I have a small hole in my front door, and have had it for awhile as the cost of getting a replacement door outweighs the problem of having a front door with a small hole. However a mouse got in a couple of nights ago. I heard him in my downstairs hallway, turned on the light and went down. First time I didn’t realise it was a mouse but I spotted him and he scarpered out the hole. He came back that same night about 5-6 times, 2nd time onwards I had a boot I was hoping to splat him with but each time he managed to escape. I’ve now bought mousetraps and mouse poison and left them just inside my door, but the last 2 nights have been mouse free. What’s the likelihood that the mouse is coming back?
Well if he ate the poison he’s probably dead somewhere - hopefully not in your house.
Assuming he’s still alive an you live somewhere where winter is approaching the cold alone will drive him inside anyplace warm he can find.
Yeah, best guess is the little dude is chasing someplace warm to pass each night.
The traps and poison will eventually get him, though. They’re not dumb - they’re mammals after all and can be downright clever at times - but they’re suckers for free food. Try peanut butter. It’s like tuna fish for tigers.
The thing is, he most likely has a large extended family. Can you even be absolutely sure it was the same mouse you saw each time? The first time I had a mouse infestation, I thought it was just one mouse. But I didn’t put away the traps and soon discovered more and more. Find some way to plug that hole.
And by the way, I have had zero luck getting my mice to come to peanut butter. I know it works for other people. But as far as chocolate goes, my mice will tear into boxes in the cupboards to get to chocolate. (That’s how I found out they like it.) Nestle mini morsels make great bait.
Weird. the ones around here care nothing for PB either. Plain old white sandwich bread on the other hand is apparently ambrosia.
Please reconsider your use of poison! If the animal you poison is eaten by a predator, the poison bioaccumulates. You might have just killed an owl.
The thing is, even if you kill that particular mouse, others will probably try to get in. I’d patch that hole.
Mice are social critters. That one found warmth and food and has, even if she’s subsequently died elsewhere, left a scent trail behind for her extended family.
Not even so sure what patching the hole will do as any house old enough to have a door with a hole in it has many many other holes big enough for a mouse to squeeze through. Seriously it doesn’t take a big space for them to wiggle in through. We’re talking just 4 to 5 mm wide. Patch anyway, both there and any other spots you can find even tiny holes, but being realistic, you won’t seal the place up. So many places pipes and wires come in with gaps big enough.
Most important is to keep ALL potential foodstock, other than bait, seriously sealed. No crumbs on counters, no bags of dog food, no dirty plates left out overnight, food in fridge or sealed plastic or metal containers. The big bag of dog food was our issue.
Look along your baseboards, under cabinets, behind stove, and backs of closets. Any mouse poop? Yes? You’ve found the trail, place your baited traps there, against the wall. And wait. They’ll be cautious for several nights. No? Maybe no extended family has followed yet. Still seal up the holes and your foodstuffs.
Good luck.
Ditto. Use duct tape if you have to (it comes in colors which would match the door), but close off that hole for now.
What DSeid said. I use classic snap-type traps. The one with the metal bait pedal work best for me; the ones with the orange plastic bait pedal don’t seem to be sensitive enough. For bait I use the classic: Cheddar cheese. It usually takes a couple days for me to catch anything; maybe it takes that long for my scent to wear off the trap.
Yeah, never, ever use poison. Use a live trap or a snap trap to kill them quick.
Bacon rind or peanut butter works better. Yeah, those are pretty humane, they usually kill the mouse in one go. Do check often.