Where the fuck do we put the mouse?

[MouseInTheHouseShit]

At least I hope it is and not a rat..

Got some humane traps in, going to put them down today. What do we do with the fucker if/when we catch him? Drop him off at the old asshole neighbours house? Where on earth do we take him?

If it's a mouse I don't want it dead but if it's a rat, surely we can't release him somewhere? Or can we? I mean, they're diseased pests, right? Husband says drown it if it's a rat but I don't know if I can do that.

This is what I dreaded moving to the countryside. Fucking hell.

@ShuddaBeenMe

Humane traps work in that they catch them

Then you drive the mouse a few miles away from its usual habitat and it dies alone and terrified, in an unfamiliar place

I'm surprised they even work to catch the mouse. When I had them, not a single one was caught (in the snap traps) when I was at home as has to happen with the humane traps.

Hi OP. I live in the countryside and now have done most of my life. If you take the rat well clear to an open space (wood perhaps) and let it go it will be fine. Rats are clever and resilient creatures. Personally I would not use humane traps as I do not think they are as effective, but if you must you must. It will not get back if you take it a mile or so.

@MrsLargeEmbodied

Get a CAT Cat

Don't get a cat. Mine brings live mice and baby/adolescent rats in to play with.

Snap traps, job done, in the bin.

DrNo007

We’ve caught several rats in a humane trap and released them into woodland a few miles away. Rats are resourceful and I would not assume that they would die anyway. I like to give them a chance at least. Please do not drown animals—it is very cruel.“

This.

"I found with the humane traps that some of the mice died anyway. Trap put out in evening and mouse dead by following morning."

That's why I thought you were only allowed to put the trap down when you were there.

When I lived in Spain they used glue traps. Awful things
My mum has a rat in her roof (semirural area) it kept me awake scrabbling around at night
Council sent pest control and got him with poison
That noise has never left me and any noise at night now has me anxious

@Gwenhwyfar

"I found with the humane traps that some of the mice died anyway. Trap put out in evening and mouse dead by following morning."

That's why I thought you were only allowed to put the trap down when you were there.

No you can leave them overnight. Each trap should contain some suitable food (the bait), including something that will provide moistureand some bedding so the trapped mouse doesnt freeze to death. Traps should be checked at least every 12 hours, more in very hot or cold weather.

I've done capture/recapture trapping of small mammals as part of population studies on nature reserves and its rare for animals to die if trapping is done correctly.

Never underestimate the smallness of a gap that a mouse can get through.

I thought I had one corralled in the kitchen but it squeezed under the door - the gap under there was millimetres. It was a bit like a Tom and Jerry cartoon!

We live in the countryside and have never had mice in the house until earlier this year. My cat may have been keeping them at bay but he is getting old.

Anyway we got a couple of humane traps and checked them every few hours, we thought we must be over run as we caught at least a dozen mice in two days or so we thought. We realised we were not taking them far enough away as we were releasing within walking distance and they were probably coming back. So we started to take them in the car and release a couple of miles away. They were all gone within a few days, we also got another cat.

I know you said you can't have a cat because I assume your husband is allergic, but what about a feral cat? Won't be in the house then, as long as you've got a shed of something it can live and sleep in (and have your husband avoid it), then the cat will do the job for you.

I don't think I could keep a cat in a shed. It would feel mean. Plus I would want cuddles whenever I saw him!

Still haven't put the traps down. I really don't know if that's the best way to go after everything that has been said. We could catch it and it could have a heart attack as someone said, we could release it somewhere where it dies anyway which several people have said happens. It seems the only real benefit to humane traps is that I don't have to kill it/dispose of its remains.

Snap traps, can't trust them.
Don't want to repel our intruders so they just end up going to the neighbours.
Won't use poison. That's what an exterminator would do though, isn't it?
Could use hired dogs, but the result is still death for the mouse/mice/rat/s. There doesn't seem to be a way out for them alive, other than in my head when I convince myself that releasing them was the right thing to do and they will live happily ever after.

I certainly won't allow anything to live in my house and I can't believe some would have me defend that, as if I am unreasonable to not want to give up part of my property to them.

@Gwenhwyfar

"Also, if it isn't living in there but coming in just sometimes then my biggest concern would be a cat or fox finding it and eating it and dying themselves."

The poison can be in containers that only mice would fit into.

The problem is that most poisons are slower acting so the pest moves away from the bait and dies elsewhere, allowing more pests to come to nibble the bait without the big red flag that is a dead compatriot lying next to the food source.

Because it's slower acting allowing the pest to go elsewhere that means they can make their way back outside and either die from poison and be eaten by carrion eaters or be caught by someones cat/dog or an owl as a PP pointed out.

Introducing poison may take care of your immediate rodent problem but it also introduces poison to the wider ecosystem.

OP if the neighbours don't have their house rodent proof they will already have visitors, you won't be causing a mass exodus of rodents that suddenly take up residence with your neighbour if you put out deterrent plug ins, honest.

If you're worried let them know you've got rodent sign in the house and you are taking measures, maybe they should have a check too?

Don't get the dogs in, that's just as horrific a death as drowning unless there's masses of them or they are in a confined but open area dogs won't get many anyway, they'll just hide.

Agree sticky traps are awful torture devices, the poor things just chew off limbs to escape

Prevention is better than cure but if you must use fatal methods, please use the quickest and most humane ways to do it. A quick bop on the head with something heavy, snap traps or shooting for rats if the shooter is an accurate shot. I prefer humane catch and release but as a country resident for most of my life sometimes popping them off is the only way. You must do it as kindly as possible please though.

You cannot have wild rodents running amok in the house, they do incredible damage to things and can make people ill from their urine which will be everywhere they have been. Anyone suggesting you allow them safe continuous living in your house is some nutty Cinderella wannabe who doesn't know what real rodents are like - and I love rodents!

Humane traps aren’t-please didn’t use them. Buy snap shut. Plug up the holes in the outside walls -ours were coming in through a disused tumble dryer vent so covered it with metal mesh.

@ShuddaBeenMe

They don't work. You re going to need the snap traps.

It's hideous but you can't have them in your kitchen.

They do work but you have to relocate the mouse at least 3-4 miles away or they'll make their way back as they can smell their scent!!

I’m sure the psychopaths will be on to agree with drowning it.

No take it to nearby woods where it will be eaten alive by an owl or fox - much more humane!

@MamsellMarie

I’m sure the psychopaths will be on to agree with drowning it.

No take it to nearby woods where it will be eaten alive by an owl or fox - much more humane!

This made me lmao.

Mice and rats can chew through electrical wires and start fires. They also carry disease. It's not something to pussy foot around. They can kill you. You need them out of the house (and garage).

Mice can fit through a hole the circumference of a pencil as they have squashy skeletons. They find ways to get around a house in wall cavities, up climbing plants, even under cladding.

I'd use an electrical trap or snap traps. Wine gums or similar on the snap trap, if they have to tug the bait they're more likely to be caught. Poison as well.

As pp have said, humane traps are not that humane.

Firstly a step (how ever high) WILL NOT stop a mouse getting into your house.
Humane traps - you need to empty a long distance from your home otherwise they will head back. We had trap sprung. We took it away and when I went to 'empty' it, the choc was gone and nothing in! Not sure how it managed that.
Both mice and rats spread disease and urinate as they walk so it's everywhere. No difference between the 2 except size. Mice are not cuter.
Kill traps. We ended up using them. We came home one day and a mouse was trapped but still alive, I was devastated and so upset. It had suffered for so long it felt so wrong.
As others have said you need to find where it's coming in from and block it. They will chew through plaster etc to get back in. A pest controller told me to break up little bits of glass in the filler as this will stop them eating it. Not had an issue since.

OP I gather you have recently moved to the countryside. This is something you will deal with on a recurring basis, especially at this time of year. In September and October last year we caught 57 mice in our house, not including those caught and devoured by our two cats!
So don't be squeamish... get snap traps and hopefully the mice aren't too small to be caught in them.

p.s. peanut butter is the best bait.

Here in Edinburgh, I can sometimes hear them moving around inside the walls! Drives the cat mad.

We tried our new electrified mouse trap last night. Mice took the food and none were caught .

Humane traps are no good.

We used sticky traps back in the day, but I think they are banned now.

DH's granddad used to put digestive biscuits spread with peanut butter on a snappy trap. Quite successful.

The ick is real, but you have to get past it and kill the fuckers.

We couldn't catch our mouse, so got a cat. She's caught two, but I think her smell is putting it off entering. She still can smell them (scratches skirting boards and goes behind fridge sometimes) but they have learned their lesson.