This is the first time that I have wrote in, but I love this website. I am having a problem with mice in my house, just last week my husband caught 4 of them in mouse traps. I hate these varmints and they get into my kitchen drawers where my towels are and I have to constantly wash them and my drawers out. I have to be careful what I put out to catch them because I have a 7 years old little girl and a little in door dog. I have tried the things that you plug in to the outlets to keep them away but they did not work. I live in Odessa and my neighbors do not keep their yard clean and there grass cut and I think that is where they are comming from I have called the city to turn them in as much as I hate to but so far that has not worked. Thank you ahead of time for your help.....
Hi D.,
My grandmother always said, "if you have problems w/mice...get a cat and they will keep them away."....And I read in a magazine that mice do not like the smell of cats and therefore, they stay away...so it must be true....give it a try....it's worth a shot.
Hey,
Get a cat! Indoor or outdoor.
Works for me.
Whether or not your neighbors are creating a problem, there is something inside your house that is more appetizing. We had the same problem, because we live in a wooded area, where there are native rats. The guy who came out and solved the problem did a thorough check of cracks, holes, vents and drier outlets (they can get in through vents in the attic as well). He plugged everything up, but his big warning was to get rid of edible things in the house, such as fruits and veg on the counters and house plants. They are in your house because you are providing them with food (and maybe water). Once you eliminate that, plugging up the holes will eliminate their shelter. I would call a professional. And the also, poison is not the best way, because they carry the poison in their cheeks like chipmunks and slobber poisonous goo as they run around. Our professional only used traps, because he said the poison would be all over the house and toxic to pets and children.
Get a cat! We have barn cats and in the entire time we've lived in our house, I've seen one mouse (outside). Hope this helps!
One of the things our exterminator said to do is to go around the interior as well as the exterior of your house and any opening (like around pipes) to put steel wool (Brillo pads) into the openings. Apparently rodents don't like to munch on metal. (Be sure and do this around the pipes under all your sinks, etc.)
Some of the cities have a service to put out stuff for rodents. Have them put them under places like the ref.stove (back of) garage attic, places your pet and child can't get to.Keep the traps going til you no longer have a problem. They can also report the neighbors because of this problem.
good luck.
Your little dog may not like this idea, but what about getting a cat? My friends tell me the mice can smell a cat on the property and it works like a repellent. The ones that are already inside will move out, and the ones outside will move to a different property. Maybe they'll go back to your messy neighbors house and yard! It might be worth a try.
Ug, tell me about it. I was working in my laundry room yesterday and as I got the last of my laundry off the folding table and put away, I saw tons of mice droppings...and a rat dropping. Yuck! They are coming in for water because it's so hot and dry outside.
I've used the live traps (I released the mice in a field, but my neighbor drowns them) but after catching two the others steered clear of them. Same thing with the spring traps. My husband insisted on using the sticky traps and I begged him not to. *shudder* They are very sticky and when the mouse get stuck they will shew their limbs trying to get free. Eventually they bleed to death.
So, we got a cat on freecycle. Until recently we have had NO mice since getting the cat. But he's been spending more time outside so that might be part of why we've had some mouse droppings. Maybe with the laundry room cleaned up he'll catch them more easily. And he'll have to stay indoors!!
S.
We like the glue traps. We use a pretzel stick w/peanut butter on it in the middle of the glue trap & when the mouse walks on it trying to get the peanut butter, ya got 'em, then discard. I'm sure it'll wk w/just a dab of peanut butter directly on the trap but we just used the pretzel stick w/ it. Course we have cats all the time too which are generally great mousers but if you don't like cats & the glue traps don't work, you may hafta use pest control. Good luck!
We have a similar issue. Our neighbors live like pigs. But we get rats and baby rats---not mice. ewwww!
Neighbors leave dog food and water out all day so rats have a buffet all day and all night. They have a gazebo thing that is falling apart but won't take it down or fix it. We think the rats live under/in the gazebo.
Our cat pretty much takes care of the rodents and keeps them from getting near the house. Ever thought of adopting a nice "mouser" from the pound/ animal shelter?
I would encourage you to NOT use poisons. They seep down into the the ground and down into the water supply. No one knows how long they last and stick around, and they are very harmful to kids and pets.
Mouse traps or those sticky traps are very effective. Still, think about adopting a cat and giving it a second chance. It'll have those mice running.
Hi D.
What an issue= I hate those things too-
Not sure what outlet devices you used but we have used them for years and they have always worked. We live on farmland and mice and other rodents are prevelant. We believe in the outlet devices- but we also have cats outdoors- and that has helped quite a bit. since you have an indoor dog it most likely is not practical for you to have a cat- but if you can get a couple of outdoor cats they will eventually rid your place of the mice. It takes a while but they will do their job.
good luck and blessings
To help eliminate source of entry, be sure to check under all sinks (around the water pipes)or any other place with access from the outside(hot water heaters) and if there's even a small space, fill it with steel wool...as for dryer vents, put the covers on that open only when dryer is in use as this eliminates another point of entry...if you have a garage attached to your home, go to any feed store & buy the "bricks" of One Bite-it does what the name implies-mice eat it, it kills them. We live in the country, so we have to stay on top of the issue. Hope this helps.
I've heard that you can put peppermint oil on tennis balls or cotton balls around your house (pantry, etc) and they hate the smell and will stay away.
We have had mice in the house before.I used to live in Midland and had an exterminator come out.It didn't do any good so my husband went up in the attic and put poison and that took care of it.
