HELP! Mouse in my house, shabbos guests on the floor...

amother

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 3:20 pm

Just saw him scuttle across my kitchen. Food all over the counters.

I have a bunch of sem girls coming for Shabbos, sleeping on mattresses on the floor.

He was pretty cute and all, but now what?

Don't laugh at me - I'm new to this, and FREAKED out...

I need my big strong Tatty!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Somebody, save me!

amother

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 3:29 pm

Guys, this is serious!

I promise I am not a troll, and I really need your support right now. Smile

What's the next step?

Throw out all the food?

Warn the guests?

Try to find an exterminator before Shabbos?

HELP!

amother

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 3:36 pm

Oh, and just so you understand the gravity of the situation, I am stuck here on the couch, afraid to step on the floor, lest the mouse run over my feet and up my legs etc.....Eeeeeeeeeeew!

And now my kugel is burning in the oven!

Oh well, hope you're all enjoying your turkey...

chanahlady

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 3:36 pm

Wash all the floors. Leave ZERO food and ZERO crumbs ANYWHERE. Wash all the countertops and tables. If you can, go out and buy those plastic bins with lids that snap on, and put anything that can be eaten by a mouse in there. That includes boxes of pasta, bags of rice, anything that a mouse can eat through (and they have very sharp teeth). Put out cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil (not essence) -- the smell repels them.

That's for the short-term.

Long term, you'll need to plug up any holes in the walls. That's how the mice are entering your house. You can call an exterminator to come and do this for you.

I know all this because we're going through the exact same thing. UGH. Good luck!

chanahlady

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 3:38 pm

By the way, mice will not run up your leg -- they're pretty timid and are scared of people and pretty much anything bigger than them. Chances are that if they sense you bustling around in the kitchen, they won't come out. They like quiet and will wait until night. Sorry about the sem girls on the mattresses, though...

Keep a light on all night in the kitchen -- won't exactly stop them, but they don't like light, either, so maybe it does a little to repel them.

amother

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 3:41 pm

chanahlady wrote:

THANK YOU!

I going to go out and buy those bins first thing tomorrow.

Follow-up questions:

Do you think we can eat the food that was out for the past two hours or so (cooling cakes/kugels etc.)?

Do you have any idea where I might find peppermint oil in Israel?

5*Mom

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 3:43 pm

We had this once. I knew which room it was in so dh put some cheese in a shoe box, lay the box in it's side with the cover half on/half off and we waited about half a minute... Mouse in box for cheese, dh slammed lid shut, removed box from home and disposed of in the dumpster. You need to be sure you won't chicken out and drop the box on your way out. Good luck!

chanahlady

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 3:44 pm

Don't know about where in Israel. Maybe a health-food store? Aromatherapy place? You can also buy it online, although that doesn't help for this Shabbos.

Are there mouse droppings anywhere, on the floor, on the counter, on the food? Little black cylindrical things. I don't think I'd worry about the food you just put out for the last couple of hours, but anything left out overnight would be suspect.

amother

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 3:44 pm

chanahlady wrote:

Phew. That's a relief. I'm going to have nightmares tonight, though.

chanahlady wrote:

They like quiet and will wait until night. Sorry about the sem girls on the mattresses, though...

Me too!

chanahlady wrote:

Keep a light on all night in the kitchen -- won't exactly stop them, but they don't like light, either, so maybe it does a little to repel them.

Okay, will do.

Though this one is pretty daring. He's out here now, with the music on full blast and all the lights on...

Maybe he's a gilgul... Smile

amother

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 3:48 pm

5*Mom wrote:

Wow, I do not have the nerves for that! Gotta be DH's job, but he won't be home for a while.

Hope you never have to deal with this again!

amother

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 3:52 pm

chanahlady wrote:

Don't know about where in Israel. Maybe a health-food store? Aromatherapy place? You can also buy it online, although that doesn't help for this Shabbos.

OK, gonna make some inquiries.

chanahlady wrote:

Are there mouse droppings anywhere, on the floor, on the counter, on the food? Little black cylindrical things. I don't think I'd worry about the food you just put out for the last couple of hours, but anything left out overnight would be suspect.

There might be, I'm too scared to open up the cabinets just this second, and they're pretty disorganized overall. embarrassed

I have been extremely busy, and the house is sort of in "just getting by" mode, if you know what I mean. I am so very much not up to dealing with this...Zol zein a kaparah, and all...

I'm relieved that the food is OK - I don't have any time to start again...

I give you a bracha that in the zchus of helping me out with my mouse issue, you have extra siyata dishmaya in getting rid of yours - permanently!

tikva18

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 4:02 pm

amother wrote:

chanahlady wrote:

Don't know about where in Israel. Maybe a health-food store? Aromatherapy place? You can also buy it online, although that doesn't help for this Shabbos.

OK, gonna make some inquiries.

chanahlady wrote:

There might be, I'm too scared to open up the cabinets just this second, and they're pretty disorganized overall. embarrassed

Amein!

Lady Bug

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 4:25 pm

Go buy some mouse traps. Do you have access to something like this? I have one that works quite well. (I have never seen a mouse, even though all my neighbors in my building have them all the time.)

http://www.amazon.com/P3-Inter.....r=8-4

amother

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 4:31 pm

Lady Bug wrote:

That looks cool!

I'd have to think about a way to have it sent to me though, which is always annoying.

I'll keep it in mind if the other stuff doesn't work.

Thanks!

shlomitsmum

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 4:41 pm

Sonic plug in ! http://www.gooddeals.com/produ......aspx

they work amazing!
I bought the sonic sound thingy cause I did not want my cat to eat parasite infested mice....
or for a cheap solution get a clump of litter from a cat owner and place it in a brown bag in the garage, mice will smell it and run!
we have cats and get requests for "samples" once in a while.

amother

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 4:45 pm

shlomitsmum wrote:

Sonic plug in ! http://www.gooddeals.com/produ......aspx

they work amazing!
I bought the sonic sound thingy cause I did not want my cat to eat parasite infested mice....

Yeah, just need to find a way to get such a thing to Israel.

shlomitsmum wrote:

or for a cheap solution get a clump of litter from a cat owner and place it in a brown bag in the garage, mice will smell it and run!
we have cats and get requests for "samples" once in a while.

Problem is, we live in a small apartment. Something tells me it'll scare the people away too! Very Happy

Although perhaps we should consider borrowing your cat...

Depressed

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 4:45 pm

My husband worked for an exterminator in the summer, but Im in Lakewood. All I can say is find out if there is a store that sells bait-boxs and bait or powder in your neighborhood.

amother

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 4:47 pm

Depressed wrote:

My husband worked for an exterminator in the summer, but Im in Lakewood. All I can say is find out if there is a store that sells bait-boxs and bait or powder in your neighborhood.

Do you know if those things actually work?

amother

Thu, Nov 24 2011, 4:59 pm

shlomitsmum wrote:

If you are in TO kitties Ollie Simcha and Toby Tov are at your service! LOL

Hmmm...do they like traveling? Like 5,000+ miles or so?

I'll throw in a trip to the kotel, if they'd like... Very Happy