Forums > Social Discussion > To kill a mouse...
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HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted:
So I have a mouse. Well, he's more of a roommate who doesn't pay the rent. He's very cute, but he's also a wild mouse in New York.
Now there are a number of options for getting rid of a mouse. I don't personally like live traps for two reasons: 1) they can literally scare the animal to death and 2) what do you do with the mouse once you've caught him? Put him outside where he'll just come right back? And glue traps are just cruel.
So I started with the poison. Poison's good because they usually die of stroke, which is painless and because they usually leave the building before they die.
This mouse ate two whole blocks of poison. And a week later same mouse is still running around. I know that warfarin resistance has emerged among mice, so I'm not entirely shocked...
So I stepped it up a notch. I got these handy new TOMCAT plastic snap-traps that are supposed to be safer and more reliable than the old-fashioned wood traps. And after five days...nothing.
So I went for the old-fashioned vicious wood and metal snap traps, baited with peanut butter.
Today I came home and found 1) two traps licked clean of peanut butter 2) no dead mouse in the trap 3) the darned mouse standing against the wall looking up at me just as proud as can be. And then he scurried away RIGHT ACROSS ONE OF THE TRAPS WITHOUT SETTING IT OFF!
So now I have Mighty Mouse.
I think I'm going to have to go for glue boards, as cruel as they are. Once I've caught him I'll have to stop his suffering quickly...a sharp bang with a frying pan should do it in one blow.
I don't like killing things.
So I have a mouse. Well, he's more of a roommate who doesn't pay the rent. He's very cute, but he's also a wild mouse in New York.
Now there are a number of options for getting rid of a mouse. I don't personally like live traps for two reasons: 1) they can literally scare the animal to death and 2) what do you do with the mouse once you've caught him? Put him outside where he'll just come right back? And glue traps are just cruel.
So I started with the poison. Poison's good because they usually die of stroke, which is painless and because they usually leave the building before they die.
This mouse ate two whole blocks of poison. And a week later same mouse is still running around. I know that warfarin resistance has emerged among mice, so I'm not entirely shocked...
So I stepped it up a notch. I got these handy new TOMCAT plastic snap-traps that are supposed to be safer and more reliable than the old-fashioned wood traps. And after five days...nothing.
So I went for the old-fashioned vicious wood and metal snap traps, baited with peanut butter.
Today I came home and found 1) two traps licked clean of peanut butter 2) no dead mouse in the trap 3) the darned mouse standing against the wall looking up at me just as proud as can be. And then he scurried away RIGHT ACROSS ONE OF THE TRAPS WITHOUT SETTING IT OFF!
So now I have Mighty Mouse.
I think I'm going to have to go for glue boards, as cruel as they are. Once I've caught him I'll have to stop his suffering quickly...a sharp bang with a frying pan should do it in one blow.
I don't like killing things.
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
BRONZE Member
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)
Posted:
Guess he likes you
Guess he likes you
Getting to the other side 
GOLD Member
sunset seadragon
679 posts
Location: some little fluffy clouds, Belgium
sunset seadragon
679 posts
Location: some little fluffy clouds, Belgium
Posted:
Doc, why not get a cat?
Doc, why not get a cat?
“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” - Oscar Wilde
Jointly owned by FreyaJ, Birgit and Aurinko
SILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,666 posts
Location: Preston, United Kingdom
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,666 posts
Location: Preston, United Kingdom
Posted:
Get a Kitty!!!
It will be good practice for when your gay biological clock starts to ick and you have the sudden urge to raise litters of grandpuppys of the Dalmation veriety.
Get a Kitty!!!
It will be good practice for when your gay biological clock starts to ick and you have the sudden urge to raise litters of grandpuppys of the Dalmation veriety.
Chief adviser to the Pharaoh, in one very snazzy mutli-coloured coat
'Time goes by so slowly for those who wait...' - Whatever Happend To Baby Madonna?
Pooh-Bah
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land
Posted:
That's city mice for you - all street wise and down with the kids, no messing with that one! make sure he's not got any colours showing or you might find yourself with a cap in your ass if you mess with the brothers..
my cat keeps bringing in mice for me, had 5 over two nights last week
I catch and kick out the ones have a fighting chance of recovery, but I've had to 'swing a plastic bag really hard againts a wall' to put one out of it's misery a while back.. I felt really awful for a long while..
I put a bigger janglier bell on him, made no difference.. I guess I just have stupid 'country mice'
That's city mice for you - all street wise and down with the kids, no messing with that one! make sure he's not got any colours showing or you might find yourself with a cap in your ass if you mess with the brothers..
Written by: Doc Lightning
I don't like killing things.
my cat keeps bringing in mice for me, had 5 over two nights last week
I catch and kick out the ones have a fighting chance of recovery, but I've had to 'swing a plastic bag really hard againts a wall' to put one out of it's misery a while back.. I felt really awful for a long while.. I put a bigger janglier bell on him, made no difference.. I guess I just have stupid 'country mice'
I honour you as an aspect of myself..
You are never to old to storm a bouncey castle..
GOLD Member
sunset seadragon
679 posts
Location: some little fluffy clouds, Belgium
sunset seadragon
679 posts
Location: some little fluffy clouds, Belgium
Posted:
My cat used to bring me birds and mice that were still alive...
Imagine being sound asleep and hearing your cat mewling on your bed.
The moment you stir, she released the animal for you "to play with"...
I once had a blackbird in my bedroom at 3 am still capable of flight...
Very interesting
If she brought in animals and I wasn't home, I'd usually find some leftover feathers...
Feline humour is... different
My cat used to bring me birds and mice that were still alive...
Imagine being sound asleep and hearing your cat mewling on your bed.
The moment you stir, she released the animal for you "to play with"...
I once had a blackbird in my bedroom at 3 am still capable of flight...
Very interesting
If she brought in animals and I wasn't home, I'd usually find some leftover feathers...
Feline humour is... different
“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” - Oscar Wilde
Jointly owned by FreyaJ, Birgit and Aurinko
Pooh-Bah
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land
Posted:
that 'mewl' is quite a distinctive sound, gets me thinking 'oh no' everytime I hear it!
He brought me a wood pigion once.. but he like mice better - he can throw them around better
EDITED_BY: MisStix (1171051608)
that 'mewl' is quite a distinctive sound, gets me thinking 'oh no' everytime I hear it!
He brought me a wood pigion once.. but he like mice better - he can throw them around better
EDITED_BY: MisStix (1171051608)
I honour you as an aspect of myself..
You are never to old to storm a bouncey castle..
SILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales
Posted:
Is it only me having a de jevu reading this thread?
Im sure you have had this problem before Mr Lightning...
The only way I could think of solving this problem without "physical harm" to the mouse is, are you into f**ching?
Is it only me having a de jevu reading this thread?
Im sure you have had this problem before Mr Lightning...
The only way I could think of solving this problem without "physical harm" to the mouse is, are you into f**ching?
BRONZE Member
1 + 1 = 3
3,540 posts
Location: Bristol UK
1 + 1 = 3
3,540 posts
Location: Bristol UK
Posted:
You could always try asking him nicely to move house.
You could always try asking him nicely to move house.
Empty your mind. Be formless, Shapeless, like Water.
Put Water into a cup, it becomes the cup, put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
Water can flow, or it can Crash.
Be Water My Friend.
BRONZE Member
Member
128 posts
Location: USA
Member
128 posts
Location: USA
Posted:
Catch it and keep it as a pet. i had a pet mouse it was so cute but then a cat killed it when i was at school
Catch it and keep it as a pet. i had a pet mouse it was so cute but then a cat killed it when i was at school
Ich brauche Zeit
Kein Heroin kein Alkohol kein Nikotin
Brauch keine Hilfe
Kein Koffein
Doch Dynamit und Terpentin
Ich brauche Öl für Gasolin
Explosiv wie Kerosin
Mit viel Oktan und frei von Blei
Einen Kraftstoff wie Benzin
BRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
1,872 posts
Location: Canada
Pooh-Bah
1,872 posts
Location: Canada
Posted:
Ok...I'm a pro with this due to years of cats bringing in "presents" and then immediately loosing interest in the mouse and heading for the food bowl. Now is not the time for niceness..Sure you can try to catch Mr. mouse with a leather glove, barbecue tongs and a plastic container with a lid, but that only usually works when the mouse is fresh to your apartment and still rather freaked out. Then's the time to try to catch it, take it down the block, and sing Born Free when you return him to the "wild"
Your mouse, on the other hand, knows every square inch of your apartment. He knows where to run and where to hide and he's also pissing and crapping in places you don't even want to know about. ( check under your fridge )
The only problem with poison, is where does the mouse go to die ? Usually some out of the way place and you won't know he's dead until you smell him,,also suppose he pegs off in a place you can't easily get to ? Are you up for tearing out walls to find the corpse, those things breed maggots you know,,and suddenly,,one day you just might be wondering just where all these flies are coming from.
Go brutal....get yourself a stick with a nail in it and tie on a large fish hook for added measure. You don't want to live with vermin.
Ok...I'm a pro with this due to years of cats bringing in "presents" and then immediately loosing interest in the mouse and heading for the food bowl. Now is not the time for niceness..Sure you can try to catch Mr. mouse with a leather glove, barbecue tongs and a plastic container with a lid, but that only usually works when the mouse is fresh to your apartment and still rather freaked out. Then's the time to try to catch it, take it down the block, and sing Born Free when you return him to the "wild"
Your mouse, on the other hand, knows every square inch of your apartment. He knows where to run and where to hide and he's also pissing and crapping in places you don't even want to know about. ( check under your fridge )
The only problem with poison, is where does the mouse go to die ? Usually some out of the way place and you won't know he's dead until you smell him,,also suppose he pegs off in a place you can't easily get to ? Are you up for tearing out walls to find the corpse, those things breed maggots you know,,and suddenly,,one day you just might be wondering just where all these flies are coming from.
Go brutal....get yourself a stick with a nail in it and tie on a large fish hook for added measure. You don't want to live with vermin.
Pooh-Bah
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land
Posted:
Have to agree with Stout I'm afraid...
my cat left a dead mouse under the bed in the spare room.. it took a few days to notice the stench of rotting mouse - I was lucky that I could move the bed to find the wriggling pile of goo that was mr/ms mouse - my best friend used to live on a farm and had rat problems, they tried the poison thing too - it took all year for the smell to dissapate. Impossible to get underneath the floor boards in that corner of the kitchen - washing up was *not* pleasant
Have to agree with Stout I'm afraid...
my cat left a dead mouse under the bed in the spare room.. it took a few days to notice the stench of rotting mouse - I was lucky that I could move the bed to find the wriggling pile of goo that was mr/ms mouse - my best friend used to live on a farm and had rat problems, they tried the poison thing too - it took all year for the smell to dissapate. Impossible to get underneath the floor boards in that corner of the kitchen - washing up was *not* pleasant
I honour you as an aspect of myself..
You are never to old to storm a bouncey castle..
BRONZE Member
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)
Posted:
hippies
hippies
Getting to the other side
BRONZE Member
Look! I'm Darth Bunny!
446 posts
Location: Sunny South Africa
Look! I'm Darth Bunny!
446 posts
Location: Sunny South Africa
Posted:
Cats dont work so well when you need them, we had a mouse in the bathroom once so we put our cat in with it to catch it. It started meowing to be let out. He does like bringing in birds though. I once found a pigoen foot in the corner of my room. Guess they not as lucky as rabbits feet then eh?
Cats dont work so well when you need them, we had a mouse in the bathroom once so we put our cat in with it to catch it. It started meowing to be let out. He does like bringing in birds though. I once found a pigoen foot in the corner of my room. Guess they not as lucky as rabbits feet then eh?
Do what you want coz a pirate is free,
You are a pirate!
Yo ho fiddle dee dee, being a pirate is alright to be,
Do what you want coz a pirate is free,
You are a pirate!
SILVER Member
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom
Posted:
My cat was born into a house with over 500 mice that she wasn't allowed to touch. It was a college house for pet industry students, the mice were bred for snake food because the local shops couldn't supply enough for the 30+ snakes in the house, and for other college friends with snakes.
So my cat caught her first mouse the other day (she's nearly 8), and seemed very pleased with herself about it. Up till now it's been frogs and birds only.
The most humane way to kill a mouse or rat is to hit it on the back of the head with something like the handle of a table knife, or break the spine at the base of the skull with a fingernail.
It doesn't get any easier taking the life of something even if it's necessary to keep something else alive, so you just treat them as well as you can, and make sure it all ends quickly.
There's a kind of trap where the whole of the end that the bar snaps down on is a platform that's the trigger, instead of just a metal prong with the bait on (more likely to break the mouse's back than it's neck, so they're rather cruel to use). They need to go off with as little pressure as possible, so resting the handle of a teaspoon on the platform should set them off. Feet on the edge of the platform means the neck should be where the bar comes down, making it very quick (what happens if the mouse goes onto the trap from the other end though? Needs something to keep it from walking onto that end).
I thought strokes were caused by blood clots in the brain, and isn't warfarin an anticoagulant used to prevent blood clots? I've heard farmers talking of dead rats bleeding from every orifice (Yep, this is all a bit gross, you can tell I grew up in the country).
To counter warfarin resistance it would make sense that the new poisons would do the opposite though, as resistance to anti-clotting chemicals would probably mean lower resistance to chemicals that cause clotting.
My cat was born into a house with over 500 mice that she wasn't allowed to touch. It was a college house for pet industry students, the mice were bred for snake food because the local shops couldn't supply enough for the 30+ snakes in the house, and for other college friends with snakes.
So my cat caught her first mouse the other day (she's nearly 8), and seemed very pleased with herself about it. Up till now it's been frogs and birds only.
The most humane way to kill a mouse or rat is to hit it on the back of the head with something like the handle of a table knife, or break the spine at the base of the skull with a fingernail.
It doesn't get any easier taking the life of something even if it's necessary to keep something else alive, so you just treat them as well as you can, and make sure it all ends quickly.
There's a kind of trap where the whole of the end that the bar snaps down on is a platform that's the trigger, instead of just a metal prong with the bait on (more likely to break the mouse's back than it's neck, so they're rather cruel to use). They need to go off with as little pressure as possible, so resting the handle of a teaspoon on the platform should set them off. Feet on the edge of the platform means the neck should be where the bar comes down, making it very quick (what happens if the mouse goes onto the trap from the other end though? Needs something to keep it from walking onto that end).
I thought strokes were caused by blood clots in the brain, and isn't warfarin an anticoagulant used to prevent blood clots? I've heard farmers talking of dead rats bleeding from every orifice (Yep, this is all a bit gross, you can tell I grew up in the country).
To counter warfarin resistance it would make sense that the new poisons would do the opposite though, as resistance to anti-clotting chemicals would probably mean lower resistance to chemicals that cause clotting.
You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.
Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.
GOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted:
Well the exterminator is coming tomorrow, apparently.
But I am getting glue traps and using a frying pan. Enough of this.
I want the mouse dead and I want to control where and how he dies
Well the exterminator is coming tomorrow, apparently.
But I am getting glue traps and using a frying pan. Enough of this.
I want the mouse dead and I want to control where and how he dies
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
PLATINUM Member
Will carpal your tunnel in a minute.
3,286 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Will carpal your tunnel in a minute.
3,286 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posted:
Does he play the trombone, only eats licorice and lives in a bottle bag?
(Obscure Black Books reference )
Does he play the trombone, only eats licorice and lives in a bottle bag?
(Obscure Black Books reference
) ॐ
Owner of burningoftheclavey
Owned by Lost83spy
NYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA
Posted:
If you do get glue boards might I suggest putting them in like a bag on it's side or cardboard box. This way you don't have to pick up the glue board and mouse, you just pick up the box and throw it all out together.
If you do get glue boards might I suggest putting them in like a bag on it's side or cardboard box. This way you don't have to pick up the glue board and mouse, you just pick up the box and throw it all out together.
Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]
BRONZE Member
wandering thru the woods of WI
3,556 posts
Location: Wisconsin, USA
wandering thru the woods of WI
3,556 posts
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posted:
poison is bad for the reasons stated and because there is a lot of suffering...if you really are gettin the exterminator you might as well go and get the live trap...you're trying to kill it anyways now...and if he lives, you can take him to a park or someplace not near your house so he doesn't come back
i say live trap because i used to have pet mice before my mother forced me to get rid of them and then the ended up as snake food when i couldn't find a place to take them soon enough (pet stored decided they were snake food material to start, my friend held them for awhile and then his roommate didn't want the vermin, so they eventually went to his boa-anyways)
are you sure you don't want to train him as a pet...he seems very smart and trainable
poison is bad for the reasons stated and because there is a lot of suffering...if you really are gettin the exterminator you might as well go and get the live trap...you're trying to kill it anyways now...and if he lives, you can take him to a park or someplace not near your house so he doesn't come back
i say live trap because i used to have pet mice before my mother forced me to get rid of them and then the ended up as snake food when i couldn't find a place to take them soon enough (pet stored decided they were snake food material to start, my friend held them for awhile and then his roommate didn't want the vermin, so they eventually went to his boa-anyways)
are you sure you don't want to train him as a pet...he seems very smart and trainable
Faith
Nay, whatever comes one hour was sunlit and the most high gods may not make boast of any better thing than to have watched that hour as it passed
BRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
Posted:
I've had a pet mouse, and some rats, and I have to say that I have no such sentimentality when it comes to rodentia.
We had 5 field mice last year come into the house and tried numerous things to get rid of them (this was before we got the cats). In the end the glue traps were the most efficient and the best. Because they were in the kitchen we had to take everything out of the cupboards and drawers...yes those little things even crawled in the silverware drawers and pooped. Everything went through the sterlizing cycle on the dishwasher and the cupboards/drawers had to be sterlized as well. If, at the first sign, we had just gotten the glue traps, we would have saved ourselves *alot* of trouble that way. What I do like about traps over poison, I know where they die.
As for keeping it as a pet, it is completely inadviseable (not that you were concidering it). Because it is wild there is no garuntee as to the health of it, whether it has fleas, mites, etc that can effect you. It is unaccustomed to being handled, etc. Even vets say to not keep wild rodentia as pets because of the safety and sanitation issues.
As for the cat. We have two indoor cats that we rescued this past summer. We haven't seen any mice this year but I honestly don't know if it's been because of the freaky weather patterns or because of the cats. Either way, I am not complaining.
(btw, I moved this to discussion, since that's where it's gone. )
I've had a pet mouse, and some rats, and I have to say that I have no such sentimentality when it comes to rodentia.
We had 5 field mice last year come into the house and tried numerous things to get rid of them (this was before we got the cats). In the end the glue traps were the most efficient and the best. Because they were in the kitchen we had to take everything out of the cupboards and drawers...yes those little things even crawled in the silverware drawers and pooped. Everything went through the sterlizing cycle on the dishwasher and the cupboards/drawers had to be sterlized as well. If, at the first sign, we had just gotten the glue traps, we would have saved ourselves *alot* of trouble that way. What I do like about traps over poison, I know where they die.
As for keeping it as a pet, it is completely inadviseable (not that you were concidering it). Because it is wild there is no garuntee as to the health of it, whether it has fleas, mites, etc that can effect you. It is unaccustomed to being handled, etc. Even vets say to not keep wild rodentia as pets because of the safety and sanitation issues.
As for the cat. We have two indoor cats that we rescued this past summer. We haven't seen any mice this year but I honestly don't know if it's been because of the freaky weather patterns or because of the cats. Either way, I am not complaining.
(btw, I moved this to discussion, since that's where it's gone.
) Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK
BRONZE Member
wandering thru the woods of WI
3,556 posts
Location: Wisconsin, USA
wandering thru the woods of WI
3,556 posts
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posted:
ok...you're right...
city mice are not meant to be pets
city mice are pests and carry pests
ok...you're right...
city mice are not meant to be pets
city mice are pests and carry pests
Faith
Nay, whatever comes one hour was sunlit and the most high gods may not make boast of any better thing than to have watched that hour as it passed
BRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
1,872 posts
Location: Canada
Pooh-Bah
1,872 posts
Location: Canada
Posted:
Not to mention what mice will do to your clothes of they make it into your dresser or closet.
About a month ago, we had a flood and not only did the flood waters rehydrate the dried mouse piss on the carpet ( now there was a stench ) but they also appear to have drowned a family of mice living under a subfloor in a storage closet. Once I got the stinky carpet out..then I noticed the gradually increasing reek of rotting mouse and the horror of what I discovered when I ripped out the subfloor will remain with me for the rest of my life.
It wasn't the little mousy corpses that were so bad..it was the fact that these little critters had chewed right through a plywood subfloor, right through the carpet underlay and given a few more days. would have made it right through the carpet to freely infest my house. And it's not like I can count on these overweight feline couch potatoes to help me out with vermin control, on a good day I can only hope they at least meow at the rodents.
The upside is, I'm actually getting paid by the insurance company to demolish my place since all our local demo crews are busy with other jobs. Anyone want to come over and help me bust up a concrete floor?? mmmmmmmm...... jackhammer
Not to mention what mice will do to your clothes of they make it into your dresser or closet.
About a month ago, we had a flood and not only did the flood waters rehydrate the dried mouse piss on the carpet ( now there was a stench ) but they also appear to have drowned a family of mice living under a subfloor in a storage closet. Once I got the stinky carpet out..then I noticed the gradually increasing reek of rotting mouse and the horror of what I discovered when I ripped out the subfloor will remain with me for the rest of my life.
It wasn't the little mousy corpses that were so bad..it was the fact that these little critters had chewed right through a plywood subfloor, right through the carpet underlay and given a few more days. would have made it right through the carpet to freely infest my house. And it's not like I can count on these overweight feline couch potatoes to help me out with vermin control, on a good day I can only hope they at least meow at the rodents.
The upside is, I'm actually getting paid by the insurance company to demolish my place since all our local demo crews are busy with other jobs. Anyone want to come over and help me bust up a concrete floor?? mmmmmmmm...... jackhammer
GOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted:
Thanks, Pele. I didn't have time to ask a vet (nor do I know one). But those were exactly my thoughts. You don't know if he's got fleas or rabies or even plague (which does show up from time to time).
So the ultimate resolution: The exterminator came today. He put down more poison and more glue traps. I checked the traps before I left the house at 3:30 and my boyfriend left sometime after I left. I got home at about 6:30 and found a mouse stuck to the trap in the kitchen.
I'm going to describe, in graphic detail, what happened because this is why I *HATE* glue traps and will only use them as a last resort.
He (well I don't know the gender) was tiny. Cute little guy. He was stuck to the trap in a rather uncomfortable looking position. He'd pooped all over the place (probably out of fear) and that was stuck to the trap between his hindlegs, too. He was struggling against the glue. He was breathing very quickly and I could see his little heart thudding through his chest wall. He started squeaking and struggling frantically when he saw me. I felt awful.
As quickly as I could, I picked up the trap, apologized to the mouse and promised him that I'd kill him as quickly and painlessly as I could, and then I took him outside, put another unused trap over him, and stomped on him as hard as I could...three times just to be sure I'd crushed his skull and destroyed his brain. I turned the card over to look at what I'd done just to make sure he wasn't still moving, but there was nothing but a bloody pulp sticking out from under the edge. I then put his remains in a garbage bag and tied it closed (garbage day isn't until monday morning).
I felt AWFUL. I was shaking and felt my heart pounding. Here I am a pediatrician, sworn to heal the wounded, cure the sick, and protect the defenseless. And I had to kill a terrified, defenseless creature who couldn't understand why I had to do it or what was happening to him. I don't know how long he was stuck to the trap, but I can only imagine how agonizing those hours were. I sat down, took some deep breaths, calmed myself...
And that was when I noticed the second mouse stuck to the trap under my bookshelves.
Non-Https Image Link
I hope that's the last of them. Godspeed little guys.
Please people, if you're going to use glue traps, you have to commit to checking them regularly and you have to commit to killing the mouse quickly and as painlessly as possible. If you can't do that, then don't use glue traps.
Written by: Pele
As for keeping it as a pet, it is completely inadviseable (not that you were concidering it). Because it is wild there is no garuntee as to the health of it, whether it has fleas, mites, etc that can effect you. It is unaccustomed to being handled, etc. Even vets say to not keep wild rodentia as pets because of the safety and sanitation issues.
Thanks, Pele. I didn't have time to ask a vet (nor do I know one). But those were exactly my thoughts. You don't know if he's got fleas or rabies or even plague (which does show up from time to time).
So the ultimate resolution: The exterminator came today. He put down more poison and more glue traps. I checked the traps before I left the house at 3:30 and my boyfriend left sometime after I left. I got home at about 6:30 and found a mouse stuck to the trap in the kitchen.
I'm going to describe, in graphic detail, what happened because this is why I *HATE* glue traps and will only use them as a last resort.
He (well I don't know the gender) was tiny. Cute little guy. He was stuck to the trap in a rather uncomfortable looking position. He'd pooped all over the place (probably out of fear) and that was stuck to the trap between his hindlegs, too. He was struggling against the glue. He was breathing very quickly and I could see his little heart thudding through his chest wall. He started squeaking and struggling frantically when he saw me. I felt awful.
As quickly as I could, I picked up the trap, apologized to the mouse and promised him that I'd kill him as quickly and painlessly as I could, and then I took him outside, put another unused trap over him, and stomped on him as hard as I could...three times just to be sure I'd crushed his skull and destroyed his brain. I turned the card over to look at what I'd done just to make sure he wasn't still moving, but there was nothing but a bloody pulp sticking out from under the edge. I then put his remains in a garbage bag and tied it closed (garbage day isn't until monday morning).
I felt AWFUL. I was shaking and felt my heart pounding. Here I am a pediatrician, sworn to heal the wounded, cure the sick, and protect the defenseless. And I had to kill a terrified, defenseless creature who couldn't understand why I had to do it or what was happening to him. I don't know how long he was stuck to the trap, but I can only imagine how agonizing those hours were. I sat down, took some deep breaths, calmed myself...
And that was when I noticed the second mouse stuck to the trap under my bookshelves.
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I hope that's the last of them. Godspeed little guys.
Please people, if you're going to use glue traps, you have to commit to checking them regularly and you have to commit to killing the mouse quickly and as painlessly as possible. If you can't do that, then don't use glue traps.
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
BRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
1,872 posts
Location: Canada
Pooh-Bah
1,872 posts
Location: Canada
Posted:
Well Doc...lets hope it's over.
I know I came off as kind of heartless with my go brutal statement, and killing something like a mouse is never "easy" unless you're either used to it, or a psycho. I tend to make killing rodents easier by thinking of them as big furry cockroaches, and I used to try to catch them for live release until my wife and I had a baby. I still do try to catch them but I don't have the patience that I used to and as I previously said, they're way easier to catch if they're freshly brought in by the cat and still freaked out.
There was another thing I failed to mention, on purpose...There's no such thing as just one mouse.
Well Doc...lets hope it's over.
I know I came off as kind of heartless with my go brutal statement, and killing something like a mouse is never "easy" unless you're either used to it, or a psycho. I tend to make killing rodents easier by thinking of them as big furry cockroaches, and I used to try to catch them for live release until my wife and I had a baby. I still do try to catch them but I don't have the patience that I used to and as I previously said, they're way easier to catch if they're freshly brought in by the cat and still freaked out.
There was another thing I failed to mention, on purpose...There's no such thing as just one mouse.
GOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted:
Now I think I hear another one under the radiator.
Now I think I hear another one under the radiator.
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
BRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
1,872 posts
Location: Canada
Pooh-Bah
1,872 posts
Location: Canada
Posted:
Are your neighbours having the same experiences ?
Are your neighbours having the same experiences ?
GOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted:
No, interestingly. Although there's only one other neighbor in my building and she's on the other side of a firewall.
No, interestingly. Although there's only one other neighbor in my building and she's on the other side of a firewall.
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
GOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted:
Nope. I just heard something squeaking. I'm going to go kill it now.
Nope. I just heard something squeaking. I'm going to go kill it now.
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
BRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
Posted:
Yeah, unfortunately Stout is right, there is rarely one.
Please tell me you didn't pay the exterminator who did what you did yourself. I always hate that.
So you know, take the mouse/trap combo, put it in a plastic bag, whap it against the wall. It snaps the neck and kills it without all the...mess.
When I had my snake (r.i.p.) I would only give her fresh killed rats that I killed myself using this method. One good whap against a really hard surface always did the trick, and they weren't as "fragile" as little mice. Oh, if you try this, don't forget to get the air out of the bag so it doesn't act as a buffer.
Just an idea to avoid the..um..squish (I don't think I could do that).
Best of luck to you love.
Yeah, unfortunately Stout is right, there is rarely one.
Please tell me you didn't pay the exterminator who did what you did yourself. I always hate that.
So you know, take the mouse/trap combo, put it in a plastic bag, whap it against the wall. It snaps the neck and kills it without all the...mess.
When I had my snake (r.i.p.) I would only give her fresh killed rats that I killed myself using this method. One good whap against a really hard surface always did the trick, and they weren't as "fragile" as little mice. Oh, if you try this, don't forget to get the air out of the bag so it doesn't act as a buffer.
Just an idea to avoid the..um..squish (I don't think I could do that).
Best of luck to you love.
Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK
GOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted:
Pele, the landlady insisted on hiring him to do exactly what I could have done.
And I won't do the bag against the wall trick. It's not high enough insurance of a one-hit death. I have a theory that having your neck snapped is not as painless as we think because the brain keeps working for a few minutes.
So yeah. Bloodbath tonight. I found three more on top of the two. When I went to kill #4, I came back inside and was going to set a new trap when I found #5. Must have been caught in the 5 minutes I was outside killing the other. Most have been female. I think they might still be pups or adolescents because they're so tiny.
The last one was odd. She was half on the paper with her head off. She wasn't freaking out like the other mice. She just seemed mellow.
Hopefully no more for the night. I don't want to have to get out of bed to kill another mouse. But I will, because I couldn't possibly sleep with a terrified and suffering mouse squeaking.
Pele, the landlady insisted on hiring him to do exactly what I could have done.
And I won't do the bag against the wall trick. It's not high enough insurance of a one-hit death. I have a theory that having your neck snapped is not as painless as we think because the brain keeps working for a few minutes.
So yeah. Bloodbath tonight. I found three more on top of the two. When I went to kill #4, I came back inside and was going to set a new trap when I found #5. Must have been caught in the 5 minutes I was outside killing the other. Most have been female. I think they might still be pups or adolescents because they're so tiny.
The last one was odd. She was half on the paper with her head off. She wasn't freaking out like the other mice. She just seemed mellow.
Hopefully no more for the night. I don't want to have to get out of bed to kill another mouse. But I will, because I couldn't possibly sleep with a terrified and suffering mouse squeaking.
-Mike
Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella
A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura
GOLD Member
ZORT!
3,045 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia
ZORT!
3,045 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posted:
we have mice who occasionally visit our house - but with our climate we have our doors open most of the time so its not exactly hard for them to come and go.
the only time we really notice them are when they decide to go and die behind the fridge... then after a day or so the smell permeates the air.
but im thankful that i dont have to kill them myself doc even if i find a spider im likely to trap it in a cup then release it outside rather than killing it 
we have mice who occasionally visit our house - but with our climate we have our doors open most of the time so its not exactly hard for them to come and go.
the only time we really notice them are when they decide to go and die behind the fridge... then after a day or so the smell permeates the air.
but im thankful that i dont have to kill them myself doc
even if i find a spider im likely to trap it in a cup then release it outside rather than killing it "Here kitty kitty...." - Schroedinger.
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