How do you know if you've eliminated all Mice?

suprvee

During my kitchen demo, I ran into two dead mice. They were dried, so they've been dead for a while. One day while working on the kitchen, I heard something moving in the wall, figured it was a mouse. So I picked up ten old school victor traps, and placed them all over the house (using peanut butter as bait), plus three in the attic, and waited. I got two mice; and that's it. Now I'm wondering if I got them all... The traps have been sitting for about 48 hours now, and nothing has touched them.

Scuba_Dave

I leave traps set year round now
You may have killed all the ones in the house
But if they got in....others will too

fabrk8r

From my experience the only way to know if the mice are gone is if you don't find any more droppings or signs of chewing.
I've found that as long as it's warm outside (above 40°) I rarely find signs of any mice inside. The first frost, or just before, the mice will find an opening and come inside for the winter.

The mice seem to prefer my attic over the rest of the house for some reason. We only have 4 cats.

__________________
"The physician can bury his mistakes, but the architect can only advise his clients to plant vines." -- Frank Lloyd Wright

steveel

This is still quite rare, but infected mice or people have turned up in most states now..... hanta virus. Just something to think about, depending on where you live. Its the poop that's the culprit. Don't vaccum. Spray with bleach water or equivalent then gently sponge up after several minutes. Wear gloves.

=====================

Tuck point foundation, seal the sill, and check for vegetation bridges. Maybe you can take out some points of entry.

HVAC_NW

Pellets isn't as big of an issue as urine soaked dust. You smell that distinct smell from inhaling the dust particles covered in rodent urine. If you wear a particle filter, you don't smell it at all, because the particles with dried urine attached to it can't get to you.

Vacuuming is fine if you can vent it outside, like using a long hose on a shop vac with the unit outside.

Wear respirator. It's transmitted via inhalation more so than contact.

steveel

Thanks HVAC, last I read up I don' t think urine was mentioned. Here's links to Center for Disease Control:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/h...s/transmit.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/rodents/cleaning/index.html

liquidvw

I set mouse traps in my house year round. I usually catch them in my garage year round and in the house in the winter. Some will say that they don't have mice in their house. I doubt that is true, if you don't set traps, how do you know you dont have them? Here is a cool trap that I plan on building.

concretemasonry

liquid -

I suggest you put a "jingle bell" on the bottom of the baited piece for entertainment. - Sort of what oce fisherment do in their fish houses, but most do use electronics since they have the power, satellite TV, refrigerators anf freezers.

Dick

Dick

Oops!

There is a thread here I just read about using a bucket to catch mice.