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Forum
-> Household Management
amother
Maroon
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Thu, Sep 01 2016, 1:16 am
We just came back from vacation to a very unpleasant surprise. We have at least one mouse in the house, which probably means we have more. I actually don't know for sure that it's a mouse. All I saw was a small furry body and a tail as it scurried by in a blur. I'm 99% positive it wasn't a rat or a squirrel.
Now what? We've had problems with ants before and even a beehive once but never small rodents.
I have one child who is terrified of animals and another one who loves all animals and would be horrified if we killed any. And I have a very curious toddler so we have to be careful what he can get ahold of.
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zaq
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Thu, Sep 01 2016, 8:18 am
You need to set out multiple traps in the area where you saw the critter. D-Con makes enclosed traps so you don't see the remains, though the tail will stick out. They're expensive, about $4 apiece, but the rectangular ones are reusable if you have the stomach to empty them out. I don't see a way to empty out the round ones.
There is also something called a Havahart trap which traps the critters alive, You can then take the traps out somewhere and release the critters into the wild.
As for your toddler, you'll have to make it your business to set the traps under and behind tight spaces--which is where mice hang out in any case--and be extra diligent about keeping an eye on your child until the critter is dispatched.
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FranticFrummie
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Thu, Sep 01 2016, 8:41 am
Do you have a neighbor with a terrier breed dog? Ask if you can borrow it. Terriers are bred to catch vermin, and they are better at it than any cat I've ever seen. I used to have a Fox Terrier who would catch 4 or 5 field mice a day (and bring them to me. Ewww!) He even caught a bird once. How he managed that, I'll never know.
Get the kids out of the house, and watch where the dog gets excited. If he's pointing, digging, scratching, or barking somewhere, that's where your mouse is. The dog may even catch it for you. At the very least, you'll have a good idea of where to lay the traps.
Check behind the refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, and under the sink. Look for any place that is open in the walls, and stuff steel wool in the gaps.
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cm
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Thu, Sep 01 2016, 8:59 am
I have heard the steel wool suggestion many times, but have not used it successfully (maybe I need to borrow a terrier!). Mice get through tiny spaces, not just easily visible gaps.
We use a professional exterminator as needed. It is awful to think about poisoning the animals, but they cannot live in the house - they can be very destructive, even leading to electrical fires. The bait is in kid-proof locked boxes, and generally placed in hidden locations, so the children do not even need to know about it. Of course, you will continue to be a normally vigilant parent, and notice if your kids are getting into basement corners or under the sink.
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zaq
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Thu, Sep 01 2016, 9:57 am
OT, but isn't it weird that the plural of mouse is mice and the plural of louse is lice but the plural of house isn't hice nor the plural of blouse, blice? (The plural of spouse might be spice, at least for some people.)
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