I have a mouse in my house. (need advice)

[Jokerman]

Or at least in the attached garage. I tried to convince my wife that leaving bird feed in an open container was a bad idea and I warned her that the pile of spilled feed in the corner was going to attract rodents but she didn't listen. Last night when I opened the door from the kitchen to the garage and turned on the light, I saw a fat little mouse dive behind some shelves.

Now this pisses me off for two reasons:

1) I HATE MICE! I've never understood the attraction in keeping any rodent as a pet. Not that there's any thing wrong with people who do, I just never cared for rodents and really don't like the idea of sharing my house with them, caged or otherwise.

2) I don't want to kill anything, not even rodents that have infested my house.

Does anyone have advice about live traps? What would I do with the little fart if I catch him? Drive to the country and release him into a field while "Born Free" plays on the car stereo?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[TrogL]

1. cat

[Jokerman]

3. Actually, we have four cats.

But they are indoor only and I really don't want them in the garage. Plus, while the cats may enjoy it, I think a regular old trap would be more humane than the torment of being a cat toy.

[hyphenate]

2. Contact your local ASPCA

See that they say to do.

>>>>>Does anyone have advice about live traps? What would I do with the little fart if I catch him? Drive to the country and release him into a field while "Born Free" plays on the car stereo?<<<<<<


I've used live traps. They're cool. I laughed when I read this!

The other suggestion is also good. Adopt a cat--they'll take good care of your mouse and any future ones for you.

[denverbill]

4. They are pretty easy to catch, actually.

I lived in a house that had a serious mouse problem.

I took a coffee can, taped some cheese on the inside, propped it up on a matchstick, and caught at least 3 mice that way that I remember.

[lil-petunia]

5. plug them into your USB port and run windoz 98 with them

That way you'll have fewer crashes.

[Ready4Change]

11. That's cruel and unusual.

Should run Linux instead.

[BeyondGeography]

6. If you change your mind about killing the little fart

Put a dab of butter on the yellow plastic part of the trap that's supposed to look like cheese. Works every time.

[bif]

10. Peanutbutter works even better

Put a dab on the trigger, then wrap string around it so the mouse has to tug at the string to get at the "treat". Works like a charm.

[benburch]

7. Here is a humane live trap you can build yourself

http://www.smithsax.btinternet.co.uk/products.htm

No need to spend any money.

[Jokerman]

9. Awesome - Thanks!

I think I have all that stuff at home. Looks like a great idea.

Now all I need is the address of the local Bush campaign office & I could "donate" the little guy to the cause.

On second thought, being devoured by cats might be better than being released alive into a group of republicans.

[LWolf]

8. You are bringing on a guilt attack.

I caught my mouse invader this morning.

I've always used snap traps; I didn't want to catch and release, I wanted to keep them from breeding in my house and barn. Seriously. I once caught 13 mice in the house in one week, when I lived out in the middle of the desert. And I have little patience for them defiling my barn and tack room with their droppings, and chewing the leather on my saddle and bridle, etc.

Now I live in town. I haven't had a mouse in 3 years...until my tomcat, Lucy, brought one in and turned it loose. He brought in plenty of dead prey over the years; but when he decided to set something loose, he never "hunted" it again. I was able to get rid of the squirrel and the birds, but the mouse eluded me.

In June, Lucy departed. I was so grieved that I didn't immediately go after his last gift...and it kept on giving. It was hiding behind the dryer and water heater in the kitchen, and getting bolder by the day. I was out of snap traps, so I bought a glue trap. Never again. The poor thing got stuck in the glue and I desposed of him; that left me the choice to do him a violence, or allow him a slow, scary death stuck on the glue strip. So I drowned him, and haven't forgiven myself. Moral of this story...NO MORE GLUE TRAPS. NEVER AGAIN. Back to quick, clean deaths even if they are messy to clean up after. The mice are taking over my tack room again.

I sure understand not wanting to kill them. If you can keep up with the catch and release, and if you have a place to release them far enough away from development that they won't just find someone else's garage or house to move into, there are some live traps available. Be aware that turning him loose in strange territory is a wide open invitation to dinner for local predators, so you may just be allowing them to do the job of disposal for you. Good luck!

[Ready4Change]

12. If you've seen one, you have more.

After you remove the first one, keep reseting the trap until you get no more.

Even then, leave the trap set while you remove potential food sources. Get a sealed container for the bird seed, and clean up spillage. Do the same to any pet or human foods anywhere in the house.

I've cleared out rodents in 2 houses doing the above, with live traps. Do be sure to take them FAR away. And do others a favor and don't release it close to someone elses home.

[Unperson 309]

13. Hav-A-Hart or Victor Tin Cat WITHOUT the glue strip!

The Hav-A-Hart will have a soda cracker barrier. You catch the mouse and the back part of the trap is plastic. When you release the mouse, just set the trap in an area you want mousie to be and lift the plastic partition. Mousie gnaws through the cracker and poof. Clean (and tasty) getaway!

The Victor Tin Cat (with or without window) is great because it catches multiple mice! Take the glue strip OUT (it comes with them in. feh!) and place the Tin cat against a wall where you have seen mice running. Bait it with peanut butter. Mice will enter to get the peanut butter, but they can't get back out.

For "trap wise" meeces, tape the end doors open so the mice can see through the thing. Mice tend to follow trails. After they have established safe scent trails through Mr Tin Cat, and have decided it's safe (mice like to see where they are going and some don't like entering places they cannot see the exits of) untape the doors and wait.

CHECK those traps four or five times DAILY! Mice have fast metabolisms and can die of thirst in a trap. We always put enough peanut butter and a damp bit of paper toweling (they can get moisture from it) and checked the traps every four hours.

Housemice look different than fieldmice. If these are housemice, releasing them into a field may not be the best idea. Housemice have larger, rounder ears, rounder bodies and broader muzzles. Fieldmice have smaller more angular ears, longer bodies with shorter tails and narrower heads. When you release them, take care that you release them at LEAST six to eight blocks (about a mile and a half) from your home area. I used to put the traps in the car and take the lil buggers over to the edge of a National Forest near our place). They can, and will travel a LONG way to get home again!

Good luck.

And I'm GLAD you don't want to use glue traps. Those things are hideous!

309

[Guy Fawkes]

14. Hav-a-hart, loaded w/ peanut butter and a seed or two.

[jmowreader]

15. Do the words "disease-infested vermin" mean anything to you?

Fuckin' mice need to die. You don't have to be cruel about it; putting the little bastards into a beer can and slowly running it over with your car isn't really necessary. But they breed prodigiously and their fleas spread diseases far and wide.

And whatever you do to kill the little fucks is fine with me. D-con. Cats. Ferrets. Trap the little shits in a Havaheart, then drop them into your piranha tank. Freeze them to death in a milk carton, then donate their carcasses to your local raptor rehabilition center.

Kill 'em dead and be done with it.

[BeFree]

16. Can't argue with ya about the mice, but

Using poison is a bad idea. The mouse crawls off, full of poison, and may be eaten by a cat, owl, or some other predator, and end up poisoning them too.

I used to use kill-free traps, not anymore.

[Nevernose]

17. Is it "a mouse" or "mice?"

Enormous difference.