Borrowing a cat to take care of mice

[QueBert]

I have a question, if you use poison I'm assuming they don't die the second they eat it? What do you do if they run away and die somewhere out of view? When rodents start to decay it's pretty bad smelling

 

[Casawi]

Haha reminds me of Morocco cats and dogs are like tools. Dogs are used to watch for strangers coming by your house, and cats are used to catch mice. They are not pets over there really, so yeah you ask a family member or a friend if you can have the cat for a while. No big deal.
Living here changed that perspective btw.
Another fact there is no such cat/dog food overthere, it's called leftovers

 

[ultimatebob]

Cats will scare away the mice, but they'll probably return once the cat leaves.

I once caught 40 mice one winter with glue and snap traps when I lived in an old farm house. I had a cat for the next winter, and only caught 2. The cat only caught one mouse that I know of.

 

[Bryophyte]

If they don't just play with the mice and actually kill them, be prepared to clean up piles of regurgitated mouse guts behind furniture and on the carpets.

 

[shortylickens]

You may think its a good idea right now, but when you see them hanging out together, listening to Hendrix and engaging in Reefer Madness, you will realize your horrible mistake.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: princess ida
My friend has offered to loan his cat, since we seem to have a lot of mice. There's construction in the building.

Anyone done this? Does it help? How long should I borrow the kitty for?

The stupid traps don't seem to be catching anything, cat sounds like a better idea.

Some cats won't know what to do with it. You need a proven mouser. They don't have thumbs so getting a written resume from a cat is tough, but their owner should be able to verify kills.
Better STILL is to find where they are getting in, seal it up and prevent further infestation. Their ability to network is awesome.

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: QueBert
I have a question, if you use poison I'm assuming they don't die the second they eat it? What do you do if they run away and die somewhere out of view? When rodents start to decay it's pretty bad smelling

Bingo. They often go inside walls to die and your house will smell of dead rodent for days or weeks. My father-in-law does this a lot and it's just nauseating to go to his house sometimes.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Casawi
Haha reminds me of Morocco cats and dogs are like tools. Dogs are used to watch for strangers coming by your house, and cats are used to catch mice. They are not pets over there really, so yeah you ask a family member or a friend if you can have the cat for a while. No big deal.
Living here changed that perspective btw.
Another fact there is no such cat/dog food overthere, it's called leftovers

A neighbor of mine is from Kenya, and it's the same way there - dogs are low-level assistants or laborers, whatever you want to call it, not "pets" like they are here.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Won't work. Cat will take awhile to become accustomed to its new "home" before it worries about mice much. Unless you're planning on keeping it for awhile, I wouldn't bother.

 

[spittledip]

Originally posted by: hanoverphist
when my neighbors moved, there was a rash of mice let loose in our neighborhood. no food so they went looking for a new house to infiltrate. they chewed a hole in a door on the side of the house and let themselves in. once i noticed, there was 3 main nests i found. i killed them all with pine sol, my boot, a hammer and a blowgun. the blowgun was by far the most fun. once i fixed the door and got rid of the ones in my house they have yet to return. its been about 7 years since that happened. i still see them outside at night on occasion, but they havent tried to get back in at all. my dog kills all the mice/ birds/ cats that stray into my back yard as well.

wow yer kool

 

[spittledip]

Try other traps. Dont bother with using cats.

 

[nanette1985]

Okay, I took the advice posted here and put peanut butter on the flat glue traps, and put them where I see the most mouse droppings. I got three mice and the fourth glue trap had fur and blood and stuff all over it, but no mouse - I assume that mouse isn't long for this world, however. But the peanut butter was gone.

When I got these traps the guy at the hardware store said that they worked best without anything added, and that the peanut butter thing was a myth. ATOT knows best, thanks!

Back to the store for more glue traps and more peanut butter.

edit: live, angry mouse stuck to glue trap. I put the whole thing in a plastic bag, sealed tightly, and then bashed the bag to a pulp with my shoe - not the one I was wearing, of course. A slight twinge of guilt at killing a fellow creature, but much satisfaction at getting rid of one of my enemies.

If you can think of a kinder way of finishing off the mouse once it's stuck, I'd try that.

 

[alkemyst]

a pet cat is hardly a good mouser.

Find a freaking bobcat, stick it in your house then go get some medical attention.

By the time you return the house will probably be de-moused.

may have a bobcat problem at that point.

 

[keird]

Try the CDC web site.

CDC excerpt

According to the Military Pest Management Handbook (MPMH) [2], rats and mice are very suspicious of any new objects or food found in their surroundings. This characteristic is one reason rodents can survive in dangerous environments. This avoidance reaction accounts for prebaiting (baiting without poisoning) in control programs. Initially, rats or mice begin by taking only small amounts of food. If the animal becomes ill from a sublethal dose of poison, its avoidance reaction is strengthened, and a poisoning program becomes extremely difficult to complete. If rodents are hungry or exposed to an environment where new objects and food are commonly found, such as a dump, their avoidance reaction may not be as strong; in extreme cases of hunger, it may even be absent.

Armed Forces Pest Management Board - excerpt from Technical Guide No. 29 link

Mice

Mice may enter buildings from the outside, but many mouse problems originate indoors. Although large numbers can build up in food service areas or trash rooms, small numbers can survive practically anywhere. Mice generally nest within 15 feet of their food source and frequently spread through a structure along pipes, cables, and ducts. The increased use of raised flooring for electric cables in telecommunications and computer facilities has greatly increased potential mouse harborage in public and commercial buildings.

Sealing Entry Points. A practical control measure for limited areas is blocking access routes into occupied spaces by sealing utility openings or chases. Young mice can squeeze through cracks just wider than one-quarter inch. Entry points can be sealed with caulk, copper mesh, steel wool, or polyurethane foam. Large, open office areas or rooms in older buildings may have so many potential access points that sealing is impractical.

Cleaning and Housekeeping. Sanitation for mouse control is similar to that required for controlling cockroaches. All food and refuse should be stored in sealed containers. Surfaces, crevices and containers should be free of food residue. Refuse should be removed daily. Strict attention to cleanliness is essential for mouse control in food service areas. However, it is often difficult to achieve a level of office sanitation that actually makes a difference for a scattered, low-level mouse infestation.

Rodenticides. Rodenticide bait or tracking powder is generally not recommended for mouse control inside buildings because of the potential odor from dead mice behind walls. In addition, there is always the chance that tracking powder applied in out-of-the-way locations may be disturbed during future renovation work.

Trapping. Glue boards and snap traps are usually the most effective devices for controlling small numbers of mice. Extreme care must be taken to conceal traps in order to avoid adverse occupant reaction. Windup, multiple-catch traps can be useful for controlling large infestations in kitchens or unoccupied spaces, provided the necessary sanitation and sealing measures are also carried out.

Also check out chapter 21 from this .pdf

 

[Steve]

Originally posted by: princess ida
Okay, I took the advice posted here and put peanut butter on the flat glue traps, and put them where I see the most mouse droppings. I got three mice and the fourth glue trap had fur and blood and stuff all over it, but no mouse - I assume that mouse isn't long for this world, however. But the peanut butter was gone.

When I got these traps the guy at the hardware store said that they worked best without anything added, and that the peanut butter thing was a myth. ATOT knows best, thanks!

Back to the store for more glue traps and more peanut butter.

edit: live, angry mouse stuck to glue trap. I put the whole thing in a plastic bag, sealed tightly, and then bashed the bag to a pulp with my shoe - not the one I was wearing, of course. A slight twinge of guilt at killing a fellow creature, but much satisfaction at getting rid of one of my enemies.

If you can think of a kinder way of finishing off the mouse once it's stuck, I'd try that.

Try mixing rat poison into the peanut butter.

 

[tyler811]

I used to use glue traps and then when I caught them I woud put on some leather gloves and RIP them off the glue trap. Only to have their little legs kicking madly while still connected to the glue trap.


Animal Rights liberals need not apply. Mice and rats carry disease while their urine and droppings can be toxic. I already know some will ask for proof so here is:

How do you control mice?
To get rid of mice in your home, follow the three basic steps below:

Proper Sanitation - A clean uncluttered home will make it hard for mice to find hiding places and food. Actually, mice can live on crumbs! Keep food and garbage in mouse-proof containers (metal or heavy-duty plastic with tight fitting lids), or in mouse-proof cabinets (including the refrigerator).
Mouse-Proofing - Don't let mice get in! Seal all openings - like cracks and spaces around vents, wires and pipes - with sheet metal, concrete or a product like "Stuf-fit" which is a knitted copper wire mesh. Screen necessary openings, like fans and chimneys with 1/4" wire mesh. Doors and windows should be screened with tight-fitting metal screens. Seal or cover all openings, since mice can jump 12" high, run up the sides of buildings and cross cables and wires.
Removing Mice - Get rid of the mice you already have! Trapping is effective, and generally safer than using poison. Also, poisoned mice often die in hard-to-reach places causing a very unpleasant odor. When cleaning up any dead rodents or their droppings, be sure to:
Wear rubber gloves
Make a disinfectant by mixing detergent plus 1 1/2 cups of bleach for each gallon of water.
Using a spray bottle of disinfectant, thoroughly spray dead rodents, traps, droppings and the areas where you found them.
Do not sweep or vacuum mouse droppings in your home until you have wet the affected area with detergent, bleach and water. Dry sweeping or vacuuming might put dust containing viruses into the air.
Place the sprayed rodent and/or droppings in a plastic bag and seal it. Then place the bag into a second bag, seal and dispose of with the trash.

 

[Modelworks]

Have you tried the live traps ?
I used one called the tin cat and placed peanut butter inside it.
Its a one way door, they go in but can't come out.
Then just take the trap outside and open the top.


http://www.amazon.com/Galvaniz..._4/104-0134678-8916708

 

[nanette1985]

Got two more mice overnight.

I put the peanut butter on the glue trays and since it was really late at night, I tossed the knife into the sink rather than washing it immediately. When I got up this morning all of the peanut butter that had been on the knife was gone.

I think my mice really like PB. And, I have a new place to put a mousetrap.

Thanks to all for the info and the advice.

Anyone know where to get mouse glue traps in bulk?

 

[nanette1985]

Got two more mice last night, and two more glue traps that the mice got away from.

I'm getting a lot of mice around the place that have been severely damaged from escaping from the glue traps - getting worried about dead, rotting, hidden mice. Ick.

Any way to keep the mice on the glue traps until morning??

I also put out snap traps, which are so far untouched.

 

[nanette1985]

I put traps all over the place and got tons of mice (38). And one teenager, he keeps stepping on the traps. No, I didn't put him in a plastic bag, kill him with my shoe, and throw him in the garbage.

But I thought about it.

 

[Anubis]

38 fuck thats an infestation, id prob call the pros

 

[AmpedSilence]

38 ! :shocked:

 

[Crucial]

make sure you put the snap traps with the bait facing the wall right up against the wall. the mice will follow along the edge of the wall and if you put the trap the long way against the wall they will ikely go around it. it the short end with the bait is against the wall they are more likely to run over it and SNAP!

 

[E equals MC2]

Originally posted by: princess ida
Got two more mice overnight.

I put the peanut butter on the glue trays and since it was really late at night, I tossed the knife into the sink rather than washing it immediately. When I got up this morning all of the peanut butter that had been on the knife was gone.

I think my mice really like PB. And, I have a new place to put a mousetrap.

Thanks to all for the info and the advice.

Anyone know where to get mouse glue traps in bulk?

im sorry, that's fucking disgusting. the PB on the knife sitting at your KITCHEN SINK dissapeared? I would vacate the premise if I were you.

 

[SunnyD]

Is this residence owned or a rental? If it's a rental, I'd be calling the landlord and telling THEM to take care of the problem.