I actually love mice, but I totally agree you don't want them in your home. Or any wild animal at all!! All wild animals are likely to carry parasites and therefore transmit diseases.
Please please don't use glue traps
- there are so many other ways to solve your mice problems. They just cause a huge amount of totally unnecessary stress, and a long, painful death. The PETA and RSPCA are both totally 100% against glue traps.
A regulatory impact statement released by the Australian government cited a study that concluded that glue traps should be banned "because of the enormous distress that these traps cause, even if the trapped animals are found after just a few hours and then humanely dispatched."(1) One New York City pest-control manager said that he had even seen rats chew off their own feet to escape from the traps.(2)
Even snap traps are better (MUCH better in my opinion) than glue traps. I quickly researched it and every single site I went onto just now has said the glue traps are the most inhumane.
Of course- you can't guarantee that snap traps work ALL the time, but generally a very high proportion of the time (so high that I wouldn't feel as guilty using them), it's an instantaneous death for the mouse.
The best thing to do is block off entrances to your house and use mouth deterring air vent blocks (apparently 70% of mice enter your house through air vents alone).
I live opposite a farm so I have caught GOD knows how many mice.
By hand.
Mice don't come in our house really. 6 or 7 years ago we had a bit of a mouse problem, so we set humane traps, blocked entrances, cleared space etc. and made sure NO food was accessible. It solved the problem. I used to leave open packets of crisps etc in my school bag so perhaps this was contributing....hahahaha :big wink:. So stupid. But I was only about 13...
Now my two cats bring in mice (shrews and bats also), totally alive and seemingly unhurt most of time, to play with. When the cats get a mouse, they sit in the same spot in the house and growl, with it still in their mouth. So I get the mouse from them, (in a glove of course) and set it free on the farm again.
When the cats let the mice go, I have to chase the mouse to get it. I put on my gloves, watch where it goes, trap it, and then as it makes a dash for it I grab it and take it over the road, where it scurries off.
One time I was walking in the hall (where the cats bring the mice) and there was a tail sticking out my mum's bag NO JOKE. I was in hysterics and scooped the mouse out. Imagine if my mum (who has a huge fear of mice) saw the tail.
Anyway. My babbling point is- mice deserve the same respect and life qualities we have in the sense of suffering. How would I rather go? Instantaneous death as I am reaching for a piece of cheese, or getting shut in a box with food and water before being released? Or stuck in a trap where I might be in extreme pain, die of lack of water, try to knaw my own feet off to release myself (very common with glue traps) and have unbelievable stress? Obviously number one. So that is how I would always treat a mouse.
Remember, when using humane traps the most effective way of capture is to follow where the trails of droppings are, or where you know the mouse 'escapes' to- could be behind the fridge etc. Place the trap here. Be sure to check it every few hours. Also keep food and water in there. When you release the mouse make sure it's far from your house or it may just come back.
PLEASSEEEEEE don't use glue traps.
Brandy- god your situation sounds awful!!! I am not surprised you are moving. I think I might do the same in your situation. I quite like both mice and rats, and have no problems being near them/seeing them/touching them etc.(gloved obviously- stupid not to), but I don't think I could live where there are soooo many and ones that go near my rabbits!!! You need to be in a home that you know is safe and just yours! Lots of mice around could definately mean germs and parasites around.
Jen
