Need Advice...wild mice

[smilez_n_hugs]

Well I can't deny the problem any longer. My mom has suspected that we have mice in the garage for at least a month now and I came face to face with one of the little guys tonight. In past years it hasn't been an issue but now that our cat is older and has arthritis he's slacking. Obviously they can't stay but I'm not sure what the solution is. I can live trap and relocate but that's pretty much a death sentence any time of year but especially now. Poison and glue are completely out of the question which should go without saying but I just wanted to be clear. I know in the past many of you have had this problem and I know it has been discussed before but I'm not comfortable with any of the solutions I know of. I guess it's a long shot but I'm hoping there's something I am over looking? :gaah:

 

[Robinkwr]

I really don't see any other solutions. We live out near farms so the past 16yrs we have had wild mice. Even in the house but we catch them and release or the cats get to them. It's never bothered us though - besides giving me a spook when I first see them. But they don't destroy anything (besides the 3 holes they have into the house we keep filling).

The only thing I could suggest is what you said, the live traps, but why is that a death sentence? The live traps my dad use to have when we had them could trap 10+ mice at a time and then you opened it when you relocated them and let them run out. We just gave up on it all though - having so many living out here near farms - but most are in the garage we only get maybe a handful in the house a year.

 

[Eleanor]

If you are worried they will freeze in the snow (that's the death sentence I assume?), I would release them somewhere with dense forest. Dense forests tend to have less snow on the ground and lots of roots and places for mice to burrow and make little homes. If you are really worried, I've made homes for wild rodents before (overturned broken flower pots work great!) and you can make them a shelter in the forest.

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

Relocating takes them away from their food, water and shelter sources and puts them into other animals territory leaving them defenseless and not giving them much of a fighting chance in my eyes.

 

[jorats]

What we did was set up a little den in our shed, lots of hay and rodent food and water around it, we relocated our mouse there and she didn't come back in.
Relocating far from your home is definitely a death sentence. You need to plug up your home, maybe even get a professional in.

 

[Carol Weekes]

We have field and deer mice in our home. I put lots of straw in our shed, which also keeps our woodpile, and use a live trap to carry them out there. I'm sure they make their way back into the house at times, but it's out of wind, dry, and the woodpile offers protection from roaming neighbor cats. I'll put sunflower seeds out for them. Can't say for sure if they stay in the shed or go out into the woods behind us, but it's what works for us.

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

What we did was set up a little den in our shed, lots of hay and rodent food and water around it, we relocated our mouse there and she didn't come back in.
Relocating far from your home is definitely a death sentence. You need to plug up your home, maybe even get a professional in.

I like this idea, we have an old shed out back that we no longer use that would be perfect. And we know exactly how this little one got in, the big doors need their seals replaced so once that's done we should be in the clear.