Mice and Cleaning

Hi guys. I have been reading all of the great mice info and have a couple of questions.
I moved into a house 4.5 months ago and inherited a BAD mouse problem. The landlord is somewhat helping but for the most part I am just doing what I can. I think I found the spot where they are getting inside the house so I sealed it and then I found a spot outside, right by my back door (between dirt and concrete), where I think they are entering.
The landlord sent a handyman today to close up the outside entrance- which made me a little nervous because I do not want the mice to get locked into my walls.
Now that the outside entrance is closed up, if mice are stuck in there, do I need to worry about mice trying even harder to get in or will they just dig through the dirt to get out?

Also- I now know that we are not to vacuum up the droppings. I did not know this before and used my vacuum to clean! I have not even emptied the vacuum canister because I am afraid of the dust! Do I actually need to buy a new vacuum or just clean the heck out of it with water and bleach and get new filters?

Last question- The area where the mice were/are entering is in the laundry room which has indoor/outdoor carpeting. There is no way to pick up the droppings from the carpet. Is it ok to spray bleach on it and then vacuum? I am so confused!

Actually, last-last question:-) My dog lies right by the back door (had I known this is where the mice were hanging out I would not have let him) and then cuddles with me on the sofa, lies on the living room rug, etc. I can easily wash his bed, but how do I disinfect the living room rug and sofa? I have read that vinegar or Lysol may work. Any advice?

Sorry this post was so long! I am a single woman living alone and have turned in to a screaming little girl during the past few months!
Oh yeah, I have traps inside, purchased repellent that I will put around the house, and will try to find some outdoor traps that are safe for my dog.

 

Welcome to the forums!

What type of vacuum do you have? We have a bag less vac and I routinely wash out the canister and filter. I'd be more concerned with using the vac with the dried droppings still in it than cleaning and reusing it. Using a vac to suck up the droppings isn't as bad as the dust from dried droppings being reintroduced into the air thru the vac's exhaust.

If mice are trapped inside the walls, you'll know it. You'll hear them scrambling around and chewing on wood trying to figure out how to get out.

I'd be leery of spraying bleach on carpet! I would think that cleaning with whatever the appropriate cleaner is for any given surface should be sufficient.

We have a pest pro that should be along later with more/better info for you

 

Thanks for responding!

I have a bagless vac that uses a HEPA filter. I searched online this morning for ages to find replacements and apparently I cant get them in my area. I called Shark and they are sending replacements but I wont get them for 7-10 business days. Unfortunately!

I am just so hesitant to vacuum the droppings since everything I read says absolutely not to. I am not too concerned about the carpet as it is in really bad shape and just in the laundry room. I have thought about just taking it out (the carpet) but I don't think I would be able to move the washer/dryer by myself.

I guess the good news is that my lease is up in 8 months....but I hate to live in a disgusting house!

 

By the way- I should mention that there is no food source for the rodents. I found a trillion droppings in one of the lower cabinets the day I moved in so I have never used any of the lower cabinets and I keep most of my food in the fridge. Apparently the tenants before me lived in filth and so I think they used to get food, but not since I have been here (over 4 months).

 

Get extra length(s) of hose for the vac so that the unit itself can sit outside while you vacuum inside. Our central vac hose also fits on our shop vac which is how I clean out coal ashes from our stove.

Set mouse traps behind/under the stove. Does it have a drawer that can slide out so you can inspect under the stove? Set traps behind fridge, too.

If you have access to the basement and attic, and the dog can’t/won’t get in there then I would place rodenticide bait blocks as you’ve got to make sure that there isn’t still a large infestation. If in fact they are there, and can’t get out, then they will go nuts looking for an exit and food. Make sure that the food they find is rodenticide. Make real sure that they can’t find the dogfood. If you don’t want to use rodenticide, then place many snap traps, even several dozen wouldn’t be outrageous.

Outdoors you can purchase tamper-proof bait stations for the exterior perimeter and any outbuildings that you have.

The furniture would not be high on my list of priorities but a germicidal spray should provide a degree of protection. Don’t know any brand names in particular but you want a germicide.

Keep us posted.

 

You're a genius! I never would have thought to put the vacuum outside! The room is so small and the back door is right there so the hose on it now may even work.
I bought a couple of disinfectants today, I will see if either of them are also a germicide.

There are traps (sticky and one snap) in the corner between the oven and the sink cabinet and I've caught two on the sticky traps so far. I can put a couple behind the oven as it does have a pull out drawer. The fridge is right next to the oven so I can get that area covered.

The landlord had an exterminator come once (right when I moved in) and he did inspect the attic and said there was no sign of rodents but I believe he still put bait up there. The ladder to the attic is slightly broken so I am afraid to go up it (I know, very girly!). I can have someone check it out for me though. No basement, just a crawl space and the exterminator apparently put over 100 bait blocks down there.

I went to Home Depot today and bought the tamper-proof bait stations and bait blocks (Tomcat brand) and placed bait under the hole that they can still access outside, behind a small shed, in bushes on the side of the house (my dog was hunting for something there this morning so I put the bait on the other side of the fence).

The dog food is kept in a large plastic food container, in the living room, and I have not seen any scratch marks or anything on it. His bowl is empty each night but I can start putting it in the sink.

I am a crazy germaphobe so I really appreciate your help! though I would appreciate it even if I didnt have germ issues! :-) I am so glad I found this forum!

 

Sounds like you are well on your way! You’ve accomplished a lot; now time will tell you if you need to double up on traps somewhere, etc. Check the rodenticide for signs of mold and such. The bait needs to be fresh.

Do a search for “Tin-cats”. They are multiple catch live-traps for mice. Don’t get the kind that wind up; get the ones that lay flat and are a “passive” trap in that the mouse walks in and over a “counter balance plank” so to speak. You’d have to deal with live mice, but you could take them for a long walk and release them or give them a long bath in a deep bucket.

 

That's what we have. At first, I'd take the filter out and blow it clean with an air nozzle but that resulted in a big dust cloud! I've been cleaning ours with the water hose for yrs. I generally just shake off the excess water and set the filter on the porch in the sun and let it dry all day. If I need to speed up the drying process I'll blow it with the air nozzle first. You do want to make good and sure that the filter is dry before using the vac!

 

...OR I could just have the guy that does the yard work stab one with his screwdriver. Yep, that happened!

I placed more traps inside, realized another area of the house (outside) where they were possibly hanging out so the gardener came to clear all the plants out from there as well. I went to both Home Depot and Lowes to find a live-trap for outside but they were sold out; I will be looking on Amazon tonight and will order one. My dog heard one in the door frame so they are still here.

And because of the little *******s (sorry for my language, but my frustration is increasing each day) my dog ate some of the poison bait. Had to rush him to the emergency vet this morning.

Marksr I also ordered new filters from the vacuum company. I got them for just the price of shipping so it was a no-brainer bargain! In the meantime I am going to clean the filters as you said to get the current germs out and then put the vac outside while I clean up what I can.

Thanks again guys, you are really helpful!