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Archive through January 22, 2005

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2005 Mar. ~ 2005 May: HELP!!! I have a MOUSE in my apartment!!!!: Archive through January 22, 2005 users admin

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Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Friday, January 21, 2005 - 10:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
AAAAAAAGH!!! I was sitting in bed, when I saw something run from under my bed, into my hallway. I came out, because it looked AWFULLY big to be a spider. I come out, and see a mouse dart under my couch!!!

WHAT DO I DO!!!!!! It runs too fast for me!!!

I never thought I'd be that cliche woman up on the chair!! But YUCK does it EVER gross me out!! I don't have ANYONE here to team up with me to catch it!?!?! What do I DO??

I really don't want to kill it. If it died in a mouse trap, I could NEVER be the one to check the trap, or throw it out.

But I really don't want it in here, as I don't think I can sleep.

Here is a picture of the little bugger, under my couch.

mouse

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Friday, January 21, 2005 - 10:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hey Karen, do any of your cats like mice? Would they want to stay at Auntie Kali's place for a little while?


Abby7
Member

07-17-2002

Friday, January 21, 2005 - 10:11 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Pack your bag and leave! eek!

Maybe get some cheese. Then get ready with a box to put over the mouse when he comes out from under the couch to eat the cheese. Trap the mouse under the box (duct tape the box down to the floor, punch holes in the box). Then, call a friend.

?? I don't know, sorry. I wouldn't use a trap either.

Karuuna
Member

08-31-2000

Friday, January 21, 2005 - 10:22 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Get a humane trap, catch it and release it in a park, or field somewhere. Or if that's too far, someone else's apartment might work.

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Friday, January 21, 2005 - 10:32 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
What is a "humane trap" Kar? Is it like in the cartoons, where it's basically a stick under a box?

The mouse has vanished. I have NO CLUE where it is anymore. Maybe under my fridge? Stove? I have closed all of my DOORS to other rooms like the bathroom, and most importantly, my bedroom, and I put a towel down at the bottom of my bedroom door. I am holed up in here, safe from the evil mousie.

Tomorrow I will call my caretaker and ask him what I should do. I'm all alone out here with no one to team up and catch it with. And I can't even NUDGE my fridge, let alone move it for a mouse. All I care about (right now) is that it is out of my bedroom.

My boyfriend isn't helping me calm down either. He goes "why bother, where there's one, there's more." Yeah. THANKS. (mumbles JERK under her breath)

Karuuna
Member

08-31-2000

Friday, January 21, 2005 - 10:52 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Eeyores - it is a wire cage, with a spring loaded door. You put the goodies at the far end, when the mouse goes in to eat them, he or she triggers the spring that makes the door snap shut. I used to use it to capture my hamster when he ran away.

Hippyt
Member

06-15-2001

Friday, January 21, 2005 - 10:57 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
ROFL,hee hee it's a mouse! You would hate my cat,she drags in live birds,lizards,mice,sometimes a frog.

Abby7
Member

07-17-2002

Friday, January 21, 2005 - 11:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hippyt, when I used to have an outdoor cat she would bring in all kinds of stuff to show off.

It was like she was bringing us a gift. She wouldn't kill anything. Just bring it in and torture it.



Karuuna
Member

08-31-2000

Friday, January 21, 2005 - 11:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Here's a sample. In my area they sell them in the hardware store, but we're kind of rural...

http://www.pestproducts.com/chipmunk_trap.htm

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Friday, January 21, 2005 - 11:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Ooooh!! I like that trap!! I could deal with that!! I'll have to check out some hardware stores. I live in the heart of downtown Vancouver, so I think I'd have to call around, or venture out to Home Depot or something in the suburbs.

I found a positive for this mouse causing me to cower in my room:

I have a DVD burner on my computer, but the first time I tried it, it didn't work, so I gave up. That was almost a year ago!! I've been wanting to learn what the problem was, but always put it off.

Turns out the Nero just needed an update. I did that, and now it WORKS!! Yay!! So now, I'm putting all of my taped TV shows that I had wanted to keep (but were filling my HD) onto DVDs!!

Thanks mousie.

Jmm
Member

08-16-2002

Friday, January 21, 2005 - 11:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Eeyore, Got any 9 year old boys in your neighborhood? They love mice and might be willing to try and catch it for you.

Ddr
Member

08-19-2001

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 1:47 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Juju is an excellent name for your pet mouse.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 2:15 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Aw Eeyore, few years ago I was just like you. Up on the chair yelling, "EEK! A mouse!!" Then it went on for a couple years and I got over the fear.

First year we were in the house, we had mice. Talked to the neighbor about it and she explained that the city would go out and bull doze the bushes and weeds out of the wash behind the houses. Everytime they did it, the creepy crawlies came running to the neighborhood. I can remember that first year watching the pest control guy go from house to house on mice hunts.

We tried everything to get rid of them. Poision (coming home to a dead mouse decomposing in a wall in the middle of July with 100+ temps after the house has been shut up all day had us down with that after the first day.) Sticky traps, just as bad. Snap traps horrible. Finally we had the pest control guys come here. He'd set out traps (the snap ones and the humane ones,) come out a few times a week to check them, reset them, and take the mice away, then start all over. At the same time, we got Riley (the beagle,) and she amused herself by chasing those who had avoided the traps down. Last year was the first year in six years we had no mice. So far, we still have none.

One of the first things I learned, leave no food out! They get into everything and will gnaw through boxes and plastic bags. I still keep all of my food in plastic containers. Second thing, they can get into, under, around, and through anything! I watched one squeeze himself out of the house, under a closed door. There's a small gap that I didn't think he could get through, but it took no time at all.

I would really suggest the humane traps. The rest of the stuff on the market is just horrible. Oh, and peanut butter is great to use to lure them in. We never kept peanut butter cuz our son is allergic, but eventually broke down and bought one jar. Kept it in the locked cleaner cabinet and all it was used for was traps and it worked great. We tried cheese for awhile, but they learned very quickly that they could snatch it and run (that was with snap traps) before it would spring shut. With pb, they can't take it with them. just remember, they don't like you anymore than you like them, and would be just as happy if you weren't there as you would be to get rid of your mouse, lol.

Ok, I think I'm going to go to bed. I know entirely too much about mice, LOL.

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 2:58 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
OMG Wargod!! I like happy endings. I was talking to my mom about the decomposing mousie body, which I really don't want to deal with. I KNOW I would put some trap somewhere and forget about it. Then the smell would happen, and I have forgotten where the trap is. hahahaha.

Thanks for letting me know mice can squish under doors!! JUST and I was about to head to bed, with my towel at my bedroom door. THANKS. Jerk. You're worse than my boyfriend for bringing up more fears!! LOL

I think I may need to take Abby's advice and LEAVE!! hahaha!!

It was funny, I was on the phone with my mom, while the mousie was under the couch, and I'm like "Mom, I have a mouse." and as we are talking, the mousie RUNS ACROSS MY FLOOR!!! I screamed!! My mom laughed at me.

I think I will search for humane traps in Vancouver, be it at the hardware store, or maybe I can call an exterminator guy and they will sell one to me.

My big issue is getting to sleep now. Hmmm.....how can I secure my door.

Hey can mice JUMP? As in get on counters? I have food on my counter. But the thing is....I have never seen mouse nibbles in food boxes or bags, nor have I seen any mouse poopies at all either. I think he is new. Maybe because we just got over a REALLLLLY cold couple of weeks, I think the mousies all tried to come inside.

I just don't understand how he got into MY place. I have one bedroom window, about 5 feet above ground, and I have a set of balcony doors, but there is like a 6 or 8 inch high wall, where my baseboard heater is. And I haven't opened my sliding doors AT ALL in about a month. I would hate to think mousie (Jujumouse) has been here THAT long?! Wouldn't I have seen mousie signs like poopies and nibble-marks if he's been in here for a long time?

Ugh, I'm thinking too much for this late at night. Humane trap is my mission tomorrow.

*sigh*

Thanks for all of your help everyone!! Any other suggestions are still welcome!!

Schoolmarm
Member

02-18-2001

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 3:32 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
If you can find out how the mouse got in, you can block the "door" with tinfoil. They hate to chew through it, and if it is their only "door", voila! end of mouse problem.

When I lived in Iowa, they got in a little hole in the floor hidden under the carpet near my sliding door. Easy to plug up.

You will be ok in your bed, methinks!

Ddr
Member

08-19-2001

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 4:39 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Around here, when they cut the sugarcane there tends to be mice problems.

When I lived in a townhouse about 15 years ago, I discovered a mouse in the upper cabinet on the side of the stove, where I kept my seasonings and spices. This was located on an island. We caught him but then we had about 5 or 6 more in that one cabinet. No where else.

We eventually figured out there was a gap in between the vinyl siding on the front of the house. They would travel from there into that one cabinet. We put steel wool into the opening and never had that problem again.

Oh and I had one in my car! I rode around with that thing for 3 days before we caught it. LOL

Schoolmarm
Member

02-18-2001

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 5:12 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Ah, yes....it's steel wool! Or an SOS pad. They hate to chew through metal!


Phatcat
Member

03-08-2004

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 5:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
roflmphao Be thankful it is not a baby opossum! Yep, I had one a couple of years ago. My house is split-foyer, and I'm sitting here on my puter one night, when suddenly I notice a slight movement at the top of my stairs. I turn to look and see a baby possum smiling at me. Talk about screaming! Instead of 'playing possum', the critter turned and walked down the stairs to the first landing.

My son came running to see what was wrong, opened the front door and let the possum out. Then he layed newspaper on the steps going down to the den...so I could hear the critter if it returned.

Well, I go back to reading TVCH threads and about 20 minutes later, I hear the rustling of newspaper. OMG...it's back! I get up from my recliner and go to the top of the stairs, and sure enough, sitting on the first step is the critter. I yell for my son, he comes back and opens the door, the thing leaves again.

This time, I have my son leave the front door open, I sit on a stool at the top of the stairs and wait and I start praying. Sure enough, after another 20 minute wait, I hear the rustling of newspaper again. Well, the little critter peaks around the corner and looks up at me as if to say, 'Why don't you like me?'.

I start talking to it!

"Look, I do like you...just not in my house! And if you want to enjoy a long life, you'd better leave...NOW!! And don't come back again."

The critter looked at me, sadly, walked off the step, turned to look back again...and slowly walked out the front door. I yelled for my son to come quickly and close the door. Then I had him plug the dryer vent on the outside of house...since I had decided that was the point of entry.

Back to my puter. The next night, I see a movement to my left...near my couch, and look over just in time to see a LONG tail going under my couch. Now my son is not at home, and I am going crazy with fear! A killer possum is under my couch!! Evidently, when my son plugged the vent, the possum had already returned and was trapped INSIDE my house!!

Well, I have to make this long story shorter. At some point, the critter got in my dining room. I stacked boards and boxes and anything I could find across that opening, closed the kitchen door that leads into my living room and stuffed towels under the door. Then I went to Walmart and got a RAT trap, baited it and put it in a brown grocery bag and laid it on the kitchen floor. For TWO days and nights, I would nearly pass out at every little sound I heard.

On the third day, I was dying of thirst and just had to go into the kitchen to get a drink. Just as I started to try to stand up from my chair, I heard a loud snap. OMG...the critter!! Did the trap catch the thing...or just injure it? What if it comes jumping over the barricade and attacks me? You never know what an injured killer possum will do. Please, God, let my son come home.

Hours later, the son comes home, finds that the trap did work and disposes of the critter. Of course, I felt terrible that the story ended with death. But better the critter than me.

Oh, and then there is the time, a jillion years ago, when I actually scared a little mouse to death by screaming so loud. But, I'll save that story for another day. lol

Resortgirl
Member

09-23-2000

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 6:29 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I feel for ya Eeyore! I do NOT like sharing my space with little critters. I've had a few bad experiences with them over the years, and I AM one of those women that crawls up on a table and screams! Just this past week I was cleaning out a closet and I have a big plastic tote that I keep out of season clothes in. I decided to empty it out and reorganize. When I got to the bottom there were about 2 dozen acorns in there!!! I told hubby about it when he got home and he told me that he didn't think a little bitty mouse could do that. SOOOOO... what IS it? A chipmunk, a squirrel, a RAT???? ICky!!

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 6:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Good luck! Mouse trails are usually along the walls...it's rare for them to run across the middle of the floor...must have sensed your anxiety...try to stay calm. LOL!

A cat will do wonders, and a mouse trap, while seemingly cruel, is a wonderful invention. Yes, I use mousetraps baited with a tiny bit of peanut butter. Otherwise the mouse enjoys a feast and scampers away never triggering the trap.

I say to myself that it will be quick and that it's better it than me because a mouse in the house spreads nasty stuff that you just don't want to deal with.

I have the other kind of traps, but if there is anything worse than dealing with a dead mouse, it's dealing with a live one. The one thing I cannot bring myself to do is attempt to save the "used" trap. At a $1.19, it's disposable!

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 7:15 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Best possible thing to do is get a cat! Even "borrow" one if you don't want to adopt one. The mice smell that cat smell and they get the heck out! Before we moved, we lived right by an open field. Any house on my block that did not have a cat had bad mice problems. I had a bad mouse problem but as soon as i moved Cleopatra and Pocahontas is, the mice left! And those cats weren't even mouse hunters. I think the mice left cuz they smelled the cats.

Reader234
Member

08-13-2000

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 7:55 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I'm a screamer - we had a mole in our house. Talk about UGLY! (and it was all dh's fault, he put a tent outside to air out, realized it was going to get wet with dew,grabbed it threw it in the basement, unfortunately, a mole somehow got caught up in it - luckily for me I live with some great boys!) Then there was the squirrels that came in, and like PhatCat, we plugged up their exit hole, but didnt realize they were getting in from the ROOF! ugggg, those squirrels chewed a hole in dd room, and it didnt FREAK her out!! Bless her!

and dear Eeyore I have to say the BEST part of your post, YOU GOT YOUR Camera, and took a picture - WTG!! I LOVE THAT!!

When we lived kinda in a country area, we didnt have a cat, but apparently we had a good Hawk that lived in the tree, one night when my mom left the door to the screened in porch open, I awoke to a HUGE HAWK in our living room!! (and since it was a Sunday, we had to try and get that bird out ourselves - the sheet and the doors worked!)

Good Luck Eeyore, please keep us posted!!

Resortgirl
Member

09-23-2000

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 8:05 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I have to disagree with using a cat to get rid of mice. We have two cats and they do hunt outside in the summer months but they are lazy, overfed, and spoiled in the winter when mice usually make there way into our house. We have had mice for the past 10 years, and although they usually stay in the basement (I never see droppings on the floors where we live) the cats also have access to the basement and so far have done nothing to eliminate the mice! I think smudge actually holds tea parties with them!

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 9:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hey, Eeyore, didcha get any sleep last night?m
A couple of years ago I was staying with my mother, when a mouse crossed my path in her basement. Put me on the "screaming woman on table" list. When her neighbour popped in she went down to lay a trap with some nicely smoked bacon. She also kept checking the trap which would be empty every time, no mouse, no smoked bacon.
Before heading down those stairs (and only if it absolutely could not be avoided) I'd slam on the lights, make a lot of noise and holler "I am coming down!" while hearing my mother giggle behind me. Our mothers have absolutely no sympathy for us, do they?
Phatcat, I remember your opossum adventure.LOL

Tishala
Member

08-01-2000

Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 9:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
OMG Phatcat, I loved your story! But I have to tell you that if I had a possum in my house, baby or not, I'd actually have a heart attack and someone would find me collapsed in my apartment four days later with my eyes bugged out thinking I'd finally gone totally insane. Those things scare the hell out of me even when they aren't close.