You have NO idea what I'd been through up until that point. The infestation was due to the construction in the apartment above me and the entire brownstone renovation next to me and no landlord taking care of the basement for 5 months.

I keep my home pretty damn clean so when I started seeing the massive amounts of turds, I was frantic. I had mouse droppings everywhere even AFTER I had plugged up everything, washed EVERYTHING in EVERY cupboard, rented a steam cleaner to clean the couch and the carpets, and ripped apart the whole apartment basically. I was exhausted. I tried everything, the rat zapper, humane traps, predator pee, nothing worked.

Frankly, it just got down to "it's me or them"

Thanks for being so judgmental!

Posted by: The Vidiot at November 5, 2009 2:01 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

In lieu of IMBY's suggestion, which, I'm sure, works for IMBY, the best way to get the little buggers is to use empty paper towel tubes.

Balance a paper towel tube perpendicular to the edge of a counter or wherever they are with a bit of peanut butter at the end that dangles over the edge. Tie a string around the other end and fasten it to something heavy enough to hold the tube when it tips over the edge. on the floor beneath the tube, put a garbage pail. Now, if you're a buddhist, don't put a glue trap on the bottom of the garbage pail and dispose of the mice however you wish. If you aren't a buddhist, put a glue trap on the bottom of the garbage pail.

Mice can't resist the peanut buttery smelling tunnel of excitement and fun. When they get to the end of the tube, the tube tips over and boom they fall into the pail. Then, you just have to reset the tube and wait for victim number two. (I caught three in one night like this.) Brace yourself for the screaming though. I live in a floor through so the kitchen is within earshot and in my semi-sleep, with the screaming mice, I dreamt I was choking puppies. On the bright side, the scream seemed to have scared the bejeezus out of the rest of the mice and I really didn't have a problem after that.

Oh and if you use the glue traps, the most humane thing to do, i think, is to just drown them in the toilet. I know, I know, but what else can you do? I heard of one guy taking them outside, and just leaving them bound up in a plastic grocery bag. They can last for days like that. Oh, and ONE GUY (dare I say sadist?) said he wrapped it up in a grocery bag, took it outside and dropped a cinder block on it. I mean, wow.

Good luck. I know what you're going through.

Posted by: The Vidiot at November 5, 2009 1:25 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

The Vidiot -- your post is the best argument I have ever seen in favor of Buddhism.

This has to be bad for the soul:

"I live in a floor through so the kitchen is within earshot and in my semi-sleep, with the screaming mice, I dreamt I was choking puppies."

Oh, and why don't you just whack the mice with a hammer?

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 1:39 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

You have NO idea what I'd been through up until that point. The infestation was due to the construction in the apartment above me and the entire brownstone renovation next to me and no landlord taking care of the basement for 5 months.

I keep my home pretty damn clean so when I started seeing the massive amounts of turds, I was frantic. I had mouse droppings everywhere even AFTER I had plugged up everything, washed EVERYTHING in EVERY cupboard, rented a steam cleaner to clean the couch and the carpets, and ripped apart the whole apartment basically. I was exhausted. I tried everything, the rat zapper, humane traps, predator pee, nothing worked.

Frankly, it just got down to "it's me or them"

Thanks for being so judgmental!

Posted by: The Vidiot at November 5, 2009 2:01 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

"Thanks for being so judgmental!"

Oh, I'm not being judgmental. I don't care about the mice, but I do worry about the mouse screams poisoning people's souls, but only in a philosophical way.

I would have whacked them with the hammer rather than drowning them in the toilet, but that's just me.

I had some mouse issues last winter and found snap traps with peanut butter did the trick. Actually, I sprinkled some sugar on top of the peanut butter, which I think helps (although if you are using "sugar added" peanut butter this is probably not necessary).

I had a little trouble at first, but I found if I left a garbage bag with dinner leftovers under the sink and put traps around it, it was fairly effective.

A trap in the broiler was also useful -- just remember to take it out before cooking!

I kept a hammer around in case any rodents got wounded instead of killed by the traps, but I didn't end up needing it.

So, yeah, I'm no buddhist either.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 3:04 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

"Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty
Wi bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murdering pattle."

Havelc, I do not leave my home under any conditions.

The following mice have restraining orders against me:

Minnie, Miss Bianca, Gus, Jaq, Jerry, Stuart Little, and Pearl Pureheart. Also entire cast of Ratatouille. Currently on parole after conviction for class B misdemeanor of "Stalking in the Fourth Degree". Clarabelle Cow, please forgive me.

Posted by: IMBY at November 5, 2009 3:16 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

My neighbor has a cat, who watches as the mice parade around their house. Lol. In addition to steel wool, there is a foam spray that you can spray on top of the wool or in holes to help.Also put some poison in all the corners of your basement. The exterminator has packets of pellets which you can probably get at home depot. Mice find all kinds of ways to get into brownstones and then make holes the size of a penny to get into the apts. Gotta stay on top of things but it could be worse. Could be Rats, like my girl friend who is in a tizzy ever since Ratner started demolishing buildings and the railways by Atlantic Yards. I cant even visit her cause the rats are always around to welcome you...even in the daytime Yikes. They are as big as cats ...some of them.

Posted by: iluvclintonhill at November 5, 2009 3:23 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

I had this problem for the last 3 years. (Thanks to construction around me, shocker!) Finally I had a contractor come with the exterminator and they went and found every little hole in my apartment. They pulled out all my appliances and plugged up the gaps around my gas line in my stove. I also had about 12 traps set in a 700 sf apartment, and since my holes have been filled, not one of those traps have had a mouse in them! Good luck!

Posted by: Cobblehillbaby at November 5, 2009 4:13 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

"Mice can't resist the peanut buttery smelling tunnel of excitement and fun. "

LOL im dying over here.

Folks it's true the screams do send a message to the rest.

Posted by: jack slade at November 5, 2009 4:47 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

I heard a huge crashing, thrashing sound last week and rushed into the kitchen to see a mouse leap and soar like a gold medalist in the mousie Olympics over my glue trap and around a corner (while in mid-air) and then run straight at me across the kitchen floor and under my legs as I simultaneously reversed course and leapt straight upward and then onto the bed to escape it, while it ran under the bed and was not seen again.

Three hours of mouse screams from a less skilled relative two days before apparently did nothing to discourage this mouse.

We suffocate them in plastic bags after we catch them in the glue traps.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 5:31 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

mopar, seems like a golf club would have come in handy!

Posted by: denton at November 5, 2009 6:12 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

LOL, Denton.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 6:22 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!