What to do about mice that obviously don't want to be trapped
December 22, 2018 12:15 PM Subscribe
I own an old-fashioned movie theater. I'm trying (and failing) to address a mouse infestation.
Customers keep approaching me after movies and telling me that they saw mice running around the theater. For the past month, I've tried trapping the mice using various humane traps and different baits. I've trapped a total of three mice (fewer than one per week) – but I suspect that I've barely made a dent in the population. I live in fear of the Health Department.
Here are the traps I've tried:
Victor Tin Cat (this one came highly recommended by several people)
Kensizer Small Animal Humane Trap
Mouse Hotel
WCD multi-catch rat/chipmunk cage trap (a few people thought that our critters are actually rats, but I think those people are mistaken)
Walk the Plank Humane Mouse Trap
Here is the bait that I've tried:
I'm at the end of my rope. But please don't recommend poison – it's inhumane, and it would also lead to dead, stinky mice in the walls. Incidentally, I had a handyman plug-up any suspicious holes or crevices near the floor, and we have new sweeps on all the exterior doors.
Customers keep approaching me after movies and telling me that they saw mice running around the theater. For the past month, I've tried trapping the mice using various humane traps and different baits. I've trapped a total of three mice (fewer than one per week) – but I suspect that I've barely made a dent in the population. I live in fear of the Health Department.
Here are the traps I've tried:
Here is the bait that I've tried:
- Peanut butter
- Popcorn
- Bird seed
- Chocolate
- Oreo cookies
- Fig Newtons cookies
I'm at the end of my rope. But please don't recommend poison – it's inhumane, and it would also lead to dead, stinky mice in the walls. Incidentally, I had a handyman plug-up any suspicious holes or crevices near the floor, and we have new sweeps on all the exterior doors.
Yes, either get your own theatre cat or borrow someone else's and get it to walk around. The smell will scare the mice off. I used to loan my cat out to my next door neighbour, she'd roam around her attic and whatever rats were there wouldn't come back. She didn't even have to catch any (though this cat was a lethal hunter and she definitely could have kept them down herself, given enough time.)
posted by Jubey at 12:20 PM on December 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Jubey at 12:20 PM on December 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: @freya_lamb: Yeah, good idea, but we already have a theater cat. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to show any interest in hunting. In fact, he doesn't even like to leave the office much.
posted by JD Sockinger at 12:21 PM on December 22, 2018
posted by JD Sockinger at 12:21 PM on December 22, 2018
I’ve spent many years working in old movie theaters. You’re not going to be able to fix this humane catch-and-release style, sorry. Glue traps are really heinous but they are the standard for this kind of situation.
posted by cakelite at 12:30 PM on December 22, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by cakelite at 12:30 PM on December 22, 2018 [10 favorites]
Are you thoroughly washing the traps and then wearing latex/plastic gloves any time you touch them after cleaning? Leaving human smell on the traps is enough to deter mice from entering.
With a major infestation, I’ve only ever made headway with snap traps. I refuse to use poison or glue traps because of the obvious suffering they cause, but did resort to snap traps after I couldn’t make a dent with humane traps (the ones I had allowed mice to escape too easily.) Not all snap traps are created equal either, these were the best I found. Baiting them with candy bars worked best for me.
posted by quince at 12:30 PM on December 22, 2018 [6 favorites]
With a major infestation, I’ve only ever made headway with snap traps. I refuse to use poison or glue traps because of the obvious suffering they cause, but did resort to snap traps after I couldn’t make a dent with humane traps (the ones I had allowed mice to escape too easily.) Not all snap traps are created equal either, these were the best I found. Baiting them with candy bars worked best for me.
posted by quince at 12:30 PM on December 22, 2018 [6 favorites]
I've heard they like cured sausage (like slim jim).
The walk the plank trap looks good. There are many do it yourself designs online.
I'd look for an additional cat. It might teach your present car to hunt.
posted by H21 at 12:33 PM on December 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
The walk the plank trap looks good. There are many do it yourself designs online.
I'd look for an additional cat. It might teach your present car to hunt.
posted by H21 at 12:33 PM on December 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
Have you tried the ultrasonic things that are supposed to repel mice (previously)? My next door neighbors had a problem with mice and used one of these. They said they worked and it was right around the only time that I've ever had a mouse over here (my cat enjoyed that).
But you might want to get the cat away from there if you do try those.
posted by dilettante at 12:48 PM on December 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
But you might want to get the cat away from there if you do try those.
posted by dilettante at 12:48 PM on December 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
What did you do with the mice you caught in the humane traps? If you released them anywhere at all nearby, the same mice may have come right back. They can travel farther than you probably think.
There's probably a lot of dropped food on the floor of the theater, which might make the mice less interested in the traps. It's not like they're desperately searching out any bit of food they can get. Peanut butter is a good bait but in addition to trying to attract them with bait, you should think about likely mouse travel routes and put traps where mice are likely to come across them, like next to walls.
I would suggest you consider trying snap traps in addition to humane traps, to see if you have any better luck with them. The life of a typical wild mouse is very short and a mouse that suddenly finds itself transported to an unfamiliar area is going to be even more at risk from predation or starvation. Snap traps usually kill the mouse instantly. Trap and release is not necessarily the more humane option. And snap traps are cheaper, so you can get a lot of them, increasing your chances of catching mice.
I personally would not worry about getting human scent on the traps. Human scent is already all over the theater, especially on all those nice little bits of popcorn and candy the mice are used to finding, so I doubt they're going to be very worried about it.
posted by Redstart at 12:51 PM on December 22, 2018 [7 favorites]
There's probably a lot of dropped food on the floor of the theater, which might make the mice less interested in the traps. It's not like they're desperately searching out any bit of food they can get. Peanut butter is a good bait but in addition to trying to attract them with bait, you should think about likely mouse travel routes and put traps where mice are likely to come across them, like next to walls.
I would suggest you consider trying snap traps in addition to humane traps, to see if you have any better luck with them. The life of a typical wild mouse is very short and a mouse that suddenly finds itself transported to an unfamiliar area is going to be even more at risk from predation or starvation. Snap traps usually kill the mouse instantly. Trap and release is not necessarily the more humane option. And snap traps are cheaper, so you can get a lot of them, increasing your chances of catching mice.
I personally would not worry about getting human scent on the traps. Human scent is already all over the theater, especially on all those nice little bits of popcorn and candy the mice are used to finding, so I doubt they're going to be very worried about it.
posted by Redstart at 12:51 PM on December 22, 2018 [7 favorites]
Yes, if you are committed to live catch traps, the mice will breed faster than you can get rid of them. A good snap trap is more humane than a glue trap and they work if you put them in the right places.
posted by rikschell at 12:53 PM on December 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by rikschell at 12:53 PM on December 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
You need to bring the theater cat home and get a barn cat or two. You need to find a cat with the instinct to hunt. There are adoption options out there, so you could be doing a kitty a favor as well.
posted by MountainDaisy at 1:08 PM on December 22, 2018 [20 favorites]
posted by MountainDaisy at 1:08 PM on December 22, 2018 [20 favorites]
Nthing that snap traps are way more effective than live catch traps, and the kill happens instantaneously without prolonged struggle, stress, or suffering.
I've had excellent luck with Jawz brand snap traps. They are very easy to set (in contrast to the classic Victor wooden block with metal snap bar, which are fiddly and always threatening to snap your own fingers). They are also very easy to empty once they've caught a mouse (you don't need to touch the mouse). The Amazon reviews say durability is an issue, but in many months of using them, I haven't found any problem. Maybe buy them from your local hardware store instead so that if it breaks you can return it. Use peanut butter for bait, and leave them along the wall.
posted by danceswithlight at 1:10 PM on December 22, 2018
I've had excellent luck with Jawz brand snap traps. They are very easy to set (in contrast to the classic Victor wooden block with metal snap bar, which are fiddly and always threatening to snap your own fingers). They are also very easy to empty once they've caught a mouse (you don't need to touch the mouse). The Amazon reviews say durability is an issue, but in many months of using them, I haven't found any problem. Maybe buy them from your local hardware store instead so that if it breaks you can return it. Use peanut butter for bait, and leave them along the wall.
posted by danceswithlight at 1:10 PM on December 22, 2018
The only thing that I have found is to find the holes and stop them up with steel wool, followed by expanding foam spray. Most likely points are things like around water pipes, etc. Mice cannot chew steel wool (hence putting that before the foam spray). Even if you continue to trap, mice will still get in.
One way to detect how they are getting in is to sprinkle baby powder or cornstarch, which will show their tiny paw tracks.
You could also hire a handyman, carpenter or otherwise, to go around and show you where they may be entering your building.
Since I put steel wool around my kitchen pipes, I have seen zero mice, I didn't even use the spray foam. The less ways they have to get into your building, the less they will be a nuisance. If you have a basement, go around with a flashlight, maybe have someone stand in the theater to say if they see a light shining through, etc. And plug those holes. I found using a chopstick helps really well. Any big holes, of course you will have to use steel wool and some drywall compound, but fix the leak, stop the mice, that's my motto from now on.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 1:17 PM on December 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
One way to detect how they are getting in is to sprinkle baby powder or cornstarch, which will show their tiny paw tracks.
You could also hire a handyman, carpenter or otherwise, to go around and show you where they may be entering your building.
Since I put steel wool around my kitchen pipes, I have seen zero mice, I didn't even use the spray foam. The less ways they have to get into your building, the less they will be a nuisance. If you have a basement, go around with a flashlight, maybe have someone stand in the theater to say if they see a light shining through, etc. And plug those holes. I found using a chopstick helps really well. Any big holes, of course you will have to use steel wool and some drywall compound, but fix the leak, stop the mice, that's my motto from now on.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 1:17 PM on December 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
Hire an exterminator. $300 is worth it. And think of all the lost revenue (and damage to your reputation) if you do get shut down by the health department. This is a commercial space and requires a professional solution. I feel for you but I dont think you'll win against the mice otherwise. And poison is more humane than glue traps IMO. Snap traps are best but depending on the scale of your problem may be an impractical solution.
posted by emd3737 at 1:22 PM on December 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by emd3737 at 1:22 PM on December 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
I use snap traps baited with coconut almond butter (it's what I had around here) in my garage, and they work great. I'd suggest either setting a TON of those or getting a better cat. Don't do both obviously--you don't want the cat running into the traps. Home Depot has great snap traps at $1.87/4.
posted by Slinga at 1:27 PM on December 22, 2018
posted by Slinga at 1:27 PM on December 22, 2018
Oh, yeah, you might also ask around to find a Yorkie or a Jack Russell that wants to hunt mice. It's what they were bred to do.
posted by dilettante at 1:33 PM on December 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by dilettante at 1:33 PM on December 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
Best answer: This isn't just a matter of hiring an exterminator, it's a matter of hiring the right exterminator. The big-name exterminators will just set out traps or bait on a contract, and not really resolve the problem - which is likely that rodents are not just living in your theater, but getting into your theater.
So what you want is an exterminator who offers "rodent-proofing". Rodent-proofing is a project where an exterminator works on a limited contract, does a detailed assessment of rodent entry-points, and will draw up a project to make structural changes to the theater (mesh, caulk, panels) to prevent future infestations. They will find entry-points that you and your handyman didn't, guaranteed.
Rodent-proofing will be much more expensive upfront, and then much less expensive in the end. A rodent-proofer will usually work with a free evaluation, a high project cost, and then a guarantee of a certain of number of months of free visits where you call them when there are sightings and they analyze the new findings and make further alterations. Get a quote from two or three proofers if there are several in your area.
When we had a rodent-proofer at our classic cinema, it required about four or five months after the initial work before we felt we had successfully stopped the flow of rodents into the theater, but we did succeed.
posted by eschatfische at 1:44 PM on December 22, 2018 [21 favorites]
So what you want is an exterminator who offers "rodent-proofing". Rodent-proofing is a project where an exterminator works on a limited contract, does a detailed assessment of rodent entry-points, and will draw up a project to make structural changes to the theater (mesh, caulk, panels) to prevent future infestations. They will find entry-points that you and your handyman didn't, guaranteed.
Rodent-proofing will be much more expensive upfront, and then much less expensive in the end. A rodent-proofer will usually work with a free evaluation, a high project cost, and then a guarantee of a certain of number of months of free visits where you call them when there are sightings and they analyze the new findings and make further alterations. Get a quote from two or three proofers if there are several in your area.
When we had a rodent-proofer at our classic cinema, it required about four or five months after the initial work before we felt we had successfully stopped the flow of rodents into the theater, but we did succeed.
posted by eschatfische at 1:44 PM on December 22, 2018 [21 favorites]
Cats are useless! Get a young, blood-hungry Jack Russell in there! In her youth, our Jack Russell cronched MORE than her fair share of mouse skulls. She's a badass. :p
But in all seriousness, you have to choose between your business and the mice. I agree that rodent-proofing is a great first step. In our residential home, I went into every nook and cranny in our kitchen (like behind the stove) and nailed metal grating where there were gaps in the drywall, and for smaller areas, I filled them with steel wool. As for trapping them, the humane traps are useless, and glue traps will kill the mice in the slowest, worst way possible.. The snap traps are the best, most-humane way of killing them. Try cheese and/or cured meats for bait. It's gotta be more delicious than the theater snacks.
posted by ancient star at 2:06 PM on December 22, 2018
But in all seriousness, you have to choose between your business and the mice. I agree that rodent-proofing is a great first step. In our residential home, I went into every nook and cranny in our kitchen (like behind the stove) and nailed metal grating where there were gaps in the drywall, and for smaller areas, I filled them with steel wool. As for trapping them, the humane traps are useless, and glue traps will kill the mice in the slowest, worst way possible.. The snap traps are the best, most-humane way of killing them. Try cheese and/or cured meats for bait. It's gotta be more delicious than the theater snacks.
posted by ancient star at 2:06 PM on December 22, 2018
This fall my mice turned turned their noses up at peanut butter, my usual go-to bait. I switched to blue cheese and have appeared to be mouse free for the last month or so.
posted by kate4914 at 2:21 PM on December 22, 2018
posted by kate4914 at 2:21 PM on December 22, 2018
Haven't tried it myself, but this seems cheap enough to give it a shot A Bowl Of Peanut Oil Catches 7 Mice In 1 Night. Also, it's the end of the year, that cat is up for review: the perfect opportunity to tell him to work on his catskills.
posted by ouke at 2:35 PM on December 22, 2018
posted by ouke at 2:35 PM on December 22, 2018
I'm here to second (from experience) that humane traps won't solve the problem, and also that (modern, plastic) snap traps are the way to go. Most of the time, they do the job quickly and cleanly and it's pretty humane for that reason.
posted by Too-Ticky at 3:17 PM on December 22, 2018
posted by Too-Ticky at 3:17 PM on December 22, 2018
I use these kill traps. I believe they are more human than other options; instant electrocution and no risk of maiming. here
posted by metasarah at 3:30 PM on December 22, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by metasarah at 3:30 PM on December 22, 2018 [4 favorites]
I've had good results using apple as bait in snap traps for rats. You need something that will trip the lever when they go for the bait. I've had no luck with peanut butter etc.
posted by rudd135 at 3:54 PM on December 22, 2018
posted by rudd135 at 3:54 PM on December 22, 2018
Do a search for a rolling log mouse trap. If you want to relocate the mice, don't fill the bucket with water. These are much more effective than snap traps for quickly controlling a large population.
posted by NoDef at 3:56 PM on December 22, 2018
posted by NoDef at 3:56 PM on December 22, 2018
Snap traps are the way to go here. Quick clean kill. If you are taking the mice far enough away they can't run straight back to the theatre, then they are dying slowly anyway as they don't know the safe spots or where food is. Mice have been known to travel up to a km or more back to a house. A clean quick kill is the best way. While it's lovely you don't want to hurt the mice, there is the health & safety of your patrons to consider as well.
posted by wwax at 4:09 PM on December 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by wwax at 4:09 PM on December 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
Ok. The humane traps will not work. The glue traps - I’ve heard what happens is the mice can take ages to die that way, stuck and suffering. Poison - once they eat it, they go elsewhere to die, in some nook you’ll never find, and when they do die, they may attract blue bottle flies (which come on in a heinous swarm, in the hundreds, out of nowhere, and they stick around and breed until the carcasses are totally consumed). Snap traps are the industry standard. My concerns with those were that you have to clean the mess, also it could happen that you end up not quite killing them, just lopping off a paw or something, so they stay alive and suffer until they bleed out.
I thought the electric traps that just electrocute them on contact, guaranteed, were most humane, given all that, so that’s what I went with. (It was still horrific. I temporarily went a little nutty from it.)
On preview I used the ones metasarah linked to.
posted by cotton dress sock at 5:54 PM on December 22, 2018
I thought the electric traps that just electrocute them on contact, guaranteed, were most humane, given all that, so that’s what I went with. (It was still horrific. I temporarily went a little nutty from it.)
On preview I used the ones metasarah linked to.
posted by cotton dress sock at 5:54 PM on December 22, 2018
Yeah, good idea, but we already have a theater cat. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to show any interest in hunting. In fact, he doesn't even like to leave the office much.
Borrow a cat who lives on a farm. They will know what to do with a mouse. Not all cats learn the skills to hunt even if they have the instincts.
posted by Armed Only With Hubris at 6:17 PM on December 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
Borrow a cat who lives on a farm. They will know what to do with a mouse. Not all cats learn the skills to hunt even if they have the instincts.
posted by Armed Only With Hubris at 6:17 PM on December 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
Another vote for the good, old fashioned snap traps. I've never had to deal with a big place or a lot of mice, but in my limited mouse-ridding experience, snap traps are the only thing that works.
Fleshing out the story: Mice don't really come into my house. Rather one of my cats insists on catching mice and bringing them into the house. Most get killed and/or eaten in the process, but a few times a year he gets bored and releases them, making them my problem. (I've explained to him numerous times that this is the opposite of what good kitties do. He really doesn't seem to even understand what I'm saying!)
Anyway, the mice invariably end up living in or near the pantry, which makes sense. I tried several different "humane" traps, including building my own bridge-and-bucket version, and they never worked. But once I set a snap trap with a chunk of cheese (usually asiago, which has a strong odor) the mouse is dispatched within a day or so. Sometimes within moments. As much as I hate the idea of killing a mouse, especially one that ended up in my house through no fault of its own, I've gotten over it. Killing mice and emptying traps is no fun, but it's better than chewed wiring, contamination of food, and the other problems mice can cause. Good luck!
posted by The Deej at 7:27 PM on December 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
Fleshing out the story: Mice don't really come into my house. Rather one of my cats insists on catching mice and bringing them into the house. Most get killed and/or eaten in the process, but a few times a year he gets bored and releases them, making them my problem. (I've explained to him numerous times that this is the opposite of what good kitties do. He really doesn't seem to even understand what I'm saying!)
Anyway, the mice invariably end up living in or near the pantry, which makes sense. I tried several different "humane" traps, including building my own bridge-and-bucket version, and they never worked. But once I set a snap trap with a chunk of cheese (usually asiago, which has a strong odor) the mouse is dispatched within a day or so. Sometimes within moments. As much as I hate the idea of killing a mouse, especially one that ended up in my house through no fault of its own, I've gotten over it. Killing mice and emptying traps is no fun, but it's better than chewed wiring, contamination of food, and the other problems mice can cause. Good luck!
posted by The Deej at 7:27 PM on December 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
I had a horrible mouse infestation a few years ago. They just licked the peanut butter out of the snap traps without springing them. The internet can judge me if it likes, but I never caught more than 1 or 2 until I resorted to glue traps. Then, over the course of the next threeish months, I caught about TWENTY-FIVE. I didn't just leave them to die in the traps though - you can smash them or freeze them to kill them quickly.
It didn't stop completely, though, until I found and filled all the holes. Steel wool was not enough - they can get past it - but steel wool with spackle mushed into it did the trick.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:32 PM on December 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
It didn't stop completely, though, until I found and filled all the holes. Steel wool was not enough - they can get past it - but steel wool with spackle mushed into it did the trick.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:32 PM on December 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
Get a better exterminator. If the health department does find out, it will be much better for you to say you've already engaged a professional. Watched something similar go down in a restaurant my shop shared a wall with and believe me, they will not be impressed with a cat or your own traps. Hire someone and get documentation.
posted by ananci at 8:19 PM on December 22, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by ananci at 8:19 PM on December 22, 2018 [6 favorites]
Recently had an exterminator consult on a bad mouse problem.. Key take aways:
-put the most traps and bait in the place where the mice are getting in. In our case it was the basement. Exterminator diagnosed basement as entry point based on grease mouse fur streaks he observed.
-the way most bait makes mice feel sick makes the mouse want to be cool, thus affected mice, he told me, go outside .. Experience seems to confirm, we havent had any bad smells in walls so far
-mice run along walls. Place traps perpendicular to wall, three in a row w about 5 inches in between. Bait traps very minimally. Use victor snap traps with the yellow plastic part - notice one side has an embossed "s" on the yellow plastic, use this side , s stands for higher sensitivity.
-if you can afford an exterminator at least setting you up and walking you through it, thatd be money well spent .. Then you could maintain it.
-definitely seal holes as youre able. Its hard to even find all the holes as a lay person, i found.
Hope this helps. I have photos and more notes of the setup, feel free to memail if you want more details.
posted by elgee at 8:54 PM on December 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
-put the most traps and bait in the place where the mice are getting in. In our case it was the basement. Exterminator diagnosed basement as entry point based on grease mouse fur streaks he observed.
-the way most bait makes mice feel sick makes the mouse want to be cool, thus affected mice, he told me, go outside .. Experience seems to confirm, we havent had any bad smells in walls so far
-mice run along walls. Place traps perpendicular to wall, three in a row w about 5 inches in between. Bait traps very minimally. Use victor snap traps with the yellow plastic part - notice one side has an embossed "s" on the yellow plastic, use this side , s stands for higher sensitivity.
-if you can afford an exterminator at least setting you up and walking you through it, thatd be money well spent .. Then you could maintain it.
-definitely seal holes as youre able. Its hard to even find all the holes as a lay person, i found.
Hope this helps. I have photos and more notes of the setup, feel free to memail if you want more details.
posted by elgee at 8:54 PM on December 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also check out this recent AskMe: Manage my expectations for rodent control
The question there is about a house, but the concepts and a lot of the comments in there are still relevant. Good luck!
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 10:55 PM on December 22, 2018
The question there is about a house, but the concepts and a lot of the comments in there are still relevant. Good luck!
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 10:55 PM on December 22, 2018
Since infra-red capable cameras like the Wyze are cheap, maybe get a few so you can find their usual paths and possible entry points. Then put 3 traps next to each other, as they can often run across one, but then the second gets them. I like the Tomcat Press 'N Set Mouse Trap.
posted by Sophont at 11:10 PM on December 22, 2018
posted by Sophont at 11:10 PM on December 22, 2018
I would be happy to live with mice if they didn't poop and wee everywhere they run. As well as chewing wiring etc, they are really not welcome.
My perspective is definitely warped by living in a place where mouse plagues happen, but kill traps is all we use.
You're right, baits can cause stinky mice in the walls, and also can cause sick mice to stumble out and die painfully in front of people. Also poisoned mice can poison the birds of prey that eat them. On the (very small)plus side the stink doesn't last long, and it's a 'set and forget' solution.
Snap traps are good, as long as it's a clean hit- it's sad to find a half snapped trapped mouse. You have to be willing to execute a swift death if this happens. I don't have experience with glue traps but they sound awful. Set them along walls- mice are more likely to follow the walls rather than run across the floor.
In true plague situations the bucket traps work well (wine bottle spinning, coated in peanut butter) but drops mice into water- and mice take a long time to drown, it's not a nice death.
Nth'ing the seal with steel-wool advice.
In summary, it would be nice if we could just get along with mice. But as mentioned above, if people are mentioning it to you, how long is it until they mention it to the health inspector?
posted by freethefeet at 1:04 AM on December 23, 2018 [2 favorites]
My perspective is definitely warped by living in a place where mouse plagues happen, but kill traps is all we use.
You're right, baits can cause stinky mice in the walls, and also can cause sick mice to stumble out and die painfully in front of people. Also poisoned mice can poison the birds of prey that eat them. On the (very small)plus side the stink doesn't last long, and it's a 'set and forget' solution.
Snap traps are good, as long as it's a clean hit- it's sad to find a half snapped trapped mouse. You have to be willing to execute a swift death if this happens. I don't have experience with glue traps but they sound awful. Set them along walls- mice are more likely to follow the walls rather than run across the floor.
In true plague situations the bucket traps work well (wine bottle spinning, coated in peanut butter) but drops mice into water- and mice take a long time to drown, it's not a nice death.
Nth'ing the seal with steel-wool advice.
In summary, it would be nice if we could just get along with mice. But as mentioned above, if people are mentioning it to you, how long is it until they mention it to the health inspector?
posted by freethefeet at 1:04 AM on December 23, 2018 [2 favorites]
We had a HORRIBLE mouse infestation in our full-of-holes country house a few years ago and the glue traps were the ONLY thing that was effective (and we tried everything except poison — we no longer live there but we still have the cat that we got because although she didn’t do the job, our son got attached to her).
Glue traps. Seriously they are so effective. We checked them frequently and euthanized the mice quickly (my husband shot them in the heads with a little air pistol, I put them in plastic bags and stomped them). Not the most convenient solution but my god they do work. Get the bigger rat size if your problem is really bad.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:58 AM on December 23, 2018 [2 favorites]
Glue traps. Seriously they are so effective. We checked them frequently and euthanized the mice quickly (my husband shot them in the heads with a little air pistol, I put them in plastic bags and stomped them). Not the most convenient solution but my god they do work. Get the bigger rat size if your problem is really bad.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:58 AM on December 23, 2018 [2 favorites]
$300 for a month is not expensive to hire an actual person to do actual stuff. Also, I'm curious whether after a customer reports seeing mice running around, you can recall ever seeing that same customer again? Because balanced against the eventual loss of all your more fastidious customers that expense seems even smaller.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 8:44 AM on December 23, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 8:44 AM on December 23, 2018 [1 favorite]
Hey. Licensed pest control professional here. If you're looking for a more humane option, you should know that snap traps don't kill instantly. They just hold the mouse until it dies. If you're lucky you catch them across the neck and they suffocate fairly quickly, but that's rare. Glue boards do take longer, but they also capture bodily fluids and waste, and some fleas/ticks that may be on the mouse.
Those sonic systems just move the problem somewhere else, so that's not going to solve the problem. First thing you need to do is work on exclusion - find all the spots they're getting in, and seal them. Since they can enter a hole the diameter of a dime, that's tough but possible. Best choice someone mentioned above is a metal mesh (steel or copper wool) with a sealant (like spray foam) to hold it in place. You'll never control the problem if they can keep getting in.
Once that's done, you have to eliminate the problem by taking away their food, their water, or their harbourage. Professional companies have access to better poisons than you can get at a hardware store, but poison won't help you much because there's too much food around for them. Check for broken pipes, cracks in walls, and other sources of water.
So then it's down to catching and killing them. Use lots. Cluster them in areas you know they are active. Look for quiet, dark places that they won't be disturbed. They're skittish, so they can easily avoid single traps by jumping over them. Put two or three in a row, slightly spaced. Keep them close to the walls. Don't use a lot of bait - just enough so they're attracted by the smell, not enough so you're feeding them. Replace traps often.
Good luck.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 5:53 PM on December 23, 2018 [5 favorites]
Those sonic systems just move the problem somewhere else, so that's not going to solve the problem. First thing you need to do is work on exclusion - find all the spots they're getting in, and seal them. Since they can enter a hole the diameter of a dime, that's tough but possible. Best choice someone mentioned above is a metal mesh (steel or copper wool) with a sealant (like spray foam) to hold it in place. You'll never control the problem if they can keep getting in.
Once that's done, you have to eliminate the problem by taking away their food, their water, or their harbourage. Professional companies have access to better poisons than you can get at a hardware store, but poison won't help you much because there's too much food around for them. Check for broken pipes, cracks in walls, and other sources of water.
So then it's down to catching and killing them. Use lots. Cluster them in areas you know they are active. Look for quiet, dark places that they won't be disturbed. They're skittish, so they can easily avoid single traps by jumping over them. Put two or three in a row, slightly spaced. Keep them close to the walls. Don't use a lot of bait - just enough so they're attracted by the smell, not enough so you're feeding them. Replace traps often.
Good luck.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 5:53 PM on December 23, 2018 [5 favorites]
I used to work in an old movie theatre and the mouse problem was endless. The amount of dropped popcorn- and the sheer size- of a movie theatre- especially an old one with entry holes all over the place, and a big gross basement- really makes that location different than other locations.
We used snap traps, an exterminator, poison, and glue traps, and never made a damn dent. Good luck to you!
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:30 PM on December 23, 2018 [1 favorite]
We used snap traps, an exterminator, poison, and glue traps, and never made a damn dent. Good luck to you!
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:30 PM on December 23, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by freya_lamb at 12:18 PM on December 22, 2018 [33 favorites]