Getting rid of mice without hurting them?

[Andrew Gubb]

I got a new flat, trouble is there is at least one mouse hanging about. I don't mind them as such but having them uninvited doesn't do much for the vibe of the place. Anyone had experience with getting rid of mice in a non-violent way? I remember Steve actually requesting stuff of animals and getting his requests respected. But I don't know if I can expect that to work for me xD

[Angela]

Ultrasonic Pest Control Devices High frequency sounds that send the little beasts scampering for peace and quiet, but that humans can't hear.

[moonrambler]

I use live traps and transport them to a park.

[Andrew Gubb]

Cool stuff, thanks guys

[ssandra]

Get a cat?

Might hurt the mice, but that's nature. And besides, often just the smell of a cat will have the mice find other places to be...

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by ssandra

Get a cat?

Might hurt the mice, but that's nature. And besides, often just the smell of a cat will have the mice find other places to be...

Had thought of that but if I can get rid of the mice without killing them even better! Cats can eat vegan catfood, hey it's not natural but nature can be cruel sometimes... humans have the power to do something different if they choose.

[ZephyrusX]

This is what we did as well. You can buy traps that won't kill the mice in retail stores, but then you have to transport the mice away from your house. It works for a little while, but mice seem quite smart. They learned to avoid our traps. Eventually, they left on their own as I believe they only took over our garage because it was so freakin cold.

If it is really just one mouse, it might not be a problem. I'd get rid of them quickly before you have a little mice family living with you though.

Originally Posted by moonrambler

I use live traps and transport them to a park.

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by ZephyrusX

This is what we did as well. You can buy traps that won't kill the mice in retail stores, but then you have to transport the mice away from your house. It works for a little while, but mice seem quite smart. They learned to avoid our traps.

For awhile, I could hear a mouse in the crawlspace here, and it wouldn't go in the trap. I knew it had found the trap because it was pooping on top of it. Then one day I found poop inside the trap and realized it was going in there, eating the bait and then getting out again. Quite a smart mouse! I told everyone the mouse was using the trap as a toilet.

So I had to go buy a more expensive live trap. The next morning I found two culprits in there. I shook my finger at them and reprimanded them for using the other trap as a toilet.

I have a cat too, but my cat is a catch-and-release cat. (Andrew, you might like that!) If a mouse gets in the basement, the cat brings it upstairs and lets it loose. Then I have to chase it around and catch it. I put on a glove and just pick it up when it gets confused and into a corner or something. Then I put it in the live trap or an old coffee can and off we go to the park.

[ButterflyWoman]

Originally Posted by moonrambler

If a mouse gets in the basement, the cat brings it upstairs and lets it loose. Then I have to chase it around and catch it. I put on a glove and just pick it up when it gets confused and into a corner or something.

Oh, what fun!

My cat brought in a live bird once. We got it away from her, it flew, terrified into a corner, we shooed the cat out of the room and shut the door, and then caught the frightened bird (by dropping a towel on it, in case anyone ever needs to know how to catch a bird). It wasn't injured at all as far as we could tell, and we released it and it flew away. When the cat came back in, she searched for that bird for hours. "I know I put it down in here... where did it go?!"

I like Angela's suggestion. It sounds perfect. (Although it wouldn't work for me, because I have pet mice; they have become completely used to the smell of the cat, who couldn't care less about them, anyway.)

[aelle]

Even if they don't appear to be visibly trashing the place, rodents instinctively chew on what is accessible to them. It's not ideal if they chew through your furniture and wall insulation, but it will be downright dangerous when they start on electric cables - bad for you and for them. A house is no safe place for a mouse.

Clean up all the food they could have access to. Put all your food in glass or plastic containers with lids. You can store many things in the freezer, too (coffee, sugar, all your grain products). Your trash should also be well sealed.

Call up your local humane society or equivalent, they sometimes have programs to lend effective humane traps (as they can be expensive).

Originally Posted by Angela

Ultrasonic Pest Control Devices High frequency sounds that send the little beasts scampering for peace and quiet, but that humans can't hear.

That's an interesting solution!