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They are taking over my house!

livannie

Shiny_Rock
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Jul 10, 2013
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315
Hello! I need advice on something that's becoming a big problem in my home. It's being taken over by my mice! We live in a small city with my husband's family's farm behind us. There are acres of orchards and fields at the edge of our backyard. We bought this house 5 years ago and my husband wanted to buy it because it's practically on the farm and being a farmer is one of his jobs. The job he loves most. The first year we moved here we probably caught a couple mice, the second year also. The third year we caught like 14 mice. I am terrified of the little guys. Growing up, I don't remember ever having a problem at all with mice. Like never seeing ONE living with my parents or by myself.
They only come around in the fall and when it starts snowing here, they stop coming in. But this year has been unusually warm.
Well this year in like October, the first of November, we caught 14. And for a couple weeks, I thought we were done with them. I felt like my house was mine again. Well three days ago, we heard noises in the kitchen and my husband put out the traps again and in those 3 days, we have caught 8! And I hear them in my bathroom wall as I am typing this. We have caught 22 now since October.
We have gone around the outside of the house looking for holes and filling them up with sealant sprays and spraying under the cupboards of the kitchen and bathroom where we have seen them come out of. I did that last year and we had zero mice. But my 6 year old poked holes in the sealant stuff with pens and other things since last year and I think that has caused some of the problem.
My husband is not really bothered by them, he grew up down the street from where we live now and always had them.
But I can't handle it. I have found them in my shoes, in my dresser and while I have been cooking, they have come out of under the oven and by my feet. I am terrified and grossed out and it has caused marriage problems for us because of my complaining. I have told him I want to move but that's not really an option, it just makes him angry at me when I say things like that. I just don't know what to do.
 

lknvrb4

Ideal_Rock
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Nov 1, 2009
Messages
3,738
Get some cats, my sister says that her cat will kill mice if they get into her house.
 

podfoot

Rough_Rock
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Feb 23, 2014
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35
^^^Agree. My grandparent's farm has 1 in the house, one in the "shop," and one living in the barn for mice! The only mice they find are the ones the cats have already got to!
 

TooPatient

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Sep 1, 2009
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Ick!!!!!

Seal the house. Really really really well. Everywhere.
If you don't have water nearby (a mile or two I think is the general rule of thumb?) put out poison.

Get a cat or two.

Is there a pest control service in the area? I know our service does mice too. Something like $80/treatment but if I find anything between the quarterlies, they come out free of charge. Breaks down to less than $30/month -- money well spent!


(Okay, start with the last suggestion -- if you have the service you don't have to deal with all the.... remains :knockout: )
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jun 8, 2008
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53,986
I have to echo the cats suggestion. If you get a couple of cats you will NOT have any more mice problems after a while because the mice smell the cats and will stay away. Of course you will have to deal with the dead mice but once those are over and done with you will not get any new mice. And you get to rescue a couple of cats in need of a loving home so a win win situation. I hope you can do this. You WILL be mice free if you go this route. Good luck!
 

TooPatient

Super_Ideal_Rock
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One thing to be careful with if you get cats -- make sure you don't put out poison for the mice if you have cats otherwise the cats can get sick from the poison in the mice.
 

rainydaze

Ideal_Rock
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May 1, 2007
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3,361
As a kid, one of my teachers was offering up kittens for free to a good home. He had a barn and got some cats to help with his mice problem, only to wind up with kittens (um, spay and neuter anyone?). The kitten we got was a great cat, and an even greater hunter. He could catch ANYTHING and he was a survivor to boot. So, I highly recommend the cat suggestion!
 

AprilBaby

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jul 17, 2008
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I'm with you! I had Orkin for two years but they did diddly squat! I put sticky traps all over and then kill them. I hate to do it but it's them or me! I can't get a cat because DH has terrible allergies. One year I had 22, another year none. Every oct it starts and then by Christmas it is over. Good luck! I HATE mice!
 

momhappy

Ideal_Rock
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Mar 3, 2013
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If I was dealing with that many mice, I'd be calling in an expert. Cats might help, but I have my doubts that they could eradicate a problem of your magnitude. I just saw a home renovation episode on tv the other day and they discovered that the house had a bad mouse problem. The worst part was that the mice actually chewed through the electrical wires that ran through the walls, which was a serious fire hazard as well as a major expense because an electrician had to come in and check ALL of the wiring throughout the entire home. Call a professional!!!!
 

livannie

Shiny_Rock
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Jul 10, 2013
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315
Thank you for all the replies and advice! We actually don't have any mice anymore. Well we haven't caught or seen any for a while. Next September/October, I am making sure we put bait stations all around the outside of our house.
My mother in law knows our next door neighbor really well and they have had horrible problems. Like mice coming out of thier bathtub! And an actual rat! I am so terrified of mice. We will prepare long before they start coming in next year!
 

momhappy

Ideal_Rock
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^How did you get rid of them?
 

livannie

Shiny_Rock
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Jul 10, 2013
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315
Momhappy, we just stopped catching any. We still have traps out and have gotten nothing. I haven't seen or heard anything either. I swear I can feel when something is in my house even before seeing it. Probably because I stay home all day with my kids.
KateWinslet, we definitely should get another cat. I am sad our cat disappeared, she was a great mouser.
 

aviastar

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Oct 5, 2010
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1,190
They come in waves, or litters-literally. A family moves in, has a litter or two, you catch them all and you're free and clear until the next family moves in.

We live in an 1840 log home between a cornfield and creek; there is no such thing as squeamish about wildlife around here. We haven't tried it yet, but it know people who have had great success with peppermint. You can get peppermint powder at Southern States and the mice apparently hate the smell, so it's great behind the refrigerator and washer/dryer.
 

livannie

Shiny_Rock
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Jul 10, 2013
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315
Thanks aviastar! I tried the peppermint oil with cottonballs but that didn't seem to work. But maybe this peppermint powder would be good to try!
The strangest thing happened yesterday, I went for a walk at 6 a.m. with some other ladies and when I got back at seven, I was pulling into my garage when I saw our cat run in. She has been gone since October! We have no idea where she has been but she looks healthy and looks like someone has been taking care of her. It was so weird seeing her again. My kids are really happy she is back. I wish I knew where she has been the last 4 months. But my mouser is back. :dance:
 
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