tessagin

I went to open a box of scraps to rearrange an put scraps from file boxes into clear containers. Luckily, this scrap box was the smallest box. Every hair on my body stood on end when to my surprise was a family of newborn mice. Mama (Thank you God) was probably hunting for a meal. I took the box out side. I do not want to hear anything from the PETA or SPCA about my dastardly deed. I do not like rodents of any size or kind in my house. Going back to Walmart or dollar store to get more clear boxes. I expected a small siege of rodents since the guy who lives behind us has finally mowed his yard. I checked my other bank boxes and nothing (Thank you God). I did leave the baby "rodents" in the box at the very back corner of my yard. The scraps are very few and only about 1 1/2". No big loss. Mama can check on her babies outside and the birds and squirrels can have nesting material. Still feeling creepy but not feeling guilty.

Tartan

What could be a cozier or nicer nesting spot than fabric scraps? Nice for the mice, not so nice for you.

joe'smom

What a shock! We've had several mice infestations in our basement and have not found a satisfactory way to deal with them. I'd be pretty upset if they made it upstairs. My fabric is not in containers.

susie-susie-susie

Just a note to Joe'smom, if you see one in the basement, they are probably all over. We have lived in the country for many years and occasionally have a mouse problem. It has been my experience that there are usually more than one--I think they bring their friends. lol I have had cats all these years and occasionally they catch one and leave it on the floor--present, I guess, but even the cats get tired of them. I would set traps, I think there are live traps if you can't bear to kill them.
Sue

Prism99

We have had mice in the house off-and-on. I agree that if you find one, there are likely to be more. We use bait in live traps, and hubby takes the traps outside far away from the house and releases them into woodsy areas. Fall is the time when they are most likely to sneak into the house for warmth.

Also, what we found is that they were squeezing in through the tiniest of openings between the foundation of the house and the rest of the house. Dh went all around outside and pushed wire mesh up against the foundation. This drastically reduced the problem. Now we get only an occasional mouse who is able to slip in through a briefly opened door. Check around the corners of your garage door too; dh closed up an area there where we think they were sneaking in.

It's a little more work for us to bait live traps and carry the caught mice out to the woods, but worth it. Also HUGELY worth it not to have foam insulation bits strewn over my quilting frame! Before we got smart about the wire mesh, there were times when a mouse would appear on the lighting soffits in the living room and watch us watching tv!

tessagin

Told DH about the mice and he informed me he had seen on scurry across MY computer desk. He set a peanut butter baited trap right behind my monitor! Ugh!! I moved that one elsewhere immediately. We have no place to relocate mice. We have sealed and sealed and resealed. We don't have a garage. Just hoping we don't get the big guys! Couple streets over a house is going to be demolished and prior to rats were seen scurrying about the back yard. Ugh!!

Jingle

I hate mice we had them off and on over the years. We put can lids over any holes, spray foam any cracks 1/4" and larger. After 45 years of trying to keep them out, for the most part they don't get in. We always bait traps with peanut butter, but only a smearing. Otherwise some smart ones are able to get it off without setting off the trap. One cat can get them sometimes but, other two don't care.

Doggramma

Ick. I would be so freaked out

MFord

One night I was half-asleep - turned over to shut off the light - looked right into the soulful eyes of a little brown mouse! On the floor, not the bed, thank God! I got up and yelled (NOT screamed) for my husband while I chased it around. Finally trapped it under a cabinet and we caught it in some Tupperware (our "first choice" for catching mice!). We released it into a green area between our house and the neighbors, then got grief from them for letting it out near their house! (Not in a mean way, though).

We've always had cats, which is why, I think, that the brown mouse was on the second floor. They love to bring them in and play with them (too rough, silly cats!), and sometimes we get them before they are killed. That's always exciting! Occasionally we will get birds, and once - TRUE - an owlet!!

The mice generally don't bother me, except the one time we had an actual infestation. Got the pest control people on that and haven't seen one in a year and a half or so. I'm down to one old cat who isn't very interested anymore, so I'll have to be on watch for them.

Chester the bunny

Take a 5 gallon pail, put some sunflower seeds in it, put a ramp (piece of wood) from the floor to the top edge of pail, they will walk up the plank and into the pail where they are now trapped because they can't get out. You can then take them wherever you like ...out to the woods. Works like a charm.