Mouse/rats in the kitchen

LiptonCambell: We've recently become aware that we may have a rat/mouse problem in our kitchen.....we noticed what may have been droppings on the floor a few weeks ago, and now we're seeing the same thing on the shelves.....

Obviously mouse traps are in order, but what other concerns should we have? Should we disinfect all our shelves on an increased basis? Should we throw out some or all of our food?

Aura: move the fridge and stove, usually old food has rolled under there.
Yeah those things can carry nasty bugs, but you should not have to throw out anything in plastic or cans, as long as it doesn't seem damaged. Cleaning is always a good idea, mice or not oh, consider getting a cat.

LiptonCambell: No cat allowed(we rent, and the landlord is allergic), and we did clean and move everything to the best of our ability.

We actually got some regular mousetraps, but didn't have any peanut butter, so we just set up some sticky traps near where the most mouse poop was......and sure enough, we looks half hour ago, and we already have a customer....

....and now we feel sorry for it....its so cute, still alive, and glued to this trap.....if nothing else, it's harder that it's alive- if it had died instantly, that'd be that- but instead, it'll starve or dehydrate to death over the coming days(the package says to simply throw it out after use)...which is just heartbreaking....

Aura: I know. I used to live on a farm where we'd get field mice. Those are the cute small ones. There just is't 'nice' way to kill them unless you want to go with cages but what to do with them after you caught them?

jink88: I know for a fact if you have a septic tank...flush dead mice down the toilet. I'm glad you have mice not rats ewww. Mice do carry various diseases. If you have them other tenants will for sure. Your landlord should have the place fumigated.

Corwin: Traps are useless... mice and rats will get wise, and learn how to lick the darn thing clean without setting it off... and the stupider rodents that do get it in the trap are just eaten by their pals (rodents are cannibals).

Cats only cull the rodent population, not eliminate it. No intelligent animal hunts it's food source to extinction.... in a sense, the cats just "farm" the rodents.

Poison is the only way to go if you want to eliminate the problem once and for all. And forget that Warfarin poison... they get immune to it, and then you're just feeding them.
Buy the expensive stuff like Rattack or Ratol... and keep it out of reach of the kids.
Throw a bag or two behind the stove, and when it stops getting eaten, you know that there isn't another rodent within a mile around.

astridarris: We had mice a long time back...I had to move. I was mentally not faring well. Sucks for sure.

Nicorrette: I have too problems with rats on the first apartment of the block.once I screemed when I ve seen the rat coming out from down bath and some other times I ve seen in the kitchen their fecales and I can not see where do rats come now ,on what halle,cause I cleaned ,I covered,I had put it rats poison and food I keep it on a closet and in a shell plastic for bread,but I have seen still on teh bathroom their fecales ,but I can't see logique where do they coem now,as I closed everything!

astridarris: Are We talking Rats? Or mice. Rats would blow My mind.

Nicorrette: rats...I saw it once coming from the bathroom halle down and it was a groose rat ,I screemed about it and the damn thing is it is on the bathroom place where I ve found just a week ago another fecales of a rat,cause after big fecales it was a rat,but I covered every halle,where is he coming from?I refuse to believe he is snicking on my feet when I enter bath ,or sometimes if I have a little open the door bathroom.

Corwin: Buy more expensive poison... buy the most expensive poison on the shelf.
You get what you pay for... if you buy the cheap stuff you're just throwing your money away.

Nicorrette: yes,I must to buy jeleys with poison!and as u said more efficient poison,but I think as long as I have food in safe places ,it will be ok,just that it is the first flat of the block and they come from the down cables of block.

harlett anathema: PEPPERMINT.......soak a cotton ball in peppermint oil.....it'll keep mice out of cabinets.......

harlett anathema: if you are seeing mice dropping on your shelf's that house your dishes... you need too wash your dishes before you use them....MICE urinate all the time...and if your not washing those dishes, you will constantly have a sore throat.. and flu like aches & pains.. from them urinating on your dishes.....

peanut butter is good on those spring traps... and on those sticky dishes...

Hyenablood: phone up a pro exterminator, they can come to your place and get rid of the pest properly the first time, or two.
I live in the basement of my parents house and occationally in the winter time I will hear a vistor in my room at night. We have got a few mouse traps, the ones with a single wire that snaps shut seems to do the job the best. The ones with teeth, seem to only capture the poor bastard's head making it suffer and causing it to run around banging into things.
Harlet is right, wash all of your dishes and wash your shelves, it doesn't mean you are dirty, no it just means those damn pests have found a nice safe place that is warm and filled with food.

harlett anathema: PS if You use the peppermint oil & cotton ball....don't forget too put them in your closets,etc.. when you chase them from one area they will seek another....so you have too set traps....

harlett anathema: jeepers another ps....................baby mice & young mice..... can snatch food off of the spring traps without being caught... use those sticky cards...for them

LiptonCambell: Well, it's been two weeks, and we haven't seen any further evidence of mice.....

harlett anathema: when the weather warms they go back out.. when it chills again they be back....and then of course....they could be freshly breeding just given birth and are nesting their young...

anjie791: saw a couple on the subway tracks the other day ....so creepy ....

Corwin: We had skunks living under our floor last Winter... they're worse than the rats... they stay out of the kitchen, but they stink the place up.

But I have to admit that when we had racoons living in our attic, we had no other pests whatsoever... the racoons are on top of the food-chain. A few became friends with us too, which was cool... until one started using my laptop and buggering up keys with it's claws.
(they're highly intelligent creatures).

Ahhhhh.... life in the country.

Hyenablood: we live in the country as well, see many deer, foxes and various birds. Strange thing is, the racoons don't bother with us, once last year we saw their paw prints going up the front of my mom's van, cute. Mostly it's the squirrels that are the most damaging. They got into our barn and started 'rearanging' the walls (chewing holes) to their liking. Then they figured our garage was perfect for their nest. We quickly put a stop to all that with live traps. It was funny, we caught alot of little birds but it was weeks before a squirrel decided to check it out. Those little buggers sure get REALLY pissed off once they are trapped. They will throw themselves at the sides of the trap and reach through the bars with their claws, trying to grab you to rip you a new face !!.

harlett anathema: i have a peach tree......which will be flowering it's fifth year of fruit this spring... but in it's second year...the largest racoon i have ever seen ate all of it....just sat up in the peach tree and feasted...

Corwin: Awww..... they're such adorable creatures.... except when they're robbing you blind.

I would suggest buying a paint-ball gun... slap 'em in the butt a few times with those and they will be leery of coming back for more. It won't actually harm them (just be very careful not to get them in the eyes)... I know from experience - those paint-balls sting like a sunnofabitch, but do no actual damage (that's what they were designed for). And later they'll be licking the paint off of their fur... it's non-toxic, but it's made of liquid-soap.... they will not like it one bit.

harlett anathema: i live in the texas surburbs where folks shoot animals that are destructive or nuisances... i am pretty darn certain.. someone had too murder that racoon.....from we have never seen it again....

it could snow today,bet the coyotes come out..get themselves shot at...no not by me...

meanwhile....

& a hi corvin.....

Corwin: Same to you Har.

We're surrounded by coyotes here in Southern Ontario... hundreds and hundreds of them... but you never see them, you only hear the packs howling at night from all directions. Lucky for them, they have a healthy fear of Humans. It's actually quite beautiful to listen to their singing, while sitting around a campfire.

It's the deer around here that are the biggest nuisance... you have to keep your eyes peeled at night when driving, or you'll get in a wreck.