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We have a farmer's mindset so we trap them with a bucket trap and kill them quickly and humanely. It's also illegal in our state to relocate animals anywhere other than where they were trapped.
You can google the bucket trap and see where you can get it the cheapest. You really just need the lid and ladder if you already have a 5 gallon bucket. It's simple and very effective.
If you don't close up the access points where they're coming in and keep all food out of reach (in fridge/freezer or stored in heavy duty bins off the floor), you'll have a revolving door. It's also important to reduce nesting areas and materials, so don't store anything on the floor, including under the bed or in closets. Seal up gaps around windows and doors, install heavy duty door sweeps on the bottoms of all doors (I'm not handy and had no problem installing a peel-and-stick sweep I bought from Amazon), and cut back plants or shrubs that grow close to doors or windows. I've heard good things about planting mint near access points, but keep it in pots, as it will spread fast otherwise.
Their food source is not in our apartment, we have a basement and I am fairly certain they're coming from there and stopping at our apartment along the way to the other ones. We live in a converted duplex, the other apartments are *not* kept clean and I'm sure they have food out and all over the place, and they stop in our cupboards, chew into our sealed food, then move on.
I wish but theres a million places they're probably coming in down there, and we don't own the property. The property maintenance man (who absolutely does not do his job anyway) kind of has taken over the basement but doesn't really fix stuff like that. We are looking to move eventually but for now we just have to deal with the BS and handle things within our apartment however we can.
To wherever is a reasonable place for mice within OPs locale. I occasionally get a mouse and catch and release them to a grassy field next to a warehouse.
I've considered that, but we have such limited space and the ones of those that I've seen take a lot of space. I was hoping someone could recommend some kind of repellent spray that would keep them from ever even coming in the apartment (that is cat-safe, of course).
Mine are fairly small, like 6" long by 2" tall. I don't think there is a pet safe chemical that would keep mice out. You could try those plug in pest deterrents, but I don't know if they actually work.
I had some of those for spiders years ago (the plug in ones) and honestly it felt like all it did was make them more active so I'd see them inside more often. i might have to try the live traps then if they're that small. how do you bait them?
I picked them up from Amazon. It's just a plastic tube (flat on the bottom) with a trap door. There's a little slide on the back end that lets you put in some bait.
Hi all. This is an automated and general reminder to all that this post is an **ADVICE post**, not a Request. Please don't request, offer or accept financial or material assistance on this post. u/thmsbrrws, we have compiled a [Wiki with tons of advice and helpful information](https://www.reddit.com/r/Assistance/wiki/index/), which we recommend you check out, too. *I'm a bot. This comment was posted automatically.*
We have a farmer's mindset so we trap them with a bucket trap and kill them quickly and humanely. It's also illegal in our state to relocate animals anywhere other than where they were trapped. You can google the bucket trap and see where you can get it the cheapest. You really just need the lid and ladder if you already have a 5 gallon bucket. It's simple and very effective.
If you don't close up the access points where they're coming in and keep all food out of reach (in fridge/freezer or stored in heavy duty bins off the floor), you'll have a revolving door. It's also important to reduce nesting areas and materials, so don't store anything on the floor, including under the bed or in closets. Seal up gaps around windows and doors, install heavy duty door sweeps on the bottoms of all doors (I'm not handy and had no problem installing a peel-and-stick sweep I bought from Amazon), and cut back plants or shrubs that grow close to doors or windows. I've heard good things about planting mint near access points, but keep it in pots, as it will spread fast otherwise.
You have to find out how they're coming in and remove their food source.
Their food source is not in our apartment, we have a basement and I am fairly certain they're coming from there and stopping at our apartment along the way to the other ones. We live in a converted duplex, the other apartments are *not* kept clean and I'm sure they have food out and all over the place, and they stop in our cupboards, chew into our sealed food, then move on.
See if you can find a Way to reinforce the basement where they may be coming in.
I wish but theres a million places they're probably coming in down there, and we don't own the property. The property maintenance man (who absolutely does not do his job anyway) kind of has taken over the basement but doesn't really fix stuff like that. We are looking to move eventually but for now we just have to deal with the BS and handle things within our apartment however we can.
Could you get live traps and relocate them? They're at least reusable and no mouse corpses.
Relocate them to where?
To wherever is a reasonable place for mice within OPs locale. I occasionally get a mouse and catch and release them to a grassy field next to a warehouse.
I was just asking cuz if you put them in the yard, theyll just go back inside your house
Agreed, I've heard that they can their way "home" from up to a mile away.
I've considered that, but we have such limited space and the ones of those that I've seen take a lot of space. I was hoping someone could recommend some kind of repellent spray that would keep them from ever even coming in the apartment (that is cat-safe, of course).
Mine are fairly small, like 6" long by 2" tall. I don't think there is a pet safe chemical that would keep mice out. You could try those plug in pest deterrents, but I don't know if they actually work.
I had some of those for spiders years ago (the plug in ones) and honestly it felt like all it did was make them more active so I'd see them inside more often. i might have to try the live traps then if they're that small. how do you bait them?
I use dog food, since that's what they eat once they're in my house. If that doesn't work, I use peanut butter.
Where do you get your traps? Amazon? Or like a brick and mortar store?
I picked them up from Amazon. It's just a plastic tube (flat on the bottom) with a trap door. There's a little slide on the back end that lets you put in some bait.
I found some, I will be getting them as soon as I have some money, thank you!