YIKES! we have critters living in our house!

[LEFSElover]

ANYONE ELSE HAVE MICE OR RATS OR HOUSE MOUSE'S'?

If so, how do you rid your home of them? Any suggestions would be appreciated. We've done the traps with peanut butter, not even be approached by the critters. Heard them this morning in the attic above our BR and it woke me up. I see signs that they're here, droppings etc.

Online, people advertise that they can help if you just buy their book. Supposedly they'll tell you everything your exterminator won't but does do when you hire him. Exterminators are mucho expensive. Should I buy a cat and keep it in the attic? (kidding) Should we put poison up there in the attic? One thing I have read. They won't leave on their own.

HELP!

 

[SizzlininIN]

Oh how I detest those little critters. Keep in mind if you put out poison that the critters could get into your walls and die there and then you'll have to remove sections of the walls to find them. I had one die in the wall of our old house and let me tell you thats not a smell you'll ever forget. I had to remove a large section of wainscoating and trim to get the lil bugger out.

I'd set out countless metal traps. Or they even have those sticky kind. Place them in all areas where you find droppings and anywhere else you think you should. I found that they love granola bars....go figure. If all else fails then call Terminex or another reputable exterminator and they can bring out their own bag of tricks

 

[Andy M.]

We know some folks who bought electronic devices that plug into an electrical outlet. They emit a sound that is silent to humans and drives rodents away. They claim it works great.

 

[bethzaring]

You should be able to tell by the size of the poop whether you are dealing with mice or rats. Put the traps where the poop is. I have excellent results with peanut butter on mouse traps. Rats are a bit more difficult. That takes actually corraling the guy(s).

Be kind to your snake population, i.e, do not kill your snakes, unless they are poisonous snakes.

 

[KAYLINDA]

We had a "pack rat" once years ago....now that was something! He took all my jewelry out of my jewelry box and put it in his nest. Every night he would steal the bar of soap out of the bathroom! We found it all when we located his nest.

 

[Constance]

When the kids were little, we lived in an old house where the mice literally ran up and down the walls. I put traps everywhere, and caught lots of mice, but they kept coming in. So then, I went around the house and stuffed steel wool into all the little holes and crannies (like under the sink and in the laundry room) where the mice could come in.
Thing being, we had a space under the back door big enough for them to get under. (You'd be amazed at how the little critters can flatten out!)

I finally got a cat. She killed a few, but just having her around seemed to run them off. If you do get a cat, make sure it's a female. Males are usually poor mousers.

 

[m.trummer]

I have them visit me every fall when the weather starts getting cold. I find that they like granola bars much better than peanut butter or cheese. I put out traps wherever I find the droppings and they are all caught in a few days.

 

[Half Baked]

Put the traps along side of the walls since they tend to travel where they feel more protected. We used to get 2-3/yr once it started getting cold and our house backed up to the woods.

We had a 4# Poodle and a 100 # Lab. The poodle's food kept disappearing and the lab had never ever been interested in her bowl. He was scared of her, too.

We needed some plumbing work and they took off a couple of sheets of the insulation in the basement to check the pipes. 20 pounds (at least) of poodle food fell on their heads. Those little varmits had set themselves up for the whole winter.

 

[Constance]

If all else fails then call Terminex or another reputable exterminator and they can bring out their own bag of tricks

I hope I'm not breaking any rules by saying this, but...
My daughter worked for Terminex for 10 years. The company flagrantly discrimates against women. She was not allowed to train for or apply for certain higher paying positions because they were "men's jobs". They prefer to hire new help rather than letting their female employees advance, and she was finally harrassed into quitting. And I do mean harrassed...she came home night after night in tears. She's a very intelligent and responsible young woman, and she deserved better treatment from her employers.
There was plenty of ammunition for a law suit, but she got another job, actually a much better job, very quickly, and didn't stir trouble.
I tell you this because you may want to take it into consideration when you choose an exterminator. Personally, I wouldn't give such an unethical outfit any of my bussiness.

 

[kadesma]

When we first moved into the house after it was built,within 2 weeks we had little visitors. They drove us crazy, the dog crazy, got into everything. They were brazen enough to run across your feet in the bathroom, talk about nerve!! We tried traps, stuffing steel wool in holes, glue traps which did work but gave me the whammies removing the things. We then got a cat, then another cat of my daughters...Have not had a mouse since. Poor cats have to go out in the pasture and hunt gophers for something to do now..I love those cats
kadesma

 

[karadekoolaid]

I use some little pink pellets for the mickeys. They can't resist them - they nibble them and it dries them up from the inside out.
Alternatively a large cat. My dog is completely useless, even though he can sniff them out. He identified a huge rat about 6 months ago, then fell over his paws trying to catch the blighter.

 

[Harborwitch]

When we were living in the residence here on the Island we'd get influxes of mice twice a year - in the spring when the farmers started plowing their fields and then in the fall when the temps drop and they start harvesting the corn and stuff.

We tried the humane traps (don't do it!) you have to dump the little critter and whatever he has done in the little trap while waiting for you. Not pleasant. We had the little things you plug in - they work for a while, then the mice get used to them. Peanut butter on the traps works great - have to put the traps where the mice visit. The glue traps are horrible - you can hear the mice screaming and they can get loose!

A friend of mine found one something called a TinCat - it catches multiple mice supposedly without bait she says it really works great.

Of course if I could have just litter box train the little critters and get them to just eat the "purina mouse chow" I'd have preferred them to ants.

 

[pdswife]

We get a few every winter... living in the woods it's just something we have to deal with. Lily Lily Queen of cats helps but she's getting old (13 or 14 now) so we do the traps with peanutbutter covered cheese and decon boxes. It takes a few tries but they get the hint and leave us alone.

 

[Constance]

They are nervy little varmints, aren't they, Kadesma? I was fixing breakfast one morning in my furry blue slippers and robe (remember those?), and when I opened the cabinet under the sink, a mouse ran right up my bathrobe. I'm not afraid of them, but I sure did some dancing and squealing that time!
We've never had a mouse in this house, and we live in the woods. But we've always had a cat, and the house is very tight.

 

[Alix]

What cliveb said. Buy some Bromone or Warfarin, whatever the brand name is that you have there. It will be in chunks and you can just place bits wherever you see a hole. Now, having said that, an exterminator will have special trap thingys that your cats or dogs can't get into. That might be more appropriate for you. They will likely use the same bait though.

Good luck Lefse, rodents are nasty to get rid of.

 

[Harborwitch]

Oh Constance, that cracked me up - I'll never forget the morning DH pulled on his sweat pants and when he sat down at the computer he jumped out of the chair, yelling, grabbing his , and trying to get the sweat pants off, in a big hurry!!! One leg of the pants came off and out scurried a poor little mouse . I don't know who was more scared.

Seems sometime in the night, cold winter night, the little mouse crawled up into the crotch of the sweat pants.

 

[In the Kitchen]

ANYONE ELSE HAVE MICE OR RATS OR HOUSE MOUSE'S'?

If so, how do you rid your home of them? Any suggestions would be appreciated. We've done the traps with peanut butter, not even be approached by the critters. Heard them this morning in the attic above our BR and it woke me up. I see signs that they're here, droppings etc.

Online, people advertise that they can help if you just buy their book. Supposedly they'll tell you everything your exterminator won't but does do when you hire him. Exterminators are mucho expensive. Should I buy a cat and keep it in the attic? (kidding) Should we put poison up there in the attic? One thing I have read. They won't leave on their own.

HELP!

It is fall and getting cold. They are wanting to come live w/you. How well I can relate to your problem. When my ex was living here, he claimed I was imagining the noise at night. He said he never heard anything only when I knocked on the ceiling that woke him up. I feared they would start eating on the electric wiring and house would catch fire.

Anyway, he is out of here and I resolve my problems when I have them. I have bait boxes that hold poison blocks that are gone every month. I have a job keeping them out of here. The exterminator told me to get rid of the birdfeeder as that was something they were attracted to. Since I love the birds I have to kill the mice. Fun! Anyway when I go to bed I do not hear them. So far the poison is doing the job. The exterminator also told me cats do not necessarily keep the mice at bay. When you have a cat you provide them w/food and they aren't to be counted on for help. I had plans to get a cat but after he told me that I'll st ick w/the dogs. They are expensive enough with diabetes injections daily.

Good luck. Seems always different problem to figure out.

 

[Katie H]

Oh, LEFSElover darlin'. I wish we had your problem. We have a racoon living in between the floors of our house. We can't find where he's gotten in and are stumped as to how to get him out. Exterminators in our area are not interested in helping. He's making our inside kitties crazy. And, talk about things "going BUMP in the night," he's punctual. He gets ready for work every morning about 6.

 

[lulu]

Hmm. We never had mice in the house till we had cats. Our girls are good hunters, but sometimes let the things go and they get into gaps and our huge cupboards and into the bowels of the house.

Having lived in old houses I am almost used to mice, (Cadbury's fruit and nut chocolate is THE best lure I have found!) which we get in a humane trap and put out!

Rats are a very different matter, imho, I would get professionals to deal with them, fast.

Now, if someone could tell me ho to deal with the lone slug who appears in our hallway every single night, leaving a horrid trail.....

 

[Alix]

Now, if someone could tell me ho to deal with the lone slug who appears in our hallway every single night, leaving a horrid trail.....

Put a little beer in a glass and the slug will climb into the glass to get it and then drown in the beer. What a way to go! Works like a charm.