mice in drawers - HELP!

[~TT40~]

we have mice.. we have always had mice, thanks to floods etc... they are everywhere!! and we can't win... we have tried everything and we catch heaps, but we never put a dent in them...

but they can get into our drawers (as in clothes drawers), which I can handle...until they have now discovered Spock's chest of drawers =( and now that I have FINALLY finished sorting through the buckets and boxes of baby clothes we have been given, said clothes are now in those drawers...was totally clean yesterday, today...full of mouse poo =*(. I have even stopped using the bottom drawer because they got into that straight away (even without clothes), but turns out they can get in all the drawers...

I can't block where they get in (the small gap at the back of the draw at the top) cause that will affect the opening and closing of the drawers. and short of getting a professional exterminator in, and probably doing bucketloads of structural stuff to the house to stop them getting back in (cause I think just killing them all wont do anything, more will just come). what can i do??

is there anything i can put in the drawers that will deter them? yet still be ok to be near/on clothes - mainly little bitty baby clothes???

I have some lavender around the place do you think this will work if i put in it all the drawers??

please help. I can handle them being able to get to our clothes...but not Spocks =(

[Phteven]

Have you seen those noise thingies at Bunnings? Apparently they hate the noise and stay away. I think they are about $40 per unit or $20 for the small units that do 1 room.

Or buy a cat. You can have mine. She's a bit broken but if the mice get close enough she'll eat them.

[nothing2lose]

Obviously you need to move. NOW!!!! At least that's what I'd do! (I HATE MICE!)

Good luck

[~TT40~]

I've heard of the noise things but havent seen there anywhere... bunnings you recon.. hmm

DH would kill the cat....we have a dog, who can catch sparrows no problem...but hasnt managed to get one single mouse.. go figure.

yea, we moved in 1 month before the major mouse plague hit (we are talking insane millions of mice hit the area - so much so our supermarket keeps everything in plastic tubs and they were catching alteast 50 a day - during the day). so we had no time to prepare... and its just gone crazy from there, they died off for a while through winter (even though i know they were still around we didnt hear or see them), but they have come back now (esp. after our last flood).

[nothing2lose]

I've heard of the noise things but havent seen there anywhere... bunnings you recon.. hmm

DH would kill the cat....we have a dog, who can catch sparrows no problem...but hasnt managed to get one single mouse.. go figure.

yea, we moved in 1 month before the major mouse plague hit (we are talking insane millions of mice hit the area - so much so our supermarket keeps everything in plastic tubs and they were catching alteast 50 a day - during the day). so we had no time to prepare... and its just gone crazy from there, they died off for a while through winter (even though i know they
were still around we didnt hear or see them), but they have come back now (esp. after our last flood).

NO! STOP! You're giving me nightmares!!!!!!

[~Kim~]

Peppermint oil works apparently....though like you we've just had that plague (like they'd pull at the doona at night bad) and I couldn't make anything work.
I know how much they suck.

eta snap!

[Miss.September]

We have one of those noise thingys in our garage permanently and hasn't deterred them. Horrible things.

We had a plague last year, not on the scale of yours but lots for us. We got 17 of them in about a week. And yeah, totally freaked me out when I realised a couple were living in DD's room and wardrobe. I'll PM you with the trap we used - I don't want to upset anyone with having to describe it here.

[MLR1901]

A few drops of Peppermint oil on cotton wool in small jars like old candle jars. Top up the oil every week or so!
Worked for us!

[sahbear]

Eeeeek! I'm freaking out! The doona, the drawers. Omg!

Do you think a chat with a professional exterminator would be useful? I'm not sure if it would work given the plague in the region, but might be worth a shot.

Or traps near where they are getting into the drawers? Or where they are sneaking into the house?

[ss_storm]

I had a rat, or two, in my pantry last year. It was horrible! Had to throw out so much stuff because they'd chewed through packaging, or even just pooped on it.. My pantry got a good clean and was very organised afterwards though! I'd try peppermint oil if you can get your hands on some.. Chemist? Health food store? Maybe even the soap place in Wagga? As for the noise thing, I've never heard one but would it just be like white noise for a baby? Plenty of things we find annoying can be quite soothing for a baby.

[~TT40~]

its like a high pitched constant ringing...like ringing in your ear, but high pitched...

thing is, with noise pitch, the older you get you cant hear the hight pitches (hence my being able to hear it and DH not being able to) and how you can get phone ringtones that only teenagers can hear but their parents can't (because of the pitch it is). so I was just thinking if at my age I could hear it, how loud would it be for a baby

yea SS - those are the places the chemist here suggested, they even said 'heres a crazy thought, try the candle shop - dusk'

[Phteven]

You can get traps that trap lots of mice at once. You put smelly food (peanut butter) inside and they walk in and can't walk out but they don't kill them so you have to do that after you have trapped them.

[Charlotte91]

I know people who use those cage traps. I personally hate them.
How is killing them later (ie: drowning them) more humane then a traditional trap.

JMO.

[Phteven]

I know people who use those cage traps. I personally hate them.
How is killing them later (ie: drowning them) more humane then a traditional trap.

JMO.

I use them. The reasons I use it have nothing to do with being humane. The home I use them in is in an area where marsupial mice live. It has a glass roof so I can check that I'm killing vermin not natives. It can catch more mice than a traditional trap. On the farm my Dad caught 8 mice in one night in one trap using a walk in trap so it's far more effective when you are dealing with a plague than trapping one by one.

Some people drive a few kilometers away and release which I believe is the 'humane' aspect of the trap however mice are vermin and they damage the bush ecosystem as much as they damage our homes so I don't really dig the catch and release for house mice.

[nickle730]

I moved our highchair out into the garage a few weeks ago as Miss P sits on a regular chair now. I cleaned it thoroughly before I put it in the garage. DH went out yesterday and the mice have eaten the highchair... stuffing is hanging out all over the place and they have eaten the tray. As in, literally eaten the plastic tray!! They've had a go at the Maxi Riders I've been storing as well.

This is war! I am going to try the peppermint oil in the house and will set traps around the garage. I'm planning to get some Ratsak to put where the kids and the animals can't get it. We're on acreage and I expected some mice, but this is crazy!!

[RhiChiChi]

We have those noise things, originally for spiders b/c we had a lot of white tails & I got bitten. I haven't seen any mice at all in this house (fx b/c I hate them so much). I'd still get an exterminator in to get rid of the ones you have & also he might be able to locate the nest and get rid of it. If you can't source peppermint oil where you live, try ordering online or one of us can send you some down :-)

[Astrid]

We are finding about 3 mice per day. Thankfully dead. The cats bring them in and the dog finished them off.

Found one had been in the teatowels draw and nibbled one of my favourite teatowels So all had to go through a hot wash. I even had sticks of peppermint in that drawer!

[Sunny Love]

Im all for trapping them, dead. Once one is caught, put the trap out again. I don't like cruelty/death to creatures, BUT with rodents I make the exception, purely under the food safety and child-immunity category.