Humane way of getting rid of mice

[bonzo]

Hi all,

My parents seem to have a mouse problem in their house. Not actually inside the house as such, but in the side extension where they store tinned food, the vacuum cleaner, washing up chemicals, vegetables....and other random bits of household stuff.

My mum wants to get mouse traps. I told her to wait a while so that I could research this and see what the most humane way to get rid of them is. I don't know.

Has anyone had any experience with this kind of thing? Is there something that will deter the mice rather than catching them? Like a mini NO MICE ALLOWED sign or something. (I'm just kidding of course, but you know what I mean...)

[RubyDuby]

First remove any food source. Store any bags or other available food in air tight containers. I've heard they don't like peppermint oil. If you know where they are getting in you could put cotton balls soaked in it... You could always humane trap the ones that are already in there and release them in a field somewhere. Removing the food source should eliminate the problem, in theory.

[Blue moon]

Wish I knew. They are surprisingly able to climb into all sorts. I'm having to put heavy weights on containers so they can't lift the lid and get in! No idea how they get up on some of the surfaces, but the poo indicates they manage somehow.

If you humane trap them, bear in mind you could be trapping a parent, leaving babies alone to die. Then where do you release them, will they be able to find food/safety, have you seperated them from their mates, are there lots of predators, they will have no nest or know where to bolt/hide etc.

You can get deterrents that emit sounds or frequencies that mice hate, but they don't work through walls so you'd need to put them in the room the mice go in. Maybe worth a go. I've never tried as my mice seem to live in the cavities between the walls.

Since I've bought loads of metal containers and really take care not to leave any food available, they do seem to be going somewhere else... well, I say this, but then sucker that I am I saw a teeny one the other day hide under a container, so I put a big morsel of food there for him/her which was duly eaten! So I don't recommend active feeding

[bonzo]

Thanks, peeps.

I ordered one of those sound frequency deterrent thingies. Hope it works. :-/ Also got a container of special powder that you supposedly pour around the area and the mice won't come near it.

I don't really want to deal with any forms of "traps", humane or not...to be honest. I'd rather not have to see or come into contact with any of the mice. I'm a bit squeamish.

[Blue moon]

Oh but they're so cute!

[TofuChomper]

If you can find out where they are coming in you will be well on the way to having a mouse free house.

Humane capture the ones inside then put them in the garden, if they can't get back in the house the garden is as far as you need to go. It's probably full of mice anyway.

In an old house though it can be difficult to find out how they get in.

[veganwitch]

well, I say this, but then sucker that I am I saw a teeny one the other day hide under a container, so I put a big morsel of food there for him/her which was duly eaten! So I don't recommend active feeding

^that's exactly what I would have done

[RubyDuby]

If you humane trap them, bear in mind you could be trapping a parent, leaving babies alone to die. Then where do you release them, will they be able to find food/safety, have you seperated them from their mates, are there lots of predators, they will have no nest or know where to bolt/hide etc.

That's true. I was listing it as an alternative to the death traps!

[harpy]

If you make sure every morsel of food is put away in mouse-proof containers or in the fridge, the mice will go away of their own accord, in my experience - presumably taking their families with them in due course.

[DiaShel]

I heard that they hate the smell of dryer sheets so putting them around the house might keep them away.