mice in drawers - HELP!

[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.

[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!

[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.

[Charlotte91]

Fair enough, Onyx.

I killed a few mice last year that were apparently 'native'. Not hopping mice or anything protected, just normal little native mice.
DH wasn't happy.

[jackrose]

I have used peppermint oil to good effect too. Problem is that in plague proportions I don't think anything is going to solve your problem, only minimise it
Sounds as if you are on to that anyway.

As for sourcing the oil, you could try buying in bulk online?? I am sure lots of places stock it. I bought some from a company called Pro-oils. Try Massage supply stores, soap making supplies etc. (While you are at it and paying for postage, treat yourself to something nice to make up for the horror some massage oil for baby or some beeswax to make natural baby balm…)

[~TT40~]

Thanks girls!

I guess even if getting an extermiator in to get rid of the ones have, I can't see them being able to stop them as they are everywhere else, but they would have some good ideas how to minimise it too...I really should give some a call.

I like that idea jackrose - getting myself something too =P

yea we have seen those traps Onyx, but neither DH nor I are comfortable killing the ones we catch... its different if the trap just gets them than us having to actually do it ourselves.

thanks everyone

[leckert]

I've got the sonic deterrents and it works when keeping mice out of our bedroom - didn't work as well down in kitchen/dining/lounge rooms due to floor layout but still did work a bit (can't tell exactly cause I hadn't finished cleaning the pantry when using them). You have to make sure that they aren't "blocked" by walls and furniture though. I still have one going in our room just to be sure atm even though we haven't seen a mouse for a few months. Got mine at bunnings - ask someone there and they should know what you mean - I got 2 for about $30.

Apparently citrus oils are also mouse deterrents if you can't get peppermint - haven't tried this one but when I went looking for threads (or I started a thread - cant quite remember now) on mouse deterrents late last year this was suggested; I hadn't gotten around to finding any to wipe around the edge of the pantry to test them when they disappeared.


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[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.

[~TT40~]

so, in saying that.. DH came home today with one of those traps that just traps heaps of live mice, he said screw it, we will deal with them when we have to and he would rather have the live mice running around in it than around the house. We are also doing a bit of reno to the house (mainly turning a normal door into a slidding door) and he got some of that filler putty stuff for the door, and i've filled a few small (like 1cm) holes around the place that I'm sure mice like... but they are in the walls and the roof, so can't really putty them out for good.

[AliBaby]

I hate mice. DD is freaked out by them because I am. Last year I declared war at one stage as I spent a whole night not being able to sleep as I kept seeng them run in and out of the wardrobe. My dogs just look at them and watch them. They are starting to come back. I have put traps out but its liek they know not to touch them. THey have worked it out! We even put peanut butter on them! I freaked out the other day as there was a balckcurrent soother wrapped up on my dressing table and I woke up in the morning and there were all little bits of the paper on the table and mouse poo. Ewwww! Can you believe it tried to eat a soother!!!!!

[nickle730]

I just went out to the garage and saw the 'mouse' which has been eating my stored baby stuff. That thing is not a mouse, it's a massive rat!! It's body is as big as DH's hand! He ran up the wall and onto the rafters and stopped and looked at me. I need to catch him before he destroys anything else, but I've gotta say... I won't feel good about it. He was kinda cute - in a feral, rat sort of way.

[Lisa]

Teirae - PM me your address hun. I have 500 mls of peppermint here that you can have. I can't use it as I must have a slight allergy to peppermint as my throat feels like it is closing whenever I smell the oil.

[AliBaby]

mg: Nickle! I would die! I seriosuly just got shudders! Get the rat sak out!!!!

[trishalishous]

oh gawd how creepy!
We have a neighbourhood cat who takes care of any mice here.
I heard mint worked too?

[nickle730]

OK, Miss P and I took a trip to Bunnings this morning. They have a huge display of mouse traps out the front! I asked someone where the rest of the stuff was and she immediately said 'aisle x'. I asked her if a lot of people had been asking for mouse traps and she said every second person is buying them, the rats are everywhere! So, I now have 20 odd traps to set around the place. I didn't buy any Ratsak as several people told me this morning that the rats eat it then go away and die... often in the roof or the walls! One friend said there is currently a dead rat decomposing in her walls and they are looking at having to remove plaster to get it out.

We had a rather eventful night last night. I woke at about 1am to scratching on the side of my bed. Half asleep, I threw DD2 at DH and switched on the light, expecting the garage rat to be climbing up the side of my bed! It was the cat, sharpening her claws on my mattress!! An hour or so later I woke to scratching at the front door, I could hear claws in the security door. I nudged DH awake and told him there was a critter at the front door and he needed to sort it out. He got up and said, 'the cat's got it covered, she's here at the door'. I told him to let the cat out and we heard the cat thumping around... and then some squeak-squeak-squeaking... About time the puss earned her keep!!

Lordy, I'm afraid to open the cupboard doors at the moment in case a rat jumps out at me! Touch wood... no sign of them inside, only in the garage. But they're starting to knock at the front door...

[leckert]

Nickle - at least you have polite mice


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