Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
We are starting our house search and trying to decide between a high end condo/coop and brownstone. We are up for the general maintenance associated with a brownstone in terms of constant repairs, etc. However, one thing that keeps giving me pause is the rodent issue. So I wanted to ask those of you who…
We are starting our house search and trying to decide between a high end condo/coop and brownstone. We are up for the general maintenance associated with a brownstone in terms of constant repairs, etc. However, one thing that keeps giving me pause is the rodent issue.
So I wanted to ask those of you who have brownstones to describe what type of mouse encounters should be expected.
If we buy a house that is in great condition, is it still a guarantee that we’ll see mice annually when the weather turns cold? Or is it more just a common occurance? We live in Manhattan now in an old building and have encountered mice but it was just once and they have not turned up again after we caught them.
So I just want to understand whether I can expect this to be an ongoing problem (as in, catch mice frequently throughout the year) or whether this is typically more of an isolated incident that, if properly addressed by exterminators, etc.- can be dealt with.
I’m just trying to understand the nature and severity of the mouse situation in most brownstones. Any comments would be appreciated.
Thank you!
The cats smothering/sucking the breath from babies notion has been around since the Middle Ages, and is nonsense. To my knowledge, there has never been a documented case of that actually taking place, anywhere in the entire world. Mice are not interested in your child either. They only want a warm place to nest, and food, and tend to keep to the corners of rooms. As Mrs. Limestone and others said, keep food out of the child’s room and close the door, if you get a cat.
Everyone in my 3 family house has at least 2 cats, and we occasionally find a dead mouse in the jaws of a kitty, and they are usually very young mice who didn’t know better. We look for all holes to fill up, but don’t put out traps because the cats are very nosy. We’ve only found them when the weather is very rainy, or when it first gets cold. Like waterbugs, which show up in the summer, nature tends to get in. Thankfully, no nests or droppings have been found. One can only try to keep up, but as long as we don’t have rats, I don’t freak out too much.
Cleanliness and plugging holes keeps me busy enough.
We live in an old Victorian. Had mice in our part and the rental when we moved in with our two cats. In the first couple of weeks, we found two or three dead mice in the hallway, we haven’t seen a single mouse in either part of the house for two years. We also have a newborn, the cats sniffed her when she first got home, they have not been the least bit interested in the three months since then.
We have had only rare single mouse sightings over the past 15 years in our brownstone. However we are in the midst of our third all out battle with home invading squirrels! These critters are relentless in searching out warm & cozy housing for the winter. We have had to seal up every imaginable opening on the roof/exterior with wire mesh and they have still returned. Anyone have better experience with eliminating squirrels?
When we brought our son home from the hospital our twelve year old cat expressed a great deal if interest, sniffed the top of his head once, and never bothered with him again.
The only time we saw mice was when we were between cats, after she died three years later. They disappeared as soon as we aquired a tiny kitten. Mice aren’t THAT stupid.
Unless you’re alergic to cats, they’re a much better solution than using anything toxic. Of course it helps if you really love them, but just tolerating them as the least harmful kind of rodent control would suffice (although the poor cat might not like that).
Mrs Limestone, that “rumor” was started because anyone with a cat, knows that they like to sleep on your head/neck just like 10:11 said. They’re not killing kids on purpose out of jealousy or anything, but they might by accident.
Not to turn this into a cat thread but cats do not smother babies. I don’t know where this rumor started.
Many of the new mothers I know keep the door to the nursery closed to prevent the cat from going in there to avoid shedding, etc.. Its pretty easy to keep a cat out of a section of a house. Just shut the door.
If your cat has to wage war on mice in every room of your house, you have a bigger problem than any cat is going to help out with.
This is more about a parent who thinks he/she can protect their kid from each and every evil germ that exists. You can’t. And you shouldb’t if you want them to actually develop anti-bodies. Have you considered a spaceship?
Congrats on the twins. I’m jealous. I’ll offer a few thoughts. I personally would hesitate to bring in an exterminator to spray poison into my babies’ environment.
In our coop, the apts without cats have seen mice. Those with have not. However, I know my cat loves to sleep anywhere warm and especially loves to curl up around our heads and necks at night. A cat could plop itself down on a baby and smother it (sorry, terrifying notion for new mom I’m sure). If you wouldn’t put a heavy blanket on the baby, don’t allow a heavy “blanket” to jump up in their crib. I’ve seen bassinets with a net cover that zips up over. Also, what do doctors say nowadays about alergens in the early months of a baby’s life? I’d ask before introducing cat dander.
9:45…what kind of rat zapper dids you get and how does it work???