Mamas & Papas-
Seems we have and continue to have mice. We live in a co-op building. First signs of them were under the kitchen sink. Glue traps caught several, steel wool has been packed into the space between the back of the cupboard and the wall where the pipes come through, yet this morning, I saw a dead one in our kid's room.
Any thoughts on how to get the better of this?
Any other steps we might be taking?
Any natural cures or deterrents?
Any clue as to why now after 3 years in the building we might be seeing them?
Any idea of the time frame that we should expect to suffer these, i.e. if you haven't seen or seen traces of one in 10 days, you know you've got it solved?
Urrggghh- of course the whole thing is offputting and unhygienic. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a bunch,
F. B.
Please don't use a glue trap! Use a snap trap, at least they die quickly. Glue traps cause a long, suffering death, and are extremely inhumane.
I just googled it, and they said that Peppermint Oil is a great deterrent because the smell is too strong for them, and keeps them away. Here's the website, it has lots of things you can do.
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Mice-Naturally
I have moved so many times and lived in so many climates, that I automatically set up mouse traps in my garage. Always. And this summer for some odd reason, I have caught 5. The last time I caught rodents was in Phoenix, about 4 years ago.
Mice usually travel in pairs. And if you catch 2, there is probably a liter somewhere nearby.
Do you have space to set a trap under your sink and just leave it on for a few weeks?
Could be coming from sewage lines or a new water line that was put in (if somebody moved their washer or fridge - that's what happened when we remodeled).
I'd probably call in the professionals at this point to check for openings that you may not have considered/noticed.
I actually chased a large rat back up it's hole which was underneath our new refrigerator (in a new spot). That's how we figured out there was an opening on our roof, which lead to our attic.
We had never had rat problems inside the house before (other than the attic) and it was traumatic. We found a baby one in our son's room, inside a trash can. How he got in there I do not want to know.
I threatened to move out it freaked me out so much.
Good luck - find the hole/entry point and close it up. They can come through extremely small openings btw. Mice and rats are very resourceful and agile.
ETA: If you poison one, and it dies behind a wall or in an attic space, the smell will be horrendous.
I can't imagine getting mice after all of the steps the super and you have taken. I would go one more time, each room, moving everything, checking for holes. If you have forced air could they come from the ducts, hot water piping/every single pipe is wrapped in steel wool? What about behind the stove or fridge-any holes? I know it's frustrating....been there (apt complex). It took me weeks until one day, I tore every room apart to see and finally found the only one with a small hole. Then a few days later my neighbor complained he started to get the mice. I sent the steel wool over to him. Otherwise, call the super again, professional and/or borrow a cat. I feel for you-YUCK!
Just keep trapping and leaving the traps out till you go 2 weeks without catching any and all signs are gone (no more droppings).
Any food that's not in cans or jars should be secured in covered plastic storage containers.
That goes for pet food, too.
Keep looking for entrance holes around your foundation and plug them tightly with steel wool.
We get an annual mouse invasion in the fall when the soybean field next door is harvested.
What type of stove do you have?
Is built in or it is free standing? Could be they are living in the stove in the insulation of it.
I can lift the top of my stove.. We discovered years ago when we first moved into the house that at some point a mouse or a rat had been nesting in it. Not the baking area.. but the insulation.
when we have construction in a near by part of our neighborhood or actually behind our neighborhood all the little rodents come over here...they move. we tried borax and traps but nothing worked as well as our neighbors cat. its and awesome cat i have to give it credit. kinda wild but was so sweet to the little boy with autisim...like really his buddy. but if he is the bushes he will attack your legs. its a butt head cat. but it killed our very large rat we were trying to get for several weeks. we got our own kitten after that (out door cat btw) no litter box just food and pest control !!!! sorry he was in your kids room thats no fun!
The best way to get rid of mice is to get a cat. If mice even smell a cat they won't come into the house. My neighbor had no mice until they got rid of the cat and then all of a sudden they had a whole bunch. They will skip your house if you have a mouse. Good luck. :)
We have dealt with mice twice in our house: First was when we first moved in, after the house had been vacant for a short while. Then once we got settled -- with our indoor cat (this is key!) -- the mice moved on. She never actually killed one, though she did play with one until near death, but mice just don't want to be in a house with a cat! The second time was when the cat had to spend some time at the vet. That time we used snap traps, though it took a couple tries. If you have ever considered having a cat in your home, now's the time. Good luck!
I would hire a professional. They can look for holes and openings that you might miss or not know to look for. A professional service is how we got rid of our mice problem. They did use poison, but it is in bait traps that are pet and child proof. I don't like it, but it worked and the bait stations are locked and accessible only by the exterminator. I don't like glue traps. I'm not sure how effective they are and they seem cruel. JMO.
If you saw one mouse in your child's room it means there are many more somewhere. They reproduce exponentially. They are good climbers and can crawl through a hole about the size of a dime. I don't know of any "natural" remedies although our exterminator does spray predator scent around the perimeter of the house.
You will need to close all holes, that can be done by professional exterminator or super of the building if you have one. Also, I found glue traps and poison helpful. After all holes are closed install Riddex Plus, although I found them not as effective as they advertise, so get more devices than they recommend.
Go thru every nook and cranny of your home and fill in every single solitary space/ hole you find with steel wool. Pull out the fridge, the dishwasher, the washing machine, dryer, feel for any spaces in corners of cabinets, around pipes under the sink, etc, etc. If you find a little hole/space and wonder if it's big enough for them to get in, fill it in anyway. In short, get rid of any possible place they can enter. Until you do that all traps and poisons will be for naught because those little buggers will just keep coming in.
