How do I know if mice are gone?

[Brian Elfert]

I just finished an extensive renovation of a foreclosed house. I know it had mice problems based on all the droppings under the cabinets when removed. I thought the mice problem was gone since I haven't seen any evidence of mice during the renovation. I moved in just over a week ago and left a half eaten bag of chips out Friday night. It was shredded by a mouse by morning. I bought and put out some snap and glue traps. Sunday morning I had two mice caught. No more mice caught last night.

How do I know I don't still have more mice? Are any remaining ones now smart enough to avoid getting caught? I am thinking about leaving some food out and see if it gets disturbed. (The house has all new siding, windows, doors, and sofitts/eaves so should be no more holes.)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Brian,

I think your idea is the right one. Leave a baited trap or some food out to determine if there are any more mice.

Look around any entry way into the house for possible entrances for more mice. Any hole 1/2" or large can be used by those little contortionists! I once saw a video of mice entering an area and it was amazing how small a hole through which they could squeeze!

Check for any openings around gas pipes, a/c lines....make sure they are well sealed.

[Brian Deakin]

Brian,

I think your idea is the right one. Leave a baited trap or some food out to determine if there are any more mice.

Look around any entry way into the house for possible entrances for more mice. Any hole 1/2" or large can be used by those little contortionists! I once saw a video of mice entering an area and it was amazing how small a hole through which they could squeeze!

Check for any openings around gas pipes, a/c lines....make sure they are well sealed.

In my garage I place a potato or apple on the floor and and view it over a period of time to see if it is nibbled

(Best to place it on a small plate I had an apple that was not nibbled but rotted over time and marked the workbench in the garden shed)


regards Brian

[Brian Elfert]

I still have the traps out baited with peanut butter. They just haven't caught any more mice after the first night. Do I need to wash the one spring type trap to get the smell of a dead mouse off of it?

[ray hampton]

If you wash the trap to remove a smell BUT washing it will add a new smell

[David Weaver]

I put out d con rabbit food pellet sized stuff. If the mice are around, it disappears. When it disappears, the problem sort of solves itself as long as they don't die in a windowsill right next to your toilet (yeah, personal experience from growing up in an old house - happened several times).

When we moved into our house, there were mouse droppings and tunnels through rock wool insulation, a lot of tunnels. I put out d con rabbit pellet stuff and it disappeared fast for about a week. I change it every couple of years just to see if anything will eat it, but ever since then, it doesn't disappear with any frequency and there have been no mouse droppings.

The only reason I bring that up as opposed to a non-toxic bait is that with a toxic bait, they don't have time to get smart to it (if they can do such a thing with a peanut butter bait).

[Brian Elfert]

If you wash the trap to remove a smell BUT washing it will add a new smell

Correct, but I figure a mouse might be hesitant to go near bait in a trap if there is smell of a dead mouse. Any smell from washing probably wouldn't deter a mouse.

[Jerome Stanek]

I've never had a problem with a trap that has caught a mouse. I sometimes would get a new mouse in the same trap 3 or 4 times in a month in my shop.

[Jason Roehl]

Just leave the baited traps out for a couple weeks. Also, try to minimize any food left out, as they may go for that instead of the traps. It's just that time of year when the outdoors mice have decided they would prefer the warm indoors.

Or get a cat.

[ray hampton]

I've never had a problem with a trap that has caught a mouse. I sometimes would get a new mouse in the same trap 3 or 4 times in a month in my shop.

I use glue traps to catch mice and I would catch more than one in a trap the same night

[Rich Engelhardt]

Any hole 1/2" or large can be used by those little contortionists!

1/4" actually...
If a #2 pencil can fit in the opening, a mouse can get through it.

(I picked up a bit about mice and rats when I worked for Orkin for a short time.)
Anyhow - lack of sign usually indicates a lack of infestation.
Usually.

I've had great success with the ultrasonic plug in devices. Bugs and mice don't seem to like them at all.
YMMV with them.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Its a trick question, short of gutting the house down to the framing and staring over, you will never completely win the battle. Figure out how they can get into the house, then remove all their food, and you will eventually mostly win.

[Larry Frank]

The mice are never really gone as they keep coming from the outside. I always keep some traps baited in places where I have caught them before. I never clean the traps just dump the dead ones out. I also use peanut butter.

Just keep after them......forever.

[max taylor]

Dcon all the way. not only kills them but they leave voluntarily looking for water. it dehydrates them. max

[Mark Patoka]

I've never washed my snap traps and the mice keep coming back for more. It sounds like you have the mice taken care of that were in the house but you will get more, it's just a matter of time. I leave snap traps setup in my finished basement where I know they like to run and I'll catch a few of them every year, especially in winter when they move in. I also have some traps in my storage shed as they like to move in there but that's also next to the woods. I also found a small snake in my shed this summer so he knows where the food source likes to live also. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), he got caught up in some garden netting and strangled himself otherwise I never would've known he was in there.