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September 4, 2007
Mice Mice Mice!
My neighbors have a bad mouse problem which is starting to sneak it's way into my house...
So far they seem responsive but I'm not confident they will effecively treat their mouse infestation.
I am of course going through neighborly routes first, but if push comes to shove, do I have any legal recourse at all in this situation?
Comments
Gosh, I don't know any lawyer who would take on a case like that. If your neighbor's mouse problem is due to their house being such a pigsty that it's a health hazard (standing garbage, noticeable smell, etc.), your best 'legal' recourse would be reporting them to the city.
If their mouse problem is because they leave food out, your best approach would be to spend money hiring a good exterminator to pintpoint the mice's access points into your house. Once you close off those access points, you won't have a problem. And a cat is a good, inexpensive, long-term solution to keep any random mousy strays under control.
Good luck.
Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 4, 2007 2:25 PM
everyone in NYC eventually gets mice. even people who are clean.
Posted by: guest at September 4, 2007 3:57 PM
It gets much worse in the winter, just you wait. Cat is definitely the best solution.
Posted by: guest at September 4, 2007 5:58 PM
What made you know your neighbor had a mouse problem.Did they tell you or did you ask and if so did you ask your neighbors on either side? Just wondering if there isnt some construction or something being done that stirred them to gravitate to your neighbor and you.
Posted by: guest at September 5, 2007 12:06 AM
I once saw a few mice in my apartment which is fairly clean all of the time. Around the same time we had started feeding a very friendly stray cat who was hanging around our back yard but was obviously previously domesticated.
After a few weeks we decided to let the cat hang out inside and sleep there at night. My wife was skeptical, but the first night we woke up to the cat having her way with a mouse! Second night she had another one!
Never saw another mouse in my apartment again to this day. Cats are great, this is what they naturally do...
Posted by: guest at September 5, 2007 8:50 AM
I'm sure it sucks if your neighbor is attracting mice somehow, but it's your responsibility to patch up the holes between the houses so that the mice can't get in to yours. Just comes with the territory, both living in NYC and living in homes that are attached to each other.
Amy
Posted by: Anonymous at September 5, 2007 11:43 AM
Good old spring-loaded traps work. Just dispose of mouse and reuse. This time of year you may have quite an influx from outside, unless you are incredibly vigilant about sealing off access points. They don't necessarily come from a neighbor. (I remember one time they were getting into our bread drawer. I set a trap in the drawer in the afternoon. We sat down to dinner. SNAP! Disposed of mouse, reloaded trap. Started eating. SNAP! Ditto. SNAP! Three in about 10 minutes. They're not usually quite that stupid or hungry.) My experience is that after I catch 2-6 for the year, they're gone until the next fall.
Posted by: guest at September 5, 2007 6:29 PM
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