I am a chemical engineering student from rural Swaziland. We have always had a house mice infestation and we are tired of them. I am currently involved in a project to develop a "new and innovative" method or way to get rid of mice. I would like any kind of suggestions from you guys that can help me come up with a good product.
I would also like to know whether you know of any allergies that house mice have? Something or a chemical that is toxic only to them and not other animals or humans?
Thanks, Fiona
The first thing you must do is determine why the mice are there. They are basically there for two reasons: Food and Shelter. Try and find what food they are eating and eliminate/secure it so they are forced to find a new source. Make that new source some bait on a snap trap. DO NOT USE POISON inside the house, no matter what anyone says. This theory of the rodent leaving the house in search of water is suspect. You cannot guarantee this will happen and you run the chance of the rodent dying in the walls and then you have a new problem: getting the smelly, rotting corpse out. Most likely, when you poison a rodent, they get ill and find a safe place which will be their nest.
When you use the snap trap, bait it with some peanut butter and oatmeal. Do not set the trap for a couple of days, essentially giving the rodent a free meal. Once they establish that the trap is a good, safe source of food (a couple of days) then you can set it and they will walk right into it. The good thing about snap traps is that you see your results and can dispose of the rodent.
When you clean up a rodent infestation, make sure you disinfect the area BEFORE you clean. Make a solution of 1 1/2 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water. Spray any droppings, nesting or any other signs of rodents with this solution and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Do the same for any rodents caught in the trap. Use rubber gloves and make sure you wash your hands and clothing afterwards.
It takes patience and a bit of work, but you can get rid of this problem. Don't panic and throw poison out, try and figure out why they are there.
Good luck!
By chris
i don't like the mice either. I couldn't get comfortable knowing that little thing was in my house. but please don't use the glue traps. the mice starve to death. that is a slow agonizing death. Put the clapper traps away in a dark corner where the babies don't go, you will catch him. I caught mine. I put a clapper trap in back of a suitcase and waited. 2 days later, he is gone.
By sandy
How to have fun catching mice.
1. Find a large round empty Duch Cookie Can with it's grooved cover.
2. Place the cover near the Mouse entrance.
3. Tie one end of a thread to a Toothpick and the other end to a Potato Chip, leave some thread pass the Potato Chip.
4. Square off the thick end of the Toothpick with your teeth or a sharp knife.
5. Place the Chip in the middle of the round cover and Scotch tape the end of the thread to the cover.
6. Make air holes in the Cookie Can with a hammer and nail and then place the Can on it's cover.
7 Gently lift and balance the Can up with the Tooth Pick and wind any loose thread around the ToothPick until the thread is tight.
8. The Mouse will go for the Potato Chip and he will pull the thread, knocking down the Tooth Pick. The Can will fall down into the groove of it's cover, trapping the Mouse. The Mouse will run in circles and you may hear him scream bloody murder, but he won't be hurt and you can carry him or her away into a field where it will live happily ever after. And it's great fun because it works better then a Snap and Kill trap, and you did not commit murder!
What is this "BE NICE TO MICE" thing about? (must be another PC thing) Because: if you can get deadly diseases from mice "HANTAVIRUS" etc. and each female mouse has a litter of at least than 10 more mice each month, and the babies can breed in another month... Do the math! All that AND they cause all kinds of disease from Hanta to the plague. Unless you are a Buddhist or a Jane, Why keep them alive to spread disease?
Don't give me your "holier than thou" messages about hurting animals unless you can at least say you've been a vegetarian for 29 years like I have and don't wear leather shoes, belts or coats. If you love mice, get a clean one for a pet!
If you've lived where they invade your walls, take over and destroy your home like I have. Then you'd think twice. (Thank God for cats!)
Mice spread disease, that's it, that's final! Yeah, they may look fluffy and cute, until one bites you and you get rabies, or Hanta from their pee, poo or saliva or get the plague from their fleas. Nasty little critters indeed! And every female mouse you leave alive, means 100 more will be around in a year to breed even more!
All About Hantaviruses:http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/noframes/FAQ.htm
All about Plague from rodents:http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/cwp/view.asp?A=171&Q=230499
By Cyinda
Hi Fiona,
I left a bucket of water out once and the next day found a deceased mouse floating in it. Apparently they can't swim.
By Janice C.
I'm using a combo of things glue traps, wedge back snap trap, poison bait, and the steel wool with peppermint in the holes i see.
By jay
Cats. We try to keep a cat in the barn to keep the mice out of grain. It works better than any poison or trap we have every used. In the house we use "blue death" Another way is to drown them, put water in a bucket, then put grain that floats in it. They get in to eat the grain and can't get out.
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