Mice on stove top

Submitted by Santhu1414Ind t3_yfnw6h in massachusetts

We recently bought a home in Maynard and my wife just saw a mice when she returned from work and was about to make tea. She was scared and crying after she saw the mice sitting on oven in a cooking pot. We were informed of mice presence during inspection but it’s been 3 months and this is the first time we saw the mice. It’s more disturbing to see it on stove and that too hanging out in a cooking pan. No idea how it got there and we don’t feel like going in to kitchen. I heard it’s common for all homes to have mice in Massachusetts. Can I know how can I control? If preventing is not possible we at least would like to restrict them from entering the living spaces especially kitchen. Getting a Cat is not an option for us. Just wondering what are the best methods so I can make sure my wife won’t get scared like this again. Thank you in advance.

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_iu4acn6 wrote

Buy: 10 cheap wooden spring mouse traps, a box of hospital type latex gloves, headlamp type flash light, plenty of sealed food containers, and peanut butter (small jar is probably enough)

Clean: Put all snack food and cereal into sealed containers. Put on head lamp. Deep clean (including getting crumbs out of kitchen cabinets, trash bin area, and off counters, shake crumbs out of toaster, draw under oven (if there is one) and vacuum crumbs from under couch cushions). Look for mouse pee/poop as you clean. Leave sink dry at night. Sometimes just using sealed containers for your cereal and snacks will be enough to get all the mice to leave and go to your neighbor’s house.

Set traps: (careful, it hurts when they snap) using just a tiny bit of peanut butter as the bait. Place them near anyplace you noticed mouse pee/poop.

Removal: put on latex gloves to remove/trash any dead mice (some carry disease). Some people throw out the spring trap each time since they are fairly inexpensive, others keep and reuse the traps.

Repeat: Make it a daily routine to empty and reset traps.

Edit: sequence

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Antgrannybillie t1_iu621dl wrote

If the wooden traps don't work (we found the mice kept escaping them), try this type. We've had excellent success with these.

Also, don't forget to check the traps regularly. We forgot about one in a hole in our ceiling and came back from vacation to maggots falling from the ceiling.

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SueAnnNivens t1_iu4bncl wrote

I am qualified to answer because mice were frolicking in my apartment recently. They are trying to come in from the cold.

Find the holes! That is the only way you will win. Check around the pipes, behind appliances, and baseboards. Mickey was on the stove? If it's gas, check the pipe.

I have forced hot water heaters that run along the exterior walls. Mice were entering around around those pipes. Check the exterior of the house as well. A good exterminator will inspect & chink the holes.

If you decide to do it, push steel wool in the holes. You can put spray foam or plaster over the steel wool if necessary. If you set traps for strays peanut butter & Slim Jim slivers are an irresistible bait. If you use poison there are some really great professional-grade products for outside.

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[deleted] t1_iu4czu7 wrote

^ THIS (r/SueAnnNivens)

Also check Amazon and buy a few ultrasonic pest deterrents, they cost about $20 each.

As a last resort hire an exterminator, they will use poison, this can be bad for wildlife and birds of prey because the mice go outside when they are dying to look for water only to be grabbed by owls or hawks who will suffer and die a slow and painful death after consuming.

Whatever you do, do not ignore them. They multiply like crazy; they chew on wiring behind the insulation in the wall and can spark a fire. They are filthy and spread disease.

And best of all, homeowner insurance does not cover damage caused by rodents. Found this out when a squirrel chewed through an electrical wire to get into the attic.

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SueAnnNivens t1_iu4dyge wrote

They make poisons that are not secondary poisons, i.e. other animals will not be poisoned if they eat a poisoned mouse.

Sheesh about insurance & rodent damage! If they don't pay for floods or rodent damage what's left? LOL

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Shemsuni t1_iu7hm73 wrote

🛑 The ultrasonic products are pure scams.

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[deleted] t1_iu850hv wrote

Possibly, but so far, I have had positive results using them (over a year). You also have to block all entries (cracks in the house foundation too) with steel wool. I use them in a pantry and under my car hood and the trunk.

The noise and the blinking lights act as a deterrent.

My mechanic tells me that they do work as a deterrent in conjunction with other methods. However, after a while the mice can get used to the sounds and lights and ignore them. So, I change the location from time to time.

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[deleted] t1_iu4f8ur wrote

Another tip. PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE BIRDS. It will attract rodents. Put up some birdhouses and a birdbath if you want to help them. NO FOOD.

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LowkeyPony t1_iu4mpd6 wrote

My neighbor has bird feeders up, and our homes are close together. Between the chipmunks, squirrels, and mice I make sure to go and drive each of our vehicles frequently. While my family has hens, their food is stored in metal cans, and I don't over feed so there's not food just laying around. Plus the hens have devoured several mice over the last few weeks. Chickens can be terrifying little things

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[deleted] t1_iu4nftl wrote

I have the same neighbors, lol. Check under the hood of your car and trunk for rodents nesting.

Check your auto insurance deductible, comprehensive.

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Santhu1414Ind OP t1_iu4g4pf wrote

Thanks. My wife was doing this recently

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[deleted] t1_iu4gzct wrote

I made that mistake too. I have checked with the Wildlife Organizations. They don't need us to feed them. A clean bird bath and some Audubon Society approved birdhouses, add metal guards (1 1/2 inch) to the entrance to prevent squirrels from getting in, should provide plenty of entertainment. They use them year-round. Especially the common sparrows.

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Top_Jeweler_553 t1_iu4go3f wrote

I just moved into an older house in MA and we had a pretty bad mouse problem. HOWEVER, we adopted a cat from the local shelter and he was able to catch a couple and we haven’t seen a mouse since! I have heard that just the smell of the cats will deter the mice from wanting to explore your living areas. Granted the mice are probably still in the house but they are contained to the basement.

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[deleted] t1_iu4hlfu wrote

They are behind the walls in the insulation, eventually you will hear them at night scratching. Don't fool yourself. A cat can only do so much.

Edit: However, I am all for saving a cat or two. Not an option for some. Cat is a common allergy for humans.

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bubalusarnee t1_iuelgg6 wrote

> Cat is a common allergy for human.

mouse feces is a common disease vector for humans

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LowkeyPony t1_iu4nbsm wrote

I wish. I have three cats. Still have mice. I don't see them, unless one of the cats actually decides to hunt. But they are in the walls. We've been in our place 21 years. Blocked holes, openings. They still get in. I no longer use kill bait though, since I like the neighborhood hawks etc and don't want them dead. So I bought quick kill, no touch traps. Had one in my room, heard the snap one night. Kinda ick, but as cute as mice are. They are very ick.

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Yanosh457 t1_iu4b89v wrote

I live in an old house and end up killing 6-12 mice a year with snap traps. Just make sure they are not eating your food. Try to close up any openings. Make sure your sump is dry or not accessible.

Edit: I have a cat and a dog

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Banea-Vaedr t1_iu4bu5d wrote

You are never getting rid of mice for good. Field mice are everywhere. They're mostly harmless, don't worry. They don't like populated spaces, either, so just being ohysically present and rubbing your scent all over anything will help solve the problem in time.

I'd steer clear of the drowning traps you see online, as they're a crime in Massachusetts. Glue traps are inhumane but they certainly send a message to other mice. Stick to snap traps.

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[deleted] t1_iu4i001 wrote

If your stove is old, check the insulation behind the oven walls as they may be nesting in there. May be wise to get a new stove. Especially if you see droppings all around there.

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Peeeculiar t1_iu4dce2 wrote

Clean house and traps. Place the traps against walls, etc - they like to hug the perimeter of rooms when doing their thing,

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NightWalk77 t1_iu4mow5 wrote

FYI cats don't always work. I got 2 still occasionally have mice.

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Low-Donut-9883 t1_iu5vpbq wrote

Seal every tiny hole, with steel wool. That is the only thing they can't chew through. We had a horrific mouse problem at our last home (an older home), they ate EVERYTHING. We removed the insulation hanging in the basement ceiling, and sealed every hole we could find. Put out traps, and soon got it under control.

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SeaworthinessLeft88 t1_iu4j2i6 wrote

Find where they’re coming in if you can. They can squeeze through very small openings, but usually you’ll see some scratches by a small opening. Get a tube of caulking and fill any of these holes. Then get some snap traps, as others have said. I like these ones: https://www.amazon.com/Indoor-Effective-Sanitary-Catcher-Family/dp/B083LDKS6Z/ . They’re reusable. Don’t bait them, just place them along walls where the mice may be hiding/running (basically in areas that you see mouse droppings). Mice will typically run along walls, not through open rooms, and they’ll walk right into the traps. When you catch one, you open the trap to throw the mouse in the trash, reset it, and repeat. Eventually, you’ll catch them all and won’t have any more mice. I do the same in my shed, but that’s an ongoing issue since it can’t be blocked off completely.

Also, a pest control company might help by helping you place traps and preventing them from getting inside. Good luck. It took me about a year to get rid of all the mice in my crawl space/basement.

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SuburbiaNow t1_iu4k38s wrote

I'm sorry that mice are in your house. As others have said, fill holes with steel wool and seal them, set traps, wear rubber gloves.

Also, keep your food in airtight containers, preferably metal. Birdseed should be kept in a metal container too. It's a PITA, but for now you probably should keep your silverware in a container too.

I love cats but sometimes they just like to play with the mice rather than kill them.

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ariadneshmariadne t1_iu4pk7n wrote

Lots of good advice here, but I’ll add-I was totally squigged out by having to touch and move the snap traps, so got a little electric box, where you put bait at the end of a closed tunnel and they step on a plate that kills them through a strong electric shock. A light turns on to say you’ve got one so you never have to look at the dead mouse. I’m a huge wimp so found this to be slightly more bearable. Good luck! I’m sorry you guys are going through this, it’s so frustrating.

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starsandfrost t1_iu5sod7 wrote

Do you have a link to this?

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kissmekate48 t1_iu4sypa wrote

Do your best to figure out how they’re getting in and block them. Not easy with an older house.

Poison is not a good solution for a few reasons, one of which is mice dying in your walls. While the stench passes in time, it is truly awful.

We used small non-lethal traps and never got new visitors. And we were super clean about food.

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everything2everyone8 t1_iu5iwoj wrote

Do an inspection of your exterior, especially places where any piping enters your home. Fill those cracks with copper mesh if they are exterior facing (won’t rust) and iron mesh if interior and then fill with spray foam. Place snap trap around any area you’ve seen activity (such as runner along basement wall). Get very strong peppermint oil and spray the interior of the garage and any entry points to your house. Re-apply every few months.

The best thing you can do is hire a licensed exterminator and get on a quarterly maintenance plan. It will ensure the problem is kept in check and it doesn’t resurface. As an added bonus, the plans typically cover preventative maintenance and removal of wasps, carpenter bees, ants, and the like.

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earthshifts t1_iu64l4d wrote

Also live in Maynard and also had an issue with mice going onto the stove. Our main issue was that there was a hole in the floor behind the stove where I think a gas pipe used to be. I filled and covered that and it made things way better.

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Santhu1414Ind OP t1_iu64ube wrote

Thank you. I will try. Do you have gas stove as well ? I am not at all handy to remove the stove and check. Is it simple to do what you did?

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[deleted] t1_iu857gi wrote

With a gas stove you have to hire a plumber and possibly an electrician to remove or install. Don't try to disconnect anything yourself.

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earthshifts t1_iu650e9 wrote

Yes, we have a gas stove too. Are you able to look behind without moving it?

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bubalusarnee t1_iuelkhv wrote

> No idea how it got there and we don’t feel like going in to kitchen.

Are they plotting a revolution or something? They're -mice-. GTFO yourselves and clean your kitchen.

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LePantalonRouge t1_iu4mhhb wrote

Steel wool into holes is a good way of stopping mice, but let me stress this DO NOT PUT STEEL WOOL AROUND THE OVEN. I would definitely get an exterminator to come and assess the situation. I’ve also heard peppermint will deter them. I did hang bags of dried mint in and around my old apartment and it seemed to do the trick (although the plethora of steel wool likely helped)

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jeynespoole t1_iu4ou8e wrote

clean everything and keep it clean. Find and plug up the holes they might come in through, set live or snap traps (I only did live because i have dogs/kid and i dont trust any of those idiots with snap traps) and make little corners they might nest in inhospitable to them. Years ago I had them living in a dresser of off-season clothes for a while and it was so gross to clean up and they chewed through my clothes.

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nattarbox t1_iu4wunm wrote

Google bucket traps. They're way more effective than anything you can buy.

You could get an exterminator to come seal up every hole, but with a single family it will be a big project and definitely not 100% guaranteed.

A cat is the only really effective method at making sure you never see them again, they'll find somewhere else to live when there is one in the house, or at the very least not come out of the walls into your space.

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[deleted] t1_iu4zkw6 wrote

In the walls. They chew on electrical wiring and spark fires. Bad advice.

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SnooPeppers6081 t1_iu50c50 wrote

I get some every fall when the temperature drops and go on a 2 or 3 week campaign with snap traps. I've sealed up all the opening I could find but will still take them over rats or roaches.

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Maronita2020 t1_iu54fpv wrote

Make sure to place steel wool in any hole area and seal all possible entries. If you have baseboard heat make sure there are no holes behind the baseboard system. Set up mice traps, and I would also suggest getting pest repeller plug in for each room.

Peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, pepper and cloves. Mice are said to hate the smell of these. Lightly soak some cotton balls in oils from one or more of these foods and leave the cotton balls in places where you've had problems with mice. Another option is to make cheesecloth sachets from dry cayenne, mint, and whole cloves and leave them in places where mice tend to hide, such as under beds and corners.

Ammonia smells like the urine of a possible predators. Fill caps from plastic bottles with ammonia and leave them out anywhere mice might be tempted to enter, such the pantry or under the sink - just be sure to place them out of reach of pets and children.

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warriorofinternets t1_iu5xa3r wrote

Get a cat, give him treats any time he catches one, he’ll learn the job real quick and become an excellent hunter.

I’ve not had to deal with any live mice but I hear my cat catch about 5-10 a year, then he leaves them for me at the bottom of the stairs and I just toss it and pay up.

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OG24_Jack_Bauer t1_iu6d8pd wrote

Now is the time the enter as it gets cold outside. Deal with them now and you should be good for a while. Just keep setting snap traps until you dont catch anything.

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MPG54 t1_iu8s7jf wrote

Mice do not like the smell of peppermint oil. Get a spay bottle and dilute it with water. Repeat weekly.

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[deleted] t1_iu4n0ju wrote

Check under your car hood and in your trunk where the spare tire is. Again, ultrasonic pest deterrent should help.

Another place mice love is sheds. Moth balls will deter them, but the odor will make you sick as well.

Fortunately damage to your car caused by rodents/wildlife may be covered by auto insurance, check your comprehensive deductible.

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Illustrious-Nose3100 t1_iu5sx2o wrote

Glue traps. Horribly inhumane but they get the job done. If I find a live one I’ll drown it so doesn’t have such a slow death. We couldn’t get them to go after the snap traps so unfortunately had to resort to these.

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Paul-273 t1_iu4j6h2 wrote

Welcome to the Earth. Buy a cat and feed lite.

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