To catch a mouse??

celmoy · 01-23-2014, 04:46 PM

Hey everyone, I know it's not quite hamsters but I'm sure some of you own mice... Any advice would be great!

I've had a (wild) mouse roaming the kitchen in my flat for a few weeks now. It's 100% my fault - I literally saw the mouse, set live traps, caught nothing and then left bread out on the side for 2 weeks because I am a disgusting student

I even caught it one day but I opened the trap and went to put it in a bucket for transport and it jumped out and flew about 4ft across the kitchen (I had no idea mice could even jump omg)

I really don't want to kill or hurt it, it's only a tiny baby, but I'd really like to keep it away from the food. Everything has been moved up to the top cupboards where it can't climb, but it's a bit of a squash.

Since the catching incident I haven't left food out and there has been no sign of it... I think it lives in the walls of my building (I live in an old tenement building).

So is there a better way of trapping it unharmed? Or do you think if I keep being vigilant with my food it'll just stop coming into my flat?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

**kyrilliondaemon** · 01-23-2014, 04:53 PM

What about using the trap again and keeping it in the trap until you're outside?

**DrKMcK** · 01-23-2014, 04:53 PM

Hi Celmoy. Get another live trap. You don't want that mouse to start breeding...then the problem will get ridiculous. Catch it now. I don't like wild mice anywhere near my tame furries. I'm concerned about vermin they may bring in. Hope you catch it soon.

celmoy · 01-23-2014, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyrilliondaemon

What about using the trap again and keeping it in the trap until you're outside?

That is my main plan! But last time I caught it was at around 1am, and I worry it'll die if I left it in the trap overnight... I heard you should let them out at least a mile away from your house or they come back?

There's a park near me but it's totally unlit and I don't fancy trekking there at 1am!

@DrKMcK Thank you! I have the traps set right now, so hopefully I'll catch it soon...

**kyrilliondaemon** · 01-23-2014, 05:05 PM

If you put a bit of food (maybe something smelly like peanut butter) and give it some veg for water it should be fine for a few hours

Loads of us routinely take our pets to shows with just food, veg and a dog biscuit or something. Shows can be a really long day but the hams never come to any harm (nor do the other rodents that sometimes attend).

celmoy · 01-23-2014, 05:09 PM

Oh that's such a relief to know! Something like carrot or cucumber would be okay then? I know they're pests but I would feel so awful if it died because of me

**DrKMcK** · 01-23-2014, 05:13 PM

I know what you mean. I have rescued mice that fell into the garbage pail at work and brought it out to the grounds (with my co-workers just hysterical laughing about it). I don't kill bugs or centipedes that come in from my yard...I catch them and release them out back. But these creatures just cannot be allowed to live in my house. Cucumber would be perfect as a water source. It's what we use when a ham isn't feeling well. Hope this gets resolved soon.

racinghamster · 01-24-2014, 01:17 AM

To be honest, I would leave it alone. I put food down for the little wild mice under my sink (I know but I`m a mad mouse woman who likes mice!) and the mice will take the food and stash it or eat it. I never actually see the mice because they are elusive and mice come into houses during this time of the year. Normally house mice or wood mice, sometimes voles.

The bread would attract the mice because it`s food! If you clean up any food left on the floor and make sure everything is put away and sealed, you shouldn`t see the mouse again as it will move on. It may stick around regardless because it`s living in the building as you say, but as long as the food supply is cut off, you shouldn`t need to worry about it.

I`ve only ever glimpsed a wee mouse on the odd occasion but hardly ever spot them. They are prolific breeders and for every mouse you put out, there will be more around anyway, so your best chance is to live with them and don`t leave crumbs lying about! x

celmoy · 01-24-2014, 01:29 AM

My parents have had generations of mice living in the compost heap in the back garden at their house, and I always loved seeing them occasionally

Sometimes if you're sitting quietly outside or in the conservatory you can see them scavenging bird food, but they never come in the house so we leave well enough alone!

It is true that the only time the mouse seems to have come is when I left the bread out, and the night I caught it I was actually going through to clean up before bed. I've been out of the flat for 2 days this week and when I came back there were no droppings etc, so I think that you're right about it only coming when I leave food lying around!

racinghamster · 01-24-2014, 06:45 AM

I can totally understand why mice can freak some people out who just see them as pests or vermin. But what they also forget is that they are a small part of our native wildlife and provide food for owls and other predators. Not that I like to think about that! But most mice stay well hidden anyway unless they know there is a food source easily obtained by coming back to the same place each night and finding some food! So would I if I was a mouse!

It`s really just about making sure the floor is swept, food is kept in high up places and secured. Anything left low down or not cleared away will attract mice. I live and let live. I had a mouse in my bedroom cupboard last year. I heard rummaging and then it went quiet. I looked in the cupboard but didn`t see anything. The noise kept happening, so I gently pulled out my storage box and out shot a lovely little brown mouse, past me and along the skirting boards and disappeared!!!

never seen again! He/she was rummaging in my empty bag of Burgess dwarf food bag! I had left it on the floor in the cupboard and somehow, the mouse found it`s way through the house structure and into the empty bag!! x