I’ve had a very demoralizing three days. I’m dealing with the worst mouse invasion I’ve ever had. I’ve relocated seven so far and probably two more will be going in the morning. I’ve sealed off the crawlspace, but there’s a hole in the house that I haven’t found and they are driving me crazy.
Oh dear, not again! That’s lousy
Mousy
Yeah, it’s been a bit of a demoralizing couple of days, but I think I might be closing in on the problem. At the very least I have a pest control professional coming tomorrow. He’s been helping me via text the whole time.
🤞🏻🤞🏻
When I did that, they just kept coming back. It wasn’t until I eliminated the food sources they were collecting and storing, and de-vined the outside walls so they couldn’t easily climb to their home in the attic insulation that I finally was able to get it under control.
I’m glad you found whatever works for you. In my case, there is no vegetation immediately around the house, but I live in a forest. Finding the hole is the most important thing. This is a recent incursion so they haven’t had enough time to store anything.
That is frustrating. We went for years trying to get ahead of the problem - it was embarrassing. Finally had a service come out with the condition of no poison. Guy found the hole (so tiny), patched it up & comes every couple of years. But it was a nightmare infestation so I really feel for you.
I’ve dealt with this on and off for years, but never at this level. I’ve had a pest control guy come out once and he found the problem then but somehow a new one has cropped up. He’s helping me remotely but can’t get out in person until Friday so I’m on my own trying to find wherever this hole is.
I’m at that point in our house. Really need a pest control person to come look.
I do recommend that. I have been dealing with someone who has been out once and he helped me figure out the problem the first time. They just created a new one. He’s coming back tomorrow if I don’t figure it out sooner.
We know they’re in the ductwork and the crawl space - we need the point of ingress blocked. We already need to repair/replace the ductwork and do other work in the crawlspace - having a pest control person out to look would be easy enough.
I’m sleeping on the porch for now.
That is demoralizing. I hope the stars keep you company.
I’ve been out here for three nights. It’s been a little chilly, but it’s lovely. I could have it a lot worse.
Ugh, I'm sorry to hear this. Perhaps it's time to rewatch Carroll Ballard's beautiful Never Cry Wolf (1983)?
I haven’t seen it for years and I don’t remember the reference. Either way I’m going to go try and fix the bathroom. I’m pretty sure I made it worse when I tried to fix it on Thursday. Getting under the tub as a challenge.
In that case, it's definitely time for a re-viewing. (I'll not spoil the reference here.)
I had the same problem, particularly after the insurance company made us replace our perfectly good hot water tank - I don't think everything was put back the way it was 🕳️. I'm still trying to clean up, I found it such a humiliating and frustrating problem. 😞 I wish you better and faster success!
Thanks, Lisa. I’ve dealt with this often on for over a decade, but this is the worst I’ve ever had. I’m going to solve this problem once and for all this week whatever it takes.
All the best with it! Let me know if you have any tricks. :) My cats were useless 😂 I should've brought in a chicken!
oh wow that's a lot - he/she is cute but outside please!
I had mice in my car until I stopped composting kitchen scraps and hung a bag of snake sheds in the car. It's worth a try. You might be able to get sheds from a pet shop. I got mine from a friend who breeds rattlesnakes. Good luck finding those tiny holes!
I live in a boreal forest, so there are mice everywhere. No amount of deterrent works, unfortunately.
I live in a redwood forest/oak bay woodland/chaparral interface. Lots of mice. Fortunately, also bobcats, coyotes, and foxes to hunt mice. Birds also use snake sheds in their nests seemingly to deter small mammals. www.allaboutbirds.org/news/why-bir...
It sounds like the snake sheds would likely work best in an enclosed space such as a small car (like mine), closet, or the space under a sink.
Thanks for the suggestions, though I don’t think it will work for me. We also have lots of things that eat the mice, but not enough to keep them out of my house if there is still a hole.
Good luck finding the gaps!
Sympathies and solidarity, Heather. They manage to get in through the tiniest crack to the closet where the water heater lives. I just realized they had breached my repair and got into the insulation around the heater. The heating company estimator was here. Because yeah, I needed that. 🤦🏻♀️
Yeah, I know how small a hole they can get into. They were coming under the baseboards in the bathroom and that might still be the problem now. I have to figure it out.
This any help? 🍽️ 🐁 All mice go to a good cause. bsky.app/profile/wmgv...
I appreciate the thought, but I’m not killing them. The only way that stops is when I figure out how they’re getting in.
🙏
😕🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂
Thanks, Bob. Professional help is coming tomorrow.
Well, I found it. Now I’m just in the process of fixing it.
👍👍👍👍👍🤞
I’m working in the far corner behind a clawfoot tub that I cannot move so it’s not exactly an easy task but I’m determined.
Ugh.
I have a trailer and every year I proudly announce, while winterizing, "come and get me suckers" They do.
Mice are so stressful, especially when you’re the type of person who doesn’t want to kill them. I hate it so much.
The live traps are working, but until I can figure out where the hole is, I’m gonna be dealing with this until I run out of mice in the crawlspace.
Sooo frustrating until you find the entrance! Sending good juju you locate it ASAP! (In my case, it was decades of settling around a fireplace insert 😵💫 When we finally found it, I plugged that dang little gap w/steel wool & we’ve been golden for 5 years now 🤞🤞🤞)
I’ve had several entrances over the years. A new one has opened up in the last week and I just can’t figure out where it is. The good news, is that I think I finally found out how they were getting into the crawlspace so that hopefully is solved for now.
It took me several years to find mine 😵💫 But I didn’t have an invasion — just a single at a time every 6 months or so 😵💫Any each very attracted to the humane traps w/peanut butter, thank goodness 😂
Yeah, I usually only would get one or two at a time. I’ve never had this many at once. It did take years to find a lot of the holes, but I think I’m finally getting to the end once I find this one.
Sending you all my good “find the entrance NOW” vibes 🥰
In college we had a major rat infestation in the house we were renting. The landlord did nothing. We drove them out with an hour or so of strategic firecracker detonation. They wanted nothing to do either us after that.
That’s an interesting solution unfortunately one that won’t work here. 🙂
We use chore boy copper wool to plug anything that vents to exterior. A family of skunks (Florida civic cats) got in our attic, we HaveAHeart trapped & released. Peeyewww
That must’ve been fun. I use steel wool because copper wool is harder to come by here. However, I usually try to block off anything more permanently with wood or metal.
Relocate? We don't do that here in Alaska.
Most people don’t do it, but I have anxiety related to killing mice so it’s just going to have to be relocate for me.
You have my sympathies. I'm dealing with a seemingly unending stream of mice. My cat kills every one that comes in and I suppose I should be grateful that they don't get the chance to do any real damage, but I find the whole thing heartbreaking. I hate finding their tiny corpses.
If you could afford it, I really recommend getting a pest control professional to come and check your house. They won’t destroy anything if you don’t want them too, but they will help you find the hole. Check all around every pipe and your baseboards and anywhere wires come in.
It's the worst!! I had an infestation so bad years ago that even though every scrap of food was in plastic bins, they were making nests in between clothing on my shelves. It was due to some work being done on the house but by the time we realized what was happening it was already a disaster.
Oh my goodness! That’s extreme and I’m so sorry you had to live with that. I’m not at that stage yet, thankfully. I would be if I wasn’t here catching them every day.
It was a nightmare. I travel each winter, so that year while I was gone my landlord ripped out closets and cabinets and filled holes in all the nooks and crannies, along with closing up the big access point from the work that started it all. Now I just get the occasional manageable visitor.
That’s a lot of mice!
All they need is a 1/2" space around a pipe.... dang little intruders! I will say we had some entertaining moments up at the Fishing Resort we had in B.C.... Had one pop up when I opened a kitchen drawer...not sure who was more surprised! My fav was dry dog food totally filling the tea kettle!!
I’ve seen them get through smaller than that. I’ve been dealing with this for years off and on. Hoping, that this week is the week we figure it out for good.
With woods around we have one occasionally. It was worse maybe 30+ years ago when there were a couple of small snakes inside that had followed the mice. Major flashing and steel wool at the top of the foundation mostly worked but tiny gaps happen. Good luck.
Thanks Gwen. Unfortunately, this is not my first rodeo. You keep them out for a while and then they find a new way in. The good news is that I found a hole in the skirting that I’ve had somehow missed for years. Now I just have to find the hole in the house.
I'm so sorry. My friend went to see his parents in July and came home to a similar issue. We're not even sure where they're coming from. Summer is so hard for mice. :(
🤞👊👊
It's just the worst. Sorry you're dealing with this.
Have you tried placing peppermint tea around your house? For some reason the mice don't seem to like it so it can help repel them. It might not help this time but perhaps may be of use to you as a preventative for next time.
Came here to say this. I grow mint in strategic places around the house foundation & close to the composter. My pup is also a very good mouser if they’re in the yard 🐾 I think if you grow mint plants in pots that would help too
Thanks for the suggestion. I live in the middle of a very thick forest so I’m not sure how well I would be able to do this. My main goal is figuring out the point of egress and sealing them off or they will be a problem all winter.
If you want to try repelling them, I can endorse this stuff, which has a nice smell. It does work best in enclosed spaces however. (You can also get it on Amazon and from some hardware stores)
I’ve tried pretty much every repellent in the book without any help, but I appreciate the suggestion. I need to find the hole.
I hope you do soon Mice are stressful and I’m sorry you’re dealing with the little beasts
