# MICE?!?!?!?!



## BlessedOne

Ok so embarrassingly, I have found out that my house has mice. I don't think we had mice until this winter. A couple of months back we realized that our down stairs had them and we thoroughly cleaned the whole house (shampooed the carpets and everything). Things seemed to get better until I got into the closet to get some baby stuff out and noticed mice poo all over. Then days later the kids said they saw a mouse again.

Well I had thought I had them contained to at least the down stairs closets....not that I wanted them there...but I could handle them there more than the main living area.
Well my bubble was busted when just a couple of days ago I noticed mice poo on my kitchen floor and the next day I saw the offending creature when I got up in the morning. I was very displeased but was like well at least it is not on the counter.....well I spoke too soon and that night what do I hear but a mouse on the counter and then find poo. I was soooooooooo upset about it! I don't even know how they get up there!!!!!! No wonder the family has been so sick lately!

Either way for the past couple of months we have really been trying to keep crumbs disposed of and any food stored away from where they assumingly can get it. Thankfully I don't think they have been in our food...but I don't like the idea of them being on our counters!

Basically I obviously don't want to use poisons as
1. I have 4 kids
2. I don't want them falling dead in my house and me not knowing where
3. even though I don't want them in my house....I still kind of feel bad killing them 0_o
So that of course takes out the idea of snap traps and glue boards as well......but if I don't get them out of here...then I may have to result to inhumane killing =(.

I have tried the live catch traps. The first caught one in downstairs area. I released it a couple blocks from our house. But when taking the trap back to the house, I dropped it and it broke...so I had to toss it after one use. I planned to buy more but they didn't sell that kind anymore. So I bought the more expensive live trap and it has been worthless. It has been out for a couple of months hasn't caught a thing....even though I have seen mice!

I have tried catching them in peanut butter jars as from research they really like peanut butter....but that didn't work.

I have tried some of the things (that you have around your house) that are supposed to repel them. Such as moth balls and bounce dryer sheets. Moth balls didn't work and I just put the dryer sheets out today. So we will see. 
I tired peppermint leaves (dried) and that didn't work. I have been told peppermint oil works...just haven't found any around this area yet.

I have read of various non-toxic and humane ways of getting rid of them...but they have mixed reviews. I just hate to put out a ton more time and money if it won't work.

I put screens in the vents to keep them out but apparently they found a different way. I even vacced the vents out so they wouldn't have stored up food.

I wouldn't mind the mice as much if they didn't carry disease, chew on things, and leave poo all over. Honestly I think they are cute...but I don't want them running free around my house!!

So I ask.....does anyone know of anything that ACTUALLY works!?!?!?


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## Peony

Snap traps or a good mouser cat.







once the mice are in, they can just keep reproducing and if you see one or two, there are many more that you are not seeing. you have two problems, getting g rid of the existing infestation and then figuring out where they came inside to begin with and fixing that. I have not had much luck with humane methods but to be honest if there is a mouse in my house, I don't sleep until it is gone. Mice inside seriously freak me out but my old neighbor did die of hantavirus which mice in my area can carry.


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## Emma Bryan Fuller

years ago we had a rental with mice. The owner spent a lot on pest control. Basically the guy went around the whole house. The spot they entered was so tiny. They leave a dark greasy mark where they squeeze in..eeeewww! That was the first thing he did, seal entries. Also, cut grass etc near the building. Then he placed a lot of traps...so, yeah, he killed them. He came back every day to check the traps. It did work. He used peanut butter too. He said never give poison as they can die in a wall cavity and you will never get rid of the smell.

Good Luck...


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## BlessedOne

Thanks for the info
Yeah I think I might have to go for the good ol' fashioned snap traps. I will just have to have dh be the one that disposes of them....as I don't think I could handle it 0_o

I just want my family to live in a safe place...not a place that has possible bacteria filled rodents.

I would so just move if my husband would let me.....but then I would freak if they came in the moving boxes with us!

We rent the place we are currently in and have lived here for almost 10 years without a mouse issue......like I said...it pretty much all seemed to just start in the past few months. Our vehicles and our neighbors vehicles have even been attacked! We have seen them just running around the yard! I can't believe they have been so bad!

The family has had so much stomach and intestinal sickness over the past few months and I am starting to wonder if it was from the mice. I kind of chalked it off as just normal flu that comes around in the winter, but when only one member would get it....it kind of makes me wonder.

The kids play on the floors constantly and of course then put their hands in their mouth or eat without washing hands......so who knows.

It just grosses me out and I hate that those things may have been making my family sick!

I HAVE GOT TO GET THEM OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!!!

If I didn't cringe at the idea of a cat getting hair all over my house (and if my kids were not terrified of animals) I would get a house cat.........but I don't for see that happening.

We have been keeping it as crumb free as possible...you would think they would run out of food at some point!!


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## rebirth

I sympathize, we're going through the same thing!!! EEEK! I am also deeling with it poorly on the emotional end. It makes me feel dirty, effects my sleep and is embarassing! :/ WE're doing the snap traps as well.


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## Cyllya

I spent a lot on humane traps too, but what actually worked for me was the ol' paper-towl-tube-off-the-counter trick.

Here's how it works:

1. Get a paper towel tube. Put it so one end is on the counter top and the rest is hanging off above the floor.

2. Put a coin or something in the counter end to help weigh the tube down.

3. Put some bait (e.g. raisins) near the tube, and put one in the over-the-floor end of the tube.

4. Put a large bucket or trashcan under the tube to contain the mouse. IIRC, it needs to be at least 20 inches tall (and smooth inside, of course).

The mouse will walk into the tube to get the food and his own weight will cause the tube to fall into the trash can with him in it.

You have to release them at least a mile from your home, or maybe some kind of wildlife rehab organization will take them. Since you'll have the mouse contained for a while, make sure you remind your kids not to pet them.


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## Emma Bryan Fuller

If it's a rental I would prob tell the owners. If I was an owner I would be happy to know and get rid of them. Worse case would be renters who didn't care and the problem got worse. Our owner was right on it and let us call pest control and bill him. I would want pest control in and the mice out asap.

Looking back our prob was pretty bad and got out of control fast. The worst was at night, I would hear then in closets and in the evening watching tv I would sometimes see one.

I had babies then too. The house never felt clean to me again.

He put the traps high, on shelves, in attic etc.

I think I let our problem get bad before doing anything. So long ago but I still remember that smell and thinking they were gone and finding poop and just crying.

If it's just the odd one or two you should be able to deal with this pretty fast.


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## Maedze

FYI, if you've seen evidence, and you've let it go since this winter, you probably have, no exaggeration, hundreds, if not thousands of mice :-/ The risk of that kind of waste product in your house far exceeds the risk of traps and poisons. It's time to hire a professional, it's been so long I doubt you'll be able to get it under control by yourself.


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## BlessedOne

I have been trying to deal with it from the get go. We thoroughly cleaned our house bottom to top.....and things seemed to get better for a while. It wasn't until here recently that the problem made itself evident again.
We try our best to maintain clean floors and counters and keep all food stored away in an assumingly mice free area.

And we have tried some traps...just not the killing ones or poison.

We caught one in our first live trap. That was shortly after we realized there was a problem.
Then we ended up catching one accidently in a trash can. This was maybe a week or two later.
I also caught one in my kids stereo.
And we found a dead one.

I have put out other live traps but they just didn't catch anything.

We hadn't seen any mice in a while until a few days ago. Each time he has been seen he has gone back to the same location.........so I think I figured out his house (behind the dishwasher). So I hope to figure out a way to deal with that.
I honestly don't think I have a lot in my main living area as up until a couple of days ago I did not see a single sign of mice......no poo....no chewings, no noises....nothing. But in the past couple of days I have seen poo, the mouse and evidence that he has been messing with stuff and heard noises. So I think it is a relatively new thing to have them up here.

Now down stairs there seemed to have been quite the problem but we haven't seen any down there in a while and after I cleaned up the last of the poo, I haven't seen any return. So I am hoping they have stopped attacking down there.....but I hope they didn't just move upstairs!


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## ameliabedelia

You have to figure out where they are coming in and seal it up. Until you figure out where they are coming in, they will just keep coming back. If you have a garage, that is a prime suspect place. Look for any new holes or cracks. There is this product called liquid foam, which you can use to spray all around your pipes, in any cracks in the walls, anyplace small enough where they could come. It sprays like foams and then hardens and mice can't chew through it.

Then set traps to kill the ones already in the house.


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## BlessedOne

Thanks for the info.
I had checked around the outside of the house a few weeks back and covered any place I thought might have let them in gravel. The landlord did put some of that spray foam in an area that had rotted. It is an area by a spicket that comes out from our house. The spicket drips and the water has rotted the cedar siding a little. So my landlord, used that spray foam. I covered that area with white rock gravel to be extra safe. I checked it a few days ago and the rock had been moved some (not sure if water did it or mice) and the foam was exposed and of course was damaged (could have been from me putting the rock on it or perhaps the water dripping or maybe even mice). I kind of just moved the gravel back over the spot and will tend to it later.

We do not have a garage....so I know it isn't there that they are getting in..lol.

I am also concerned as to where I can safely put the traps to where my kids won't get into them.

My husband found a mouse repellant.....there is an indoor and outdoor form. It is pricey but has decent reviews...but I don't know how long it lasts. I would hate to have to use it all the time. It is about 25 dollars (without shipping) to cover a 50 ft line 8 inches wide....which is what is recommended for the outdoors. I think we would need about two to go around a house (maybe more). And as stated previously, I don't know how long it lasts.
I do wish my landlord was more proactive about it all, but I don't care to make a big fuss about it...given that he is my father in law and I can't get away from him. lol

I did find out that mice have some interesting abilities. My son saw one hopping up the stairs! We have spiral metal stairs...so it is open between stairs. They have had the ability to somehow get on the counters and shelves....even though supposedly they can't run up walls. They have the ability to chew through hard plastic....as they chewed the corner of my kids stereo. And I am wondering if they have the ability to open cabinet doors, as I heard my cabinet door shut when no one was around but me.

They finally got into my food in the pantry.....thankfully just a couple of bags of cereal was sacrificed....but needless to say I was mad. I guess when you take away all of the easy food (such as floor and counter crumbs) they well...u get the point.

I am just so ready for this to be over!

Thank you all for your help =)


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## Caneel

We have battled mice over the years and where I grew up (farms) mice were sort of a part of life.

We recently went through an epic battle and I thought my DH was going to have a breakdown, it was so stressful. What made it worse was they were deer mice, which are far larger than the little field mice I was used to and deer mice carry ticks that can cause Lyme disease.

As far as I am concerned, there is no "nice" way to battle the mice, you need to take the gloves off so to speak. We had to get a professional exterminator and here is what I learned from the experience -

1. mice can squeeze through a crack smaller than the tip of your pinky

2. no matter how clean you keep the house, once mice find a nice place to live/reproduce, they settle in and will travel outside of the house to find food

3. not all cats are good micers. Mine were/are, so much so that they liked to play with the mice for hours prior to the kill. A cat bringing a live mouse into bed in the middle of the night will cure anyone of their squishness over traps and poisons, ask me how I know.....

4. we used enclosed bait poison stations and didn't make the decision lightly. These are places in the dark corners of closets, cabinets, etc where mice like to travel. You need a key to open the it and because of how it is designed, I think it would be hard, if not impossible, for a kid or other pet to get it open unless they used a hammer and a crow bar. The exterminator told me that the "poison" is basically blood thinner. Mice are so little, it doesn't take much to do the trick. It makes them extremely thristy, driving them outside (ideally) to look for water and if all goes right, they die outside. I didn't find a poisoned mouse in the house.

We learned this old fashion trick from a friend - fill a bucket about 1/2 full of water and put something in the water to give it a scent, we use a couple of drops of cooking oil. Place a board against the lip of the bucket with the other end on the floor, you are creating a ramp from the floor to the bucket. The idea is that mice will run up the board ramp and fall into the water when they try to get a drink. I had my doubts but we were catching one or two per day!

I used aluminum foil to seal spaces around the heating and plumbing pipes but now know that mice will chew through that. The exterminator gave me a type of steel wool made out of copper that has proven effective.

I can't remember the exact price but I think we pay $375 a year now. The exterminator we use guarantees results and will come as much as needed to get the problem under control, regular visits are quarterly. He provides all the traps and supplies.

When we would catch a mouse once in a while, I didn't think it was a big deal My DH pushed and it was hard for me to agree to this service because I hated the poison idea and was very worried about our son and our cats. And then we got massive quantities of mice and that pushed me over the edge. We have been free of mice for about a year, keeping fingers crossed.


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## BlessedOne

Thank you for your tips

I have thought about trying to fill the kitchen sinks with bleach water every night and see if that will catch a few.......but not sure if the bleach would repel them or not. But I figured if they fell in bleach water, that not only would they drown (hopefully), but hopefully the bleach would kill them. But the smell of the bleach might repel them given they have sensitive noses. It would be great if that idea would repel them from my counter in general....but I don't know that would work.

I did learn that apparently they can climb out of a large peanut butter container. I had set this out as trap......but this morning I just found mouse poop in the tall peanut butter container.
Also again my kids saw a mouse hopping up the stairs.

I think a lot of times people underestimate the abilities and intelligence of mice. No wonder they use them for so many testings in labs 0_o

I still cringe at the idea of snap traps....as I think I would not be able to dispose of the remains without freaking out or if I heard the trap go off, I might be bothered by the fact that I know I just killed a mouse.
I am getting better at the idea of them dieing.....I just don't like the idea of blood and guts. And I don't want to risk them dieing in my walls or various places with poisons. The smell is horrendous! I currently have a dead mouse in my vehicle vent 0_o...thankfully it is warm here so I can drive with my windows open to help clean the air!

I think I might search online to find the original live capture traps I used which actually did do its job unlike the piece of junk I am currently using. I think if I bought a lot of those and put them places that I have seen mice that I could capture them and this time be sure to take them farther from the house. At the same time, I think I might press the landlord to put out the money for the outside repellant.....given that it isn't my fault that his land has had a mice problem.

Here is what I have found DOESN'T work-
-moth balls don't seem to bother the mice like they are supposed to
-bounce dryer sheets...I am not positive if this affects them.....I stuffed some in the cracks I have seen mice around and some of the sheets don't seem to be moved...but others do....but it might not be from mice. I know I have still seen evidence of mice....just not sure if RIGHT NEXT to the bounce sheets. 
-dried peppermint leaves don't work....although I haven't tried the oil. I might buy some just to give it a try
-peanut butter containers- apparently mice can get out easily from them without knocking them over....even if they are the 6 inch high containers

Things I have learned-
-apparently mice can actually hop up stairs
-mice apparently can get on counters and shelves.....somehow...still not sure how
-they can fit in really small spaces
-they can chew hard plastic

I am reassured that they have not plagued my main living area for very long.......so that at least makes me feel a little better....given that it is apparently a new problem and hopefully can be taken care of quickly.
I know for sure that they have not been on my counters for more than a week.......which I find comfort in.
But now it is just time to get them out all together!

I would like to naively tell myself that since the mice can hop up and down the stairs...that perhaps there are less than I figure......I know last night I heard a noise that sounded like a mouse running across my upstairs room and in less than a minute my son came up to tell me he saw a mouse jumping all the way up the stairs. So I hope that is the same one I heard just moments before. And hopefully the same one that has been on my counters and into our pantry (which is basically a shelving unit without doors next to our stairs).
I do know that the mice I have seen do not limit themselves to one area. As I have with my own eyes seen one run from my bedroom to the kitchen or vice versa. I have seen this a few times. And my son has seen one run from the living room to the kitchen. Our house is really small, so all of these areas are pretty close to each other.....but with seeing them go from place to place it helps me think that maybe there are not as many. =S


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## SimonMom

I had mice for the first time this past fall/winter. I HATE mice in the house. Outdoor mice are cute..but they do not belong indoors. Mice are pests. They are overpopulated probably due to easy access to food and nice places to live (houses) and lack of natural predators. I feel NO remorse killing them. Neither should you.  Disposing of dead mice was hard for me at first, but I got used to it. It's MUCH MUCH better then actually living with mice in your house and having them poop in your cabinets and on your counters and in your bedroom. *shudders* I would hear them at night run across the floor.

I basically bought snap traps and glue traps. I will not recommend the glue traps. The mice do nice die easily and I found it gruesome to wake up and find a mouse struggling to get out of the glue. Plus I had several mice escape from glue traps!!!! Snap traps are the way to go! They are cheap enough that I just tossed out the trap when I caught one, even though they are reusable. Snap traps cause a quick and painless death for the mice. I think it basically breaks their neck. There were no blood and guts involved with snap traps.  Unlike the time one of the mice was trying to chew off its leg in the glue trap.  I did drown that one after I found it so it would die quickly..and then never used those traps again. Anyway...I really didn't want to touch the snap trap with the dead mouse..so I ended up using tongs to do it. I was tempted to ask my kids to throw it away for me because they really didn't mind... lol


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## BlessedOne

Thanks for the info =)
Yeah I think might just have to buck up about it all =S

Thanks for letting me know about the glue traps...definitely don't want to use them if that happens.

My kids begged me to get snap traps today at the store...they even volunteered to dispose of them.....IF I let them I would have to have them use gloves or I would freak out about them touching it!

My landlord did offer today to set/check/dispose of the traps....so I might go with that. I just hope I don't hear the trap going off 0_0


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## Peony

Definitely a huge no on glue traps from me as well. They are nasty, nasty inventions, not a quick death by any means. I use snap traps and go through several packages a year. We keep them in our crawl space under our house with no stair access, they can climb up walls, I have seen them enter our house through this access. And also in our garage and around our our dryer vent enters the house. All are points of access for mice in our house and we always keep some in our camper. I can not tell you have many times we caught a random mouse in those traps. A mouse can fit through a hole the size of your fingertip. In our last house we had them crawling up wood beams outside the house to enter through 2nd story windows off a porch! Anyway, after many years of using snap traps and many mice in them, I will say that the vast majority of the time, it is a very quick death for them. I can only remember once when I had to call dh to finsh the job. I don't touch the traps either so I can't blame you there, ok so i have but only when forced to! I prefer the snap traps with the fake cheese, the mice in my area LOVE those and will always flock to those over the regular snap traps with any sort of goody in it. They must smell really good. I do not relish killing any animal and used to have pet rats as a child, but as soon as wild ones are loose in my house, they must go.


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## Caneel

Those glue traps are horrible. Snap traps are far more humane.

In my opinion, snap traps are disposable. I would not "clear" a snap trap because I am sort of a sissy.

The "fake" cheese traps do seem to attract more mice than real bait.

While I don't think oils are a total cure for mice, I used small bits of rags soaked in orange oil in our lower cupboards and under the stove and I do think it discouraged the mice from visiting those areas. It only moved them away from my dishes to other parts of the house but it was a small victory.


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## dovey

We have lived in a few rentals with mice. It was disturbing - nothing that I did would get rid of them permenantly, I think because there were so many of them that we didn't see. (We lived in the middle of a big meadow right by a water source and in a big old house which probably had mice for many many years before we got there.) We would scare them away with high pitched mouse repellers or trap them (If you want to use humane traps try the "mice cube." It's cheap, you can buy lots of them, and they always work well.) We tried to plug up all the holes, but there were just too many was to get in. The mice population would decrease slightly with these measures, but if I ever was slightly less than vigilant about all the food stuff and the trapping and everything, (like when my daughter was born), they would come back full force, I think because they were never gone completely to begin with.

When we moved, I decided that we were done with this mouse stuff for good, and we adopted three cats. One is an outside semi-feral cat. She keeps them from getting too close to the house. And the other two patrol the inside for any that might have gotten through her clutches. No mice in the house at all, ever. It's awesome. It's completely worth the cat hair and even the fact that one of the cats sometimes pees in the plants. Way better than mouse poo to me.

I feel good about the humane aspect of the mouse patrollers because I think the mice are scared of even getting too close to our house. I wish you the best. It is not any fun to have to worry about kids and rodents OR kids and poisons. I hope you figure something out.


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## BlessedOne

Thanks ladies for all of your help!

The mice seem to have been testing how far I will let them go and I think they finally crossed that boundary as to me not caring about their furry little neck being broken. I think last night one ran across my bed while I was sleeping. It woke me up and then of course I freaked and could not go back to sleep. A couple of nights ago while in a very deep sleep, I remember being slightly woke up by the same thing, but I kind of thought I was dreaming but last night when I got woke up, I turned on the night stand light and sure enough there were tissues pulled from my tissue box......so that pretty much has pushed me over the edge. I slept absolutely horrible last night.....so now it is war!

I did find out for sure that bounce dryer sheets are pointless for mouse repellant....as I put one on the cereal bag they have been attacking and by the time I was out of the shower and went to check on it the dryer sheet was on the floor. Also I saw a mouse run from one crack I stuffed the dryer sheet into to another crack. So apparently they don't affect them at all.

Prior to going to bed, I had put bowls of bleach water around to either deter or possibly capture the rodents.....but it was unsuccessful. Today I am doing another deep clean and then am going to get some traps.

In regards to the mice cube...yes it really does work...that was the first live capture trap I had and the only one that actually caught anything....but unfortunately I don't know that they are sold around here anymore. If I do go that way, I might have to order online. But a part of me is past live capture and just wants to buy a ton of snap traps........just to get the job done quickly. With the mice cube it took a week of having it out and the occasional moving of locations to catch anything. So I don't really want to prolong the situation any.

If I do go with snap traps, I will probably just have them out on the paths that I have seen the mice run and only have them out at night.......since that is when they are most active.......I just hope my 3 yo doesn't wake up in the middle of the night and step on one!
The nice thing about putting them out at only night is that hopefully I won't hear the trap go off......and of course by the time I would find the trap in the morning, it would be all said and done and I think I could get over it quickly. As I stated previously, my landlord did say he would set/check/ dispose of the traps ..but he is gone for sometimes a month at a time.......so that really only helps when he is home. I know I could set the trap....just not big on the checking and disposing idea. =S

The nice thing about seeing them over the past week or so is that I now know their routes and hang outs.....so now I know where to put the traps to be most effective.

Hopefully I will have this problem nipped in the bud quickly.

I had really thought about getting some cats.......but dh has not been on board with that AT ALL and plus....honestly my kids are terrified of most living creatures. =S
Plus I would be really concerned the outside cats would get ran over....as we live in a very busy community.

There used to be two stray cats that roamed the neighborhood and I think they helped keep the mice away.....but they were both ran over =(.

My kids have cats at my parents house (not that they ever do anything with them.....just moreso they are called my kids cats and such....basically that was the excuse my mom used on my dad to be able to keep them when they first showed up on their property). I have thought about getting one or two of them....but would feel horrible if they got ran over! My parents live in the country and can get away from having animals roam about.

We do have owls in the area and honestly they just came back in the past maybe 6 months or so.....so I wonder if that is why the mice finally came inside????

Although I will say I wish the owls did a better job of getting the outside mice! I think the older owls stay closer to the tree line.....one baby owl was ran over in our community a while back.

Ok well I better get off here....I hear the washing machine/dryer is done....so that means I need to continue with operation clean......which means I am re-washing a bunch of clothes I think mice might have been on....ugg


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## Caneel

I am a cat lover, had cats my entire life but I would not recommend cats as a solution, especially if your DH isn't supporting the idea.

There is no guaranty cats will put a dent into the mice population. My current cat was more than happy to catch mice, to play with, not to kill. He is the one that brought the live mice into our bed at night, dropped it so he could play some more and it raced off to live another day. Cats also like to display their kill for owner's to admire. Our other cat would kill mice and bring them to DH's side of the bed for him to "see"/step on. She was good for a mouse every other day or so but given the rate those little suckers reproduce, she wasn't controlling the population.

Growing up, our outside cats were good mousers and would leave their kills on the mat directly outside the kitchen door, not really a big deal but if you don't like the idea of dead whole mice, bits and pieces of mice will gross you out more.

I grew up in the country and outside barn cats were common. The idea was that they should "go hungry" to motivate them to hunt mice (and rats) on the farm. I don't know if this holds true but I personally couldn't deprive a cat of food in hopes they catch more mice.

So, just one gals opinion, cat(s) might not be even part of the solution.


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## BlessedOne

Thank you for you input =)

Yes I have heard not all cats are good mice hunters.
The few months that my parents have had cats (outdoor). My dad said one was good at hunting and the other wasn't. The other is more domesticated and the one that is better at hunting is still somewhat "wild". He said what he does for that cat is just puts out a little food...not a whole lot ...but enough to were the cat won't starve and then the cat catches the rest of his food.

But eitherway I don't see the cat idea going into effect at my house =).

On a different annoying note....my washing machine has decided it wants to start acting up again.....guess because of all of the laundry.....yay......not.


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## BlessedOne

Well I think we might be on the up side of things. I thoroughly cleaned everything again yesterday and got any food that they could get to put up and I haven't seen any or evidence of them up stairs in the past 24 hrs. The kids did say they saw one down stairs last night. I had my kids vac down stairs......so hopefully they will just give up and leave my house .


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## SimonMom

The mice are still there. They did not just leave because you cleaned up. No offense but you're kinda being wussy about this.  I don't think it's fair AT ALL that your kids are living with mice crawling across them. I KNOW how you feel...I felt the same way. Buck up and just go buy the snap traps today! And cheer when you hear the snap! lol. It's not that bad. I promise. But seriously... go. do. it.


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## Maedze

Yeah.









I'm sorry, but I don't think you quite understand the magnitude of what you're dealing with. Cleaning up does NOT MAKE THE MICE GO AWAY. The fact that your kids have seen them, OMG, mama, you have thousands of those things in your house. That's a huge, huge sanitation and health risk.

You need an exterminator at this point. You are not going to be able to handle this on your own.

I've been through a nasty mouse infestation, myself. It was awful, once I realized what I was choosing not to see.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SimonMom*
> 
> The mice are still there. They did not just leave because you cleaned up. No offense but you're kinda being wussy about this.  I don't think it's fair AT ALL that your kids are living with mice crawling across them. I KNOW how you feel...I felt the same way. Buck up and just go buy the snap traps today! And cheer when you hear the snap! lol. It's not that bad. I promise. But seriously... go. do. it.


----------



## Cherry_Blossom

Mice will NOT go away because you cleaned your house!!! Oh for heaven's sake, get some snap traps!!! Kill those little *&^%#@$^%&%#@!!!! I was so proud of the first mouse I killed, I posted a pic of it on FB!


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## mamadebug

I had mice for the first time ever this winter. I freaked - they carry diseases and leave poop all over. It's a real health concern.

We called an exterminator right away. I was also concerned about poison because we have kids and pets, and, obviously, I didn't want them to come in contact with the poison.

The exterminator did 2 things -

1) went around the exterior perimeter of our house and sealed up any possible point of entry. Like others have said, they can get in through the tiniest spaces - spaces you wouldn't even see like up under eaves, etc, but someone who does this for a living will know.

2) set snap traps. I feel bad for killing animals, but not bad enough to continue to let them be a health concern for my family. It's a quick death.

The exterminator told me some statistic like a few mice in a house can multiple in one years time to 1000 mice - I can't remember exactly, but it was A LOT. It gets out of control pretty quickly.

I think that you need an exterminator at this point if you are seeing them, your kids are seeing them and they are getting into your food. They don't just give up and leave if you vacuum and clean the counters. I don't know where you live and what the laws are in your state, but where we live, a landlord is legally required to maintain a healthy living environment - which would include providing rodent control.


----------



## ChristyMarie

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BlessedOne*
> 
> Thanks for the info =)
> Yeah I think might just have to buck up about it all =S
> 
> Thanks for letting me know about the glue traps...definitely don't want to use them if that happens.
> 
> *My kids begged me to get snap traps today at the store...they even volunteered to dispose of them.....*IF I let them I would have to have them use gloves or I would freak out about them touching it!
> 
> My landlord did offer today to set/check/dispose of the traps....so I might go with that. I just hope I don't hear the trap going off 0_0


No child should ever have to beg their parents to buy mouse traps. Let alone offer to dispose of them. Never.

Call an exterminator TODAY. This has clearly gone beyond what you can handle on your own and your children should not have to live in a home where they see mice climbing the stairs and fear them running across their beds at night.

Cleaning will not get rid of mice. They don't care how clean your house is, they will find something to eat. You have to seal up their access points and kill the ones who have infested your home.


----------



## Maedze

That's the big thing. Now that they've established a comfortable little nest with hundreds and hundreds of breeding babies, they aren't going to pick up and move out even if their access points become less convenient. They'll find a way to get your food. They always do. (Heck, they'll even go next door, get food there and bring it back to the nest. They will not pack up and move out, ever, short of extermination.)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ChristyMarie*
> 
> No child should ever have to beg their parents to buy mouse traps. Let alone offer to dispose of them. Never.
> 
> Call an exterminator TODAY. This has clearly gone beyond what you can handle on your own and your children should not have to live in a home where they see mice climbing the stairs and fear them running across their beds at night.
> 
> Cleaning will not get rid of mice. They don't care how clean your house is, they will find something to eat. You have to seal up their access points and *kill the ones who have infested your home.*


----------



## Caneel

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Maedze*
> 
> That's the big thing. Now that they've established a comfortable little nest with hundreds and hundreds of breeding babies, they aren't going to pick up and move out even if their access points become less convenient. *They'll find a way to get your food. They always do. (Heck, they'll even go next door, get food there and bring it back to the nest. They will not pack up and move out, ever, short of extermination.)*


This is true. In our case, there wasn't even human food for them to eat! Our problem was at our cottage where I don't keep food in the cupboard aside from canned goods. I was super careful about cleaniness but the exterminator told me it doesn't matter, they will eat almost anything and will travel for food if their living environment is cozy.


----------



## PoppyMama

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BlessedOne*
> 
> Well I think we might be on the up side of things. I thoroughly cleaned everything again yesterday and got any food that they could get to put up and I haven't seen any or evidence of them up stairs in the past 24 hrs. The kids did say they saw one down stairs last night. I had my kids vac down stairs......so hopefully they will just give up and leave my house
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .


www.doh.wa.gov/ehsphl/factsheet/hanta.htm

This sounds like a terrible situation and I'm sorry your husband is negative about options- I hope you will read the above link and maybe he will realize the seriousness of your situation. You should NOT be vacuuming up mouse droppings and it's not only the droppings that are a problem it's the saliva, etc as well. The stuff becomes airborne and you can all be made sick by just breathing, vacuuming stirs it up more, if you all have been sick but got better you are very very lucky.

I noticed that you are going to be having a baby soon and plan to have your baby in that house. For the love of God please do not give birth there or bring a newborn into that house until it has been exterminated and PROPERLY disinfected. I sympathize with you not liking your options or not having cooperation for them but this is very serious and it's your job to suck it up and protect your children. What a difficult time for this to happen! I hope you can find some help.


----------



## treeoflife3

We had a mouse once. We got a trap IMMEDIATELY. Hell no are we going to risk our kid's health trying to be kind. Actually, we put out many traps just in case there was more than the one we saw. and yeah, we also did a thorough extra scrubbing and made sure all foods were in upper cabinets and not at floor level and in sealed packaging.

You are probably infested now. They aren't going to leave... your house is clearly safe for them to nest since you won't do anything about them.

The fact that even your kids are to the point of begging you to do something is horrifying. Making them live in a mouse infested house is NOT good parenting. Call the damn exterminator before someone gets sick.


----------



## ~Boudicca~

You know what mama, I am pretty damn crunchy, but chemicals have a time and a place. This is one of them. Do you really want to bring a newborn babe into a house that is a breeding ground for the freaking Hanta virus? Seriously? Cleaning your house won't do jack. It's not like trying to keep out sugar ants or something.


----------



## DragonflyBlue

I'm going to start by saying I am an animal lover. I cannot tolerate animals being in pain from illness or accidents. Last week I killed a sick chick that was slowly dying so it wouldn't suffer any longer. I have a sick calf right now that I may have put down because his illness is painful and causes a slow death if treatment does not work. It kills me to see him like this.

You have a massive mouse problem. It is causing your children to be ill. You need to get over your issues with killing the mice or you could lose your children. Dcfs will remove them if you get reported. The mice could kill them. This is serious here. I don't know that you understand how serious it is. Cleaning will not get rid of the mice. You have to kill them. You cannot catch and release them. You cannot will them away. You have to kill them!

These are not cute little cartoon mice from Cinderella that will help you sew a fancy dress for the ball. They are disease ridden vermin that are causing your family illness. No animal's life is worth the risk of harm to you or your family.

Get your LL to get an exterminator. Put all your food into glass jars or plastic containers that are vermin proof. Keep it that way to reduce reinfestation. Kill the damn mice.

I'm not trying to attack or belittle you. I'm worried.

When mice get into the feed in my barn I toss the feed. The risk of feeding it to my animals is too high. Yes it's expensive but so are my animals. We learned quickly to store all feed in rodent proof storage. If people can kill mice and remove food sources for animals you can do this for your family.

Do NOT make your kids live this way. Do NOT allow them to dispose of dead mice. As a parent this is your job no matter how squeamish it makes you feel.

Mice in your home, in your food makes your home unsafe. It makes your children unsafe. Get this taken care of now. I simply cannot stress this enough!


----------



## fauxcrunch

Mice have no bladder. Where they walk, they pee. Be an adult and a parent and deal with the problem instead of fapping about the kyoot little mousies.


----------



## MeepyCat

The mouse behavior you describe (mice running across beds, not hiding from people, etc.) means one of three things:

- The mice in your house are so overpopulated that it's causing them unusual stress, or

- You don't have mice after all. You have rats.

- Both

None of these is a good situation. You need an exterminator. Either raise hell with the landlord, or pony up for one yourself.

In the meantime, stop fooling yourself about rodents staying in just some of the closets, or only downstairs. If you have 'em at all, they're everywhere. There are no areas in your house that they cannot get to. They jump up, down, and across. They climb. Cooperative behavior has been extensively observed in rats. They nest and breed. They eat things. They chew on the wiring in the walls, which is a fire hazard. The peanut butter jars didn't have a chance of working, because the rodents could just turn around and walk out. Cleaning doesn't make a darn bit of difference. Live traps are of very limited utility with a population of significant size (which you have).

If you're that worried about exposure to poisons, take your family to stay with friends, or in a motel for a few days, while the exterminator works.


----------



## Imakcerka

Well... you do know that mouse poop can carry the Hantavirus. And um a lady just died 6 days ago in Washington state from it. In fact there have been numerous cases in the last few years. While I don't actively kill anything I have no qualms about killing mice. You said you tried peppermint leaves... seriously? Peppermint oil works but in large quantities and then you have to be careful because it can cause issue with anyone with heart issues.

We had mice a few winters ago and we peppermint oiled the entire house. For the few that refused to leave we poisoned them. They were coming in under the deck and the garage. So I put poison in the garage top shelves and shoved it under the deck as far as I could. We had someone come out and get the dead mice. We haven't had a problem since then. If your family is already not feeling well you're just putting them in more danger. It's not about being nice to nature when you're families physical well being is at stake.

DO SOMETHING! They don't just leave on their own accord.


----------



## juggalette

If you think the illness or your scared babies aren't enough for you to take action-- then read these:

http://www.in.gov/isdh/23256.htm

Quote:


> Rats will bite babies..., because the smell of milk or other food on the baby is attractive to a rat looking for food.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/rats-bite-off-babys-toes-1756608.html

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/rat_bites_cover_baby_found_dea.html

I know you're planning to UC... you think the mice won't notice that? You are setting yourself and your baby up to get bitten, and possibly really sick.


----------



## coffeegirl

BlessedOne- If I were you I'd call my landlord again and tell him or her that the mouse situation is out of control and you need those traps or an exterminator. You're about to have a baby in this house, and your kids are getting sick. And like others have said, I promise you that the mice aren't gone yet. Please get an exterminator.

If they use poison, I guarantee you it won't be as harmful to your kids as mice droppings and hantavirus.


----------



## BlessedOne

Wow this thread went from helpful to condemning over night.

First of all let me set a few things straight.
There is a HUGE difference between rats and mice. I DO NOT have rats....they are house mice. Which contrary to what many of you believe DO NOT carry Hauntavirus. Mice are different in so many ways than rats. Believe me I have done a lot of research on all of this.....and given that I have actually seen the mice and their feces, there is NO way that these are rats or deer mice (which carry hauntavirus). Yes, house mice can carry diseases and bacteria as well.....but you know what so does your pets you let run around your house and let your kids play with. Or heck...even yourself....you can get just as sick from not washing your hands after you use the bathroom as you can the mice.

Don't be naive and think I have not spent countless hours researching about all of this issue. And don't think that for one moment I just sit around a let my kids play in mouse poop. I THOROUGHLY sanitize daily. That includes counters, floors, couch,.... everywhere mice can get to and that I can get to. I vac the poop up using my rainbow.....which doesn't throw dust around like normal vacs due to it's water basin. Before vaccing anywhere else, I sanitize the vacuum so it does not spread any possible bacteria. Anything that touches the floor must be sanitized immediately (just to be on the safe side) and I currently haven't been allowing the kids to even put their hands/heads to the floor and toys(and anything else that is touched) must be kept off the floor. Any food that is dropped on the floor is immediately disposed of and of course kids must wash hands before eating. What you don't know is that I am a complete germophobe.....like OCD germophobe. I use two big bottles of alcohol a week to sanitize my house, as well as other anti-bacteria agents, depending on where is being cleaned. So don't think for one minute that I am allowing bacteria to flourish in my home. Since we noticed they had been on the counters in the past few days, we do not put anything food oriented on the counters..........even though I sanitize them daily. Any dishes that are reused (such as cups) are stored away to where mice can not get to them.

The main reason why we suddenly started being able to see them around in the main living area (which just happened in the past week) is because I vacced the vents and used metal screen to block the vents. So they had to find new places to hide/store food/travel. I wouldn't be surprised if half of you still have mice in your vents and don't know it.

They had not EVER gotten into my food until just a few days ago and that was just the stuff that I had just bought (a couple of days previous) as overflow....given that when I am so close to delivering I don't care to walk around the grocery store for hours on end. So I bought extra of non-perishables and some of them (a couple of bags of cereal) couldn't fit into my doored pantry and cabinets, so they were on an open shelf close to the floor in my laundry room.........and that is what the mice got into. They have not been in any of my food cabinets. The places I have seen them hide since the vents were cleaned and screened are the three places that I didn't thoroughly clean behind....the stove, the dishwasher, washing machine. And the only reason why I didn't thoroughly clean behind these are because I can't move them. I do use my vac attachments to get as best I can and I have taken the stove/oven/drawer apart and cleaned it thoroughly. I seriously wash down (with anti-bacterial agents) my walls and stairs and everything on a regular basis.

I had started this thread to see if there were any natural ways that I had not thought of or found on the internet......not so I could be called a bad parent. I absolutely guarantee I am one of the most picky parents when it comes to my children being clean. I won't even let them walk barefoot outside (or sock footed) and all shoes are not to be worn in house to prevent dirt and germs from being spread on the floor. Any time they wear flip flops, they must go wash their feet immediately after coming inside. While inside many times they wear socks or house slippers.
Like I said, I am slightly OCD about bacteria and dirt.

And in regards to my kids "begging" me to get snap traps.....it is because all of my children hate all living things outside of plants and humans. They are terrified of all animals, whether it be dogs or cats or even flies. They go around stopping on caterpillars and cheer when daddy kills any insect in the house. They are not your typical kids when it comes to animals/insects.
And NO I am not stupid enough to let my kids dump the traps.......the whole reason why they even brought it up as an idea is because my mom (who was with me when looking at the traps) suggested that the kids could dump them if I couldn't handle it. My son very quickly declined and my oldest said she would dump them. But even if she is willing THAT IS NOT HAPPENING.

And just to clear things up, a mouse has never touched any of my kids or any of us period. And I don't know for sure that a mouse ran across my bed, I just know I was woke up (which in reality is nothing new.....my sleep schedule has been known to be more a kin to cat napping than actually sleep the night through). My mom and husband think I was just over reacting.....given that I didn't see or feel any mouse. I have been known to go overboard about some things and over think issues sending myself into a slight panic.

And in regards to home birth- ummmm....do you think I birth on the floor?!!?!? No, I use a brand new (sterilized prior to use) kiddy pool. And I don't put my babies (or any of their belongings) on the floor (mice or no mice) for months. Which I am sure the situation will be taken care of before then. Also, everything I use to home birth is sterilized and then put in a sterilized rubbermaid.....so it is all clean. I keep everything sanitized (probably even over the top) for at least the first year of my child's life. And then I am still picky, but of course don't have quite as much control given they are running around at that point.

And in regards to people saying that I have thousands of mice.....ummmm....yeah right. One I live in a VERY small house.....if I had that many mice, there would be a lot more prevalent things than a couple pieces of mouse poo or a chewed cereal bag. Outside of the changes made, one reason why they have been seen so much is because as stated, I live in a very small house and there are 6 sets of eyes.............and we all happen to be night owls......which is when mice are out and about. I typically don't go to bed until past 2 am or so and I have NEVER seen a mouse in my house during day light hours. Basically I haven't seen one past 6 something in the morning. Once we are up for the day, they go and sleep.....given that they are nocturnal. And I typically haven't seen them until very late into the night/early morning hours. So if a person has a normal sleep schedule....then chances are they are not going to see a single mouse. And I hadn't seen a speck of mouse poop ANYWHERE in my house until about a month ago. This problem has not been going on very long (therefore making it highly unlikely that there are thousands). The whole problem was noticed a few months back when the kids actually saw a mouse while staying up all night. Then we thoroughly cleaned everything and no mouse was seen for a while and no evidence of mice.....not that mouse poo had even been seen at that point. My guess is they started being seen again when their supply of stored up food was depleted.....and then they started searching for food. Given that there was no food downstairs, they then voyaged upstairs.....probably via the vents...given they where seen around the utility room most. I then cleaned the vents and screened them off. I could actually hear one trying to get in one night....but they can't chew through metal. So then shortly after (just a couple of days ago), they started getting creative and hopping up the stairs. Mice have to have food.....sure they may chew and even eat non-food items, but they eventually need something with nutritional value. And that would be why they came up to our main living area. Previously my kids had unknowingly supplied the mice with a lot of food down stairs. When I cleaned the downstairs I found half a walmart bags worth of half eaten food and wrappers. The kids had been sneaking food down there. Since the mice issue, they learned their lesson. And now they are pretty good about keeping all food at the table. I have lived in this house almost 10 years....I know the house very well and I know when something is different with it and I do not think these mice have been around for more than a few months.

Also in regards to sickness and my family- I don't know for sure that the mice were what made some of the my family sick.....for all I know, it could have just been the flu or something of the like.
Basically my youngest had flu like symptoms (diarrhea and vomiting) for a few days and then few days later my oldest had the same symptoms....that same day my husband got it. My boys and I seemed to dodge it for the most part outside of the diarrhea and one day I did feel a little nausea....which was right after my husband had it. But my sons and I never threw up. All of this happened while the flu was going around our area.........so again.....I don't KNOW that it was mice that made any of us sick. It could have just been the flu during flu season. I had just brought the idea up that mice COULD have been what was making them sick. But that was before mice were found in the main living area.

Oh and mice are not as scared of people (unlike rats)....mice are more curious...now yes they will run when they notice a human moving around....as they don't know what the human is doing.....but if the human is not moving causing them to be startled, then they could just sit in one spot or move around to wherever they planned.

Although mice do urinate relatively often compared to other rodents, contrary to popular belief.....mice DO have bladders.

And don't think that I am going to just let the mice stay in my house.....I have just been exploring all of my options before making a decision.

So if you are going to just call me a bad parent or say that I have rats or something dumb like that....then please just refrain from posting on this thread. Your banter is not helping anyone.


----------



## kaylee18

If you want an alternative to snap traps, you could get RatZappers. They work very well for mice and are humane, unlike drowning, poison and glue boards. http://www.ratzapper.com

I have no connection with the company, I just really liked how well they worked for a semi-outdoor infestation (garage-type areas) that we got rid of. Cleaning does not get rid of mice, so I hope you can get traps that work well soon. Dry dog food is supposed to be a great bait, or peanut butter.

By the way, the flu is a respiratory illness. Stomach viruses are a completely different illness that has nothing to do with flu season.


----------



## Imakcerka

You said you've had them for a few months. Mice can have up to 10 litters a year... with as many as 14 babies... I'm just saying.

Also nobody has called you a bad parent. We're saying that what you're doing is not enough. You're probably going to have to call the landlord and get an exterminator in there. While mice are not the worse thing in the world, they're not pleasant either.

Would you prefer us to just give hugs and tell you the vacuuming will eventually work... just keep at it? I had mice in my house. From experience we ended up having to take some major steps.


----------



## SimonMom

Ok..so what you're basically saying is you're ocd. You're so ocd your children aren't even allowed to go barefoot outside and are apparently terrified of all animals. Seriously..they HATE all living things beside humans and plants??!!! If you seriously mean that I would suggest therapy for that. I actually do find that extremely worrisome.

But the fact it...you STILL haven't killed those $%&*@# MICE!!!!!!!! You spend hours and hours each day cleaning just so you won't have to set a few snap traps? I mean get the heck over it and put out the snap traps! If you hear a snap..so what??!! It's a NOISE it won't HURT you.


----------



## Maedze

Based on the evidence you have provided for us, yes, you do have if not thousands, hundreds, and hundreds of mice. If you only had a small handful, you wouldn't see any evidence of them.

You cannot make mice go away by cleaning the carpets.

You cannot 'confine' mice to an area of the house. They are all over your house, and they are probably laughing at you.

For all your 'research', you seem to be deliberately ignorant of a few important facts.

And you're planning to have a baby here?

Hire. An. Exterminator.


----------



## Friday13th

OP, I don't want you to feel like you're being bashed but I think you REALLY, REALLY don't get how serious this is.

I lived in an apartment in a gross area of Boston when I was in college with 5 other people. We had a mouse and rat infestation that ended up being so bad the place was declared uninhabitable and the landlord had to move us out. And I can count on one hand the number of actual, living rodents we saw scurrying around. We knew they were there from the droppings, the noise and the food they were eating. WE SAW ALMOST NONE. If you have mice hopping up your stairs and waltzing across your kitchen counter there are at least hundreds more, in the walls, under the floors, in the attic. You NEED an exterminator. There is no amount of cleaning that's going to get rid of them now, they've been there for months, set up nests and had babies. Set traps and get help.


----------



## coffeegirl

Well, I'll tell you mama....I don't think you're a bad parent. I just read through the thread and it seemed liked you weren't being too serious about getting rid of the mice. Saying that because you hadn't seen them as much, you thought you had them contained to a closet or two, etc. THAT kind of thing isn't evil or bad or says you're a bad parent. But it does show that you don't know much about mice infestations. That's all. Please don't feel attacked. You kept talking about how freaked out everything is making you? A couple of us just felt freaked out reading your post LOL.

But you said this:
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BlessedOne*
> 
> And don't think that I am going to just let the mice stay in my house.....I have just been exploring all of my options before making a decision.


So I'm comforted a bit now and I believe you want to get rid of the mice. I'm gonna go back to my recommendation of calling an exterminator OR having your landlord do the same. Exterminators deal with parents all the time who are hesitant about having poisons around their house because of kids or pets. They'll tell you anything you want to know and give you options if you ask. I went through something similar recently when we had silverfish.

Anyhow, please don't feel attacked or get defensive. We just worry about you and your kids and want to see you kicking some mouse butt.


----------



## ~Boudicca~

I'm still trying to figure out how having cat hair in your house is worse than mouse shit...


----------



## purplerose

this made me feel sick to read. the kids even stomp caterpillars?! we have done animal rescue for years(mostly reptile but there's been other critters also) and the thought of having children who would kill harmless animals makes me feel sick. i remember in kindergarten i brought a caterpillar to school and this boy stomped it. i was scarred for life and even when i see him around town wonder if he is still evil. i normally don't voice my judgementalness "aloud" but animal cruelty is a bad sign in children.

i do kill certain spiders, ants and earwigs. also roaches. so i guess i live a double standard 

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SimonMom*
> 
> Ok..so what you're basically saying is you're ocd. You're so ocd your children aren't even allowed to go barefoot outside and are apparently terrified of all animals. Seriously..they HATE all living things beside humans and plants??!!! If you seriously mean that I would suggest therapy for that. I actually do find that extremely worrisome.


----------



## HappyMommy2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BlessedOne*
> 
> Wow this thread went from helpful to condemning over night.
> 
> First of all let me set a few things straight.
> There is a HUGE difference between rats and mice. I DO NOT have rats....they are house mice. Which contrary to what many of you believe DO NOT carry Hauntavirus. Mice are different in so many ways than rats. Believe me I have done a lot of research on all of this.....and given that I have actually seen the mice and their feces, there is NO way that these are rats or deer mice (which carry hauntavirus). Yes, house mice can carry diseases and bacteria as well.....but you know what so does your pets you let run around your house and let your kids play with. Or heck...even yourself....y*ou can get just as sick from not washing your hands after you use the bathroom as you can the mice.*
> 
> Don't be naive and think I have not spent countless hours researching about all of this issue. And don't think that for one moment I just sit around a let my kids play in mouse poop. I THOROUGHLY sanitize daily. That includes counters, floors, couch,.... everywhere mice can get to and that I can get to. I vac the poop up using my rainbow.....which doesn't throw dust around like normal vacs due to it's water basin. Before vaccing anywhere else, I sanitize the vacuum so it does not spread any possible bacteria. Anything that touches the floor must be sanitized immediately (just to be on the safe side) and I *currently haven't been allowing the kids to even put their hands/heads to the floor and toys(and anything else that is touched) must be kept off the floor.* Any food that is dropped on the floor is immediately disposed of and of course kids must wash hands before eating. What you don't know is that I am a complete germophobe.....like OCD germophobe. I use two big bottles of alcohol a week to sanitize my house, as well as other anti-bacteria agents, depending on where is being cleaned. So don't think for one minute that I am allowing bacteria to flourish in my home. Since we noticed they had been on the counters in the past few days, *we do not put anything food oriented on the counters*..........even though I sanitize them daily. Any dishes that are reused (such as cups) are stored away to where mice can not get to them.
> 
> The main reason why we suddenly started being able to see them around in the main living area (which just happened in the past week) is because I vacced the vents and used metal screen to block the vents. So they had to find new places to hide/store food/travel. I wouldn't be surprised if half of you still have mice in your vents and don't know it.
> 
> They had not EVER gotten into my food until just a few days ago and that was just the stuff that I had just bought (a couple of days previous) as overflow....given that when I am so close to delivering I don't care to walk around the grocery store for hours on end. So I bought extra of non-perishables and some of them (a couple of bags of cereal) *couldn't fit into my doored pantry and cabinets, so they were on an open shelf close to the floor in my laundry room*.........and that is what the mice got into. They have not been in any of my food cabinets. The places I have seen them hide since the vents were cleaned and screened are the three places that I didn't thoroughly clean behind....the stove, the dishwasher, washing machine. And the only reason why I didn't thoroughly clean behind these are because I can't move them. I do use my vac attachments to get as best I can and I have taken the stove/oven/drawer apart and cleaned it thoroughly. I seriously wash down (with anti-bacterial agents) my walls and stairs and everything on a regular basis.
> 
> I had started this thread to see if there were any natural ways that I had not thought of or found on the internet......not so I could be called a bad parent. I absolutely guarantee I am one of the most picky parents when it comes to my children being clean. I won't even let them walk barefoot outside (or sock footed) and all shoes are not to be worn in house to prevent dirt and germs from being spread on the floor. Any time they wear flip flops, they must go wash their feet immediately after coming inside. While inside many times they wear socks or house slippers.
> Like I said, I am slightly OCD about bacteria and dirt.
> 
> And in regards to my kids "begging" me to get snap traps.....it is because all of my children hate all living things outside of plants and humans. They are terrified of all animals, whether it be dogs or cats or even flies. They go around stopping on caterpillars and cheer when daddy kills any insect in the house. They are not your typical kids when it comes to animals/insects.
> And NO I am not stupid enough to let my kids dump the traps.......the whole reason why they even brought it up as an idea is because my mom (who was with me when looking at the traps) suggested that the kids could dump them if I couldn't handle it. My son very quickly declined and my oldest said she would dump them. But even if she is willing THAT IS NOT HAPPENING.
> 
> And just to clear things up, a mouse has never touched any of my kids or any of us period. And I don't know for sure that a mouse ran across my bed, I just know I was woke up (which in reality is nothing new.....my sleep schedule has been known to be more a kin to cat napping than actually sleep the night through). My mom and husband think I was just over reacting.....given that I didn't see or feel any mouse. I have been known to go overboard about some things and over think issues sending myself into a slight panic.
> 
> And in regards to home birth- ummmm....do you think I birth on the floor?!!?!? No, I use a brand new (sterilized prior to use) kiddy pool. And I don't put my babies (or any of their belongings) on the floor (mice or no mice) for months. Which I am sure the situation will be taken care of before then. Also, everything I use to home birth is sterilized and then put in a sterilized rubbermaid.....so it is all clean. I keep everything sanitized (probably even over the top) for at least the first year of my child's life. And then I am still picky, but of course don't have quite as much control given they are running around at that point.
> 
> And in regards to people saying that I have thousands of mice.....ummmm....yeah right. One I live in a VERY small house.....if I had that many mice, there would be a lot more prevalent things than a couple pieces of mouse poo or a chewed cereal bag. Outside of the changes made, one reason why they have been seen so much is because as stated, I live in a very small house and there are 6 sets of eyes.............and we all happen to be night owls......which is when mice are out and about. I typically don't go to bed until past 2 am or so and I have NEVER seen a mouse in my house during day light hours. Basically I haven't seen one past 6 something in the morning. Once we are up for the day, they go and sleep.....given that they are nocturnal. And I typically haven't seen them until very late into the night/early morning hours. So if a person has a normal sleep schedule....then chances are they are not going to see a single mouse. And I hadn't seen a speck of mouse poop ANYWHERE in my house until about a month ago. This problem has not been going on very long (therefore making it highly unlikely that there are thousands). The whole problem was noticed a few months back when the kids actually saw a mouse while staying up all night. Then we thoroughly cleaned everything and no mouse was seen for a while and no evidence of mice.....not that mouse poo had even been seen at that point. My guess is they started being seen again when their supply of stored up food was depleted.....and then they started searching for food. Given that there was no food downstairs, they then voyaged upstairs.....probably via the vents...given they where seen around the utility room most. I then cleaned the vents and screened them off. I could actually hear one trying to get in one night....but they can't chew through metal. So then shortly after (just a couple of days ago), they started getting creative and hopping up the stairs. Mice have to have food.....sure they may chew and even eat non-food items, but they eventually need something with nutritional value. And that would be why they came up to our main living area. Previously my kids had unknowingly supplied the mice with a lot of food down stairs. When I cleaned the downstairs I found half a walmart bags worth of half eaten food and wrappers. The kids had been sneaking food down there. Since the mice issue, they learned their lesson. And now they are pretty good about keeping all food at the table. I have lived in this house almost 10 years....I know the house very well and I know when something is different with it and I do not think these mice have been around for more than a few months.
> 
> Also in regards to sickness and my family- I don't know for sure that the mice were what made some of the my family sick.....for all I know, it could have just been the flu or something of the like.
> Basically my youngest had flu like symptoms (diarrhea and vomiting) for a few days and then few days later my oldest had the same symptoms....that same day my husband got it. My boys and I seemed to dodge it for the most part outside of the diarrhea and one day I did feel a little nausea....which was right after my husband had it. But my sons and I never threw up. All of this happened while the flu was going around our area.........so again.....I don't KNOW that it was mice that made any of us sick. It could have just been the flu during flu season. I had just brought the idea up that mice COULD have been what was making them sick. But that was before mice were found in the main living area.
> 
> Oh and mice are not as scared of people (unlike rats)....mice are more curious...now yes they will run when they notice a human moving around....as they don't know what the human is doing.....but if the human is not moving causing them to be startled, then they could just sit in one spot or move around to wherever they planned.
> 
> Although mice do urinate relatively often compared to other rodents, contrary to popular belief.....mice DO have bladders.
> 
> And don't think that I am going to just let the mice stay in my house.....I have just been exploring all of my options before making a decision.
> 
> So if you are going to just call me a bad parent or say that I have rats or something dumb like that....then please just refrain from posting on this thread. Your banter is not helping anyone.


I think the reason people are condemning you is because your words sound like you are in denial, or do not know the facts.

1. If you see ONE mouse (or one mouse poop), there are definitely MORE than one nearby. You saw a mouse "a few months back". Since then, they have multiplied.

2. A closed door does NOT keep a mouse away. Mice can squish their bodies as flat as a quarter to fit underneath a door or into the backs of cabinets and drawers.

3. Cleaning the floor after seeing a mouse does NOTHING to get rid of the mouse problem.

(a) Mice do not STAY on the floor, they crawl everywhere - cabinets, counters, couches, etc.

(b) AFTER you kill all the mice, then you can scrub the bejeesus out of everything. Repetitive cleaning is fine, but has no value if mice are still in your house. You are spinning your wheels.

4. If your situation is SO BAD that you tell your kids not to touch the floor, don't you think KILLING the mice is a better solution?

5. If you are truly a clean freak, would you be okay letting nobody wash their hands after using the bathroom? Probably not.

6. It is bizarre to live this way. You aren't putting anything food related on the counters. Go ahead and kill the mice, this is no way to live.

7. Part of living in a home is keeping out the pests (insects and rodents). You are not being condemned for having them in the first place. You are being condemned for not doing anything effective about your problem.

8. Letting your children KILL ALL THE THINGS and stomp on caterpillars is a horrifyingly bizarre opposite of your unwillingness to kill the vermin that are causing you stress, tons of cleaning, and likely vomiting and diarhea.

I hope that you can let your defenses down for a moment, and take the wake-up call that this thread is becoming before you risk your newborn's health.

Good luck mama. I wish you the best with your upcoming birth.


----------



## BlessedOne

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kaylee18*
> 
> If you want an alternative to snap traps, you could get RatZappers. They work very well for mice and are humane, unlike drowning, poison and glue boards. http://www.ratzapper.com
> I have no connection with the company, I just really liked how well they worked for a semi-outdoor infestation (garage-type areas) that we got rid of. Cleaning does not get rid of mice, so I hope you can get traps that work well soon. Dry dog food is supposed to be a great bait, or peanut butter.
> By the way, the flu is a respiratory illness. Stomach viruses are a completely different illness that has nothing to do with flu season.


Thank you for your advice. I will look into them =)

Although yes flu can be respiratory, the term "flu" can also be in reference to infection in the GI track. According to the World English Dictionary flu is- "any of various viral infections, esp a respiratory or intestinal infection". If you more specifically look up "stomach flu" it says, "Inflammation of the stomach and intestines"


----------



## treeoflife3

okay first of all, unless you have a diagnosis, cleaning a lot and liking things clean does not make you an OCD 'germaphobe'









second of all, if you've always cleaned and sanitized a ton, it didn't keep the mice OUT so it certainly isn't going to get rid of them now that they are IN. Doing the same thing but more isn't going to fix your problem any more than continuing to cut a rope will make it longer.

I'm very disturbed by the fact that your children gleefully kill caterpillars but you are unwilling to get rid of a mouse infestation.

and yes, if you have had issues for months now, you have an infestation. I'm going to guess with all that research you were doing between cleaning sprees, you noticed they multiply FAST, especially in places where they have access to food. Vents or not, they are probably chilling inside your walls and running all over the place at night when you are sleeping from your constant 'germaphobe' cleaning sprees.

If you have mouse poop everywhere and an infestation, you are going to start risking a CPS visit, especially if your kids are so afraid. All it'll take is them mentioning to just one person outside your house that there are a lot of mice and you won't set traps for someone to make a call to make sure you take care of this.


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## Maedze

"Flu" is a misnomer for a GI bug. It is not an accepted medical definition. "Flu" means "Influenza" and shouldn't be confused with a gastroenteritis or other stomach conditions. The expression "Stomach flu" is a misnomer.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BlessedOne*
> 
> Thank you for your advice. I will look into them =)
> 
> Although yes flu can be respiratory, the term "flu" can also be in reference to infection in the GI track. According to the World English Dictionary flu is- "any of various viral infections, esp a respiratory or intestinal infection". If you more specifically look up "stomach flu" it says, "Inflammation of the stomach and intestines"


----------



## coffeegirl

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BlessedOne*
> 
> Thank you for your advice. I will look into them =)
> 
> Although yes flu can be respiratory, the term "flu" can also be in reference to infection in the GI track. According to the World English Dictionary flu is- "any of various viral infections, esp a respiratory or intestinal infection". If you more specifically look up "stomach flu" it says, "Inflammation of the stomach and intestines"


I see you responded to the ratzapper advice. What about the exterminator?

If you don't believe the people in this thread, please do some research of your own. There is credible resource online that will tell you that if you've had mice consistently for as long as you have that you only have a few. You have an infestation. Especially if you and your children see them running around in various places including at least twice hopping up your stairs? And maybe on your bed? And all over the kitchen? And the counters? And the closets? And, and, and?

Please call the exterminator or have your landlord do it.


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## BlessedOne

ok again....let me set some things straight here.........because again some of you guys are jumping to some serious false conclusions.

Just because my kids stomp bugs does not mean they will turn out bad......seriously I think that is a bit overboard. And I never condone them stomping bugs, I actually tell them not to. Yes, my kids do not like most living things. My guess is that they get that from their dad. I have always been a nature person and been against animal cruelty and the like. My husband is not for animal cruelty (he doesn't even hunt or fish) but he doesn't like animals. Now no he is not going to go kill something just because, but he does not prefer to be around animals. And my kids have picked up on that. If they don't want to LIKE animals, then I am not going to force them. I will of course not condone the killing of innocent creatures. And again......it is not like they are running around with a BB gun shooting birds just for the fun of it. They stomp on bugs......oh my.......*rolls eyes*

I never said I believed I had just one mouse. But I still do not think there are thousands of them. I have seen less than 20 mouse turds.....if I had thousands, there would be a lot more than that.

Again the mice are being seen because now they have to actually work for their food. All of their easy to go to supply has been depleted. My guess is that most people don't see mice because they don't go to the extreme of cleaning every inch of their house....causing the mice to have to actually look for food.

Also, I am not dumb enough to think a closed door keeps mice out. I guess I forgot to tell you guys that once the initial mouse was found in the utility room, I put a hard plastic door sweep on the bottom of the door (overlapping both sides...so there are no gaps and completely to the floor) on the bottom of the door. That was just so I could try to keep them contained and deal with them in the utility room....as opposed to the rest of the house. That is when I started using the live capture traps. Then I think they started going through the vents to get out of the utility room. Then I screened off the vents. Then is no time...guess what I smelled a dead mouse in the utility room. Of course there was more than what was in the utility room, but that was the one place I knew that they had been (in the beginning), so I was dealing with that area directly.

I find it funny that you guys were all freaking that my kids are in such unsanitized conditions and then when I explained all of the things I do to sanitize, you suddenly jump the fence and start saying I need help because of being so OCD. Man there is no winning with some of you. I guess I definitely won't go into complete detail of how extreme I really am about cleanliness....you might try to put me in lock down! And just so you know, I have very good reason not to let my kids run around barefoot outside. You can get all kinds of parasites that way.....such as hook worms and the like. And of course that is not even taken into consideration the risk of cutting their feet. I live in a very rocky area...and no I don't mean nice smooth rock.

Also, I do tell my kids to wash their hands after going potty. And I have hand sanitizer in various places around the house....including on the bathroom counter right next to the door. If I don't hear them wash their hands (which they are required to for sure if they go poo...preferably after peeing too), then I tell them to at least put hand sanitizer on.

Also the value of repetitive cleaning is that 1. it keeps any bacteria that might be brought in with these mice under control. And two it helps deter mice. I know all of you keep saying that cleaning doesn't get rid of mice.....and I understand what you are saying but it does help deter them. And if (like someone said previously) it does get to where they go outside to get food and bring it back in, then hopefully they will meet my new 5ft long black friend that likes to eat mice......aka the black snake spotted outside our house yesterday. I generally don't allow snakes to hang out around the house, but I think I might let this guy hang around if he helps control the population. I just hope he doesn't cause more to come in 0_o. Although with talking to my landlord today about the situation he declares that all holes are plugged and there is no way anything can come in now.......but of course he is about like talking to a brick wall at times (not that I would know anything about being a brick wall....lol).

If anyone is still reading this thread and trying to get tips and not be bashed. I have found that leaving the lights on at night helps keep them from being so active. No, I did not say it got rid of the mice. But I have done it three days now and they have not been on the counters or running around at night as much. I have not seen any when the lights are left on at night and I haven't heard them like before and haven't found any mouse poo or any other evidence of them being active. During all of my research, I had found that apparently they don't like bright lights. Which of course makes sense given that they are nocturnal.


----------



## JenRave

Get cats, lol. Young ones.


----------



## BlessedOne

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Maedze*
> 
> "Flu" is a misnomer for a GI bug. It is not an accepted medical definition. "Flu" means "Influenza" and shouldn't be confused with a gastroenteritis or other stomach conditions. The expression "Stomach flu" is a misnomer.


yes I am aware the term flu came from the root word influenza...which is a respiratory illness

but the term flu is not only generally accepted as sometimes being an infection of the GI tract but the dictionary even states it as such, so I am still going to go with what the dictionary says. =S

But this is really not worth arguing over. =)


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## JenRave

But my stupid cat joke aside - I uh - I don't know, can you move? That's a semi serious thought.

I have a memory of a place we lived when I was small, for only a year, yay, that had a ton of mice. My mother is a fanatical house cleaner, so much so I rebelled and wouldn't clean my house for a few years after I moved out and became an adult (I got over it.) This apartment, a building with four families in it, had mice. Really, really bad. We had snap traps but it just didn't catch them all. We had one of those big flourescent lights set into the ceiling and saw one climbing around in there one day. I found one in the sink drowned in some water the dishes were soaking in once. Once fell into the diaper bucket that was empty and couldn't get out, my dad flushed it down the toilet. They were just everywhere. This isn't helpful advice except maybe for the idea of moving if it really is that bad.

(And y'all, before y'all get all psycho about the killing of cute little caterpillars, let it be known that if the OP lives anywhere near where I am, caterpillars aren't cute little fuzzy cartoon characters either, but vicious, poisonous creatures that will leave a painful sting if you so much as brush your hand against them. They all must die! Go look up buck moth caterpillars *shudder*)


----------



## Maedze

OMG, shutting a door and putting a sweep under it doesn't keep them in the closet. THEY MOVE THROUGH THE WALLS.

And the fact that you have seen '20 mouse turds' doesn't mean squat...other than the fact that you've SEEN them, which means there are thousands more you haven't.

I'm not sure how else to explain this to you.

CALL AN EXTERMINATOR, AN EXPERT, and maybe the exterminator can say it in a different way that will help the light dawn.


----------



## BlessedOne

In regards to the exterminator idea......I know my landlord will not go for it. He wants to use snap traps.
He informed me today that he put poison outside...............................hope my kids don't get into it! Between the poison and black snake....hopefully all of the ones outside leave. 0_o

I might check more into the exterminator idea and check costs what all they do.


----------



## BlessedOne

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Maedze*
> 
> OMG, shutting a door and putting a sweep under it doesn't keep them in the closet. THEY MOVE THROUGH THE WALLS.
> 
> And the fact that you have seen '20 mouse turds' doesn't mean squat...other than the fact that you've SEEN them, which means there are thousands more you haven't.
> 
> I'm not sure how else to explain this to you.
> 
> CALL AN EXTERMINATOR, AN EXPERT, and maybe the exterminator can say it in a different way that will help the light dawn.


You have spoken your peace...several times.....so why don't you just go ahead and stop posting on this thread. It is not helping anything.

I didn't start this thread for arguments. And for the first while the thread was going fine...but then I don't know...maybe the moon change or something but it got ugly real fast.

So I would suggest to those who have spoken their peace, to just move on.


----------



## Maedze

It got ugly when it was clear what sort of a breeding ground of infection and filth you were living in, while plugging your eyes and ears and saying, "La la la la I can't HEAAAR you."

For pete's sake, lady, these are your children, your newborn infant, we're talking about. People have lost their kids to foster care for this kind of thing. Wake up and smell the mouse poison.


----------



## BlessedOne

Thank you Jen for coming to my defense.

In regards to moving.....yes we are looking to move. But obviously things like that take money. With a family my size, it is not like we can move just anywhere. Plus if we move, who is to say that place wouldn't have mice. I know so many people that never had mice issues until this year ....I guess there must have been a major over population in the are or something.

We are actually looking to build. And when we do it will be ICF and steel....not the traditional stick built home. But again...that all takes money. =S


----------



## coffeegirl

You're right BlessedOne, some people here have been jumping on every single thing you've said. Personally? I could care less if your kids stomp on bugs or if you are or aren't OCD or if you clean a lot. Really, I don't think any bad things about you because of those things or the mice. I just really want you to call an exterminator. Even saying there are "probably 20 or so" mice in your house does show that you maybe don't understand about infestations. They're in your walls, hon. And your roof. And possibly hiding outside as well.

If you have mice for a period of time like you have, and if they are letting themselves be seen, you have a mouse problem. That is all some of us are saying. I know that you are agreeing with that in some posts. But then in others you talk about not wanting to use traps and wanting to try all the other natural remedies you can think of and are kind of going back and forth about the exterminator. That's where some of the sharp tones are coming from, I think.

It's only frustration. this is a public forum. You came for advice about a family safety question. We're not talking just to hear ourselves talk, you know what I mean? This is advice from people who've been where you are and have dealt with the problem. Please don't focus on feeling defensive. Get an exterminator!


----------



## BlessedOne

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Maedze*
> 
> It got ugly when it was clear what sort of a breeding ground of infection and filth you were living in, while plugging your eyes and ears and saying, "La la la la I can't HEAAAR you."
> 
> For pete's sake, lady, these are your children, your newborn infant, we're talking about. People have lost their kids to foster care for this kind of thing. Wake up and smell the mouse poison.


yes....the horrible filth of my house that I daily sanitize *rolls eyes*
Just can't win with you.

And if I didn't plan on doing something, do you really think I would have started this thread? Heck, I HAVE been doing things to try to get rid of them....all be it not the traditional way.....but I have never been known as "Traditional".

I am not one to naively believe that putting out snap traps will get rid of every one or that having an exterminator come will get rid of every one. I am one that believes firmly in prevention over correction. Now yes, both are needed....but correcting without figuring out means of future prevention is well...un-intelligent.


----------



## coffeegirl

Ok just saw the thread about talking with your landlord. I've had landlords like that. It might be that he just doesn't want to pay for an exterminator. In which case....Well, I'd go ahead and try the snap traps and poison for a little while and see if it doesn't get better. Tell your kids they can't play in the greenery outside your house, or keep watch on them.

If it gets better, yay! If it it DOESN'T get better, I'd seriously consider calling an exterminator on your own, whether your landlord agrees or not. You should probably tell him that the traps and poison haven't worked, etc. first, to be fair. He may volunteer at that point. If not, call one. You could even get the health dept. to force him to pay for it, although I know that seems drastic.


----------



## Imakcerka

Aren't landlords only responsible for original move in infestations? Like if she moved in and they were there but not if they showed up while she's been living there?

I don't really care to pick at anything you say, but if someone else is having the same problem this should be a good starting point for what you don't do if you have an infestation.

We were told not to vacuum with our own vacuum unless we wanted to throw it away. Also they sprayed all the poop first before picking it up with bleach. The thing with mice is they're relentless and while we had a few mice we also ended up getting rats in our garage. BIG AZZ RATS. Quite a few people in our neighborhood dealt with this problem after our HOA went on a feral cat spree removal. We now have a cat who lives outside 95% of the time. He's a good mouser, that works great for me. Though after you get rid of them successfully you will need to keep it up, by keeping out traps or poison whatever you're comfortable with.

Just know that when you clean it up with your vacuum cleaner you're really just pushing dust around and all that bacteria stays. Also you can google to your hearts content... but just like anything not all the crap you'll find is even true.


----------



## coffeegirl

Hm, I don't know about the landlord thing. I was under the impression that they're responsible, period. It's still their property. But my experience has mostly been with apartments and duplexes, so the tenants around the infested place are affected as well if the infestation isn't treated. Might be something to look into.


----------



## Imakcerka

I think it has to do with whether or not you're the cause. Like anything really. You know you put rocks in the washing machine and get pissed when the landlord doesn't fix it after you destroyed it. My grandparents always had some interesting tenants. He once gave one of his tenants 20 thousand (old family friend) to redo the roof, the guy was a roofer. Three years later my grandparents came back to get the house ready to sell and half the roof was missing so was all the carpet. (family friend died a few month prior to their wanting to sell).


----------



## coffeegirl

Yeah, I've never had a landlord even question who the cause might be, at least not in regards to getting the problem fixed. They just send the exterminator out. I think most tenants aren't going to admit to being responsible for mice or roaches or whatever is infesting their house.


----------



## HappyMommy2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BlessedOne*
> 
> ok again....let me set some things straight here.........because again some of you guys are jumping to some serious false conclusions.
> 
> Just because my kids stomp bugs does not mean they will turn out bad......seriously I think that is a bit overboard. And I never condone them stomping bugs, I actually tell them not to. Yes, my kids do not like most living things. My guess is that they get that from their dad. I have always been a nature person and been against animal cruelty and the like. My husband is not for animal cruelty (he doesn't even hunt or fish) but he doesn't like animals. Now no he is not going to go kill something just because, but he does not prefer to be around animals. And my kids have picked up on that. If they don't want to LIKE animals, then I am not going to force them. I will of course not condone the killing of innocent creatures. And again......it is not like they are running around with a BB gun shooting birds just for the fun of it. They stomp on bugs......oh my.......*rolls eyes*
> 
> I never said I believed I had just one mouse. But I still do not think there are thousands of them. I have seen less than 20 mouse turds.....if I had thousands, there would be a lot more than that.
> 
> Again the mice are being seen because now they have to actually work for their food. All of their easy to go to supply has been depleted. My guess is that most people don't see mice because they don't go to the extreme of cleaning every inch of their house....causing the mice to have to actually look for food.
> 
> Also, I am not dumb enough to think a closed door keeps mice out. I guess I forgot to tell you guys that once the initial mouse was found in the utility room, I put a hard plastic door sweep on the bottom of the door (overlapping both sides...so there are no gaps and completely to the floor) on the bottom of the door. That was just so I could try to keep them contained and deal with them in the utility room....as opposed to the rest of the house. That is when I started using the live capture traps. Then I think they started going through the vents to get out of the utility room. Then I screened off the vents. Then is no time...guess what I smelled a dead mouse in the utility room. Of course there was more than what was in the utility room, but that was the one place I knew that they had been (in the beginning), so I was dealing with that area directly.
> 
> I find it funny that you guys were all freaking that my kids are in such unsanitized conditions and then when I explained all of the things I do to sanitize, you suddenly jump the fence and start saying I need help because of being so OCD. Man there is no winning with some of you. I guess I definitely won't go into complete detail of how extreme I really am about cleanliness....you might try to put me in lock down! And just so you know, I have very good reason not to let my kids run around barefoot outside. You can get all kinds of parasites that way.....such as hook worms and the like. And of course that is not even taken into consideration the risk of cutting their feet. I live in a very rocky area...and no I don't mean nice smooth rock.
> 
> Also, I do tell my kids to wash their hands after going potty. And I have hand sanitizer in various places around the house....including on the bathroom counter right next to the door. If I don't hear them wash their hands (which they are required to for sure if they go poo...preferably after peeing too), then I tell them to at least put hand sanitizer on.
> 
> Also the value of repetitive cleaning is that 1. it keeps any bacteria that might be brought in with these mice under control. And two it helps deter mice. I know all of you keep saying that cleaning doesn't get rid of mice.....and I understand what you are saying but it does help deter them. And if (like someone said previously) it does get to where they go outside to get food and bring it back in, then hopefully they will meet my new 5ft long black friend that likes to eat mice......aka the black snake spotted outside our house yesterday. I generally don't allow snakes to hang out around the house, but I think I might let this guy hang around if he helps control the population. I just hope he doesn't cause more to come in 0_o. Although with talking to my landlord today about the situation he declares that all holes are plugged and there is no way anything can come in now.......but of course he is about like talking to a brick wall at times (not that I would know anything about being a brick wall....lol).
> 
> If anyone is still reading this thread and trying to get tips and not be bashed. I have found that leaving the lights on at night helps keep them from being so active. No, I did not say it got rid of the mice. But I have done it three days now and they have not been on the counters or running around at night as much. I have not seen any when the lights are left on at night and I haven't heard them like before and haven't found any mouse poo or any other evidence of them being active. During all of my research, I had found that apparently they don't like bright lights. Which of course makes sense given that they are nocturnal.


THIS IS NOT TRUE!!!!!! I'm not sure why you think it is true.

And seriously, recommending to others to leave the lights on at night as a mouse deterent is just .... whack. And that is putting it nicely.

The responses here are pretty unanimous. Perhaps you could step back from feeling defensive, and rethink your situation. You are not using good judgment. Good grief woman, please just go to the store and buy about 50 snap traps.

WHY WON'T YOU BUY THE SNAP TRAPS???

Also, ask your landlord where the poison is so that you can keep your kids away from it.


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## Bokonon

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *coffeegirl*
> 
> Yeah, I've never had a landlord even question who the cause might be, at least not in regards to getting the problem fixed. They just send the exterminator out. I think most tenants aren't going to admit to being responsible for mice or roaches or whatever is infesting their house.


We had a rat in our garage and our landlord sent out an exterminator ASAP to deal with it.

It's definitely worth Googling what your rights as a tenant are in your state, and ask your landlord right away. There is no sense not asking because you don't think he'll pay for it.


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## Imakcerka

Yeah but there is a point when waiting for someone else to do something is not worth it. Even if the landlord is responsible and he probably is he doesn't seem to be taking proper action. Putting stuff outside the house when the problem is inside the house screams IDIOT!

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Bokonon*
> 
> We had a rat in our garage and our landlord sent out an exterminator ASAP to deal with it.
> 
> It's definitely worth Googling what your rights as a tenant are in your state, and ask your landlord right away. There is no sense not asking because you don't think he'll pay for it.


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## Bokonon

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Imakcerka*
> 
> Yeah but there is a point when waiting for someone else to do something is not worth it. Even if the landlord is responsible and he probably is he doesn't seem to be taking proper action. Putting stuff outside the house when the problem is inside the house screams IDIOT!


Totally agree.


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## mamadebug

The laws governing who the responsible party is (landlord or tenant) vary by state. You can look them up. You may be within your rights as a tenant to go ahead and pay for the exterminator and then withhold that amount of money from your next months rent (and provide documentation for it). Again, you can google the laws for your state online.

Not sure what your hesitation on calling an exterminator is - financial or not wanting poison around. If it is concern about poisons, the exterminator we had didn't use any poison and was able to wipe out the mouse population (although we didn't have many).


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## lovingmommyhood

Been reading...finally posting...

So, um...why won't you buy the snaptraps? I'd cover my floors/counters with them and smile from my bed with each SNAP.

It's not embarrassing to have mice, happens to everyone. It IS embarrassing to not do anything about it when you have children living in the home. Cleaning doesn't get rid of mice.

Good luck.


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## juggalette

Seriously, if your landlord won't hire an exterminator, I'd call the city/county code enforcer.


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## mamalisa

I would rather take the small risk of having my house sprayed (or whatever it is they do for mice) than to spend hours and hours cleaning my house, constantly washing and not letting my children run free and play in their home. This is ridiculous and just gross.


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## Emma Bryan Fuller

WOW.....this got ugly...fast!


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## Imakcerka

Nope it took three weeks to get frustrated. You either do something or you don't. But don't get mad at everyone for reading your dilemma and getting annoyed that you won't listen. I'm pretty sure that's straight forward where ever you go.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Emma Bryan Fuller*
> 
> WOW.....this got ugly...fast!


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## ~Boudicca~

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Imakcerka*
> 
> Nope it took three weeks to get frustrated. You either do something or you don't. But don't get mad at everyone for reading your dilemma and getting annoyed that you won't listen. I'm pretty sure that's straight forward where ever you go.


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## MariesMama

Um. WTF. I understand that cleaning and prevention are great, but this is kind of like closing the barn door after the horse is ten miles away. You can't prevent something that's already happened.


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## dovey

Why on earth are people being so rude and condescending to the OP? She needs help figuring out how to deal with the problem. This is not an uncommon problem. Regardless of how "dangerous" mice seem to everybody, mice are a creature we have lived right beside for all of human history. Why are there mice in so many fairytales? Why are there so many children's drawings with mouse holes in the wall? It's because mice are here beside us, whether we like them or not.

If the OP poisons the mice as everyone seems to be suggesting, they are not going to be gone for good. She already said that there is a neighborhood problem with them. They will come right back into her house eventually. She needs a deterrent such as cats or high frequency beepers in order to keep them out of a localized space. Large scale poisoning is extremely environmentally irresponsible - it kills not only mice, but all the creatures who eat them, like birds, cats and other predators. Additionally, it increases plague risk because fleas hop off of dead mice and rats and go and bite people.

Being rude and telling her that she's a bad parent and trying to make her panic are extremely unhelpful tactics. She needs support and constructive ideas. Exterminators may put a bandaid on the problem, but mice will always be around us.


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## coffeegirl

Dovey.....no. Just, no. You're wrong. There's been a few instances of (IMO) unnecessary hostility here, but this thread has also been FULL of constructive advice. Extermination, repeated if necessary, and spring traps are both time-tested and effective means of dealing with a rodent infestation. Some of the other suggestions the OP had are not.

Most of the people commenting are people who have dealt with rodent infestations before and are offering their advice based on their own experiences. I'm your advice is good and well-meaning, too, dovey. But to come in here and say that there hasn't been ANY constructive criticism and support for the OP is just ridiculous.


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## Imakcerka

The OP didn't seem to understand that just cleaning the place wouldn't rid her house of the mice. Everyone gets some sort of infestation at some point ants/mice/roaches/smurfs and you gotta do something about them. However to lighten the mood I have found a recipe for "Enchiladas El Mouse-o EN EL HOUSE-O" I won't paste it here but you can PM me for the link.


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## DahliaRW

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *dovey*
> 
> If the OP poisons the mice as everyone seems to be suggesting, they are not going to be gone for good. She already said that there is a neighborhood problem with them. They will come right back into her house eventually. She needs a deterrent such as cats or high frequency beepers in order to keep them out of a localized space. Large scale poisoning is extremely environmentally irresponsible - it kills not only mice, but all the creatures who eat them, like birds, cats and other predators. Additionally, it increases plague risk because fleas hop off of dead mice and rats and go and bite people.
> 
> Being rude and telling her that she's a bad parent and trying to make her panic are extremely unhelpful tactics. She needs support and constructive ideas. Exterminators may put a bandaid on the problem, but mice will always be around us.


Actually, sealing up any access points, which a GOOD Exterminator would do, will keep them out. A good exterminator will seal up all access points, set traps, and monitor for new activity which would lead to searching for other access points if need be. You can prevent them from coming back, but you need someone who knows what they are doing and what to look for.


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## Maedze

Yeah, this post is probably the most unhelpful post in the whole thread. The last thing the OP needs is an echo chamber telling her she's just fine.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *dovey*
> 
> Why on earth are people being so rude and condescending to the OP? She needs help figuring out how to deal with the problem. This is not an uncommon problem. Regardless of how "dangerous" mice seem to everybody, mice are a creature we have lived right beside for all of human history. Why are there mice in so many fairytales? Why are there so many children's drawings with mouse holes in the wall? It's because mice are here beside us, whether we like them or not.
> 
> If the OP poisons the mice as everyone seems to be suggesting, they are not going to be gone for good. She already said that there is a neighborhood problem with them. They will come right back into her house eventually. She needs a deterrent such as cats or high frequency beepers in order to keep them out of a localized space. Large scale poisoning is extremely environmentally irresponsible - it kills not only mice, but all the creatures who eat them, like birds, cats and other predators. Additionally, it increases plague risk because fleas hop off of dead mice and rats and go and bite people.
> 
> Being rude and telling her that she's a bad parent and trying to make her panic are extremely unhelpful tactics. She needs support and constructive ideas. Exterminators may put a bandaid on the problem, but mice will always be around us.


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## dovey

How is telling someone that they are just fine when she probably is just fine a bad thing? I was NOT telling her to ignore the issue, or that mice were just fine, but just trying to be calm about the whole thing. Anyway, she seems to have disappeared (not surprisingly.) A feeling of terror or panic is never a good place to start from when making decisions, even decisions which may impact your children's lives and well being.

Okay, maybe there are some good instances of constructive advice, but it seems that the whole thread is getting a very hostile, jump-up-on-the-table and scream about mice tone to it, most of it directed at the OP. Just because she has mice and is having a hard time dealing with them does not equal being a bad parent.

I have had a large amount of experience with mouse issues (unfortunately) due to where I live. Some exterminators may be thorough, but that is not my experience. I have lived in a house with thousands of mice which had been previously exterminated (after each tenant had left). We finally left that house too - mostly because of the rodents.


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## rachelsmama

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *dovey*
> 
> This is not an uncommon problem. Regardless of how "dangerous" mice seem to everybody, mice are a creature we have lived right beside for all of human history. Why are there mice in so many fairytales? Why are there so many children's drawings with mouse holes in the wall? It's because mice are here beside us, whether we like them or not.


This is true, but it is also the reason why domestic cats became so popular, and so very important, and why there are so many different inventions for killing or repelling mice. It's precisely because of our history with mice that so many people go on the warpath against them, and why some people are a bit scornful of the pacifist approach to mouse control.


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## Dr.Worm

I dont know if OP is still around. I am not calling you a bad mom..you seem very loving. I just want you to take care of the problem. Things happen...mice or whatever. I don't want to scare you but if the mice are to the point where they are visible, someone visiting your house could call CPS. Please do what you have to do before this happens.


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## Imakcerka

Why hasn't anyone pm'd me for my mouse recipes?


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