Mice!

So we live in an old house, stone, built in 1825 with an addition. We live semi rural/suburban on 2 acres with wetlands and fields and a few houses around us. So I know there are going to be mice. And there have been. On average I was seeing or the cat killed 1 every other month but the past months she’s killed 5 or 6.

had my pest guy out, he put out traps, bait stations and glue boards. But in the attic of the stone house there is blown insulation with tunnels and droppings. He said it’s “activity” but not the worst he’s seen. He recommended removing all the blown insulation, since it has poo on it, tunnels and probably old nest etc. it was blown directly right on a solid floor.

so my plan is to remove it all (wearing PPE of course) and spray the floor with a bleach/water mix to kill germs. And clean that up. I’ve sealed up most cracks or holes I can find but I’m hoping this will help make a less hospitable place for them to locate. Plus I can fill anymore holes I find under the insulation once it’s gone.

What else should I do? Like I said I know the occasional mouse is inevitable given the location but I don’t want a massive infestation either.

thanks!


here’s a pic of the attic, it’s probably about 200sqft

 

Just my experience...My cabin was abandoned for many years and riddles with mice. I used poison. Blocked every possible entrance. Stuffed aluminum foil in crevices and used mothballs. It's been 4 years now and only one dead mouse was found so far.

The only other possible thing you might do is make sure nothing is around to attract them (such things a bird food, grain, etc...) and if possible use the poisons.

 

The down side of using poison is the mice can die without leaving your home .... and decomposition stinks! although not as bad this time of year compared to summertime.

 

A female mouse gets pregnant 5-6 times a year, with approx. 7 pups per liter. That means one pair can grow to 40 mice in a year. So, you don't need to see many mice to know you have a problem. I believe it's possible to deal with them effectively in just about any home. Start by keeping vegetation away from your home. Place poison around the perimeter but doing so in stations so other animals aren't impacted. Do what you can to seal any spaces you find. Every space you seal could be helpful.

Using a variety of methods as you've done is good but improve the odds by using more than one poison. Use activity from bait, traps and glue boards to identify locations and focus there.

On the insulation, I won't comment on it specifically but I wouldn't put new insulation until satisfied the problem was under control. Beyond your questions, though, insulation between two unconditioned spaces (at the roof rafters) should be removed irrespective of the mice issue.

 

I've never been big on removing insulation unless it is in very bad shape from rodents. The pics look like modern insulation. Maybe consider raking/shoveling it around to see the extent of debris, fecal material, etc and re-assess. Not a big area in any case; peace of mind is valuable. I'm not hearing or reading anything about hantavirus or related rodent diseases though hanta is endemic in parts of the USA just like bubonic plague is.

In my own house/ext bldgs I have rodenticide and traps set all the time. If rats/large rodents were an issue I probably wouldn't use rodenticide as the odor from a large rodent can be unbearable; mice not so much but it can happen. I'm willing to take the chance as I'd rather have dead rodents than live. Once rodent population is gone or minimal, then the chance of odor goes down, but again, it's a chance that I'm willing to take.

Here are examples of mouse multi-catch live traps that are valuable to have set all the time. I prefer the non-wind-up ones.

I also used "Stuff-it" to help with exclusion. Good quality copper.

https://www.domyown.com/humane-mouse...-c-21_132.html

https://www.domyown.com/stuffit-copp...tml?sub_id=229

 

I don't think he can use poison...who knows where the mouse will die, and his cat will eat it if she finds it.

The smell of decomposing mouse sucks though.... I have the same problem in my garage. I don't have a cat though. (wretch)

Good luck

Brad

 

Thanks for all the comments! I’ll be up there tomorrow cleaning out.

I do have a few snap traps, a bunch of glue boards and the poison.

luckily, the cat kills mice plays with them and leaves them. She never eats or tries to eat them (she’s well fed).

ive been sealing holes whenever I see them and knock on wood there hasn’t been any mice killed in a week. Hopefully getting ahead of the situation. We’ll see what happens once I mess in the attic!

 

Dont use poisons, that just leaves a mess somewhere and can effect other animals.

Snap traps, especially the Tom Cat are the best, most humane way to kill them!