# Mice/squirrels



## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

reallylongnickn said:


> I hear the scurrying feet of most probably mice between the basement ceiling and top floor. What would be the best plan for me? Cut a hole or two in the ceiling and set traps?
> 
> I read the posts about sealing all possible entrance holes mice can find.


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I doubt cutting holes would be necessary because that's probably not where the are finding food but it's a real good nest building space. 

I'd first try setting traps on the first floor possibly in the cabinet under the kitchen sink and another place or two and also set a couple in the basement.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

If you can find where they are entering, soffits, fascia boards, exterior holes, you may can throw some mothballs in there. They can't stand the smell of naptha, and will leave. Then you can seal the holes up.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

You could also toss a couple of bait traps up in attic if you access.


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## reallylongnickn (Jun 11, 2019)

So scatter the scent of mint along with settings traps, or one method b4 the other?


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## reallylongnickn (Jun 11, 2019)

Apparently the moth balls are a myth as a deterrent


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## reallylongnickn (Jun 11, 2019)

Apparently the moth balls are a myth as a deterrent


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## prairiewind (Jan 26, 2019)

Carefully consider the house design, so where they will be able to move about unobserved, and also consider where they may be accessing those places from outside.


I had success (knock on wood) with perimeter sealing, although this was a lot of work, but well worth it, and using lots of traps. Traps are cheap. I got good advice from the folks on the forum.



Is there a utility room or somewhere that has access to the basement ceiling where you can put traps?


My house had mice when I moved in. I used 36 traps, and killed 5 mice in 9 days. Had none for 6 months, but kept my trap line set up (they weren't in the way). Found where the mice were coming in because I caught two in June when they wandered in during a rain storm. The past three months I have done hole sealing. None since June.


I set up a trap line outside now. Caught a house mouse and a deer mouse outside now that it is cool and they are wandering around looking for a winter home. Would rather catch deer mice (hantavirus) outside than inside.... Too many mice in the neighbourhood.


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## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

I have a tri-level house. Many years ago my youngest kid was complaining about a bad smell coming from his room. Took a couple days to figure out it was coming from the wall directly next to his bed. I cut out a piece of drywall and found three baby mice and the mother, all dead laying on the bottom plate between the wall studs. They had apparently gotten into the upper attic from a hole that they chewed into the fascia board where the lower roof meets the upper roof. The fascia board was a bit rotten and had some water damage. I filled the hole with Great Stuff expanding foam and covered the hole with a piece of brown sheet metal, nailed in place and caulked around the edges. I think the mice were able to get on the roof due to the large trees that were in front that hung over the lower level roof. The mice couldn't get out once they dropped to the bottom of the wall and stayed there till they died. The stink was terrible.


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## Calson (Jan 23, 2019)

Mice can get through a 1/2 inch diameter hole. Options are to trap or to poison the rodents. With poison they usually go outside to die and with traps it comes down to having access to the roden pathways to be able to bait and set them and remove the bodies when they have been tripped. 

I use a bait dispenser in my attic and traps in the crawl space to control the rodents. For squirrels a pellet rifle has been the most effective approach todate. 

A separate but related matter is not having good cover for the rodents, like ivy for example. This makes it easier for owls to do their work and scoop up the rodents for chow.


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## Pestremovalwarr (Sep 24, 2019)

I think installing a mouse trap will be best. And if it's not completely dark installing a camera will help you to better understand what it is and know whether the trap worked or not


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## reallylongnickn (Jun 11, 2019)

I found the mouse entry hole. Trap kiiled 1 mouse. It appears i might be lucky and only 1 mouse was entering and no nest


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