On Wed, 9 Dec 2009 09:24:21 -0800 (PST), Frank
wrote:

On Dec 8, 9:11*am, "Mike" wrote:
"Ohioguy" wrote in message

...





* Actually, I'm dead serious about killing mice. *It seems like mice have
moved into our 92 year old home with a vengeance. *It started about 2
months ago, as it got cold outside. *I was able to use traditional
mousetraps to kill a lot of them, but then that petered out as the
remaining ones seemed to keep to the walls more, and not bother with the
traps, no matter what tempting morsels I might put in them.

* About a month ago, I finished installing clear plastic panels over the
open joists in the kitchen ceiling. *I had installed tube fluorescent
lights up there. *Now I notice that in just the past week, there are
probably 60 mouse droppings up there on top of the plastic, and I can also
see yellow where they have been taking ****. *This is right up above our
kitchen stove.

* I'm wondering if our mice could be numerous because my sister, who lives
on the other side of our duplex, is a packrat. *She tends to leave things
lay around, including food, which probably gives them a perfect breeding
ground. *They finally got into her foodstuffs so bad that she was forced
to make some changes, though. *Still, I believe they have plenty of hiding
places in the boxes piled up over there.

* Obviously, this is a serious problem. *I want the mice dead. *I've been
thinking of either fumigation or poison of some kind.

* Anyone have experience with this sort of thing? *I'd like to get
something that I can put all over in hidden areas, which will eradicate
these things.

I had same problem. *I would go with the extermination route because the
problem doesn't go away for good and the mice will keep coming back. *The
exterminator will place the appropriate traps both exterior and interior and
can get into places you can't. Mice were gone very quickly. *The
exterminator comes back every 3 month to refresh the traps. *Problem solved.

Mike- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Exterminator coming back every three months is just as annoying as
mice coming back.
My neighbor is visited monthly by his exterminator for bugs. Cannot
imagine costing much less than $100 per visit.

Mice are far easier to eliminate than bugs... all Mikey
need do is to STOP feeding the mice... sure mice are looking for
warmth but 99% of them are there because Mikey and is sister have
provided a rodent restaurant.

"brooklyn1" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 9 Dec 2009 09:24:21 -0800 (PST), Frank
wrote:

On Dec 8, 9:11 am, "Mike" wrote:
"Ohioguy" wrote in message

...





Actually, I'm dead serious about killing mice. It seems like mice have
moved into our 92 year old home with a vengeance. It started about 2
months ago, as it got cold outside. I was able to use traditional
mousetraps to kill a lot of them, but then that petered out as the
remaining ones seemed to keep to the walls more, and not bother with
the
traps, no matter what tempting morsels I might put in them.

About a month ago, I finished installing clear plastic panels over the
open joists in the kitchen ceiling. I had installed tube fluorescent
lights up there. Now I notice that in just the past week, there are
probably 60 mouse droppings up there on top of the plastic, and I can
also
see yellow where they have been taking ****. This is right up above
our
kitchen stove.

I'm wondering if our mice could be numerous because my sister, who
lives
on the other side of our duplex, is a packrat. She tends to leave
things
lay around, including food, which probably gives them a perfect
breeding
ground. They finally got into her foodstuffs so bad that she was
forced
to make some changes, though. Still, I believe they have plenty of
hiding
places in the boxes piled up over there.

Obviously, this is a serious problem. I want the mice dead. I've been
thinking of either fumigation or poison of some kind.

Anyone have experience with this sort of thing? I'd like to get
something that I can put all over in hidden areas, which will
eradicate
these things.

I had same problem. I would go with the extermination route because the
problem doesn't go away for good and the mice will keep coming back. The
exterminator will place the appropriate traps both exterior and interior
and
can get into places you can't. Mice were gone very quickly. The
exterminator comes back every 3 month to refresh the traps. Problem
solved.

Mike- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Exterminator coming back every three months is just as annoying as
mice coming back.
My neighbor is visited monthly by his exterminator for bugs. Cannot
imagine costing much less than $100 per visit.

Mice are far easier to eliminate than bugs... all Mikey
need do is to STOP feeding the mice... sure mice are looking for
warmth but 99% of them are there because Mikey and is sister have
provided a rodent restaurant.

Well, I'm not sure where you live but here in the winter, fields, woods and
old house mean mice (and chipmunks and flying squirrels). They borough into
any crack, crevice or hole they can find (which you should address first)
and eat wood, wires you name it. I am sure they are they are searching for
food and water, but I suspect that any little crumb will do and eliminating
all food isn't much of an option. I think the service cost around $300 a
year. Works for me.
Mike

On Wed, 9 Dec 2009 14:19:52 -0500, "Mike"
wrote:


"brooklyn1" wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 9 Dec 2009 09:24:21 -0800 (PST), Frank
wrote:

On Dec 8, 9:11 am, "Mike" wrote:
"Ohioguy" wrote in message

...





Actually, I'm dead serious about killing mice. It seems like mice have
moved into our 92 year old home with a vengeance. It started about 2
months ago, as it got cold outside. I was able to use traditional
mousetraps to kill a lot of them, but then that petered out as the
remaining ones seemed to keep to the walls more, and not bother with
the
traps, no matter what tempting morsels I might put in them.

About a month ago, I finished installing clear plastic panels over the
open joists in the kitchen ceiling. I had installed tube fluorescent
lights up there. Now I notice that in just the past week, there are
probably 60 mouse droppings up there on top of the plastic, and I can
also
see yellow where they have been taking ****. This is right up above
our
kitchen stove.

I'm wondering if our mice could be numerous because my sister, who
lives
on the other side of our duplex, is a packrat. She tends to leave
things
lay around, including food, which probably gives them a perfect
breeding
ground. They finally got into her foodstuffs so bad that she was
forced
to make some changes, though. Still, I believe they have plenty of
hiding
places in the boxes piled up over there.

Obviously, this is a serious problem. I want the mice dead. I've been
thinking of either fumigation or poison of some kind.

Anyone have experience with this sort of thing? I'd like to get
something that I can put all over in hidden areas, which will
eradicate
these things.

I had same problem. I would go with the extermination route because the
problem doesn't go away for good and the mice will keep coming back. The
exterminator will place the appropriate traps both exterior and interior
and
can get into places you can't. Mice were gone very quickly. The
exterminator comes back every 3 month to refresh the traps. Problem
solved.

Mike- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Exterminator coming back every three months is just as annoying as
mice coming back.
My neighbor is visited monthly by his exterminator for bugs. Cannot
imagine costing much less than $100 per visit.

Mice are far easier to eliminate than bugs... all Mikey
need do is to STOP feeding the mice... sure mice are looking for
warmth but 99% of them are there because Mikey and is sister have
provided a rodent restaurant.

Well, I'm not sure where you live but here in the winter, fields, woods and
old house mean mice (and chipmunks and flying squirrels). They borough into
any crack, crevice or hole they can find (which you should address first)
and eat wood, wires you name it. I am sure they are they are searching for
food and water, but I suspect that any little crumb will do and eliminating
all food isn't much of an option. I think the service cost around $300 a
year. Works for me.
Mike


I live in a very rural location surrounded by hundreds and thousands
of acres of fields, woods, and wet lands... every critter imaginable
lives here but I find very few rodents in my house because I don't
leave unsecured pet food around, and I have six cats... with their
food properly secured they very rarely catch a mouse and they patrol
constantly. As long as there is a food source critters will
congregate, remove the food source and they will move on, even humans.
And it's very easy to remove all food to sealed critter proof
containers... all one needs is to exercise reasonable hygienic living
habits... own a vacuum cleaner, a cleaning rag, a broom, and use them.
Applying poisons is a million times worse than a few mouse droppings,
don't you shit too... how'd you like to be executed for pooping.

"brooklyn1" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 9 Dec 2009 14:19:52 -0500, "Mike"
wrote:


"brooklyn1" wrote in message
. ..
On Wed, 9 Dec 2009 09:24:21 -0800 (PST), Frank
wrote:

On Dec 8, 9:11 am, "Mike" wrote:
"Ohioguy" wrote in message

...





Actually, I'm dead serious about killing mice. It seems like mice
have
moved into our 92 year old home with a vengeance. It started about 2
months ago, as it got cold outside. I was able to use traditional
mousetraps to kill a lot of them, but then that petered out as the
remaining ones seemed to keep to the walls more, and not bother with
the
traps, no matter what tempting morsels I might put in them.

About a month ago, I finished installing clear plastic panels over
the
open joists in the kitchen ceiling. I had installed tube fluorescent
lights up there. Now I notice that in just the past week, there are
probably 60 mouse droppings up there on top of the plastic, and I
can
also
see yellow where they have been taking ****. This is right up above
our
kitchen stove.

I'm wondering if our mice could be numerous because my sister, who
lives
on the other side of our duplex, is a packrat. She tends to leave
things
lay around, including food, which probably gives them a perfect
breeding
ground. They finally got into her foodstuffs so bad that she was
forced
to make some changes, though. Still, I believe they have plenty of
hiding
places in the boxes piled up over there.

Obviously, this is a serious problem. I want the mice dead. I've
been
thinking of either fumigation or poison of some kind.

Anyone have experience with this sort of thing? I'd like to get
something that I can put all over in hidden areas, which will
eradicate
these things.

I had same problem. I would go with the extermination route because
the
problem doesn't go away for good and the mice will keep coming back.
The
exterminator will place the appropriate traps both exterior and
interior
and
can get into places you can't. Mice were gone very quickly. The
exterminator comes back every 3 month to refresh the traps. Problem
solved.

Mike- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Exterminator coming back every three months is just as annoying as
mice coming back.
My neighbor is visited monthly by his exterminator for bugs. Cannot
imagine costing much less than $100 per visit.

Mice are far easier to eliminate than bugs... all Mikey
need do is to STOP feeding the mice... sure mice are looking for
warmth but 99% of them are there because Mikey and is sister have
provided a rodent restaurant.

Well, I'm not sure where you live but here in the winter, fields, woods
and
old house mean mice (and chipmunks and flying squirrels). They borough
into
any crack, crevice or hole they can find (which you should address first)
and eat wood, wires you name it. I am sure they are they are searching
for
food and water, but I suspect that any little crumb will do and
eliminating
all food isn't much of an option. I think the service cost around $300 a
year. Works for me.
Mike


I live in a very rural location surrounded by hundreds and thousands
of acres of fields, woods, and wet lands... every critter imaginable
lives here but I find very few rodents in my house because I don't
leave unsecured pet food around, and I have six cats... with their
food properly secured they very rarely catch a mouse and they patrol
constantly. As long as there is a food source critters will
congregate, remove the food source and they will move on, even humans.
And it's very easy to remove all food to sealed critter proof
containers... all one needs is to exercise reasonable hygienic living
habits... own a vacuum cleaner, a cleaning rag, a broom, and use them.
Applying poisons is a million times worse than a few mouse droppings,
don't you shit too... how'd you like to be executed for pooping.

I imaging the cats help too. I am not there that often so food isn't really
left around at all, but the house is very old with crawl spaces and is very
difficult to sealup completely. They don't spray chemicals just place traps
mostly around the perimeter and in the crawl spaces.

"Mike" wrote:


"brooklyn1" wrote:

I live in a very rural location surrounded by hundreds and thousands
of acres of fields, woods, and wet lands... every critter imaginable
lives here but I find very few rodents in my house because I don't
leave unsecured pet food around, and I have six cats... with their
food properly secured they very rarely catch a mouse and they patrol
constantly. As long as there is a food source critters will
congregate, remove the food source and they will move on, even humans.
And it's very easy to remove all food to sealed critter proof
containers... all one needs is to exercise reasonable hygienic living
habits... own a vacuum cleaner, a cleaning rag, a broom, and use them.
Applying poisons is a million times worse than a few mouse droppings,
don't you shit too... how'd you like to be executed for pooping.

I imaging the cats help too.

Cats help, but only if the cats have access to where mice are likely
to be... I leave many closet doors open, pantry and wherever
pipes/wire pass, especially at night when cats do most patroling... I
have one of those pet doors on my inside basement door too. Cats rub
up against everything to mark their territory with their scent, mice
can smell cats and stay way. Cats can smell mice too but mostly cats
have excellent hearing, much better than dogs, they can hear the high
pitched mouse sounds from a long distance... you only think a cat is
asleep, but they have their radar booted up 27/7.

I am not there that often so food isn't really
left around at all, but the house is very old with crawl spaces and is very
difficult to sealup completely. They don't spray chemicals just place traps
mostly around the perimeter and in the crawl spaces.

Baited traps will lure mice, even long after the traps are sprung and
gone mice will continue to come for food, you've trained them to
consider that a feeding station.

Do a better job of sealing up openings, there are all sorts of
materials at hardware stores, in fact hardware cloth is your best
friend, mice can't fit through a 1/4" hole. Wadded up chicken wire
works very well stuffed into oddly shaped holes (wadding it closes the
openings in the wire). Coarse grade steel wool works well too, and
it's dirt cheap... just remember to check it occasionally and replace
it as it rusts and disintergrates. Metal barriers are much better
than those expanding insulation foams and caulking compounds, mice can
chew through those, in fact they consider those food... use metal...
and then if you want fill the space around the metal with calk to keep
out draughts. There are many very old houses around here that have
laid stone foundations with many spaces between the stones, but a lot
of people have built a wood lathe frame all arond the interior and
staple on hardware cloth to keep critters out, including snakes... you
need to employ a little imagination, there is always a simple, safe,
and inexpensive solution. And it helps if your cat has access to your
crawl spaces. One good mouser is worth a thousand exterminators. I
have one cat that is so fearsome to mice that she only needs to stare
at them and they die of a coronary... she's so good that the Pentagon
wants to study her locking on mechanism for missle control.

Mice meet Mooch and die:
http://i48.tinypic.com/244w1lz.jpg

"brooklyn1" wrote in message
...
"Mike" wrote:


"brooklyn1" wrote:

I live in a very rural location surrounded by hundreds and thousands
of acres of fields, woods, and wet lands... every critter imaginable
lives here but I find very few rodents in my house because I don't
leave unsecured pet food around, and I have six cats... with their
food properly secured they very rarely catch a mouse and they patrol
constantly. As long as there is a food source critters will
congregate, remove the food source and they will move on, even humans.
And it's very easy to remove all food to sealed critter proof
containers... all one needs is to exercise reasonable hygienic living
habits... own a vacuum cleaner, a cleaning rag, a broom, and use them.
Applying poisons is a million times worse than a few mouse droppings,
don't you shit too... how'd you like to be executed for pooping.

I imaging the cats help too.

Cats help, but only if the cats have access to where mice are likely
to be... I leave many closet doors open, pantry and wherever
pipes/wire pass, especially at night when cats do most patroling... I
have one of those pet doors on my inside basement door too. Cats rub
up against everything to mark their territory with their scent, mice
can smell cats and stay way. Cats can smell mice too but mostly cats
have excellent hearing, much better than dogs, they can hear the high
pitched mouse sounds from a long distance... you only think a cat is
asleep, but they have their radar booted up 27/7.

I am not there that often so food isn't really
left around at all, but the house is very old with crawl spaces and is
very
difficult to sealup completely. They don't spray chemicals just place
traps
mostly around the perimeter and in the crawl spaces.

Baited traps will lure mice, even long after the traps are sprung and
gone mice will continue to come for food, you've trained them to
consider that a feeding station.

Do a better job of sealing up openings, there are all sorts of
materials at hardware stores, in fact hardware cloth is your best
friend, mice can't fit through a 1/4" hole. Wadded up chicken wire
works very well stuffed into oddly shaped holes (wadding it closes the
openings in the wire). Coarse grade steel wool works well too, and
it's dirt cheap... just remember to check it occasionally and replace
it as it rusts and disintergrates. Metal barriers are much better
than those expanding insulation foams and caulking compounds, mice can
chew through those, in fact they consider those food... use metal...
and then if you want fill the space around the metal with calk to keep
out draughts. There are many very old houses around here that have
laid stone foundations with many spaces between the stones, but a lot
of people have built a wood lathe frame all arond the interior and
staple on hardware cloth to keep critters out, including snakes... you
need to employ a little imagination, there is always a simple, safe,
and inexpensive solution. And it helps if your cat has access to your
crawl spaces. One good mouser is worth a thousand exterminators. I
have one cat that is so fearsome to mice that she only needs to stare
at them and they die of a coronary... she's so good that the Pentagon
wants to study her locking on mechanism for missle control.

Mice meet Mooch and die:
http://i48.tinypic.com/244w1lz.jpg
Thanks for the tips.
Mike

Mike wrote:
"brooklyn1" wrote in message
...
"Mike" wrote:

"brooklyn1" wrote:
I live in a very rural location surrounded by hundreds and thousands
of acres of fields, woods, and wet lands... every critter imaginable
lives here but I find very few rodents in my house because I don't
leave unsecured pet food around, and I have six cats... with their
food properly secured they very rarely catch a mouse and they patrol
constantly. As long as there is a food source critters will
congregate, remove the food source and they will move on, even humans.
And it's very easy to remove all food to sealed critter proof
containers... all one needs is to exercise reasonable hygienic living
habits... own a vacuum cleaner, a cleaning rag, a broom, and use them.
Applying poisons is a million times worse than a few mouse droppings,
don't you shit too... how'd you like to be executed for pooping.

I imaging the cats help too.
Cats help, but only if the cats have access to where mice are likely
to be... I leave many closet doors open, pantry and wherever
pipes/wire pass, especially at night when cats do most patroling... I
have one of those pet doors on my inside basement door too. Cats rub
up against everything to mark their territory with their scent, mice
can smell cats and stay way. Cats can smell mice too but mostly cats
have excellent hearing, much better than dogs, they can hear the high
pitched mouse sounds from a long distance... you only think a cat is
asleep, but they have their radar booted up 27/7.

I am not there that often so food isn't really
left around at all, but the house is very old with crawl spaces and is
very
difficult to sealup completely. They don't spray chemicals just place
traps
mostly around the perimeter and in the crawl spaces.
Baited traps will lure mice, even long after the traps are sprung and
gone mice will continue to come for food, you've trained them to
consider that a feeding station.

Do a better job of sealing up openings, there are all sorts of
materials at hardware stores, in fact hardware cloth is your best
friend, mice can't fit through a 1/4" hole. Wadded up chicken wire
works very well stuffed into oddly shaped holes (wadding it closes the
openings in the wire). Coarse grade steel wool works well too, and
it's dirt cheap... just remember to check it occasionally and replace
it as it rusts and disintergrates. Metal barriers are much better
than those expanding insulation foams and caulking compounds, mice can
chew through those, in fact they consider those food... use metal...
and then if you want fill the space around the metal with calk to keep
out draughts. There are many very old houses around here that have
laid stone foundations with many spaces between the stones, but a lot
of people have built a wood lathe frame all arond the interior and
staple on hardware cloth to keep critters out, including snakes... you
need to employ a little imagination, there is always a simple, safe,
and inexpensive solution. And it helps if your cat has access to your
crawl spaces. One good mouser is worth a thousand exterminators. I
have one cat that is so fearsome to mice that she only needs to stare
at them and they die of a coronary... she's so good that the Pentagon
wants to study her locking on mechanism for missle control.

Mice meet Mooch and die:
http://i48.tinypic.com/244w1lz.jpg
Thanks for the tips.
Mike


Having had cats and now having none, I'd say they make little
difference. We kept the cats in the house and out of certain areas
because of problems, e.g. a family room with a Berber carpet which the
cat raised fibers by clawing. Cat could also not get at mice in walls
and rafters. Cat would sit for hours watching wall where mouse was
scratching. In a few cases, I drilled hole in the walls and dumped in
poison.

Poison, traps and sealing entries are solution. I've recently been
stymied as to how mice are getting in a certain area of the house and
trapped a dozen but have seen none for a week. PITA but not a serious
problem.