I really think there are mice (or something) in the walls of my house.

[Critters2]

I sometimes hear them scurrying around. The cats are interested, but can't seem to get at them. Anyone know of a way to get rid of them, that won't harm the pets? Mostly, I'd like 'em to just go away. They're creeping me out.

I will never live in great big old house again! It's just one thing after another.

[flvegan]

1. Find their food source.

Scour your pantry, etc. Especially where you keep your dog food.

[Critters2]

4. I had the dog food in a plastic container

like this one.


One day, when I was washing it out, I found a hole nibbled in a corner of it. By mice, I'm assuming. This was my first sign that they had been anywhere but inside the walls. Now I keep dog and cat food in a large, metal popcorn can, like this:




But I'm still hearing them in the walls.

[Blue-Jay]

13. Then catch them and eat them!

That'll show those little bastards!

[flvegan]

14. You have to cook them first, Ozzy.

Jesus.

[Blue-Jay]

15. I'm on a raw food diet.

When food is on my plate I say "Raaaawwwww!"

om nom nom nom

[Coyote_Bandit]

2. Keep

everything they might eat in plastic containers. I keep dog food in 5 gallon plastic paint containers.

Seal up every place they might get into your house. Use steel wool and aluminum foil. They can't chew through these. You can also use that spray foam in a can stuff for areas that are difficult to fill or hard to access.

Moth balls are respiratory irritants that will drive mice and other critters away. I put them in my garage every fall to keep them from coming in. I've also been known to put them in the attic and in cabinets and closets if I believed there were mice in the house. Becuse they are respiratory irritants they are unlikely to be eaten however they are poison so put them somewhere that isn't accessible to your pets.

[Critters2]

6. They chewed through a plastic container.

So that doesn't work.

There were holes in my foundation, that were repaired last spring, but there may be some the workers didn't find. I'll do more checking.

I may try mothballs, but they didn't work on the groundhogs in my yard (whom I finally just accepted as permanent fixtures).

[Coyote_Bandit]

7. Ummmmm

I've had squirrels chew through plastic. Not good. Our local news did a story not too long ago about somebody that had over $10,000 damage to their house from squirrels nested in their attic.....I really hope you don't have squirrels.

Somebody I know had raccoons earlier this year. They were able to use lights and loud radios tuned to multiple stations to motivate them to move to another location.

Mothballs seem to work best when they are in an enclosed area - closet, cabinets, attics, garages....I haven't had much luck using them in the yard either.

Groundhogs? I've been trying to get rid of them for years. Large dogs seem to be effective. They first moved into my yard when two of my neighbors got labs. I do have fewer groundhogs now than I did and some of them have moved further down the street. Local nursery recommended spraying the yard with a mix of liquid dish detergent and castor oil - a mix that needs to be reapplied frequently. Apparently, castor bean byproducts are the primary ingredient in some of the pellets that I dare not use around my dogs.

[TZ]

10. I think you might be right on the squirrel things

Until recently my mom had them in her house. They chewed through the vinyl siding near the attic and got into the walls. I heard them and they did sound like mice..Professional exterminators and trappers are the only good way to get them out....
Mycritters2 I suggest you look to see if you have trees that push up agaisnt your house and look for possible chew marks/holes nearby..could be high up...

[Critters2]

19. I have several large trees near my house.

Now that you mention it, it could be squirrels. I'll look around tomorrow to see if any of the trees touch the house.

Thanks!

[redqueen]

3. It's demons.

I'd get some holy water if I were you.

[Critters2]

5. Nah. I'm a crazy, ultra-liberal Christian. Many fundies

accuse me of being demon-possessed. If they were demons, I either wouldn't notice (what's one more?) or wouldn't mind.

I'm pretty sure it's rodents.

[sniffa]

8. Hopefully, they're blind

You can cut of their tails with a carving knife.

[Gormy Cuss]

11. Have you ever seen such a sight in your life?

Thanks for the damn earworm, sniffa.

[sniffa]

16. you're welcome

:rofl:

just think of the 3 Stooges instead.

:hi:

[Whoa_Nelly]

9. Hope this helps

http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/comm001/comm001.htm

[Aristus]

12. Is your house called, by any chance, Chapelwaite?

Just asking... :evilgrin:

[Critters2]

21. No. It hasn't been that well cared for.

But I do live in Preacher's Corners. :)

[SPKrazy]

17. if it isn't mice

maybe its the groundhogs

:rofl:


:yoiks:

[femmocrat]

18. Or chipmunks!

[Critters2]

20. They're supposed to be hibernating now.

But with my luck, I probably have groundhogs with insomnia!!