Mice in the basement

[Bob F]

I had some old hard salami that worked very well for similar reason. I sometimes got 2-3 mice per baiting.

.

[Bob F]

Cats just bring them home to play with.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Italian mice.

[Kuskokwim]

That's what I use. But I don't release them outdoors. I open the trap door, and when they stick their little heads out, I bite them off.

[Frank]

Thread reminds me time I told wife that I hated to trap and kill the little mice because they were so cute. She said, if I didn't, they'ed overrun the house. Next day I was walking in park during soccer game thinking, those Mexican kids are cute ;)

Frank

[Freckles]

Winter before last the mice got into my grass seed and I think I had the entire mouse population of the neighborhood feeding in my garage.

I bought two dozen spring loaded mouse traps and baited them with peanut butter then set them around in my garage after cleaning up the remaining grass seeds in there.

The first night I caught 8 mice. I tossed both the mice and the traps. The next night I caught a few more and for the next few night I caught a few more. I put fresh peanut butter on the remaining traps and caught one or two more, than no more mice were caught or seen.

The traps are not very expensive and I certainly would not go through the messy effort to save them.

[Phisherman]

Put a cat down there. Don't feed it.

[strabo]

Cat.

[mm]

I think your mistake was using only one trap. Use lots of them, next to the walls and where you find their scat. Try to figure out their paths and put them where they go.

The spring traps don't wear out, can be reused even if you catch one, and certainly if you don't.

More below.

You have to be careful picking these up. The mouse will stop struggling after a minute or two, so when you get there he may seem dead, but he still has plenty of life and quite a bite. Little jaws, but strong for their size and the teeth are probably sharp. So don't get your fingers there.

I used the boxes from frozen vegetables to pick them up. Kept my fingers away from the mice and very easy to handle after they're scooped up.

You can take the sticky traps outside and release the mouse by pouring vegetable oil on the trap, at least the famous brand whose name I forget and mabye all of the brands, but you'll have to take it far away, much farther than you would think, or it will just come back into your house.

Good with nachos.

[JohnM]

Depends on the cat. Some won't hunt even if you don't feed them, and others will kill and eat every rodent that comes by even if you keep catfood out all the time.

The wife and I had one old cat that loved to eat mice, but we'd always find the same particular organ from the mouse innards laying where the cat ate the mouse. Whatever organ it was, the cat didn't like it.

I always opt for cats to control rodents. I live out in the sticks and rodents can be counted on to try to move in every fall, gotta have a good cat.

John

[HeyBub]

Think cat. You can even borrow one.

--- begin quote

Towser - Glenturret's [Distillery, Scotland] World Famous Cat

Unfortunately, Towser, the famous Glenturret cat is no longer resident in the still house.

During her long life, Towser broke records with her hunting prowess, notching up 28,899 mice in her 24 years.

She is even immortalised in the Guinness Book of Records. Visitors can now admire her statue, which was unveiled in 1995.

--- end quote

[Meat Plow]

Lucky we have a cat that takes care of the few mice seeking a warmer location when the weather here gets colder. He'll bring them to me as trophies. And he brings them whole, not half eaten.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Tell him there are valuable nutrients in the brains, which is why some cats eat just the head.

Or, leave him a note.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Seriously! Some trace substance that cats need in their diets, according to my former cat's personal physician.

[Meat Plow]

Ick.

[Kate]

"JohnM" wrote Depends on the cat. Some won't hunt even if you don't feed them, and others will kill and eat every rodent that comes by even if you keep catfood out all the time.

The wife and I had one old cat that loved to eat mice, but we'd always find the same particular organ from the mouse innards laying where the cat ate the mouse. Whatever organ it was, the cat didn't like it.

I always opt for cats to control rodents. I live out in the sticks and rodents can be counted on to try to move in every fall, gotta have a good cat.

John

I have TWO good cats. Both are hunters, the smaller one is the best huntress. She even has captured a few squirrels. I too live out in the sticks, and they keep the rodent population down to almost nothing.

Mine will bring home a critter that is still kicking now and then but if we praise them with "Good Kitty, mighty hunter!" and then tell them to take it outside, surprisingly they do. I think they believe they are offering a gift of food for the family.Mine also leave just that one organ....

Kate O|||||||O

[Doug Miller]

I've heard that before, too. Sounds reasonable.

Mine leaves the kidney. Easy identification: it's about the same shape and color as ... wait for it ... a kidney bean. No kidding.

[hillacc at yahoo.com]

I've heard that cats bring home live mice in an attempt to teach us to hunt. They feel sorry for our pathetic, obviously under-developed abilities to snag our own food (or even to recognize freshly caught mice as food, although that apparently doesn't apply to everyone on this NG) and, as they would for kittens, try to help out by bringing prey for us to work with.

Incidentally, it has been proven that well-fed cats actually catch more mice, because the cats are in better condition, more energetic, better athletes, etc. It's counterproductive to any mouse-eradication goals to not feed a cat you hope will catch mice. If you've ever seen a picture of the famous Towser referenced earlier, he was one pudgy guy.

Also, it's absolutely true that some cats catch mice and some don't. It's handed down from parents to kittens. Those trained as kittens (see first paragraph) become good mousers, those that aren't, don't. Although I have two excellent mousers now (and a couple dogs who'll pitch in, as well), I once had a cat that wouldn't even chase a mouse, much less catch it.

Jo Ann

[hallerb]

first thing is harden and seal your home so more mice cant get in. even a tiny opening is a highway for them. once more cant get in a humane livetrap with release outdoors will end the reentries.

its just like the mexico us border, make it as hard as possible to leak in and DONT provide a ready food source. when you catch more than

2 mice in your home they were likely born there. with food they multiply fast.... 2 begets 20 begets 2000 in a matter of weeks:(

[the_blogologist]

The FIRST thing you should do is go around the outside of your house and plug any hole that a mouse could possibly get through, and mice can get through some pretty tiny holes. Otherwise they'll be back :-/

Ignoramus26157 wrote:

I'd secure food throughout the house now. Put some traps in the kitchen. More than one type of trap is required to catch the smarter ones.

You may still get a stink if the babies lose their mother. Try not to think about it when you go to bed at night ;-D

Those ultra sonic devices actually work. Although when first using it on an area infested with roaches there can later be a surge after the eggs hatch, which leads some people to think it doesn't work :-/ wont' stop you from carrying pests into your house either. Won't drive the mice out if they can't get out.

I remember this one mouse that was unstoppable. Trap after trap he avoided, yet the signs were there. I knew him. I had seen him! I'd be watching TV in the dark at 2 am and see him scurry across the living room floor and disappear into the central heating vent. Freekin bold little bastard. So one night I waited up for him with the BB gun. He knew something was up as he paused at the den entrance. He then stood on his hind legs just as my mother approached behind him when she saw me with the BB gun. I was unmoved and took the shot. I heard a squeak from the mouse and my mother as the mouse vanished into the shadows, leaving only a tiny trail of blood which led to his writhing corpse on the kitchen closet floor, right next to the cornflakes and Aunt Jemima pancake syrup. His reign of terror was over.