Time for the Mice to Move Back Indoors
Like clockwork, the one night of colder temps we had last week brought back our unwanted housemates—the mice. So we’ll gear up for the usual one-two-three punch of steel wool, poison and traps, but aren’t feeling too optimistic. (Mrs. B is allergic to cats.) One neighbor of ours is in the process of pumping his…
Like clockwork, the one night of colder temps we had last week brought back our unwanted housemates—the mice. So we’ll gear up for the usual one-two-three punch of steel wool, poison and traps, but aren’t feeling too optimistic. (Mrs. B is allergic to cats.) One neighbor of ours is in the process of pumping his walls full of cellulose insulation, which apparently contains mouse-repelling boric acid—maybe we should try that.This got us thinking about the preferences (and ethics) of readers: Glue traps or old-school snap traps?
Photo by shadphotos
Nice photo, Mr. B! All the debate over traps aside, I gotta say I think there’s no substitute for a good mouser. The last two joints I moved into, we found a dead mouse each day for about the first five days–after that, nada. Zilcho. Rodent-free zone. My 2 cats, aging though they may be, will fuck you up, Mr. Mouse, thus handily justifying their otherwise useless feline existence. A friend just got two of those beautiful gray cats that are supposedly allergy-friendly. Or you could get one of those nasty-looking hairless ones.
Ratzapper. The mouse dies instantly, so it is more humane and you just throw them out – you don’t have to look.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!! and yuck too… damnable nasty critters… either way
of catching them is creepy… struggling on gluetraps is pitiful, and crushed mouseheads in wooden traps… arghhhhhhhh…
🙁 No glue traps. My disgusting neighbors often catch mice on glue traps and then throw them out of the window (right near my apartment entrance). It breaks my heart. Unfortunately I don’t have the stomach for it, but my boyfriend will usually put it out of its misery for me.
Disgusting pigs…
They can get through really small spaces. I once lived in an apartment where they would squeeze INTO the birdcage, steal the millet meant for the budgies, then squeeze OUT of the birdcage and eat their treats behind the piano.
Personally I think Glue traps are heinous because of the length of time it takes for them to meet their end. BUT, If you want to use them don’t put bait on them such as peanut butter, it will weaken the glue strength. an exterminator recommended cotton balls on the trap. Mice are attracted to it because it makes great nesting material.
Spray foam around pipes and any gaps between floor and wall, door sweeps also. Mice can sneak through a space as small as 1/2 inch I think. Maybe even smaller, they have extra flexible joints ‘n bones.
Small dogs especially terrier breeds can also be good for catching the critters, still depending on the dog. One of my Chihuahuas is rutheless at dispatching mice, the other just doesn’t wanna know.
1.21, you have clearly never seen anything caught on a glue trap trying to get free. It’s AWFUL. As for breed of cat – I second the street cat suggestion. Our tuxedo formerly-feral kitty is a KILLER. We have no mice, and only 2 water bugs in a year (both if which i only saw when the cats were stalking them). And we live next door to a seriously dirty crack house.
I’ve found that allowing snakes to range free in the house keeps the rodent population down. They especially like to lair in the dark, warm spots (like by the boiler) which attract mice. The only drawback is that guests are sometimes surprised – I’ve put up signs but no one ever takes them seriously.
For those of you who aren’t ardent anti-gunners, a BB gun is a fun way to practice target shooting while keeping your home clean of mice and other vermin.