Mouse (mice?) in attic

[mystang52]

DW is a light sleeper and heard the rustling coming from the attic. Frankly, it sounds like one mouse, 'coz the sound moved from one area to another. I've had this issue a couple of times before, over the years, and still have some old traps up there. Anyone have experience with those new-to-me-anyway bait blocks (https://www.tomcatbrand.com/en-us/pr...able-station)? I can add a bit of peanut butter to my existing traps, but maybe these blocks are more effective. Looks like it's a helluva lot easier to use, but if they're not effective ease of use is meaningless.

[Amethyst]

Mice don't live alone, but in colonies.

[Winemaker]

I was told that borax, when spread/thrown lightly over attic insulation, will irritate mice and they will leave. I have not tried it as I don't have them in my house.

[target2019]

Old traps do nothing, that is for sure.

Many years of dealing with mice leaves me with 1 quick solution. Peanut butter on a Victory trap. Drill a whole in the trap and put string through it so you can retrieve the trap more easily.

I've also used the black-box Victory traps. It requires batteries and seems to work ok. They are much more expensive than conventional wood traps. There is a light that blinks to let you know the trap is set, or tripped.

If you have a conventional trap, you will no doubt be awakened by the snap. Use at least two traps, if not more.

[Badger]

When I was building a house in the NE Ga mountains years ago I would hear flying squirrels hitting the side of the house and run along the wall. Very disconcerting in the middle of the night. We used spring traps and glue traps with peanut butter where we thought their runs were. Had some success but eventually resorted to getting up in the night and use a BB gun when we heard the "thunk" as they glided from the trees and hit the house. You have to be careful though or you'll shoot your eye out!



Cheers!

[Mr._Graybeard]

If the soffit/fascia along the roof isn't secure, bats could enter. You may have had one hibernating up there that is just waking up.

Fun story: One Halloween night I was at w*rk when DW called. There was a bat in the house!!! It was flying in figure-eight patterns in our living area. I confess my first response was to laugh, which DW didn't join in on. I told her to open the door to the outside and let the animal find its way out -- which it did after a few more circuits of the rooms. Fortunately it didn't transform into Count Dracula..

Shortly thereafter we had a professional batproofer go over the eaves of the house to look for openings. IIRC he had to install a one-way entry point so any bats still in the attic could get out (but none could get in).

[Irishgirlyc58]

What [mention]target2019 [/mention] said- you need good old fashioned mouse traps. Unless it’s actually rats, then you need rat traps.
Also agree that these animals don’t typically live alone but in colonies. I’d buy a bunch of traps. You will use them all eventually.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by target2019 Old traps do nothing, that is for sure. Many years of dealing with mice leaves me with 1 quick solution. Peanut butter on a Victory trap. Drill a whole in the trap and put string through it so you can retrieve the trap more easily. I've also used the black-box Victory traps. It requires batteries and seems to work ok. They are much more expensive than conventional wood traps. There is a light that blinks to let you know the trap is set, or tripped. If you have a conventional trap, you will no doubt be awakened by the snap. Use at least two traps, if not more.

The string is a good idea. I've done similar, attaching a 1' or 2' furring strip or other scrap board to the trap - that makes it easy to push it back into a tight place, and easy to retrieve. Also heavy enough that the mouse can't drag it off and die inside a wall or something.

I'd go with way more than two traps. Get half a dozen at least. The more the better. And fresh Peanut Butter has always worked well for us.

-ERD50

[mystang52]

OP here. Yeah, I bought 6 good ol' fashioned traps for the attic, baited with peanut butter. I found a dead mouse in one of the old traps I had set up there.
Many years ago, when I also had some mice, I also put a trap just inside the entrance to my garage and caught one there. So I put one of those bait traps there, as well. Fingers crossed.

[samm]

Tomcat bait blocks work far better than traps...which the smart mice can somehow trigger and escape. Put some peanut butter on the outside of the block to make it appealing

[EastWest Gal]

We ended up resorting to sticky traps rather than snap traps. A softened bit of Tootsie Roll smeared with peanut butter worked much better than peanut butter alone. Their teeth get stuck on the Tootsie Roll and they freak out, triggering the trap. We used crazy glue to attach the Tootsie Roll to the bait site as well.

Here is a YouTube video that might be helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB-KYGvYsNc

[Sojourner]

OP, please use snap traps and NOT poison (block baits) or glue traps. Poison and glue traps are extremely cruel methods of getting rid of any nuisance animals. No matter how much you hate the idea of mice in your attic, they are sentient creatures that can suffer and feel pain. At least with snap traps, it's a very quick death. Poisons take up to 24 hours to work, and the animal suffers terribly until it's over. Glue traps are even worse, with the animal stuck in place until it tries to gnaw off its own limb to escape. Please do the humane thing.

[Qs Laptop]

Quote:

Originally Posted by target2019 Old traps do nothing, that is for sure. Many years of dealing with mice leaves me with 1 quick solution. Peanut butter on a Victory trap. Drill a whole in the trap and put string through it so you can retrieve the trap more easily. I've also used the black-box Victory traps. It requires batteries and seems to work ok. They are much more expensive than conventional wood traps. There is a light that blinks to let you know the trap is set, or tripped. If you have a conventional trap, you will no doubt be awakened by the snap. Use at least two traps, if not more.

Agree with all of this. I use the old fashioned wood Victory brand mouse traps. I use peanut butter with one modification that I think really seals the deal for catching mice. Before putting peanut butter on the bait area I run some dental floss into the hole in the bait area, around the ends of the bait area then tie it off. Snip the excess floss but leave about 3/8" of the loose ends.

The mouse can feel these bits of floss sticking out from the yummy smell of the peanut butter and reacts by pulling on the string--they can't help it--and that snaps the trap.

Before using the dental floss trick I would get mouse traps that were licked clean of peanut butter and never had the spring tripped. I was feeding the mice! Last fall, which was an unusually heavy year for mice, I had 15 kills, 2 misses, and one that got away with a mouse trap attached to its tail (it crawled under the furnace. I could see it but I couldn't retrieve it.)

Another thing I do is put the mouse traps out in pairs, with the long edges butting up against each other. When get a dead mouse I use two ziploc plastic bags to dispose of it. One bag goes over my hand that retrieves the trap with dead mouse and the other bag receives the mouse/trap. I then peel off the bag on my hand and double bag the dead mouse and trap. In this way I can cut down on the odors of dead mice in the garbage can until the trash gets picked up. The mouse traps cost about 50 cents so I don't mind throwing them away and besides, who's going to pry the dead mouse out of the trap and reuse it?

This is a timely post because the weather is about to turn here in Minneapolis and the mice start coming into the house again. I need to put out fresh traps with floss and peanut butter.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samm Tomcat bait blocks work far better than traps...which the smart mice can somehow trigger and escape. Put some peanut butter on the outside of the block to make it appealing

You need to be willing to look for dead mice if you take this route IMO. Mice are smart and we've have our best lunk with havaheart live mouse traps..if you are willing to check often and you need a large bucket of water to float the trap in. (it's a brutal world)

[Qs Laptop]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojourner Poisons take up to 24 hours to work, and the animal suffers terribly until it's over.

Not only does the animal suffer, but you get to smell dead mouse stink for 7 to 10 days as mice will eat the poison then go off somewhere inside the walls and die.

[Bryan Barnfellow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojourner OP, please use snap traps and NOT poison (block baits) or glue traps. Poison and glue traps are extremely cruel methods of getting rid of any nuisance animals. No matter how much you hate the idea of mice in your attic, they are sentient creatures that can suffer and feel pain. At least with snap traps, it's a very quick death. Poisons take up to 24 hours to work, and the animal suffers terribly until it's over. Glue traps are even worse, with the animal stuck in place until it tries to gnaw off its own limb to escape. Please do the humane thing.

+1000 And there are catch/release traps available as well. We all can be more respectful of life.

-BB

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan Barnfellow +1000 And there are catch/release traps available as well. We all can be more respectful of life. -BB

Catch and release all that means is release them so they can come back again. This applies to mice, raccoons, possums and the like. These animals are destructive and health hazards. I understand your position for example we let the foliage chewing rabbits roam free and don't hunt game or deer.

[UpQuark]

I've had excellent results in the past using the non-toxic type of poison:
"EcoClear Products 620100-6D RatX All-Natural Non-Toxic Humane Rat and Mouse Rodenticide Pellets"
And the non-toxic method avoids killing owls, neighborhood pets, etc.



But it does cause a lot of stink if you simply poison without removing the bodies.


The very best solution is to prevent rodents from entering. Any tiny hole and crack needs to be filled in.

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Some folks have found success with ultrasonic repellants, like this

https://www.amazon.com/Bocianelli-Ultrasonic-Repellent-Electronic-Mosquitoes/dp/B09J15F1MK/ref=psdc_3737951_t4_B01D3S2YW2?th=1

Having tried various traps, I found the bucket trap to be most effective. There are different versions, like these. Just make sure to keep water in the bucket, so they drown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbSDy4Ttv98

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qk8W5uf-Dw

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qs Laptop ... one that got away with a mouse trap attached to its tail (it crawled under the furnace. I could see it but I couldn't retrieve it.) Another thing I do is put the mouse traps out in pairs, with the long edges butting up against each other. ....

That's why I suggest to attach a long, narrow board to the trap, they can't drag it away, and it helps to place it in an out-of-the way corner or crevice between an appliance and the wall.

Agree on two traps back to back along the edge of the wall, hard for them to get around that.

A couple more tricks to help know if there are any mice left - spread some flour or talcum powder or baking soda where you think they are traveling, they'll leave trails in the powder. I also rolled up a small piece of newspaper, and set it on the ledge of the basement in such a way that if a mouse had to get through there, he'd likely push it and knock it down. I was finding the paper knocked down, and knew I had at least one more. Got it a few days later. And that was it (for the time being).

I also agree with earlier posts to not use glue traps or poison. I'm not a big animal lover, but a snap trap is fast, the other methods just seem cruel to me.

One more! If you have problems with the mice getting away from a snapped trap, attach some sides, and maybe a back to the board that I said you should attach the trap to. That way, the mouse has to come straight in to eat the bait, less likely to have the bar snag them on their side (and not trap them) or tail.

-ERD50