Oh geez Laura! When I lived at my previous apartment, I used to get mice burrowing in many of the pots that were out on the balcony. Even here at my house, last year I saw a burrow hole in a honeysuckle container, although (knock on wood) have seen none this year (the complex baited for pests outside this past year and sealed around pipes in the kitchen and basement).

What I have found is that when you think they are in the hole, they usually are not. I am not sure where they go but they are often out and about somewhere else and might or might not go back to that hole.

I expect the only way to get them without them dying somewhere like in a pot or some inaccessible location, is to put sticky traps along the walls (that's how they travel). They are a PITA.

Use the sticky traps. It will come out to look for food. There is a chance that you may have other mice present so keep the sticky traps out for a while just in case.

Ok, thanks guys. I will buy more sticky traps in a bit. I know I saw two, one slightly larger than the other. I think we caught the larger one, but it’s hard to tell. I thought the other one would get caught overnight, but no such luck. I put a piece of American cheese in the very middle of the sticky traps and removed everything else in the room. We stored a bag of dog food in there that they had started to chew, so there is no other available source of food. I just don’t want the remaining one to have babies. I fear we caught the male and God forbid, the female could be pregnant. I could see them yesterday through the glass climbing on my trees....ugh!

My wife wanted me to use live mouse traps so I got a live mouse trap. My wife complained when she saw the 4.5 foot live mouse trap sunning itself on the living room floor'

When I catch and kill raccoons I put them in a 10 gallon bag and cover with potting soil. There is very little oder and the plants grow very well. if the mouse dies in the hole and you co9ver it you won't smell a thing.

Sounds like such an annoying situation for you and your plants. After all your efforts to move them in and give them a nice environment, mice come in and start squirreling around their roots! Sorry I found it funny that there's a stereotypical piece of cheese on the mouse trap. Maybe put tiny bits of other foods along with the cheese like a few of the dog kibbles and some nuts. If it doesn't like the cheese then it might still go for the other food options on the trap! And the best way to really prevent mice is to get a cat :)

Kvetch, that sounds like you are setting up a Thanksgiving meal for them. How about a little turkey, pumpkin pie and stuffing? (:

Try peanut butter. We had mice in our attic one year and used cheese in traps. No results. We used peanut butter and caught about 12 in 3-4 hours. We eventually found a hole in our brick wall that the mice found to get in. What an eye opener how tiny the hole was which they could squeeze through.

Denise, I have another couple of traps with peanut butter sprinkled with sharp cheddar ;-). Yes, Vladimir, a nice meal! Those have yielded no results although they are not the black ones, but the white cricket traps. I am going to stock up on the black ones my mom gave me. Kvetch, I would get a cat....we had one for many years (lived to almost 25), but one of my daughters is highly allergic to cats (VERY), and we have two parakeets that fly around the house, which would be eaten quickly....so a cat is not an option.

Great gang Susanne! My husband would love that! So which poison did you use that kills instantly. I’m desperate here and going to Home Depot in just a few mins..

No poison, ( just too afraid one gets away and another critter could eat the poison mouse and get hurt. Every year owls die of poison so sad) snap trap, brakes their little skull. Peanut butter or bacon, or old marzipan. Lots of mice and you have to change the food so they will come again. On a farm there will be always mice. Part of the life here.

You never know Vlad, they might just come out of hiding faster with a little thanksgiving feast!

Susanne I have to say..that little mouse looks soo adorable. Or is it a rat from the looks of its tail? I don't like rats but I like mice for some reason! And your gang of cats is so cute! I love the two in the back looking surprised by the camera and the little back paws of the white one with the grey tail..soo adorable. I volunteer at a cat rescue so I can't help but squee when I see cats

Well, a few days ago my Aussie caught a rat as big as a squirrel!!! Horrible! She was so proud of her kill lol

I have read many times that peanut butter is the best bait. I would use the snap trap because it is more humane.

This was a mouse for sure. I'm always happy if I see a mouse here or there as it is a sure sign no rats have taken over. This would be a nightmare and I would call exterminator. Laura are you sure he caught a rat and not a muskrat? Or gopher? We have voles that are bigger then mice and the favorite catch for one of my cats. Sometimes he brings me the left overs or put in front of the door. Really yummy he thinks

We have used snap traps with peanut butter in the past and it works reasonably well. Our old apartment was on the edge of a park and we got a few when it got cold. There are plenty of videos online about setting them up so they snap easier but are generally more humane than sticky paper.

The problem with poisons is that they will sometimes crawl in the walls and die. My parents had some in their attic and the rat did exactly that. Two months later the garage is smelling horrible and my dad opened up the wall to find it. The body was maggot filled and gross to remove.

I’m happy to report that the second mouse has been caught!!! It was stuck on a trap, but I did manage to release him/her...unfortunately right by my house. Hopefully, it will not come back in. My husband taped up the grate of the HVAC system where they came in. I pray they do not return!

This is the time of year that they come inside (either the garage or house). I saw one the other day. Not crazy about it but I do have two cats so feel somewhat protected (and would never consider poisons in the house); assuming the critter will move on as it realizes the cat presence. Rather have the occasional mouse any day than roaches!

I would not rely on a cat. I was walking my dog one day and saw a mouse run right by a neighbor's cat lying on a sidewalk. I guess the cat was so well fed the mouse was not worth chasing. lol.

I feel as long as it's not poisons left outside of your house and strictly indoors then maybe it's ok but I usually advocate against them. I bonded with a cat overseas when I was there for a month and went through all the documentation to bring it back to the US with me. A month and a half later, during a family emergency someone had accidentally let the cat out late at night and she passed by the next morning within only a few hours due to poisoning. It was really sad to find out the cause had nothing to do with any physical dangers like cars or other animals attacking :( if poisons can be avoided then avoid it all costs!

Jurasico you are so right. Kokiburis (cockroaches) in japan are everywhere. While we lived there, we had two cats and they got everything that was moving. The whole time I might have see two or three in the house. And they are getting big there.

Glad that you got rid of those mice, Laura!

Leave the traps out and check carefully for evidence (scat). They can enter via very small openings, so hopefully the hvac was the only place, and it is well sealed.

A few years ago, I found some IN my gas grill. They quickly vacated when I turned it on, but did return.

I hope your mouse does not return. I just got this guy trying to steal oranges off Ollie.

Poor thing, but yeah, no catch and release here either if I would ever see one.

Well, I am still battling one! I was dumb enough to release one that I caught and it just came back in and brought a friend. I have now sealed the area where they were coming in, so no more should be able to squeeze through. Yesterday I caught one in a trap like yours bacon - no more mercy! There is one left and I got these new traps that came this morning, I’ve just not had time to set them up.

Susanne: I would normally agree with you as most animals have a part in the normal ecology of the world. Rats however have diseases and fleas on them can spread bad stuff.

Plus this guy and his buddies have probably pilfered 20+ oranges off the tree and didn’t look like they were going to stop the buffet.

Have you tried live rat traps.

He'll spend most of his time hiding under your davenport

I have. They work very well until my wife found him sunning himself in the middle of our living room. i had to let him go. Sad day indeed.

Haha poncitrus! I saw a king snake about 3-4 months ago in our driveway. He was small but I hope he lived long enough to eat some of these rats! As long as it’s not a rattlesnake (or poisonous) I am good with snakes.

Hehehe Steve, yup, I would have one if I could. But with the cats, nope not a good idea. I have to resque garter snakes all summer out of their claws. (in reality only one but still)