there's got to be a better way

[badger]

our office has a mouse problem. We had to call in the pest control, and they're setting up those sticky pad things. I'm so horribly upset about this, as it's not the most humane way to "rid" the mice. They suffer a long time before they finally die.

Another office I worked at before used those snap traps, and while they worked, they stopped after a while as they learned and they had to resort to poison. Which, I understand, is awful as they "melt" their insides.

I know it has to be dealt with, but it just seems like such a horrible way for them to go :(

[PamNY]

I'm so sorry to hear this. I wish I had some suggestions. Glue traps are horrible, but so is poison. Also, with poisons, you run the risk of harming other animals who might eat mice.

I hope there's a brilliant solution somewhere.

[tulip]

Can you bring your cats to work? Seriously. Get some mousers in there.

I hope they are finding out where the mice are coming in and living, instead of just being reactive and using the traps. Sticky traps are not nice. I prefer snap traps if I have to deal with the problem. Why did they stop using snap traps?

[badger]

oh, we suggested cats, even adopting one as the "station cat", but with so many different people and the building being so big, I don't know how long the cat will last before s/he walks out and not come back. I did think about bringing my cat in here overnight, but I don't really know how good a mouser he is.

the problem is our office is attached to the firehall who are really bad with their food (open canisters, crumbs, etc). It really doesn't help that behind us are numerous produce warehouses with rotting produce. The doors are open during summer and even when closed there is a gap, so it's really not a surprise there are mice.

But even with cats do they actually die humanely? My cat used to bring mice home, but she brought them back alive to either "teach" me how to hunt, or just show me how fun it is to kill one.

As for the snap traps stopping working, they actually learned. Rodents are smarter than we give credit.

*sigh*

[GLC1968]

Yeah, our cat mostly likes to play with the mice. The poor things are terrorized for the last minutes of their lives. I know he eventually kills them as he'll leave them for us (headless, of course) but who knows how long that takes, you know?

We have a dog who is MUCH better mouser. She catches them and brings them to us immediately. We then dispatch them outside (if they are still alive) or dispose of them if they were killed in the catching. I think you need a mouser dog!

[tulip]

the problem is our office is attached to the firehall who are really bad with their food (open canisters, crumbs, etc). It really doesn't help that behind us are numerous produce warehouses with rotting produce. The doors are open during summer and even when closed there is a gap, so it's really not a surprise there are mice.

Until the underlying problem is addressed (and fixed), there's not much you can do to deter the mice. Sounds like a good opportunity to bring everyone together--the firehouse folks, the warehouse folks, the people who leave the door open--and figure out a comprehensive solution.

[Cataboo]

When the mice get smart enough to figure out snap traps, you just have to become more creative with them.

I used to put several of them parallel to each other in a corner - there was no way to get to the food on the innermost trap to the corner was for the mice to climb over multiple traps. Even the craftiest of mice die with that sort of set up.

As for the glue traps - ideally you don't just leave the mouse attached to the glue till they die, you find them attached to the glue trap and then you find some way to kill them humanely.

[badger]

that would make too much sense.

*sigh*

edit to say this is in reply to tulip's comments.

[OakLeaf]

Mouse problems is one thing I know. :rolleyes:

Mice will come in, in search of shelter, no matter how clean the environment is. I guarantee you there is not, and never has been, food under the seats of our motorcycles, on the engine block of our car, or anywhere in our garage. (Except for the seeds the mice brought in, that is.)

Most buildings are not so tightly constructed that mice can't get in. They will swim up drains, and all they need is a 1/4" gap between the foundation and the top of the house; between the soffit and the roof; etc.

Poisoning rodents in a building is a Very Bad Idea, because they will go into the walls to die, and the odor will linger for weeks or longer. Enough of them die on their own in the walls even without poison. :eek:

Here's (http://www.amazon.com/Mice-Cube-12-Pack-Reusable/dp/B002PACRHC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1287441757&sr=8-2) what we use. It's a very simple and ingenious design: the door only swings one way. Peanut butter works really well as bait.

There are only two difficulties, and they're minor. First, since the trap door relies on gravity, you have to be careful transporting the mice to where they'll be released. And you have to take them at least a mile and a half (as the mouse runs), or they'll come back.

[badger]

Here's (http://www.amazon.com/Mice-Cube-12-Pack-Reusable/dp/B002PACRHC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1287441757&sr=8-2) what we use. It's a very simple and ingenious design: the door only swings one way. Peanut butter works really well as bait.



I'll see if I can get the manager to agree to let me supply this type of trap. Unfortunately I kind of ticked her off this morning so now may not be the time to bring this up.

ugh, every time I look at the glue traps it makes me sick. There's no way I could dispatch them when they're trapped.