Anonymous
Post 01/09/2014 19:22     Subject: We might have mice--how to handle
Anonymous wrote:My experience with exterminators is that they will walk around your home, looking for any cracks/holes that mice can use to enter your home. For example, they found a small hole (about the size of a quarter) in my wall that was drilled slightly too large when running a pipe to my AC condenser and a crack under my front steps. The exterminators will seal all but one of the holes by stuffing stainless steel wool into the holes. At the single remaining hole, they will place old fashion snap traps and monitor the hole for about a week, and then fill up that hole as well at the end of the week. Evidently, mice do not make holes by chewing (rats do), sealing is effective to keep them out.

No poison was used because you don't want dead mice rotting in your walls/ceiling.


Who is your exterminator? I called one who came and insisted he had to set poison around our entire house, inside and out, to catch the mice. I told him we had a dog who liked to eat things, and that we didn't want any poison, but he said there is "no way" to kill all the mice in my house without poison!!

I didn't hire him. Instead I bought some copper netting and stuffed it into every crack and crevice from ground level to about 2.5 feet above the ground. I set a gazillion spring traps inside the house and caught about 12 mice. Yetch. But the following year, we had no mice because we'd killed all the ones inside the house, and no new ones could get inside. No chemicals, no poisons.

But, PP, I love your exterminator's approach too! So, please tell us who he is!
Anonymous
Post 01/09/2014 11:17     Subject: We might have mice--how to handle
omg - don't put poison in the walls! no one wants a dead stinky animal lingering...

rat zappers are very safe - you can put them inside a box (with a small entry hole - add some lure in & out of the box) if you're worried about curious kids and cats.

we had rats and mice in our old neighborhood and researched this extensively. rat zapper is the best option. mice are easy, rats take a little strategy.
Anonymous
Post 01/09/2014 11:12     Subject: We might have mice--how to handle
I wouldn't put out traps with cats and kids in the house. A pest control company would generally not need to cut into undamaged drywall -- tell them ahead of time you don't want that and you should be fine. A good pest control will find any holes on the exterior and interior of the house and plug them all so no more rodents can get it. All the pest control companies I've dealt with also used poison in the walls/crawl space . .. there is a risk of an animal dying in your wall (gross, I know) but I've only had this happen once. Good luck!
Anonymous
Post 01/09/2014 09:47     Subject: We might have mice--how to handle
Put one rat zapper inside and one outside - near the noises. See if you catch anything.
Anonymous
Post 01/09/2014 09:44     Subject: We might have mice--how to handle
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:They'd probably look inside your ceiling and see if there's any droppings, nests, or evidence of chewing.



But our basement is huge--would they cut out some drywall to look? I don't want to have to do drywall repair. Our whole basement is finished. That's why I'm wondering how effective it would be to even call out a pest company.


Penny wise, pound foolish. You'll be into electricians and more holes if you don't nip this in the bud now.
Anonymous
Post 01/09/2014 09:29     Subject: Re:We might have mice--how to handle
just get a few cats from the shelter for a few weeks. they will eat them up.
Anonymous
Post 01/09/2014 08:43     Subject: We might have mice--how to handle
16:06 has the correct approach. Costs next to nothing to find out what is there.