# Move in this apartment on 5/15/16 and tonight was the very first time I seen a **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 7, 2017, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054 "2017-05-07T06:11:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mmkt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@mmkt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmkt)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/1 "2017-05-07T06:11:42Z")
mouse:eek: I mean I had gotten so used to not seeing mice anymore that when I saw the mouse I thought I was dreaming. Look how long I lived here without seeing any mice? For starters the building has pest control come out three times since I moved in which was 6/16, 10/16 and 2/17. Plus there is no trash room in the basement at all and we take our trash outside. I never seen any evidence of any mice nowhere in the apt since last May, nowhere on the kitchen counter top or the floor so I am very shocked tonight. And that one of the things I loved about living here that It was no mice issues at all. I stayed bragging about how I don’t have a rodent issue but that all ended tonight. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/2 "2017-05-07T07:51:54Z")
Sticky traps are the most effective. I caught 11 in 2015. Only 2 in 2016. They can only be used once. Put in a bag and toss into the outside can. My pest control guy put rat bait in the attic. I haven’t heard them scratching in the attic since last year or seen any in my living spaces. I still have several sticky traps set out just in case. The big ones will lift up the trap. You’ll hear a whap, whap, whap from the other room. The trap bouncing off the floor. I used a brick to euthanize them quickly. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/3 "2017-05-07T11:19:31Z")
I see. I saw. I had seen. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/4 "2017-05-07T13:04:00Z")
I know this is anecdotal as hell, but we placed several devices similar to [these](https://www.amazon.com/Ultrasonic-Pest-Repeller-Electronic-Environment-friendly/dp/B01N211ECF/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1494162017&sr=8-3&keywords=electronic+mouse+repellent+plug+in) throughout the house many years ago and have not seen a single mouse since. mmm ---
**Author:** ![mmkt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@mmkt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmkt)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/5 "2017-05-07T13:40:14Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I see. > I saw. > I had seen. It came out that way from being in shock. ---
**Author:** ![mmkt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@mmkt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmkt)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/6 "2017-05-07T13:45:02Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Sticky traps are the most effective. I caught 11 in 2015. Only 2 in 2016. They can only be used once. Put in a bag and toss into the outside can. > > My pest control guy put rat bait in the attic. > > I haven’t heard them scratching in the attic since last year or seen any in my living spaces. > > I still have several sticky traps set out just in case. > > The big ones will lift up the trap. You’ll hear a whap, whap, whap from the other room. The trap bouncing off the floor. I used a brick to euthanize them quickly. another Based on the emails I’m guessing another pest control is scheduled for the end of the month. I always thought mice came out when it was dark and quiet. Not when it was lights on and the TV is blasting. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/7 "2017-05-07T17:49:35Z")
I’ve seen mice in my hallway looking at me on my sofa. My useless dog didn’t even growl. Maybe I need to trade him in for a cat. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/8 "2017-05-07T18:10:17Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Sticky traps are the most effective. I caught 11 in 2015. Only 2 in 2016. They can only be used once. Put in a bag and toss into the outside can. > > My pest control guy put rat bait in the attic. > > I haven’t heard them scratching in the attic since last year or seen any in my living spaces. > > I still have several sticky traps set out just in case. > > The big ones will lift up the trap. You’ll hear a whap, whap, whap from the other room. The trap bouncing off the floor. I used a brick to euthanize them quickly. A brick? Dude, just use a snap trap – it’s much more efficient and you can reuse them, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![mmkt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@mmkt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmkt)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/9 "2017-05-07T18:15:18Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > A brick? Dude, just use a snap trap – it’s much more efficient and you can reuse them, IIRC. But when you haven’t had to use anything at all since you moved in Last May it’s kind of hard to start buying mouse traps. I plan to contact the rental office to ask when is the next scheduled pest control. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/10 "2017-05-07T19:22:26Z")
Please bear in mind that mice are mammals with a complex nervous system. They may be pests, but glue traps are just about the most inhumane method imaginable to kill them. > [@](#): > > Animals that touch a glue board are immediately caught and stuck to the board and usually suffer a slow death by starvation or suffocation…While animals are stuck on glue boards, they cry out loudly in pain and have been known to bite through their limbs attempting to free themselves. [http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/facts/glue\_boards.html](http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/facts/glue_boards.html) Some glue-trap manufacturers even _recommend_ that live mice trapped on these boards should just be thrown in the trash. That’s disgusting, gratuitous cruelty. If you must use these traps, it is your responsibility to kill any trapped mouse quickly. Spring traps cost no more money, and are far more humane, usually breaking the rodent’s neck and causing instant death provided that they are set correctly. > **[How Mouse Snap Traps Work](https://www.humanepestcontroltips.com/mouse-snap-traps.shtml)** > > An explanation of how mouse snap traps work, and whether they can be considered a humane method of pest control. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/11 "2017-05-07T19:27:29Z")
That’s why I euthanize caught mice before throwing out the trap. I don’t want them to suffer a prolonged death. A hit on the head is all it takes. A spring trap often hits their head or neck. Not much different than the way I kill them with a brick. I hit just hard enough to get the job done. I don’t bash them. I tried a live and let live approach for awhile. I heard them in the attic for a couple years. Then they started invading my living space. That’s when I had to do something about it. They carry fleas and other health hazards. They can’t be allowed to get in cabinets and on countertops. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/12 "2017-05-07T20:12:24Z")
My preferred method is the electronic trap—mice venture inside, are electrocuted when they step on a metal plate, and an LED blinks to alert you that there’s a dead victim inside. Those are a little pricey, though. The old-timey snap traps are by far the most reliable option, and they’re cheap. If you’re squeamish, there are fully-enclosed, single-use snap traps available. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/13 "2017-05-07T20:34:59Z")
Anyone with pets can’t use spring traps or poison. I had a bad scare with my dog. I heard the trap snap and a yelp. She just barely jumped back in time. I threw them away. It’s not worth getting her hurt. She got into one of the sticky traps. That was a mess getting that glue off her fur. But at least it didn’t hurt her. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/14 "2017-05-07T21:56:40Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Anyone with pets can’t use spring traps or poison. I’ve used snap traps with a dog in the house and never had a problem. I placed the traps in areas where mice are likely to run (such as along walls) but inaccessible to the dog—behind a furnace or other appliance, under the sink, in the basement, etc. If a trap is really needed in a more open area, you can put it inside a box or use one of the fully-enclosed trap designs. Poison can also be used in places the pet can’t reach (such as inside a plastic “bait station”), but I generally avoid poison because you end up with mice dying inside your walls. ---
**Author:** ![mmkt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@mmkt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmkt)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/15 "2017-05-08T14:39:00Z")
Rental office sending out exterminator on Wednesday. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/16 "2017-05-08T15:44:38Z")
Female here, slightly squeamish. Had a mouse in February 2016. I knew it traveled from under the sink to the silverware drawer, evidenced by droppings. I emptied out the silverware drawer and set traps in the drawer and under the sink. It took 2 weeks (and me being away for a week) to catch the bugger. Came home from my trip, checked under the sink, put on the rubber gloves, and scooped trap and rodent in plastic bag. Haven’t seen one since, but I also now have a cat. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/17 "2017-05-08T15:54:35Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I see. > I saw. > I had seen. an mouse. the mouses. a mice. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/18 "2017-05-08T18:05:40Z")
Just get a shoe box, a wooden spool, name it Mr Jingles, and train it to preform at mousville. plastic trapdoor live trap, peanut butter, drop the little guy off in the woods down the road, he will figure it out from there. Then have the management figure out how they are getting in. Glue traps are horrible ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/19 "2017-05-08T18:13:25Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > i see. > I saw. > I had seen. > [@drunky smurf](#): > > an mouse. > The mouses. > A mice. l HATES MEECES TO PIECES! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054/20 "2017-05-08T18:21:46Z")
> [@mmkt](#): > > Based on the emails I’m guessing another pest control is scheduled for the end of the month. I always thought mice came out when it was dark and quiet. Not when it was lights on and the TV is blasting. Some mice are braver than others. We have three cats yet the occasional mouse still ventured out from under the fridge and/or stove. None of them were ever brave enough to go after our food, though. The property manager had an exterminator stop by and put mouse bait in the big hole behind the fridge. The goal being to get mice to nibble off a piece of the bait then return to their nest to die. Couple weeks later, the property manager had the hole sealed up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/move-in-this-apartment-on-5-15-16-and-tonight-was-the-very-first-time-i-seen-a/786054.md?page=2)