So, a little over a month ago we ended up having mice in our apartment. We caught a few, and the poison the apartment complex caught one (of course it died behind the dishwasher and started to stink).

Anyway, we bought one of those electronic thingies that are supposed to keep them away. Said that the first two weeks might have increased activity. Well, none the first two weeks, now in the 3rd week and tonight, two of them. I heard the first one snap and knew what it was. Threw the trap away, replaced it and no more than 15 minutes later, snap again.

Now, I'm ranting mostly about our freaking apartment and the new management. 2 years here and not one problem, then they take over this summer and they obviously aren't doing something. Maybe it's that so many people moved out that the mice are going where people are? I'm not sure but we just got our new lease today and I'm wondering what to do. If it weren't such a pain to move, my decision would be made. Further complicating things is that we live in one of the three best neighborhoods in our city, and one of probably the top 5 in the metro area I'd want to live in.

Anyway, another rant is the snap traps. I chose them over the more "humane" ones because I thought they'd work better (which I think they do) and because I thought finishing the mice off quickly was more humane IMO. Since I actually heard them snap this time, I found out they don't exactly finish the mice off very quickly. I had to play executioner twice tonight. I couldn't in good conscious let them struggle to a slow death.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no animal rights activist, but I guess I have too much heart to let even a mouse die slowly if I can intervene.

You big softee!!!!!:-)

The new management probably cut back on costs and quit one (or all) of the pest programs the previous management had.

Sounds like you need bigger traps. more spring tension will take them out pronto. You know you are in trouble when they get caught and walk away with the traps!

Just so you know, we have friends that are having a banner year with mice this fall/early winter, after no issues over the last several years. I've got multiple cas outside, and one inside that seem to have them buffaloed, but have also had years in the past where they seem to be abundant!

Good luck with the problem.

At least they aren't rats (yet). I know those will be able to walk away with the traps. These are just mice for now, and the normal victor traps are able to contain them fine, but man were they squirming. I really have no respect for pests like them, but I still can't let an animal suffer if I can help it.

Not a lot of choices out there, are there!!??

Traps sensitive enough to trip might be too small to kill, bigger traps might not snap. Sticky pads are definitely out for you, because the mice WILL still be alive and trying like heck to get out of the sticky goo. Humane traps just put them back in the environment for you or someone else to deal with, and poisons have all kinds of issues!

My grandmother had an old trap that was a quad design, with the trap underneath and four holes for trapping. when that thing snapped, the mice died instantly. Haven't seen one like it in 40 years.

Any efforts by the management would almost undoubtedly fall into the poison category. Maybe a local hardware store (not a super-store type) would have some different traps more likely to kill instantly.

If that does not work, let me know. I will mail you a cat or two:-)

These things work great!
http://www.amazon.com/Ortho-0321110-.../dp/B003YL4MG0
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I have had good luck with these also. I believe I may have a little bugger in the garage again.

We have been seeing a lot more in our neighborhood every since the neighbor's cat died last summer ....

Could be worse, my grandma had some rats that would run away with the rat traps, she bashed one on the head so hard with a flashlight one time she broke the flashlight. Turns out they were baby oppossums and the neighbor had shot their mother, so they came to grandma's looking for food. :-)

Sorry to hear that. Mice are a PITA to deal with. Don't throw the traps away. The more mice you catch, the better they work because the get their scent on it and become more attractive. Anyhoo, the management company is not living up to their responsibilities. Good luck on whatever you choose.

http://www.victorpest.com/store/rodent-control/m260

I had no idea mouse traps ever got this high tech.

Hopefully David solved his mouse problem in the 3 1/2 years in the interim of the original post. :-)

Have you thought about getting a cat.

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You think this was easy?
(With pic and all.)

Well at least i can get my necro fetish on now.

Post of the DAY Tom! Thank you.

Who's on first?

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I had mice in my house this past winter. I was looking around in a cupboard and found a bag of popcorn that was chewed open, with a nice pile of partially eaten kernels all over the place. Traps didn't work; they ate the bait and left the trap unsprung, so with some trepidation I used D-Con to get rid of them. Luckily, no smell from dead carcasses. They must have been living in the crawl space under the house. Apparently they loved eating the D-Con; I had to replace the box every few days for two weeks until the stuff was finally sitting there without any rodents eating it. From what I understand, they die a pretty unpleasant death from that stuff. Oh well. I don't want rabies infected varmints running around in my house! :-)