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chowmama

(807 posts)
16. Also, get mouseproof containers and keep them from finding any food at all.
Fri Feb 21, 2025, 03:58 PM
Feb 2025

I got invaded a year ago at Thanksgiving; they chewed through the wall into my pantry and had a party behind the closed doors. Fast Eddie and I heard them chewing through the shelf edges so they could drop down onto another shelf. My pantry is now awash in glass jars of all sizes, canisters, heavy-duty plastic containers that seal, etc. What little can't be stored that way has to live in the refrigerator. They've given up for now, but I'm sure they'll sniff it out if I slip even once. Little bastards!

I plugged the mouse-size hole with steel wool. They chewed and pushed it out. The droppings made me think they might die of steel fibers, but there are always more mice. Anyway, I replaced it, stuffed in even more, and jammed it in tighter, where it's stayed so far.

Fast Eddie was the only cat at the time, and he only plays with them in the tub; they usually get away unless I can trap them. Audrey, on the other hand, has already caught a mouse, dispatched it without remorse and brought it to her kittens for teaching purposes. It'd be nice if Eddie joined the class.

Feels like a siege, doesn't it.

Recommendations

1 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Yikes! I have mice in the house! [View all] Dyedinthewoolliberal Feb 2025 OP
Why are you not supposed to trap? mahina Feb 2025 #1
I didn't say that. Dyedinthewoolliberal Feb 2025 #9
Oops, I misread. So the black plastic traps work great esp w slimjim for bait. mahina Feb 2025 #10
Traps work the best in my opinion. Progressive dog Feb 2025 #2
Amazon has plug in pest devices. Six for about 24 bucks. Autumn Feb 2025 #3
Neighborhood cats will come. bucolic_frolic Feb 2025 #4
They can also get in through an open entrance door. Omnipresent Feb 2025 #26
I use poisoned bait. I'm not hawking a brand, but I use Tomcat bait blocks. patphil Feb 2025 #5
Poisoned bait kills cats, owls, snakes and anything else up the food chain, japple Feb 2025 #7
True, that's why I said to put the bait it inslde the crawl space. patphil Feb 2025 #21
They go outside to forage even in winter. It's a real problem for raptors. 58Sunliner Feb 2025 #22
I had this issue when I lived in SC in 2021. Still traumatized by it Joinfortmill Feb 2025 #6
Get a cat SheltieLover Feb 2025 #8
Ugh, I have a crawl space and perimeter foundation. Worst case. They find a way. usonian Feb 2025 #11
I used live traps myself for a couple years, baited with peanut butter bhikkhu Feb 2025 #12
You have to plug the holes into the house questionseverything Feb 2025 #13
steel wool is a fire risk use copper mesh instead. IbogaProject Feb 2025 #15
never heard of that Kali Feb 2025 #17
Surface area and steel can have other things in it, so there maybe another item that causes that issue. IbogaProject Feb 2025 #24
huh Kali Feb 2025 #32
Copper dish scrubbers fit in the same spaces and are cheap IbogaProject Feb 2025 #35
key is to seal any holes. IbogaProject Feb 2025 #14
Also, get mouseproof containers and keep them from finding any food at all. chowmama Feb 2025 #16
Use duct tape to keep the steel wool in place! questionseverything Feb 2025 #18
snap traps baited with peanut butter Kali Feb 2025 #19
And when baiting with peanut butter, don't use too much. Had to deal with an invasion at my old place... JHB Feb 2025 #29
yep and old almost rancid super sticky or partly dried PB is best Kali Feb 2025 #33
While I dislike kill traps.... wysimdnwyg Feb 2025 #20
I have cats and never had a problem. Anywhere. 58Sunliner Feb 2025 #23
Thanks everyone! Dyedinthewoolliberal Feb 2025 #25
A friend of mine is away a lot. usonian Feb 2025 #27
Steel wool in even the tiniest holes to the outside. Scrivener7 Feb 2025 #28
Get a tube of Mortar Joint caulking a caulking gun and a mirror when it's warmer and drier. IA8IT Feb 2025 #30
They seem to come in waves Shermann Feb 2025 #31
Once they get in, oh boy, do they reproduce. OAITW r.2.0 Feb 2025 #34
get a cat. pansypoo53219 Feb 2025 #36
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