Getting rid of mice in the house

[cactus]

After a few weeks wondering we've finally found out that we have mice in the house. We've cleaned the whole house top to bottom to try and stop them finding random food such a dropped crumbs but we just don't know how to get rid of them. We've got humane traps all around the house and they're just doing nothing. The mice won't go near them. I want the mice out asap because of the hamsters but I really don't want to kill the mice if possible. I'm asking on here for some last resort help before having to give serious consideration of buying a trap that will kill them. Is there anything else I can do to try and catch them? Does anyone have any tips or had this happen to them? Thank you all for the help.

[souffle]

I'm afraid I have no tolerance of mice and would suggest quick kill snap traps baited with chocolate or baiting with poison. We had a real fright when mice chewed through a cable under the floor which shorted into a wooden joist and nearly set the house on fire
Mice can also carry nasty infections that can affect humans and other animals. If mice contaminate your hamster stores with faeces they can pass on Tyzzers disease which is horrible.
Also I believe that should you live catch mice and transport them far enough away the resident mice will kill them as they are in their territory. Release them too close and they are back home before you!

[Queen Of The High Teas]

I really wouldn't want to kill them (don't mind wild mice, wild rats are a different matter though), BUT I would never compromise my own pets welfare for them, and if I found them in my hamster/rabbit sheds I wouldn't hesitate in dealing with them, as like all wild animals, they can and do carry some nasty stuff (Weils for one). Even if they only have the odd tick, that tick can carry Lyme's disease, and you've no idea what they've been snuffling or walking in to know what they could have. If live traps aren't working (and as Souffle says if you do catch some take them far away to release or they'll come back), I would try and borrow either a Jack Russell or other terrier dog, or a cat for a while. Even if they don't deal with them, just the scent of them might scare the mice off. If that fails, depending how deep your pockets are, it might be time to call in pest control to sort them out professionally. Whatever way you go about it, I wouldn't leave it too long, apart from illnesses, mice can create absolute mayhem under the floors and in walls chewing cables, wires and all things in between, which could easily result in the extremely expensive job of ripping up all the floorboards to fix the damage. Good luck

[racinghamster]

Most houses have mice. If they can gain access, they will. The problems really only arise if the mice cause problems, like soufflé said regarding chewing cables or invading spaces they shouldn`t be in, like food cupboards.

Humane traps are the best way if the mice enter them for food. But humane traps are just that. A way of trapping and then re-releasing the mouse/mice without prejudice. Live and let live and all that. That`s the attitude I take but I totally understand the feeling of frustration for anyone who has real concerns about safety or an escalation of rodents!

It`s a tricky one for me because I actually don`t mind wild mice, but if you are finding traces of them in your hamster room or near areas of concern, then that will depend on how bad you personally feel the issue is. Humane traps usually only work if placed in areas where mice frequent rather than just in the odd corner of a room or under a bed.

Mice are clever little creatures and chances are, you won`t ever see them, only little poos here and there. That`s if you don`t leave any hamster food lying around because I heard russling one evening while watching TV. I thought it was Rocky my robo rummaging about in his cage, but he was sleeping. So I heard this russling on and off for about 15 minutes and got up to see where the noise was coming from. I opened my cupboard door in my bedroom and out shot a mouse! he was inside an empty bag of Burgess Supahamster! He shot out my bedroom door and that was the last I saw of him!

[Nush]

Human traps generally don't work because if they have been handled by humans, they smell of us so the mice won't go near them. One suggestion is to use gloves. But i wouldn't know how to get the smell off them once you've already handled them. May be vinegar, not sure.

One tip I had was to sprinkle pepper around the surfaces you don't want the mice to go in. So under the door of a room etc. This is not a long term solution but it could keep them away from the hamsters in the short term. Make sure you don't sprinkle this too near to the hamsters.

I knew someone who had a problem with mice. They used to climb on the curtains to get into the rubbish bin and would climb out when they're done eating. He took the bin bag out of the bin and the mice couldn't climb out. Not sure if this is something that could be of help!

[cactus]

Thank you for all the good advice everyone, it really has helped us decide what would be best here. After much consideration and the humane traps just not working out we've decided to buy traps that will kill them. It's really hard for me as I cannot stand to harm an animal in any way but I know that it's our health and the heath of our hamsters at risk as well as a risk to our building and potentially our safety as Souffle pointed out with the potential for wires being chewed and a fire starting. These things are not something I'm willing to risk, especially where the hamsters are concerned so it's come to the last resort. It's also come to our attention that they've been upstairs at some point and that is way too close to the hamsters for comfort so we'll be buying the trap asap. Hopefully it will be over quickly for them at least. Thank you again for all your help everyone.

[TraceyH]

I've a plug-in thing that gets rid of them. Not used it for years though but it really does work. It plugs into the electric socket and sends high pitch sound out I think.

[cactus]

I haven't heard of those. Might do some research into it and see if I can get one. I'd much rather it to having to kill them.

[TraceyH]

Here is a picture of mine. Only problem is that you would have to move your own hamsters out of the house whilst it was turned on.

[DrKMcK]

I've saved more wild mice than I can remember. I even saved one mouse that fell in a wastebasket at work. The whole place was laughing when I brought mouse, basket and all, out to the grounds to release him. But, they don't belong in the house, and especially not near my hammies. They can absolutely bring in disease and vermin that can hurt my furries. When possible, I use the humane trap. If that isn't enough, well, they have to go, so, kill trap it is. . The sonic devices do work, my mom had them for roaches too. But, just as TracyH says, you can't have your hammies near it as the sound that drives away the mice would definitely upset the hammies, or possibly hurt them. At the very least it would scare them. Hope you get this sorted out.