Community Chat

[Pearlee]

Please remember, everyone, and I've posted this before, that when you sweep up (with a broom) mouse droppings that you wear a mask.   Mice can carry the Hanta virus which people can contract airborne when they sweep up mouse poop.   Do no sweep up until you put on a mask.  Ugh, mice.  Hate 'em.   I get skeeved out when I trap one in the "guillotine" traps (LOL) and their limp icky tail is hanging down from the trap when they are dead --- ugh!

From the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/hps/transmission.html.

[truffle]

I can't stand to kill mice so we capture and release but I do understand everyone has their own skeeve level.  

[hoosieroriginal]

I have an old lean to that I park my riding mower in.  The mice would get up and make nests in the engine and then the mower wouldn't start and I was constantly having to have someone come out and pick up the mower and clean out the engine.  My friend told me that mice hate the smell of pine - so I put a small container of pine sol inside the engine and I have not had a problem since.  In winter I put a large container of Pine Sol under the engine and one inside it and no problems since.  (Either that or I have a ton of snakes in that lean to taking care of the mice for me - ha!)

[2blonde]

I've always had a problem with mice getting into my condo basement.  My last two (female) cats either wanted to make friends with them or as in the case of my last cat, were afraid of them!  Now, I have my 1-1/2 yearold guy, Al.  When he knows there's a mouse in the utility room (where they always come in), he lies in wait outside the door, sometimes for hours or a whole day.  Sooner or later, that dumb mouse will come out and I'll hear the scuffle downstairs......you can guess the rest.  He won't eat them.......just likes to kill them.  

[Jacie]

@hoosieroriginal

Thanks for the Pine Sol tip. I have not heard that before. We have done moth balls or peppermint- I don't like the moth ball smell and my husband hates the peppermint! We can agree on Pine Sol, will give that a try!

[hckynut]

@Shorty2U

"What more can I do"?

Never have had a problem with mice in our 2 townhomes or 2 houses. Wonder if it because we have always been a large feline family. We too feed birds and many outdoor critters. The only type of mouse I have ever seen in our home are the deceased.

Go to a shelter and give some felines a 2nd chance at life.

hckynut(john)

[itsmagic]

I hate mice too!  We used to have one or two come in every year until I finally figured out where they came in. There was a small opening where the inside garage wall met the cement blocks near the floor. I filled it with the expandable spray foam all around inside the garage and so far I have not had any mice (knock on wood!!). I always keep the old fashioned traps set in the basement just in case though. 

[jaxs mom]

I don't think you're being dramatic. If you asked what the bait is, the proper response is not, "oh the kitten doesn't go in the basement". They should have just given you a direct answer as to what the bait contains. 

[qualitygal]

@Shorty2U, thanks for doing this thread. I was all ready to feed the birds this year. But your post reminded me that for us, it's a no no. If you want to feed them from a tree or something, not to bring the little friends up for a visit. At one point last year, an opossim came near the house and I almost had heart failure!  So we won't do feed them from the deck after all. The seed also made a mess of our deck.

While I think of it, get what you need to change the batteries on your smoke detectors for time change in November. Reminder to all.

[Pearlee]

And a P.S. about the hanta virus issue - always wear gloves when cleaning up from mice - even paper or cardboard they've chewed, not just their waste/droppings.

I'm going to try Pine Sol too. Tis also the season when pine-scented candles are out (like at Bath and Body Works) if you  perfer that.