Mice in garage...WTF do I do?

[MrsGumby]

Saw a mouse running down our drive the other night and stepson found one in a sports bag in the garage last week. Ordered DH to clear out garage and no obvious signs of rodent life but I think they may have built a little nest under the garage floor. DH bought a couple of humane mousetraps (you put chocolate in as bait - DS carefully chose Cadbury's Fruit 'n' Nut) but the clever little bastards just nicked the chocolate and scarpered without trap door shutting on them. So they're a waste of fecking money. Don't really like the idea of killing them but we've got a freezer in the garage and I don't think the kids would appreciate Southern Fried mice. Also, the thought of them gnawing their way into the house makes me feel queasy. I'd move to a Travelodge if that happened.

Anyone else had a similar problem? Are there any other humane ways to get rid of mice or is death the only option?

Get a cat and tread carefully when coming down stairs in the moring - especially when it's still dark!

here is a humane mouse trap. No dead mice, no poison - have heard it works but have never used one myself.

Oh Jesus, MonkeyT, that really helps.... From now on I am not going to venture downstairs. I am officially bedbound. Do you get benefits for mouseyphobia?

That's all great if you want to mess about catching the odd mouse. If you have a nest of them (and there is never only one lone, rogue mouse) you need to get rid of the lot.

We had them recently, and yep, I am veggie etc but the thought of ds catching some nasty mouse lurgy (from them weeing everywhere) or god forbid, one being in his cot, meant I just called out the Council. Mr Mouse Man came and left bait. You don't have mouse corpses. They go back to their nest and you are not left with that particular problem.

We had them for 3 weeks and it drove me half mad. I just wanted rid.

I too am veggie and couldnt kill them so would persist with the humane traps, have used them before (used Jordans crunch type bar) and it worked.
Am a bit hippy buddhist like that, ie don't like killing living things even pests...

We are veggies too - next doors cat wasn't and we had an unlockable catflap from the previous owners. Not nice but I did save a couple. I didn't mind them really, and they seemed to prefer the garage to the noisy house

Beansprout, may consider contacting the council for similar hygiene reasons that you outlined. But deep down there's a little soft fluffy part of me that hates the thought of a little mouse (like Jerry, or Stuart Little) shuffling down into his nest to die. I must be getting old.

Oh, can't you just keep them?

I'll join you

Quite a nice bottle of SW France chardonnay tonight but to be honest I only bought it because it was 13.5% alcohol. How sad is that? It's been a hard week (that's my excuse anyway).

Drunkensailor you're not alone. I wouldn't worry either, mice have never bothered me - have only caught and released them to save them from certain death at the hands of our two mogs...
I can't see them doing much harm in the garage, esp if nothing edible/perishable is kept in there, which will prob encourage them to go anyway...