Community Chat

[Shorty2U]

I posted about rats OUTSIDE from bird seed. I feel like I'm living in a nightmare!

Got new exterminator the best and most expensive one. He put bait outside all over  and snaps.Saw nothing the first week.

2nd time he came, he NOW found mouse burrow at our bush out front, (ugh!!!) and neighbors have burrow (who have stalks and wood in their garden from last Fall).

Fast forward, caught one mouse (no rat) out back under deck. Ok, exterminator comes back in week, checked/bait was taken so he refills outside. Put snaps in cellar and garage "In case" and has bait outside in big things too in front and back because he found the mentioned above mouse burrow near bush.

Found nothing in traps in house or garage or saw nothing in house. UNTIL tonight. I go in "attached" garage to spray coat art projects and there runs a baby mouse in our garage.

And yes I ran in the house and threw up. Id rather 5000 bugs crawl on me then see a rodent! 

PS Husband also stopped feeding birds almost 2 weeks ago, and he even dug up a big part of our yard and threw grass with as much as bird seed that was on it way down in the farmers field. No more feeding birds..

Well I cant believe i saw mouse in garage. I cant believe this whole thing is happening. Lived here and never had problems except 6 yrs ago field mice once in a while in FALL ONLY due to field down back here (farmers)..

I'm ready to move. I cannot take rodents. And please don't say oh you're in the country this is what happens, Yes I'm in the country but its a a country development.of homes except for farmers field out back!

Never had these problems when I lived in city! and yes we are clean! No trash outside, not allowed to have trash lay around here. Trash is garage until trash day in sealed barrel! But neighbors do have that stuff (corn stalks and wood) our back.

Meanwhile now Im thinking of calling exterminator back and asking for bait boxes in cellar and garage in addition to snaps because old exterminator had bait boxes only and never saw rodents in garage like tonight (or house). I am at my wits end and I think neighbors MUST have issues too, but no one talks around here. They all keep to themselves. I was going to ask someone i saw on the porch if they had any issues too, but didn't want them to think Im accusing them of problem! .

PSS we have 2 indoor only cats, so much for that! 

What else can we do? Be patient? Am I overreacting? Wait it out in conjunction with exterminator coming? Im seriously ready to move! (But none of this phases my husband!).

[Mz iMac]

"Got new exterminator the best and most expensive one."

Get another one that is NOT so expensive.  Expensive does not mean they are any better than the ones that charge lower fees.  Especially, one that has been in the business for eons.  They are the ones that will check every nook & cranny.  Field mice can "chew" their way into homes.

[ValuSkr]

Be patient.  You've done a lot - removed bird feeders, placed bait boxes outside, and placed snaps and other traps in the basement.  And you have cats.  If your situation is like mine, the mice will disappear in time, say a month.  Be diligent about removing dead mice in traps.  An exterminator told me, counter-intuitively, that mice are attracted to the scent of dead mice

[dex]

I wonder if you put cotton balls with peppermint in the garage and in your home if that wouldn’t at least keep them outside.If your neighbors aren’t trying to get rid of the rats and mice by following your lead then the problem won’t go away...they will keep coming into your yard and for now are probably attracted to the bait.

[Kachina624]

@Shorty2U.  To answer your question, yes you're over-reacting.  It sounds as though you're bordering on hysteria.  Every household has an occasional mouse; I buy Decon at the grocery store and the problem is solved.  One year I had a bad problem because I kept dry dog food in a tight garbage can with a lid in my attached garage.  I discovered they chewed a mouse-size hole in the bottom of the heavy vinyl can.  If you keep your garbage in the garage, i understand why you have a problem there.  They can smell it.

Another year I discovered they were coming in thru my dog door at night.  I didn't put the blocking panel in it.  One evening I sat reading and looked up to see a mouse watching me from his his perch on a table literally at my elbow.  Cute little guy but very audacious  I put out my Decon and have blocked the dog door ever since.  No more visitors.  It would never occur to me to throw up.  What would that solve?  Get rid of it and move on.

[FancyPhillyshopper]

People do not live on this planet alone. Wildlife are a part of nature and need to be understood (and appreciated). Although I am not a Buddhist, I admire their philosophy that all creatures have value and man could be reborn as any animal.

So far this Spring in my garden I have seen snakes, tiny lizards, rabbits, moles, squirrels, hawks and many bird and insect species. I hear the foxes and the raccoons and owls at night, and sometimes I see opossums. I live in a big city!!

I also have a birdfeeder, but I use it only in the Winter with snow, when food is unavailable for the birds. It is not good for birds to become overly dependent on feeders, nor for the site to become a hunt zone (scavenger area).

I have many different pets so I never use any kind of poisonous repellants inside or out, nor would I ever set traps.

Little mice will go where it is warm and safe and where food is available.  Mice can get into almost any kind of hole.  They themselves pose no harm, but may carry diseases or bugs (fleas, etc.) that could be picked up by you and your pets. Yes, every once in a while in the cold Winter a mouse sneaks in my house, and either a cat catches it or I push it into a bag with a stick and throw it outside.

Do you know that there are more than 2000 species of rodents in the world, including porcupines and beavers?

Items I recommend as natural potential repellants are hot pepper sprays  (I also use to deter insects), peppermint sprays and perhaps moth balls (not my choice but recommended).  You may also want to try ultrasonic repellants.

Be vigilant until the issue is temporarily resolved. Inspect for tiny openings everywhere and caulk them closed.  However, know that nothing is 100% guaranteed.

[spud188]

Spoiler

2 weeks ago,I heard a sound and looked over and saw a mouse sitting in the dog food bowl. I took off my slipper and beat it to death. Set traps and caught 3 more. You gotta keep setting traps. 

I live out in the country too.

[ID2]

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@spud188 wrote:

Spoiler

2 weeks ago,I heard a sound and looked over and saw a mouse sitting in the dog food bowl. I took off my slipper and beat it to death. Set traps and caught 3 more. You gotta keep setting traps. 

I live out in the country too.

Seriously?? You beat it to death?? Wow, I would have just caught and and opened the door. Rodent in the house, yes I get it, but to beat the poor creature to death is unconscionable!! 

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[Imaoldhippie]

Moving will not solve any of your rodent problems, they are everywhere.  Just because you did not see them when you lived in the city does not mean they were not there.

Yes you are over reacting.  You have not given anything you have done enough time.  Please consider seeing a doctor about your phobia.  Throwing up is not a normal response to fear unless it is out of control.  Good luck.

[jubilant]

I may not be the best person to advise on this.  I have let a pet rat crawl up and down my body at Pet Smart.   Of course it was bred to be a pet so it was gentle. I Iove to watch our giant 35 lb. ground hog eat grass and mess around along our woods.  If he gets too close to the house I clap my hands or make a noise and he waddles back into the woods. 

We have a big shed close to the woods.  DH puts D-con in it and every Spring I go out to get my pots out of the shed there  are dead mice in them.  In my mind that shed draws them in and keeps them away from the house.

Also we have neighbors with outdoor cats and those cats really do a great job at keeping the mice and chipmunks from taking over. 

I was wondering if you had something happen in your life involving a rodent that gave you a bad scare since your fear of them is so great. Just remember.... these animals are more afraid of us then we are of them.  A mouse got into my daughters house a couple of years ago and her cat took care of it.  Her cat proudly brought it into her bedroom at night and delivered it at the foot of her bed! Her cat, however, had claws. 

My husband traps the larger rodents if they get too close to the house because they can do a lot of damage to the foundation of your home.  You really should get the human scent off of the traps and put foliage over them to make them feel like they are under a bush or something.  Since this could be a problem almost anywhere you live you might want to address your fears. You seem to be overly fearful.  It must be very unpleasant for you and I think it's something you could overcome.