I saw a mouse in my basement..........


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Old 10-22-08, 12:48 PM
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Unhappy I saw a mouse in my basement..........

I am pretty sure that I saw a mouse in my basement last night, well very early this morning(2am). I didn't get a very close look, because the only source of light was the computer, but I'm sure its was a mouse....or something else that is small and my other confirmation is the small hole on my couch seat which wasn't there before. Obviously, this has me scared for my property & important documents and I can barely focus on work at the moment.

What are the DIYers recipes for trapping a mouse? What about prevention mechanisms? I should mention that a few cats that have taken residence in my backyard and my neighbor did mention a few weeks ago that he thinks something is attracting them to my yard. I think he has a point because I have an old shed in the yard (it was there when I bought the house) and I noticed that the cats tend to roam around the shed. I have a patio and I think they've been going underneath it as well. I don't know.....maybe I've had a mouse problem outside of the house and now its made its way inside? What do you think? Also how can I "discourage" the cats? My neighbors don't seem to have this problem with the cats.

I called one Pest Control Company and all that said is that for a fee of $129, they will come out and lay traps/add poison to kill the mouse and they will also look for areas that need to be "closed-up" and let me know. Is this the norm?

Thanks in advance.
 
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Old 10-22-08, 12:59 PM
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The best control for mice is exclusion. They can enter a structure through a hole as small as a dime. Holes and gaps in foundation should be sealed. Once you discover a mouse indoors, you can set several small traps along baseboards where mice travel and evidence of droppings are seen. Trap should face the baseboard. Many tend to discourage the use of baits and poisons indoors because mice can die in wall voids or other conspicuous places, then you have to live with odor until animal is completely decomposed.

Important documents should be stored in a safe container or file, preferably fireproof or taken to the bank and placed in a safety deposit box. Additional concerns re: safety of property, should include an investigation of attic for infestation and droppings. Mice have been known to chew through wires and cause house fires.

Baits and poisons can be used outdoors, but the fear is that pets and wildlife may access them. If you have a cat problem, call animal control. Some provide live traps. Or, you can purchase a live trap and take cats to the local shelter. Many have success using motion sensor sprinklers for critter control in the landscape, but we are approaching freezing weather and this may not be feasible.

Investigate the shed for signs of nests and droppings and place bait or poison in the shed. Bait or poison can be placed in the hole beneath the patio.

If in doubt, contact an exterminator for interior and exterior pest control.
 
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Old 10-23-08, 10:12 AM
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Originally Posted by twelvepole
The best control for mice is exclusion. They can enter a structure through a hole as small as a dime. Holes and gaps in foundation should be sealed. Once you discover a mouse indoors, you can set several small traps along baseboards where mice travel and evidence of droppings are seen. Trap should face the baseboard. Many tend to discourage the use of baits and poisons indoors because mice can die in wall voids or other conspicuous places, then you have to live with odor until animal is completely decomposed.
I bought some traps and fortunately I caught it right around the same time of the day I saw it. The odd thing is that it went into the 1/2 bath yesterday (and I couldn't find it) and today it seemed as if it came from there but then it got caught in the trap. I'm feeling pretty relieved, but what openings should I look for in the 1/2 bath?

Originally Posted by twelvepole
If you have a cat problem, call animal control. Some provide live traps.
My city does not have animal control, so I have to call around for companies.....or do it myself.


Originally Posted by twelvepole

Investigate the shed for signs of nests and droppings and place bait or poison in the shed. Bait or poison can be placed in the hole beneath the patio.

If in doubt, contact an exterminator for interior and exterior pest control.
I've called quite a few and none of them place baits on the outside for the reason you listed above. They mostly treat exterior and around the perimeters of the house. Now, my suspicion is that the mouse may be coming from the old shed in the yard (reason for the stray cats), so I was planning to take it down. Good idea? Of should I place baits before I take it down?

Thanks
 
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Old 10-23-08, 10:18 AM
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As to the openings in the bath...look around the pipe penetrations in the walls for the toilet and under the sink.
 
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Old 10-23-08, 11:45 AM
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If you saw/caught one mouse, chances are, there are many more. Mice are prolific breeders. Traps are useful at first, but poison baits are better long term.

As others have posted, you need to find out how they are getting in your house. A mouse needs a hole about the size of a dime to get inside. Any penetrations for piping, electrical etc are vulnerable as are the sill area underneath siding and the base of trim corners.
 
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Old 11-23-08, 03:24 AM
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Update: Apparently it wasn't a mouse which I was beginning to suspect after much research. Orkin came out for a free estimate session and the rep said that thing I caught was not a mouse, he took it back with him and I just realized that he never followed up to let me know what it is. Orkin strictly does an indoor pest only, and so were the other companies I contacted, so if this rodent ended up being a problem, they would not have been able to help me. I haven't seen anything, more specifically any droppings of any sort and the Orkin guy also said that it was impossible that the tear on the couch was the mouse as it travels alongside walls and it would have had to climb stairs to get to the couch and the scratch pattern did not fit that of a mouse. I haven't seen anything since that one that I saw and caught the next day and by now an infestation would be apparent; so I will go with my original theory that whatever it was got in the night that I had the garage door open while I was removing the carpet. Oh the few mouse traps at entry points (garage door) that Orkin setup are still rodent-free.

Thanks all for your help, that was quite a couple of weeks I had with my house, issues kept popping up left and right.
 
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Old 11-23-08, 05:45 AM
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Glad it worked out!

If you catch another you can take a clear in-focus digital pic of it and post it on a free site like Photo Bucket.
Provide a link and we can see if we can ID it for you.
 
 

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