Guest guest Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 hi all, recently my house became infested with mice (eww!) i was hoping some of you might have some tips for how i can get them to leave and prevent them from returning. i have been trapping them and re-realsing them in a nice park far from home. Currently i am using live traps, and while it is helping, it's not solving the problem and the problem is getting worse... i don't want to have to resort to using poison, but if the problem persists i may have no other choice. this particularly bothers me bc i have a cat (and there are many neighbor cats) and i fear she will get into the poison, and/or, the mice will contaminate the cat's food, which seems to have been why they were in the house. i have since sealed my cat's food when she is not eating, but i am sure that will only drive them into my kitchen cupboards. any thoughts/suggestions? does anyone know of an " ecologically safe " pest control method? also, i was told that mice can carry diseases to cats. does anyone know if this is true? fyi-- home depot sells live/human traps. thanks, -- M. Mello " Until we have the courage to recognize cruelty for what it is--whether its victim is human or animal--we cannot expect things to be much better in this world... We cannot have peace among men whose hearts delight in killing any living creature. By every act that glorifies or even tolerates such moronic delight in killing we set back the progress of humanity. " --Rachel Carson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 http://www.helpingwildlife.com/livingWithWildlife.asp Tips on dealing with wildlife in or around your home—from Canada geese to raccoons to mice to cockroaches. On Behalf Of M. Mello Friday, February 10, 2006 12:17 PM Cc: mouse infestation problem hi all, recently my house became infested with mice (eww!) i was hoping some of you might have some tips for how i can get them to leave and prevent them from returning. i have been trapping them and re-realsing them in a nice park far from home. Currently i am using live traps, and while it is helping, it's not solving the problem and the problem is getting worse... i don't want to have to resort to using poison, but if the problem persists i may have no other choice. this particularly bothers me bc i have a cat (and there are many neighbor cats) and i fear she will get into the poison, and/or, the mice will contaminate the cat's food, which seems to have been why they were in the house. i have since sealed my cat's food when she is not eating, but i am sure that will only drive them into my kitchen cupboards. any thoughts/suggestions? does anyone know of an " ecologically safe " pest control method? also, i was told that mice can carry diseases to cats. does anyone know if this is true? fyi-- home depot sells live/human traps. thanks, -- M. Mello " Until we have the courage to recognize cruelty for what it is--whether its victim is human or animal--we cannot expect things to be much better in this world... We cannot have peace among men whose hearts delight in killing any living creature. By every act that glorifies or even tolerates such moronic delight in killing we set back the progress of humanity. " --Rachel Carson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 At Fri, 10 Feb 2006 it looks like M. Mello composed: > hi all, > > recently my house became infested with mice (eww!) i was hoping some of you > might have some tips for how i can get them to leave and prevent them from > returning. i have been trapping them and re-realsing them in a nice park far > from home. Currently i am using live traps, and while it is helping, it's > not solving the problem and the problem is getting worse... i don't want to > have to resort to using poison, but if the problem persists i may have no > other choice. this particularly bothers me bc i have a cat (and there are > many neighbor cats) and i fear she will get into the poison, and/or, the > mice will contaminate the cat's food, which seems to have been why they were > in the house. i have since sealed my cat's food when she is not eating, but > i am sure that will only drive them into my kitchen cupboards. > > any thoughts/suggestions? does anyone know of an " ecologically safe " pest > control method? also, i was told that mice can carry diseases to cats. does > anyone know if this is true? > > fyi-- home depot sells live/human traps. > Well, I just went through this at home. And despite my feelings about a safe relocation vs the health of my family, I chose the electrical " shock " box at Home Depot. A quick and swift solution in comparison to poison. My two cats were getting all the mice they could handle and then I had to do this. I actually think " natures " way of letting the cats do what they do which was sometimes torture the mice (unknowing to my wife and I in the middle of the night) all night, the " shock-box " seems a much more feasable way. Sorry if the above offends anybody, it's just what I had to do with the possibly disease infested mice. -- Bill Schoolcraft | Life's journey is not to arrive at the PO Box 210076 | grave safely in a well preserved body, San Francisco,CA 94121 | but rather to skid in sideways, totally http://wiliweld.com | spent, yelling " holy shit, what a ride! " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 If you have felines available, I have heard of people discouraging the mice by placing used cat litter (ie: clumps or other heavily urine-scented gleanings from the litter box) in the area(s) where mice have been seen. For example, placing litter inside a wall/crawl space. I have only tried this myself in my trailer, and since we have not traveled in it recently, I can not confirm that litter will work. Other than that, you might ensure that your cupboards and the food in them are as rodent-proof as possible, check for possible entry ways into your house and block those off where possible. I am not certain, but I think garden variety mice ( as opposed to rats) probably do not carry anything that might endanger your cats, other than Hanta virus, which is not very common. If none of this helps, you might check with your city/county vector control, which should be able to recommend some humane methods; or a " pest " control company that advertises humane controls. At any rate, cats are safest indoors away from any wildlife that could transmit diseases to them. BTW, if you continue to use the humane traps, I understand that peanut butter is the most effective lure for mice. Best, Shelley (Ellen wrote: >> hi all, >> >> recently my house became infested with mice (eww!) i was hoping some of you >> might have some tips for how i can get them to leave and prevent them from >> returning. i have been trapping them and re-realsing them in a nice park far >> from home. Currently i am using live traps, and while it is helping, it's >> not solving the problem and the problem is getting worse... i don't want to >> have to resort to using poison, but if the problem persists i may have no >> other choice. this particularly bothers me bc i have a cat (and there are >> many neighbor cats) and i fear she will get into the poison, and/or, the >> mice will contaminate the cat's food, which seems to have been why they were >> in the house. i have since sealed my cat's food when she is not eating, but >> i am sure that will only drive them into my kitchen cupboards. >> >> any thoughts/suggestions? does anyone know of an " ecologically safe " pest >> control method? also, i was told that mice can carry diseases to cats. does >> anyone know if this is true? >> >> fyi-- home depot sells live/human traps. >> > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 Folks, I think was specifically looking for humane alternatives than killing them. If you have suggestions that you want to share that are not humane, please do not post those suggestions to the SFBAVEG list. Please do not use the SFBAVEG list to promote killing animals. Remember, this list is a shared resource for the veg and animal rights community. Blazing mouse sets fire to house http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4593682.stm Thank you Tammy List Owner Map it Veg! http://www.frappr.com/baveg http://www.frappr.com/vegetarians ____ "This is my protest against the conduct of the world. To be a vegetarian is to disagree--to disagree with the course of things today. Starvation, world hunger, cruelty, waste, wars--we must make a statement against these things. Vegetarianism is my statement and I think it's a strong one." -- Isaac Bashevis Singer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 You can install one of these devices: http://www.tesco-shopping.com/pestcontrolPR34.htm http://www.martleyelectronics.co.uk/pestcontrol-rodent.html In my limited experience, they work extremely well. My parents live in an area with tons and tons of field mice - and we had loads of them in the pool, in the garage, in the house, in the kitchen, etc. growing up. As a kid, I was always catching disturbed nests of babies and " saving " /raising them. They installed just a few of these devices in their home about 15 years ago and have never seen a mouse since. The only common thing your cat might get from the mouse is fleas, but only if your cat in unwell enough/susceptible to harbor a parasite infestation already. In my opinion, mice really aren't a huge concern as far as disease goes - not in the Bay Area anyway. And especially not if you practice good housekeeping, wash your hands, etc. We had mice in our old place just before we moved out. Although we keep our house and kitchen immaculate, we never had a problem until after our cats died and then three cats moved in upstairs - then the mice came down to our place. They were eating the leftover birdfood in my bird cages - even though I feed my birds meals and remove the food in between feedings, small amounts of seed were found in the aspen shavings I use as a substrate for my dove and finch cages. The never went into our kitchen or our food supply. I tried the humane traps, but they were too smart for those and although we tired three different styles, not one worked. I did catch a two of them with my hands, and one in my finch's nest, and let them go in GGP. It wasn't a huge infestation - just a few mice. They are so incredibly cute - especially the little babies! Incidentally, it's enormously better for your cat's health to remove food in between feedings/meals anyway - not only as an effective rodent/insect control measure! Hope this helps. Kasie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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