Have a mouse upstairs!

qualityshopper · ‎12-04-2011

Day before yesterday late evening, I was sitting on my bed watching TV when I thought I saw something on the floor heading to the bathroom. Since I have some problems with my vision, I didn't think too much about it--just assumed my eyes were doing something weird. About 15 minutes later, I again saw something. This time I looked right at it and just barely caught something black going underneath the closet door in the adjacent bathroom.

Called my mom upstairs to investigate the closet and after moving a few things out, all of a sudden a little black mouse ran out. I couldn't believe it. We have not had a mouse in this house for probably about 40 years. But what really gets me is that we have not had any other sighting or evidence of a mouse anywhere else in the house, especially not in the kitchen, which is where I would expect to find one. It seems like he bypassed the food areas downstairs and just headed straight upstairs, but why?

Now I'm in a real panic. We were not able to catch this mouse. Before he ran out of the closet, my mom had shut my bedroom door and placed towels at the bottom to keep him from going into my room. Did the same for the bathroom door. Unfortunately, she missed a small spot under my door, and I believe he got into my room and is now hidden in there somewhere. We set two traps out last night with peanut butter as bait but have not caught him. I'm afraid to even go into my room and, especially, to sleep. Do I need more traps and/or different bait? Would really appreciate advice!

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

You're bigger than he is, he is just faster. Trap with peanut butter or bacon. I'd try to catch it in a jar but you have to be there with the lid. If you use a trap, the other works well.

2blonde · ‎03-10-2010

@qualityshopper I've caught many mice in my basement with peanut butter, so that should work. The fact that he's upstairs doesn't necessarily mean that he bypassed the food, it could mean he came in through the rafters or attic somewhere. You may have had others in your house over the years and never knew it. They only need about a half inch to get through something or under a door. I slept upstairs when I was a kid and the only mice we had always came in that way......never through the basement. I was always able to catch them with a trap, so hang in there. Remember, where there is one mouse, there usually are more, so keep some traps set around the house for the future too.

Laura loves cats!

2blonde · ‎03-10-2010

You could also get a cat!

Laura loves cats!

tessam · ‎04-30-2010

Unfortunately tiny field mice make their way into houses to avoid both heat and cold. Where there is one you can bet s/he has friends. If you use traps use several and place them close to the wall. Mice tend to run along walls and this can be helpful Prevention can help as well. Certain substances are known to repel mice. Place one of these items in the corners of your basement, closets, doors, and other place you suspect mice may be entering:

Mint. Mint plants planted around your windows and doors will repel mice. You could also sprinkle peppermint or spearmint essential oil around your house.
Bay leaves. Tuck them into the corners of your pantry and cabinets, or crush them up and sprinkle them in your windowsills.
Mothballs. These will keep mice away, but they're poisonous to humans and pets. If you use mothballs, make sure your children, dogs and cats can't get near them.

Oddly we had a mouse rest on the engine of our car during the winter gnawing and destroying wires! Mechanis advised us to place a basic clothes dryer sheet on the engine as mice do not like the odor. It worked. Perhaps it would inside as well All else fails you may need to cal an exterminator who can block points of entry and do the dirty work of capture. Good luck!

ptagirl · ‎07-12-2010

@2blonde wrote:
You could also get a cat!

That reminds me of something funny (but not for our cat)..

we had a shrew in our last house..of course it was so small we couldn't catch it with a traditional trap, so we bought some sticky traps and set one on our basement stairs....well you probably know what happended.. we were watching tv and all of a sudden there was this loud howl and this clippity-clapping up and down the stairs...the cat had that thing stuck to his foot. We laughed so hard, but I know it was traumatizing for the cat....

just one of those funny things that happen...we eventually did get the shrew, though...

toria · ‎08-28-2010

Go to the hardware store and get a D Con product. They make mouse traps and bait. Different kinds. I had a mouse problem and I nipped it in the bud right away with a mouse bait that they ate and then went outside to die. If you do nothing they will just increase.

ptagirl · ‎07-12-2010

@tessam wrote:
Unfortunately tiny field mice make their way into houses to avoid both heat and cold. Where there is one you can bet s/he has friends. If you use traps use several and place them close to the wall. Mice tend to run along walls and this can be helpful Prevention can help as well. Certain substances are known to repel mice. Place one of these items in the corners of your basement, closets, doors, and other place you suspect mice may be entering:
Mint. Mint plants planted around your windows and doors will repel mice. You could also sprinkle peppermint or spearmint essential oil around your house.
Bay leaves. Tuck them into the corners of your pantry and cabinets, or crush them up and sprinkle them in your windowsills.
Mothballs. These will keep mice away, but they're poisonous to humans and pets. If you use mothballs, make sure your children, dogs and cats can't get near them.
Oddly we had a mouse rest on the engine of our car during the winter gnawing and destroying wires! Mechanis advised us to place a basic clothes dryer sheet on the engine as mice do not like the odor. It worked. Perhaps it would inside as well All else fails you may need to cal an exterminator who can block points of entry and do the dirty work of capture. Good luck!

We had that happen to one of our vehicles.. ate a hole in the break line and some other wires in addition to the upholstery...we put traps in there and caught several mice.. at least my husband didn't have one crawl up his pant leg when he was driving!(happened to a girl-friend of mine)..

Also, just wanted to add, my husband and his brother have a hunting camp which was lousy with mice. They put scented dryer sheets throughout and when they went up to go hunting, there were no mice...incredible!, (but didn't keep the spiders out), since it's located way up in the woods and nobody goes to it but once/twice a year...oddly something so simple worked ...

itsmagic · ‎08-08-2011

I agree with @tessam. Put several mousetraps perpendicular against the wall with the peanut butter side closest to the wall.

We had mice get in our house several years ago and I finally figured out that they came in through a crack in the garage wall where the cement block and wall board met. They would then crawl up to the attic and eventually back down between two other walls exiting into the basement. After I sealed that crack we have not had any more mice. But I'm on the lookout for them every year because I don't like sharing a home with them!

Anita Hug · ‎03-22-2015

You probably have more than one... I giggled at stuffing the towel to keep him out. Those little guys can squeeze through an opening no wider than the diemeter of a pencil. :-o I prefer to use traps to get them because I don't like them croaking in the walls. I know they say that the dessicants make it so they don't smell, but peeew, they sure CAN smell. I rather trap them and get them outside! Keep setting traps even after you think you got the one because there could be more. Especially when the weather starts getting colder in the fall and the critters start coming in more.

good luck.