Mice!!!

Hoji · Post by **Hoji** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:37 am

Help!
I am over run with mice!
I did a search through the site for mice and got back so many hits that the info is kinda hard to follow. If I may, I'd like to ask for a fresh thread to discuss mouse control.
I haven't posted for a long time, so you might not remember me. I have an indoor flight (6 ft long, 4 ft. deep, and about 4 ft high) with 13 finches (zebras and societies) and a smaller cage with 2 budgies. I have had my finches for 2 years. There have been a few mice, off and on (a running issue here in the city) but my cat generally kept the population under control. I am Buddhist so simply killing mice is a real problem.
Something changed (I guess, I don't know what) and now the mice have gotten completely out of hand. I bought 2 little sonic repellers and they are definitely helping.
How do you folks control mice in your indoor flights?
---Hoji

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:56 am

If you list your location (in your Profile) you may get more appropriate answers specific to your area.

Do you know how the mice are getting in to your house? Can you seal that area off. How are they getting into the flight? If it's from the bottom - can your line the bottom foot or 18" with plexi-glass which they should not be able to climb. If they get in from the top - I dunno.

I'm sure others will offer their opinions and support for you soon. Good luck - it can't be easy keeping finches with mice around.

Hoji · Post by **Hoji** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:07 am

I live in Baltimore Maryland, which is in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
There is a hole in the corner near the floor under the flight (which was built on a long plastic table). I suppose they climb up the legs (metal) of the table. I bought some steel wool to plug the hole since I read somewhere that will keep them out. I haven't done that yet, hopefully tonight or tomorrow.
I wonder what others have done? What has been successful? What is a waste of time or money, etc?
---Hoji

Post by **Sally** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:29 am

The steel wool is very effective at stopping them from coming in. Be sure and get it completely blocking the hole, as mice can squeeze thru very small spaces. And look around for any other place they can get in--they are very persistent little buggers.

If you don't want to kill them, this won't help you, but if you do, fairestfinches told me about the best mousetraps, and they really work. Contact www.kness.com. The mousetraps are reusable, but you don't have to touch the mouse to dispose of it. Most importantly, they are easy to set, with no danger of snapping on your fingers! The mousetraps you buy at places like Home Depot are a waste of money.

Nagdabit · Post by **Nagdabit** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:28 am

When we had issues with mice, we tried the catch and release thing. We sealed off every hole we could find and put down live traps. I caught over 30 mice and and took them several miles down the road, but more kept finding their way in. Finally after 2 of our female zebras died from brain infections that our vet said most likely came about from ingesting mice feces, we had enough. We put down poison in our crawl space and that did the trick. We hated to do it, but we couldn't have them putting our birds in danger.

On a related note, our niece works at a pet store and they had a problem a while back with rats. (not the kind that they sell as pets or reptile food) The rats got into the bird area and attacked some of the birds, chewing on their legs. I forget all the gory details now, but that experience definitely impressed upon us the seriousness of the situation.

Post by **Sally** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:35 am

I have heard horror stories from others about rats--they are a serious danger to finches. Even mice can be more than a nuisance. My first infestation with mice, I kept finding eggs tossed out of a BCCB nest. Of course, I blamed the parents. Finally, I found the male BCCB dead, wedged between the nest and the cage side. Checked the nest, and there were baby mice inside! Apparently, the mice had tossed the eggs, taken over the nest for themselves, and the male BCCB died trying to defend his nest.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:53 am

Sally wrote:I checked the nest, and there were baby mice inside! Apparently, the mice had tossed the eggs, taken over the nest for themselves, and the male BCCB died trying to defend his nest.

OMG - how sad!!

HoangQuan · Post by **HoangQuan** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:06 pm

Hoji, I am Buddhist too, and I know how you feel about killing rats. But you have to decide, cuz if you dont kill them, there'll be noway you can get rid of them. I used to try trapping them and drive to a place that really far from my house and then release them, but they still come back, more and more in time...and I dont know what to do but trapping and killing them. I know they're living creatures, they have their lives, but so are my birds, and I just want to protect my birds, that's all. Rats can cause some really serious problem and horror scene to watch(!), once I woke up early in the morning, happily walked to my canary's cage, and all I saw was a head, a leg, some feathers, and blood everywhere

, cant describe how I felt, but when I caught a rat in that cage later that night, I put the cage with the rat inside in a bucket of boiled water

, no mercy.

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:12 pm

Mice can bring havoc to the aviary, not to mention your home. They can breed every 8-12 weeks, having up to 16 young at a time. They have no problems inbreeding so you can see the population can become out of control very quickly.
You are offering easy food to these mice without any restraints. In the wild, mice have leaner fare and many natural predators so they are kept in balance.
Creating an unatural setting may result in unnatural means by you to control(kill them). Relocating the mice only is only a tempory fix.
If you cannot correct the problem yourself then there are exterminators that you can hire to do the dirty work for you.
First thing we should do is to protect the pets that we have made our responsibility..... Good luck with your delema.

Hoji · Post by **Hoji** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:22 pm

That is so sad.
Happily I only have mice and I don't let my babies breed so I don't have nesting worries.
There are so many sects, the 'no mercy' thing doesn't work at all with my Buddhism.

But I definitely do not want the mice around, I know it is not safe for my birds.
Any other advice beyond steel wool and sonic repellers?

franny · Post by **franny** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:28 pm

Maybe another cat? If you don't want another permanent resident, you might be able to foster a cat temporarily? Once the place is sealed up properly, and the cat(s) have taken care of any that made it in the house before sealing it up, you might be OK.

akidsgal · Post by **akidsgal** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:55 pm

Well I am sorry to say that until you actually take care of the ones already in the house you will have 6 more every 2 months. (At a minimum.) I finally put down the sticky traps for a while. They do work and it is hard to see the mouse just trying to get away, but...... I really didn't want to deal with bird losses. My dogs don't even chase the birds, so I know they will have nothing to do with mice.....

The problem with poison is that where they die you smell them for it seems like an eternity. OR if you have another pet and they eat it after they find it half alive there is a chance that you will lose that pet too.

So I guess really the choice is yours...... which is more important.

The sticky traps may be a cruel way to rid of them, but I didnt' have the heart to do a regular trap.

If I had thought about it I think I would have gotten regular traps. They are an instant thing and the mice don't suffer nor know what hit them so to speak.

Best of luck..... where there is food, there are mice.....

Littlemissfinch · Post by **Littlemissfinch** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 7:42 pm

Iv seen this thing on tv and you just place it on the ground the mice go inside and it seals them in a plastic thing it means, no toching the mice, no clean up, they dont feel it! here it is put plan and simple

the mice go with no pain
or
the birds die horble deaths with LOADS of pain

BillD · Post by **BillD** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:56 pm

I found this post Hoji. I hope it helps.

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2008/12/ ... -solution/

Hoji · Post by **Hoji** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:50 am

Hi,
Yes, that link is very helpful. I have the sound repellers they speak of and it does seem to have cut back the mouse activity significantly. It was interesting to read that others have found that it can take some time for the mice to find a new place to live, but will move out in time. My birds are not bothered by the sound at all. So I will wait a little longer. I have watched and my birds are not bothered by the mice, either.
I have heard of the bobcat urine before, it is expensive around here. It is not supposed to smell to people (?), but I wonder if it might spook my birds. Doesn't matter really, 'cause it is too expensive.

If traps really become necessary, I will use one of immediate types, glue traps are simply too cruel. If I am willing to kill the mice --- then I should also face up to seeing them in that condition (as I do whenever my cat, Nikko, brings us a 'gift'.) I still shudder when I think of the poor babies starving to death in the walls - and then they will smell for a long time too (gag!!!) This is the main reason why I haven't used the live traps.
---Hoji