quote:

So I'm off to Lowes tomorrow to pick out a replacement for my <4YO refrigerator.

How could they damage the refrigerator itself? Did the power shutting off damage some internal circuit or something? If so, why could that not be fixed?

Mice and rats like to cause damage to cars, mostly by chewing wiring. The most "fun" one was a blower motor making noise. I pulled it out and there was a dead mouse with its face shredded off down to the bone by the fan blades.

First problem is that old houses have lots of holes and it it practically impossible to keep them out... with that said poison does not work because the mice jus think this is food and there is probably an infinite number of them outside and and all you are doing with the poison is bringing more in. Simple solution is don't leave food out for them to live off of of and just be content with a small family that will move around at night and go outside to find food. At least this is what we settled on at our mountain house.

Don't use any poison in the house, save that for the shed or barn. When they die inside the house it will stink something horrific. I keep a few tomcat traps like Arc posted in my shed.

I had several in the house last spring after some landscape work to fix drains and hardscape walls disturbed a nest.

You have to seal up all the openings around the exterior of the house, otherwise you're just a mouse hotel. They make a special spray foam they can't chew through, it's denser than the typical expanding foam stuff. If it's an opening they are already using, they will chew through normal foam and pull steel wool out of the way to get back in. Brass wool works much better than stainless, they will remove the stainless where you place it. The brass messes with their senses when their whiskers hit it and they won't try to chew through it.

Once the holes are plugged up, simple snap traps baited with peanut butter and places along walls and in corners work every time. All that fancy stuff isn't as effective as a well placed snap trap.

Honestly though if you can't plug the holes, I'm afraid cats are really the only option. They'll just keep coming in otherwise.

Cat.
Make sure it’s not a lazy one. Best thing I did for my old house was to let the cat have the run of it in the fall and early winter. She’s a stone cold killer.

I have 6 indoor cats. No mouse problem. And I enjoy having them in my lap.

flashguy

I have three inside cats , one outside cat and zero mouse problems. Live in a rural area. Found a dead mouse in a hallway a while ago. His brain and braincase were eaten. Go figure a cats preferred snack.

I like glue traps. I’ve caught a lot of scorpions and other noxious insects in mine, in addition to the mice I put them out for.

i used the snapp trap kind-very satisfying to hear it go off in the middle of the night

the glue traps work also, put them at the edges of walls near corners...once I got one i took it outside and flipped it glue side to the ground and just stepped on the trap to dispatch the mouse.....my wife asked if i was gonna unglue him and set him free outside (sighs and shakes head)

like others have said, dont use decon inside, a decomposing mouse under a cabinet is awful...

id move the stuff away from the exterior of the house or move a wood pile further away and poison outside

+1

Those things work. Figure out where they make their runs and wait. Get the larger ones for rats. Reusable if you do not mind prying the mouse off the glue. If not, just dispose.

Have a look at Mouse Trap Monday

We have an old house and honestly it's nearly impossible to 'seal it all up'. So remove all the food, booby trap points of entry, and kill em all.

We usually do a combo of standard traps, big and small - plus those big squares of sticky goo they run across and get stuck on. Usually we catch them early before they breed - it's typically 1-3 and they go down pretty quick.

Is Merlot a member of the Clean Plate Club? A bowl of dog food (or even crumbs thereof) on the floor is a powerful incentive for a mouse invasion.

No, she's a free feeder. I'm reevaluating that.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
Step one.

Remove food sources. Meaning police your foodstuffs and make sure things are in closed containers, look for boxes that have been nibbled, some sort of tupperware is in order.

Also, look out for candies, lozenges, even soaps and cosmetics, they will eat those.

How mice find their way inside is heat loss, police the exterior of your home, looking for holes at the mud sill, doors and windows, damaged trim.

Look at the backs of your kitchen cabinets, and behind stoves, dishwashers and other appliances. I like to use PL 400 and coarse steel wool to plug holes.

As far as getting rid of mice:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/To...-037161005/300934065

All true and good advice. You have pets so make sure you aren't leaving any pet food out over night as rodents are hoarders and can build up quite a supply of food. Snap traps are good but in my experience rodenticide works the best. There are drawbacks such as the possibility of dead mice in the walls. The benefit of rodenticide is that once control is achieved the remaining bait can just sit there waiting for the next mice that try to enter. Using both snap traps and bait can work well. Make sure that wherever you put it it is in an area that is inaccessible to pets. Most baits require an animal to consume 10% of their bodyweight to get a lethal dose but I believe D Con is only 1%. We don't use any 1% baits. I am too concerned about people who have pets. Good spots include under the fridge and dishwasher. If you have a basement, put a tray every 15-20 feet on the sill plate, especially under the kitchen. Another good spot is on the floor on either side of the an overhead garage door if you have one. This would require a locking tamper resistant box. I have good rodent boxes that are tamper resistant if you are concerned about pets. Shoot me an email with an address and I will mail you some.

ETA - not a fan of glue boards. Too unreliable. They can catch mice but usually only juveniles. Adult mice have a very sensitive set of whiskers that detect the board and they will just jump over it. Baby mice have no such defense as their whiskers haven't fully grown in. Can they catch adult mice, yes but IMO it is the least effective tactic.

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
First problem is that old houses have lots of holes and it it practically impossible to keep them out... with that said poison does not work because the mice jus think this is food and there is probably an infinite number of them outside and and all you are doing with the poison is bringing more in. Simple solution is don't leave food out for them to live off of of and just be content with a small family that will move around at night and go outside to find food. At least this is what we settled on at our mountain house.

Rodenticide does not attract mice from the outside. They find it once they have entered. Don't be content having any number of mice in your house as they are very destructive. They love to strip the insulation off of wires. I forget the exact percentage but it is something like 20 to 30% of all house fires of unknown origin are from mice chewing wires. They also spread disease. Mice reproduce eight times a year. Under optimal food conditions this can lead to hundreds of mice and a lot of the time you don't even realize they are there.

Had this problem a few years ago when I bought the house I'm in now.
Always started at about this time of year. I'm out in the country with a few acres so it's been an ongoing struggle.
I know some have noted that no poison in the house. I did the exact opposite.
D-Con makes a bait station with these green squares of mouse poison. I put them in a few locations throughout the house.
It's cold enough now that if they do die in the house, I haven't smelled anything.
It worked for me.
I also found a small hole in the garage where they were getting in. Sealed that up but it is almost impossible to find every hole and they don't need much.
When there was a cat here, 0 mice.
Prevous owner also had a bunch of bird feeders around and had seed stores in the house. I found seed all over when I bought the house. Eliminate all food sources that you can. Dog food also.
Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
Simple solution is don't leave food out for them to live off of of and just be content with a small family that will move around at night and go outside to find food. At least this is what we settled on at our mountain house.

Maybe you are not aware of the health problems associated with mice and rats!
...................................
Hantavirus

Hantavirus is a potentially life-threatening disease transmitted to humans by rodents-primarily, the white-footed deer mouse. People become infected through exposure or inhalation of infected rodent urine, droppings or saliva, and the chances increase when people are near spaces where rodents are actively living. Last year, ten people fell ill and three died from exposure to deer mice infected with Hantavirus after staying in tent cabins at Yosemite National Park. Early symptoms of the disease include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People may also experience headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems.

Bubonic Plague

Also known as the "Black Death", the Plague is a highly contagious and often deadly disease notorious for killing one-third of the European population during the Middle Ages. Plague is usually spread by the bite of an infected rodent flea and can cause fever, headache and painfully swollen lymph nodes. A Colorado girl was infected with the Plague in 2012 after falling ill during a camping trip.

Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is a type of food poisoning spread by rodent feces, especially through the consumption of contaminated food. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain. Each year, approximately 40,000 cases of Salmonella are reported in the U.S., according to WebMD.

Rat-Bite Fever

Rat-bite fever (RBF) is a potentially fatal infectious disease spread by infected rodents or the consumption of food contaminated by rodents. The CDC says that symptoms usually occur 3-10 days after exposure to an infected source and include fever, vomiting, headaches, rash and muscle pain.

In addition to health risks, rodents can pose a significant property risk as they have a tendency to destroy insulation in attics and can chew through wallboards, cardboard, wood and even electrical wiring. In fact, rodents cause up to 25 percent of house fires in the U.S. every year.

With rapid reproduction rates, rodents can quickly go from being unnoticeable to causing a full-blown infestation. Homeowners should look at prevention as the first line of defense again these pests and take steps to keep them out of the home.

Check out this article for detailed rodent prevention tips. Also, it's important for homeowners to be aware of other signs of rodents, such as scampering sounds in ceilings, droppings found in undisturbed places or partially eaten food in the kitchen. If an infestation is suspected, a pest professional can offer the expertise and knowledge to treat the problem.

https://www.pestworld.org/news...nd-rat-infestations/

As others mentioned:

Cut off food supply in home

Seal entry points into home


Also, bait stations outside the home with the proper rodentcide will keep them at bay.

I had a mouse problem in my attic and I called in a pro. He baited the attic and told me that the easiest way was to have bait stations out side the home to keep them in check (and I could do it myself to save a few bucks).

There is a Website called 'DIY Pest Control' that sells everything you'll need.

I purchased some bait stations and a rodentcide called 'Contrac'. Now, no mouse problem.

PSA.

Do not by any means aerosolize the dry mouse urine.

Wet wipe only.

Get a cat or two, the mice will vanish like Ferguson protesters having job applications dropped on them.