Mice in Bed-Stuy
We’ve been renting a floor-thru in a brownstone for a year and a half. We saw a mouse when we first moved in, but after plugging in some holes we went an entire year before seeing another one. Five months ago, we started seeing a mouse and/or droppings almost everyday. We suspect it is because…
We’ve been renting a floor-thru in a brownstone for a year and a half. We saw a mouse when we first moved in, but after plugging in some holes we went an entire year before seeing another one. Five months ago, we started seeing a mouse and/or droppings almost everyday. We suspect it is because the next building over had construction work done. We’ve plugged more holes. Our landlord had a handyman come in to plug additional holes.
We have used glue traps and poison, but neither have worked. We keep the kitchen super clean and throw out the garbage regularly. The only thing that was effective was peppermint oil but only for about a week.
Our landlord does not want to hire an exterminator. She doesn’t seem to think mice are that big of a deal. “This is NYC” she says. Also, she thinks an exterminator will just lay down poison which she could do herself.
Any other suggestions for things we can do? Is it worth us hiring an exterminator to just work on our floor or is it only effective if the whole building is done?
The exterminator I use for rentals guarantees his work so I think he’s worth it. What he does is safe for babies & pets. Empire – 718 237 0989
And my two cents… I’d MUCH rather live with an army of mice than a stoopid cat. 🙂
bb gun, flashlight, thermos of coffee, and a bottle of scotch.
DIBS is right about the steel wool — or this copper mesh they make for this (because it doesn’t rust). Just pack the spaces with steel wool… tiny spaces too. I think it’s something like a 1/4 inch is all the little poop machines need.
I had mice… don’t anymore. It was a combination of snap traps, steel wool and LOTS and LOTS of d-CON pellets all over the place. And I scattered the pellets — they didn’t seem to want to eat out of the little plastic trays. Once i poured it right on the floor… SUCCESS!
Lot’s of munched up pellets and the VERY SATISFYING green mouse poo! That means the poison is working it’s way through the little bastards! (I don’t work for PETA, if you hadn’t guessed already)
Also — don’t use glue traps. They’re just mean. What you end up with is a pissed off mouse that will probably bite you, completely alive, and beginning to chew his legs off so he can get away.
Get an actual mint plant or sprinkle mint in the areas you’ve seen the mice. Rodents hate mint…and even basil, which is a deriviative of mint.
Poison OR a cat. You wouldn’t want your cat to eat a poisoned mouse.
Hmmmmm….try to plug every single hole. They can’t come in.
Also, be aware you could have holes in the wall behind your kitchen counters and stove where it’s impossible for a human to reach to plug them up. Then they come through the bottom of the stove and around the sides of the counters (depends on how the counters are made).
I’m not sure how to solve this problem — maybe with sheet metal, boards, and caulk around the bottom of the stove and sides of the counter.
Some exterminators are very effective (some are not) but in all cases you have to seal every hole, or it won’t work.
Okay, so it has been said. Cats. Poison. Traps.
You do want some poison in the basement, too, for sure.
What bohuma said!
I’ve only seen mice when we’ve been temporarily between cats {our first two cats having died in mid-Winter, when kittens are scarce at the shelters]. Even a tiny kitten is enough to keep them away for the 15+ years of its lifespan. Unless the OP is very allergic, or hopelessly alurophobic, a cat is the way to go.