Mice

[joesxm3]

I had been slacking off on baiting the snap traps over the winter. Then the mice got into the two cars parked outside and it set me into action.

In my 2 room basement with adjoining garage, all under the first floor, I started putting peanut butter on the traps and managed to catch about 12 mice over the past month.

This week I bought some of the peppermint spray and sprayed some around the likely infiltration route from the crawl space and around some of the other areas.

To protect my new Tesla in the garage I sprayed a lot of peppermint spray on the floor around the car and in the two trunks. I also bought some of the pouches of peppermint and cinnamon granules and put them in the trunks and three or four around the garage.

Since then I have not caught any mice.

I am wondering what this means.

Have the mice decided to leave the house in search of a nicer location?

Or have I simply kept them from coming out near the traps?

 

[Trailwalker]

My guess is that they are headed outdoors. We get mice coming into the basement when the weather changes in the fall and again when the weather changes in the spring. You've caught a few more than we have this year, but we've managed to catch about a half dozen. Asian beetles follow a similar cycle in migration.

 

[RunningBum]

Not sure where you are, but in my area I'm sure the mice are mostly outside now.

Or maybe the peppermint spray worked well. I need to get some next fall and spray it around my Miata. Actually I have some kind of mint spray that is supposed to keep deer away from garden plants. Being outside, I'm sure it washes away after a rain and I haven't been respraying it that often.

 

[joesxm3]

Thanks.

I did not realize that the mice came in only in the winter.

It is still a bit on the cold side. Mid 30 at night. Not over 55 in day.

 

[HF63]

Honda sells an electrical tape that is infused w/ rodent repellent just in case you consider protecting the electrical wires.


Check the cabin filter does where they like to hide

 

[Jerry1]

I am wondering what this means.

Have the mice decided to leave the house in search of a nicer location?

Or have I simply kept them from coming out near the traps?

After a dozen or so, maybe it means that you got them all. Or, once they figured out that Uncle Mickey keeps leaving the nest and never coming home, it was time to find a new place that's a little safer.

 

[RunningBum]

Thanks.

I did not realize that the mice came in only in the winter.

It is still a bit on the cold side. Mid 30 at night. Not over 55 in day.

Generally they come inside during the cold months and spend more time outside in the warm. Not that they won't come in at all over the summer or wander outside in the winter, but not nearly as often. With a good food source indoors they may not leave, but you should see obvious signs when that happens.

 

[MC Rider]

We found a dead mouse in the cat food bowl the other morning.


Good kitties.

 

[Fermion]

I hate mice (well, really I am terrified of the diseases they carry like Hanta). When building our house, we screened and sealed EVERYTHING, and the crawlspace entrance is in a closet inside the house so no leaky outside door. We have not even had a spider get in the house it is so tight.

I don't think most contractors worry about a hole in the house as long as a medium size dog can't fit through it...our old house had holes like this all over...5 inch hole for a 4 inch vent, that type stuff. Nope!

 

[bjorn2bwild]

........When building our house, we screened and sealed EVERYTHING, and the crawlspace entrance is in a closet inside the house so no leaky outside door. We have not even had a spider get in the house it is so tight.

I don't think most contractors worry about a hole in the house as long as a medium size dog can't fit through it...our old house had holes like this all over...5 inch hole for a 4 inch vent, that type stuff. Nope!

Nice work!
Now, if you can keep the ants out, you have truly mastered your domain.

 

[MC Rider]

If ants are in the hood and want in, they will get in.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Honda sells an electrical tape that is infused w/ rodent repellent just in case you consider protecting the electrical wires.


Check the cabin filter does where they like to hide

Years ago the Toyota dealer found rodent damage in my partner's cabin air filter and advised her to put the a/c in recirc before turning off the car. No further damage since then.

I make my own rodent repellant from peppermint oil and a couple of other essential oils (lemon and rosemary) and it seems to work great to keep them out of the house.

 

[SecondAttempt]

We found a dead mouse in the cat food bowl the other morning.


Good kitties.

Your kitty probably brought it to you as a present/prize. Lucky kitty did not bring it to your bed!

 

[joesxm3]

Years ago the Toyota dealer found rodent damage in my partner's cabin air filter and advised her to put the a/c in recirc before turning off the car. No further damage since then.

I make my own rodent repellant from peppermint oil and a couple of other essential oils (lemon and rosemary) and it seems to work great to keep them out of the house.

Thanks. Nice idea. I will try that with the two cars.

I need to learn how to inspect the cabin air filters myself. I almost got there with my Acura but taking care of my stepfather got too intense.