Sad situation with mouse

If it's a house mouse the most humane action is to kill it - it will die in the wild.

How do you think the mouse got in? Do you have a cat who might have brought it in, or do you think it found its own way in? If the latter PP are right: release it nearby & it's likely to find its way back in. OTOH if you release in an area it's not familiar with it's more likely to perish. I know someone who releases mice with a starter pack of sunflower seeds to help them along. Just a thought. Definitely release it through, it's a wild mouse and likely to be pretty miserable if kept captive.

This x 1000. They also carry infectious diseases.

From Gov.UK publications

"All rodents, pet and wild, can carry bacteria and viruses that cause infections in people. Rodent infections that can transmit to humans include leptospirosis, hantavirus, rat-bite fever and a type of meningitis caused by a virus called lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Although uncommon, these infections may have serious consequences and can be fatal."

"Infections may be acquired following:

• animal bites
• contact with rodent urine, droppings, saliva or bedding materials
• breathing in rodent dander, dried droppings and urine, or dust from bedding materials contaminated by them '

Of course it won’t die from the cold! What a weird thing to think. Animals have survived forever without living in centrally heated houses.

Wild mice live outside so I'm sure it wouldn't die of cold if you put it outside. They are tolerant to very low temperatures.

You know you don't have "a mouse" you have mice plural. If you are considering releasing it and it's extended family you need to drive a few mile away otherwise it'll find it's way back. Also it's a wild mouse, they won't die, they will just find somewhere else to make a nest to keep warm.

We had them a couple of years ago and tried to get rid of them the humane way with the traps that trap them unharmed, we released 1, but there were several and the traps just weren't working, they were taking the bait and escaping. In the end it grossed me out so much we just got a load of snappy traps to get rid of them. I felt bad but we have children and I didn't want them anywhere near their stuff or our food. They would appear in the kitchen which grossed me out. You need to get some traps down.

Mice are not solitary creatures. You don't have a mouse, you have mice.

Don't release it in daylight! Release it in the dark when it can hide from predators better. Also open countryside and fields are great either work. Near garages and sheds etc is much better if you want to give it a chance.

But most important is never release them in daylight.

Why do you think it will die outside?! Mice and other animals quite clearly survive outside.

Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your perspective I just drowned one in a bucket of soapy water. Complete accident, we have a mouse problem and I chucked the trap in a bucket of water to give it a clean before loading it up with Nutella. When I came to retrieve the trap out of the bucket was somewhat taken aback to find poor drowned mouse. So much for a humane trap.

What colour is it? If it’s mostly grey it’s probably a house mouse, they’re serious and potentially dangerous pests, infest homes, and will likely die outside anyway. Or just come back in.

If it’s mostly brown/reddish and white it’s a field mouse and they generally live outside anyway but occasionally the odd one can wander into homes during winter and likely will be fine released back outside.

Either way make sure you seal up any entry points to your house.

I was advised that mice and rats can’t eat through wire wool

For the future, get those plug in things that play high pitched noise through the electrics and put mice off.

You sound lovely, @CloudyYellow - not many people would be so caring 💞

@LadyMacbethWasFierce- I'm so sorry for your loss.

I highly recommend these catch-&-release traps, OP.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09MVNLTL7?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2&th=1

One animal is not automatically indicative of a nest or infestation - depends what kind of mouse it is and how it’s got in. I’ve dealt with quite a few over decades of living rurally, and they’ve always been individual incidents of a single field mouse coming in. I’ve caught and released them away from the house and never once had a breeding problem (even though the damage one tiny mouse can do overnight can sometimes look like there’s been a dozen of them in!).

If you’re worried there are more, check cupboards, food storage areas and any nooks and crannies for evidence (poop, chewed packets, etc) to determine where they may be hiding. If you find anything, place traps baited with peanut butter or Nutella with a few sunflower seeds along skirting boards wherever you think there may be an entry point (bearing in mind they can squeeze through gaps of a few millimetres) or wherever in the house they might be foraging for food. Keep everything edible in sealed containers or the fridge, and make sure pet food bowls are clean and no food is left in them overnight.

Don’t worry too much. You only need to involve pest control if you trap any more mice immediately or start seeing obvious signs of their presence.

😂😂😂
I mean… I wouldn’t bother with a rodent, but hand on heart type in „wildlife network” in to your Facebook search and you’ll see what lengths these volunteers go to!

This does not happen in the countryside. If I posted about a mouse on my village page they would a)think I was mental or b)offer me a terrier. No-one would be rescuing it. They won’t even rescue muntjac.

Be more thorough than you think. If a pencil can fit in a hole, so can a mouse. I discovered this too late after my kitchen renovation and the mouse man said the only resolution is to remove my cupboards and fill the holes. (I haven't done this)

I bought peppermint oil from H&B and duly mixed it with water and washing up liquid and put it in a spray bottle as advised on all the sites that tell you how to get rid of spiders and sprayed it everywhere. It didn't have any effect, those little bastards are still running riot.

This stuff does work on whatever was up in our loft, no disturbed sleep at all.

Can I just say to you that I am trawling MN at the moment as a diversion (I am very very fragile indeed after a life altering huge bereavement) and the thought of you OP, afraid of mice, but still keeping this tiny creature warm and fed has brought tears of joy to my eyes. Bless you. Thank you for your kindness.

I wonder if he'll enjoy the swings or the slide more?

don't forget to pack a picnic 😍

Sort of this - every area has a local wildlife network. Basically a group of volunteers who will take any animal off you and ‘rescue it’. One pops up on my feed often - they regularly travel up to people’s homes to rescue mice…