So far, the only draw back to living here is the mice! The house had one or two when we moved in.... then they cut the soy bean fields. Every mouse in the county has moved in with me and the little buggers ain't paying any rent!
They just run around at will no matter what's going on. They come up out of the stove top, out of closets, run in and under bedroom doors, scurry across your foot.
Now I don't hate lil critters. I actually like them. Heck I HAVE an African Spiny mouse named Baby who has a nice little cage and is a sweet dear friend. But I don't like mouse poop (and heaven knows what all else) in my silverware drawers. I don't like finding the loaf of bread has been eaten from the ends. (Yes, I just got a bread box!) I don't like stepping out of the shower to find company in the bathroom with me. I don't like being afraid to go to sleep because I don't know if somethign's going to run across me. LOL
We've actually caught four of them... because they fell into a trash can in different rooms (including my bedroom). We toook them half a mile down the road and let them go.
We've set regular snap traps and up till last night they have got the bait out w/o springing the trap. Last nigth we set one in the hall. This morning it was gone. We found it in the closet, sprung, no mouse in it but the bait was gone. No blood either, btw so apparently we didn't get anybody at all. Lil smartazz mice!
I don't want to use poison because they die and you have to find them by smell. OR you find one in your shoe that's been there 3 days and you have to throw out your shoe. YucK! I refuse to use glue traps. Too cruel. Clearly the snap trap thing isn't working. Today after work I'm going to look for some Have-A-Heart traps. If I can't get em out with those, dunno what we'll do next. I don't like killing little critters but I can't have them doing the tango in my silverware drawer!
NO CATS! A) my last cat liked to watch the mice but never tried to catch one and B) I don't like cats. They pee on stuff, you don't realize it till you get to work and get some water on yourself then you smell like cat pee all day long and C) NO CATS! I'm not a cat person!
Anybody got any useful ideas?
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goatman
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Nov 6 @ 7:17AM
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Peanut butter in the snap trap has worked for me.
They can't steal it like cheese or similar hard foods.
And as far as the cat, my Mom's theory is don't feed the cat very much,
and only milk or a little hard food. Gives them the craving for meat.
Good luck!
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cOuNtRyGiRl816
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Nov 6 @ 7:23AM
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I would suggest getting an outside cat to start with. It will be able to catch the mice before they even come in. I have a cat who prowls outside during the day, and every now and then comes in at night, and I haven't had a single mice problem. When I first moved here, the house is old, and the mice were living it up! BUt as soon as the cat made her presence known, I have seen any since!!
Best of Luck
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kywonder
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Nov 6 @ 7:41AM
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Looks like everyone is voting for a cat here Wolf. We had a dalmatian who was one of the best mousers I have ever seen. Other than that, I don't know what to tell you. I did catch more with bologna in the traps than anything we ever used. whether it be cheese, peanut butter or the usual mouse stuff.
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maggiemae684
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Nov 6 @ 7:59AM
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Alternative to cats....peanut butter wayyyyy in the back of the snap traps or glue the cheese way in the back. Taking live ones outside to release is defeating the purpose....they and thier offspring will find their way back....flush them instead. By not having a cat this will be an ongoing problem for you until the weather warms up. Not all cats pee on things. If you adopt a cat from a shelter keep it inside for a couple of weeks....confined to one room if you want, with a litter box and then he/she can become an outdoor cat and as one suggested they will catch them before they get in the house. Some dogs are great mousers as well, particularily breeds such at rat terriers, jack russells etc....they were bred for chasing rats.... 
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hereshannon
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Nov 6 @ 9:03AM
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Yes, I had the same problem when I lived in Tennessee. When the weather starts getting cold the field mice come into the house.
The snap traps work great, as some of the other posts said use peanut butter. The mice are crazy for the stuff! 
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Purplemix1
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Nov 6 @ 9:29AM
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Wolf,,,,,first you might want to look around for holes around, pipes, under sinks, etc, stuff them with steelwool or get the canned foam and fill holes in,,,,,for old fashion mouse trap,, take a small piece of cottonball, smear it with peanut butter, then hook cotton on the hook, they can't get bait off as easy.... I've lived in middle of a soybean field, so i know what you are talking about,,,,,Thankgoodness this home,,,,, never gets mice....
Goodluck
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summerbreeze916
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Nov 6 @ 9:39AM
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wolfmist: I loved that you caught some and brought them down the road. I have four cats and a small dog. Two cats are allowed outdoors; the other two stay inside (they all use the kitty litter boxes). I'm glad I don't have a mouse problem. They are really cute, but I wouldn't want them running at me. Nor, would I be able to set a trap to kill them. I thought I had heard they make live traps for them. It could just be wishful thinking on my part. 
I only have one solution. I would let them have the house. I'd move down the road somewhere and check in on them once a week or so to make sure they have plenty of food, beverages and music! 
Rock on, little mousies.....rock on! 
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EternalFlame
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Nov 6 @ 10:00AM
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Glue traps aren't cruel if you use them like I do.
Check them at least once a day. If you have a mouse, grab him by the scruff on the back of his neck, and VERY GENTLY AND VERY SLOWLY pull him off the trap. If he's stuck really good, you can oil your index finger with vegetable oil to help lift him off. As long as you're holding them by the scruff, they can't reach around to bite, but you can't be squeamish or startle easy...LOL...drop him and he's GONE!
I have rehabilitated mice stuck on those traps when they've been injured or just exhausted from the struggle against the glue. I hang on to them for a couple of days, giving food and water and let them get their strength back, and then I release them (far away from home, of course)
Good luck!
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jayej
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Nov 6 @ 10:21AM
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Fill the holes with steel wool, ( they hate to chew on it) From the exterior walls, (around the pipes coming in etc.) If you fill the interior wall holes and they are already breeding in the walls the smell issue comes up.
Then like everyone says peanut butter works like a charm.
On my last farm, this time of year it was like an invasion. I had to many pets to use poison, so doing trap rounds was a three times a day chore. arghh.
Up on the mountain we have not had many issues. When we first moved in this spring I found droppings in the cupboards but I washed everything down with straight bleach and then closed all the doors. They disappeared and no sign this fall.
J
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wolfmist
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Nov 10 @ 7:49AM
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LOL.. if they were just in the garage I'd not be fretting. I have live traps now. They are called "The Cube" and you can get them in Walmart. We're finding peanut butter to be the best bait.
We take them two towns over and let them go there. MUCH better!! Let them move in with someone in St. Michaels!!
So far we got the four in the trash cans... they apparently fell in and couldn't get out... and my son got one in his dresser drawer which we scooped up in a cup. We put them in a heavy plastic box and my daughter's bf drives them down to St. Mikes when he goes to work and lets them out in a field.
We can't do the cat thing. I'm allergic to cats... and I don't particularly like cats. OTHER people's cats are fine. LOL
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