted by Carina

Mint! That's a good idea. My house will smell fresh and minty.
Plugging entrances would be next to impossible...I have a full basement and I could never seal every tiny space.
Yes, I figured a humane trap, if anything...I think that sticky stuff is awfully cruel!
Really, Karin. Since Daphne is rude enough not to let me have a cat, maybe I should put her butt to work as a mouser!
I could also get a Jack Parson's Terrier....but I don't think I'm up for one of those. Plus I don't know if Daphne will allow me to have a small dog, either....

You really do need to try and plug those holes Carina...before you know it, those little suckers will have a bright neon sign hanging outdoors flashing "EATS" for all their little friends to see.

[Lucky Rescue]

Agree with Karin. If you don't find and plug the holes, there's no point in trapping.

[happycats]

You can also put peppermint mouthwash in a spray bottle.
what Karin says about the Neon sign is true, they tell all thier friends through some kind of mouse telepathy, "come on over here, warm house lots of eats!!"
They also breed like mad once thier in your home, you'll find bald little babies everywhere!!
They are very destructive, and will chew through your electrical wiring causing $$$$ worth of damage, they eat almost anything including bars of soap, and they pee and poo EVERYWHERE!!! on you plates, cups silverware, cloths, beds, pillows........everywhere !!

[Carina]

Really? Crap. That's going to take a truckload of foam sealant!!
Ok then.
Well about 20 minutes ago Cooper showed me why I was inviting the mousies into the housie. He was chuffing and pointing at a big bag of bird seed by the front door. And the birdseed bag was....rustling....
Guess what. There was a mousie in there!
I just put the birdseed in the refrigerator because I couldn't think of any other mouse-proof place for it.
OK, I have spent much of the weekend doing carpentry in my spare bedroom and cleaning house (in between spending too much time on pets.ca!) NOW I have to seal my entire basement.... :sigh:

PS, the mousie bailed, it's not in the refrigerator! I did check that there weren't any mice in there first.

[Karin]

What's Daphne's opinion on Pythons for roommates?

[Carina]

Originally Posted by Karin

What's Daphne's opinion on Pythons for roommates?

Dinner.

[Karin]

Originally Posted by Carina

Dinner.

Could be likewise..back to the drawing board!


Maybe you could adopt the little varmints?


*thinking of cute little names now*

Mickey is taken ..so I've heard.

[happycats]

Hey Karin, you still here?? I think I need your suit for another thread !! .
Sorry for going off topic, But Carina you can alos try growing peppermint around your home.

[Sneaky2006]

I just put the birdseed in the refrigerator because I couldn't think of any other mouse-proof place for it.

I would just like to add that some refrigerators are not mouse proof! My brother has a mouse problem and he just bought a new fridge that kept breaking down... the motor would stop and shut off... ya, there were mice trying to get in the fridge through the back... if they would've tried while it wasn't running, they probably would've succeeded. Needless to say my brother was not a happy camper.

My mom had a mouse problem... she got those things you plug into outlets (which worked really well for her) some people say they don't work, some people worship them. Good luck to ya.

[Carina]

Originally Posted by Sneaky2006

I would just like to add that some refrigerators are not mouse proof!

Oh crap, Sneaky! Is no place safe??
I am going to go inventory the holes and cracks in my basement today...maybe if I put food down there for the mousies they won't come upstairs? (No, I guess not.)
I know how destructive they can be, mice shorted out the outside A/C unit in another house, chewing wires and making a nest. And as a kid in England we had lots, in the country...they chewed up sweaters and things in closets. My mom put mothballs everywhere, can't recall if it worked but I don't want everything in my house smelling like mothballs! That smell clings forever.
I like the mint idea better.

[chico2]

You guys are a hoot in the morning
I keep big containers of bird-seeds,corn and other stuff in my shed,the mice had plenty to eat and build nests(destroying!)snowblowers,leafblowers etc...
So,now we keep the seeds in big plastic-buckets with lids(the kind hubbies wine comes in)....and the cute little guys have moved elsewhere
Having 3 cats in the house,keeps them out of here,but they can get through the tiniest little hole if there is food on the other side....
They've probably told all of their little mouse-buddies Egg has moved out and your house is now a free-for-all
I once watched a tiny deer-mouse carry away a peanut almost bigger than himself,he was sooo cute....but I would not want them in my house!

[Carina]

Originally Posted by chico2

So,now we keep the seeds in big plastic-buckets with lids(the kind hubbies wine comes in)....

Ooh, your hubby like the really good wine, the stuff that comes in 5-gallon buckets!
Now there is bird seed all over my fridge because naturally the mousies didn't climb into the bag, they chewed their way through the bottom. Duh, I should've realised this.
I love the growing peppermint around the house idea, but we are under snow right now so that will have to wait...

[chico2]

Oh,Oh.....not to veer off topic,but the wine he buys in buckets is actually GOOD wine,hubbie just bottles it himself.Coming from France,his wine is almost like a religion I am a strict beerdrinker myself(very much a lady!)so hubbie has his wine allto himself!!!

[glasslass]

On Animal Planet yesterday, they showed a winery where the mice have become pets and actually filmed one climbing up a tiny ladder leaning against a wineglass full of wine and drinking from it! Wonder what the conditions will be in that winery next year?

[theplainsjane]

Carina, if you decide to plant peppermint outside, plant it in pots. It will grow and grow and *grow* and choke out everything around it. It's not quite as bad as kudzu (which you probably don't have up there, I wouldn't think...heh, lucky you). We don't have it in Virginia either, but I spent a year in South Carolina and well, it's like something out of a bad horror movie. Peppermint isn't that bad, but be careful with it. It can become quite a nuisance. It does smell yummy though. And nice for tea

-Brenda

[Carina]

glasslass - lots of fat, drunken mice?

Brenda...yah. I had it growing outside at my house in Colorado, it really takes over.
I inventoried places mice could get into my unfinished basement today and got exhausted just thinking about sealing everything up. Yikes! I was going to go to the dollar store and stock up on mint mouthwash (I only have the Listerine-type stuff) but didn't get around to it....
I did however clean up every crumb I could find, and put the birdseed in a lidded drywall bucket. I haven't seen any evidence of mousies today.
The dogs have been instructed to let me know if they hear anything little and rustly.

[theplainsjane]

Good luck. We just moved into our house and brought some mice from storage. We recently had our fourth mousie homicide in my bedroom closet and hopefully that's the last one. You might also consider a "shy, unadoptable" cat to live in your basement? I want a whole barn full of them one day. Just an idea. :P

-B

[Carina]

Well I just had this whole trauma with getting a kitten that Daphne would not accept (despite having just previously lived for 3 years with a cat) so I will pass on the basement kitty for now!
I'm holding off on drastic action for the moment. Waiting to see if my clean-up efforts have deterred the little buggers....

[twinmommy]

Hey Karin, you still here?? I think I need your suit for another thread !!

Just so there's no further confusion...IT"S MY SUIT!! Karin's got the couch, and Twinmommy's got the flame suit...remember??? With the helmet???

(it's just that I actually got me arse into it an all!! sniff..sniff.. :sad: )


hee heeh hee

[Karin]

Originally Posted by twinmommy

Just so there's no further confusion...IT"S MY SUIT!! Karin's got the couch, and Twinmommy's got the flame suit...remember??? With the helmet???

(it's just that I actually got me arse into it an all!! sniff..sniff.. :sad: )


hee heeh hee

Thank's for clarifying that twinmommy.

I will share the couch if I can borrow the suit on occasion. Deal?

Btw, plenty of room on this couch too. I may have to sit & watch for a while...

[twinmommy]

Deal!



looks like this couch needs a dusting....now THAT would be MY couch!! LOL

[happycats]

Originally Posted by twinmommy

Just so there's no further confusion...IT"S MY SUIT!! Karin's got the couch, and Twinmommy's got the flame suit...remember??? With the helmet???

(it's just that I actually got me arse into it an all!! sniff..sniff.. :sad: )


hee heeh hee

I'm so sorry twinmommy, forgive me?
The Bigdoglover threads were getting pretty hot, but I think it's cooled down now (hope I didn't speak to soon).
Is there room on the couch for me ??

[Sneaky2006]

Did someone say party? Or am I hearing things?