Mice

[sjwaste]

We recently bought a house, and up til now, all has been good.

Lately, I'd suspected we had a mouse. I saw some droppings on the kitchen counter, so I went out and got a live trap and baited it. Last night, bingo, caught him. Not much evidence of other mice, as this time where weren't any scattered droppings. Basically only him sitting in the trap.

I let it go in a wooded area about a block away. Do they generally come back? I have another trap still set, so we'll see if there are others.

Is this a job for professionals?

 

[DnetMHZ]

Originally posted by: sjwaste
live trap

This is your problem, right here.

 

[mb]

Watch your back. Mice are extremely vindictive.

 

[Tiamat]

my experience is that unless you drive them far away to let them go, they will return (for example, if you let the free at the edge of your drive way, you will see their foot prints [if there is snow] doing a U-turn back towards your house). The old school spring traps ensure that the same mouse doesn't return.

Try to keep your kitchen clean, even a couple crumbs on the floor can attract "guests".

 

[BW86]

He probably wont come back - but don't be suprised if there are more where he came from.

 

[OCGuy]

Was he in your air conditioner?

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
my experience is that unless you drive them far away to let them go, they will return (for example, if you let the free at the edge of your drive way, you will see their foot prints [if there is snow] doing a U-turn back towards your house). The old school spring traps ensure that the same mouse doesn't return.

Try to keep your kitchen clean, even a couple crumbs on the floor can attract "guests".

If you took me out of a toasty warm kitchen and dumped me out in the snow my footprints would make a U turn as well.

 

[sjwaste]

Haha, no, not in the air conditioner. At least, I don't think so.

I think it coincides with some construction going on next door. We have an attached neighbor (duplex, so a brick party wall). They've been remodeling the kitchen, which happens to share the common wall with mine. That started a couple of days ago, and yesterday I noticed the mouse droppings. Hopefully he just got scared in and is now farther away.

I noticed that it hasn't been in the cabinets, nothing gnawed, and no droppings. We keep the place pretty clean, but lately I've been going overboard and using a clorox wipe on the counters any time I have any food out. I pulled out the range/oven and there isn't any evidence of a mouse back there. So basically I have no idea how it got in. I know I have to fix that problem at the very least.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Only if he popped out of your air conditioner.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: sjwaste
We recently bought a house, and up til now, all has been good.

Lately, I'd suspected we had a mouse. I saw some droppings on the kitchen counter, so I went out and got a live trap and baited it. Last night, bingo, caught him. Not much evidence of other mice, as this time where weren't any scattered droppings. Basically only him sitting in the trap.

I let it go in a wooded area about a block away. Do they generally come back? I have another trap still set, so we'll see if there are others.

Is this a job for professionals?

Yes, I recommend a cat. They excel at this sort of thing.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Only if he popped out of your air conditioner.

I hereby wish mice on whatever Lotus you eventually purchase.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: sjwaste
We recently bought a house, and up til now, all has been good.

Lately, I'd suspected we had a mouse. I saw some droppings on the kitchen counter, so I went out and got a live trap and baited it. Last night, bingo, caught him. Not much evidence of other mice, as this time where weren't any scattered droppings. Basically only him sitting in the trap.

I let it go in a wooded area about a block away. Do they generally come back? I have another trap still set, so we'll see if there are others.

Is this a job for professionals?

Yes, I recommend a cat. They excel at this sort of thing.

But then who will control the cat?

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: sjwaste

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: sjwaste
We recently bought a house, and up til now, all has been good.

Lately, I'd suspected we had a mouse. I saw some droppings on the kitchen counter, so I went out and got a live trap and baited it. Last night, bingo, caught him. Not much evidence of other mice, as this time where weren't any scattered droppings. Basically only him sitting in the trap.

I let it go in a wooded area about a block away. Do they generally come back? I have another trap still set, so we'll see if there are others.

Is this a job for professionals?

Yes, I recommend a cat. They excel at this sort of thing.

But then who will control the cat?

That question is illogical.

 

[spidey07]

It's getting colder. They move to where it is warm and there is food. Aka, your house. This is why you kill them, not set them free.

 

[randay]

Originally posted by: spidey07
It's getting colder. They move to where it is warm and there is food. Aka, your house. This is why you kill them, not set them free.

slit its throat and display him on a pole as a warning to others of his kind.

 

[waggy]

will they come back? hahahah yes they will and they will come back in droves! i have faught these evil creatures time and time again.


in the summer look around the house and find holes in the foundation/walls etc bigger then a quarter. if you find any put steele wool in them (seems the little buggers are weakened by it). that should protect the house!

 

[nakedfrog]

Sometimes they come back.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Sometimes they come back.

They mostly come at night......mostly.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Sometimes they come back.

They mostly come at night......mostly.

You have to nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure...

 

[Modelworks]

Do a check around the outside of the home, he got in somewhere. Fill the hole with steel wool.
The hole only has to be big enough for the mouses head for them to get in, they have a really interesting skeleton.

 

[ghost recon88]

Originally posted by: randay
slit its throat and display him on a pole as a warning to others of his kind.

This Use a paring knife.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
Do a check around the outside of the home, he got in somewhere. Fill the hole with steel wool.
The hole only has to be big enough for the mouses head for them to get in, they have a really interesting skeleton.

Yeah, I've been looking and I really can't find anything. I read that 1/4" is all they need. The house is all brick, so I'm trying to find any cracks in the mortar but there really isn't anywhere.

I might have to take a trip up to the attic, especially if I trap another one tonight.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: spidey07
It's getting colder. They move to where it is warm and there is food. Aka, your house. This is why you kill them, not set them free.

Well, I let him go near a condo building, so let's hope that I just played the odds right. One dwelling vs like 8, it's a sure bet!

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: sjwaste

But then who will control the cat?

That question is illogical.

The answer is, in the winter, the gorillas simply freeze to death.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: sjwaste

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: sjwaste
Is this a job for professionals?

Yes, I recommend a cat. They excel at this sort of thing.

But then who will control the cat?

That's why you get a dog.