There may be a wild rat in my apartment! (or two?!)

[victoria]

Most of the items Jennifer listed to cover holes with will just get pushed aside or chewed.... steel wool is really your best bet. If you have mice, the trap you bought will be useless.

Unepuce has a good point... they're likely attracted by the smell of easy food and if it's mice, there are likely small droppings around. (It's rarely just one mouse, if you have one you probably have many.)

 

[lilspaz68]

I used hardware mesh and folded and shoved it hard and deep into the holes/corners...that finally worked.

 

[Joanne]

You definitely don't want wild rats in your apt or walls. A rat chewed a hole in a water pipe in my mom's house and they had a major leak in the ceiling! I'd rather they stay OUTside!

 

[Dazzle87]

Since you saw a white one, while albinos do happen in the wild (though very rarely) I'd be inclined to think escaped pet or progeny of an escaped pet. Have you considered posting a sign asking if anyone in the building/area lost their pet rodents?

 

[purinpurin]

Yup, I've posted an ad in the lobby and on my floor asking someone to contact me if they've lost their pet rodent(s). No calls yet, though.

While I understand that the hole can be blocked off, what happens if the rodents can't get out? They'll die in there, right? Which means the apartment will stink up. :/

The Havahart trap is directly in front of the hole, and I've not left food anywhere else... But they still aren't coming out. I'm deathly afraid to even let my pet rats out for any free range in case they get bit/mate/whatever.

I guess I'm going to have to get some plexiglass tomorrow to make a sort of 'play area'...

 

[Dazzle87]

I highly doubt that there is no way out of your building if you block off the wall.

Okay glad you posted an ad! Just in case it doesn't hurt.

Good luck I know this is a crappy situation. Perhaps for free range you could use a different room that is more secure, like the bathroom?

 

[jennifervb]

Most of the items Jennifer listed to cover holes with will just get pushed aside or chewed.... steel wool is really your best bet. If you have mice, the trap you bought will be useless.

Unepuce has a good point... they're likely attracted by the smell of easy food and if it's mice, there are likely small droppings around. (It's rarely just one mouse, if you have one you probably have many.)

are you peeing in my Wheaties Victoria? Imagine that! :laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4: :hugs: :cuddle:

Seriously.... we used these things while were actively pursuing the mice and it does take them some time to chew through things. None of my rats ever got through the Coroplast and if you zip tie the panels together, and set them up in a circle, they won't fall over.

 

[victoria]

Most of the items Jennifer listed to cover holes with will just get pushed aside or chewed.... steel wool is really your best bet. If you have mice, the trap you bought will be useless.

Unepuce has a good point... they're likely attracted by the smell of easy food and if it's mice, there are likely small droppings around. (It's rarely just one mouse, if you have one you probably have many.)

are you peeing in my Wheaties Victoria? Imagine that! :laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4: :hugs: :cuddle:

Seriously.... we used these things while were actively pursuing the mice and it does take them some time to chew through things. None of my rats ever got through the Coroplast and if you zip tie the panels together, and set them up in a circle, they won't fall over.

Speaking from experience, mice will often be able to squeeze around the items you suggested - it's very unlikely there will be a perfect 90º angle to put up a flat piece of coroplast or the like. My own rats were fine with a playpen when I was in it with them, but as soon as I left to clean the cage they got to work - it took them less than an hour (2 cleanings) to make a hole big enough to chew through. Those were domestic rats, wild ones would be worse I imagine.

 

[purinpurin]

UPDATE!:

Definitely MICE, not rats. I've gotten four rats from Chelle's Critter Haven at quite a young age, but they didn't look like these little critters.

Little mice, about... Maybe 2~3 inches from their nose to their bums (not including their tails) were peeking at me and playing on my shelf. -_- I heard some weird sounds (I was laying on my bed, about 2~3 feet away from the shelf) so I looked in that area and saw two playing on the shelf, and one peeking out from behind the shelf. They had roundish faces, large, large eyes and GIGANTIC ears. Their ears must have been half the size of their faces!

When I got up to take a closer look, they scurried away, so I though maybe there was a 'nest' behind my shelf... Nope, they were just being gutsy and playing.

So apparently lady luck was not on my side, and the two mice that I saw before were OPPOSITE GENDERED. *facepalms* Now I have to catch all these mice before they breed!! Maybe some of them are pregnant already!! ㅠㅠ

ETA: Also, they got all the food out of the Havahart trap without triggering it. Even the peanut butter that I smeared on the bottom of the trap pan was neatly scraped off. :/ :gaah:

 

[lilspaz68]

UPDATE!:

Definitely MICE, not rats. I've gotten four rats from Chelle's Critter Haven at quite a young age, but they didn't look like these little critters.

Little mice, about... Maybe 2~3 inches from their nose to their bums (not including their tails) were peeking at me and playing on my shelf. -_- I heard some weird sounds (I was laying on my bed, about 2~3 feet away from the shelf) so I looked in that area and saw two playing on the shelf, and one peeking out from behind the shelf. They had roundish faces, large, large eyes and GIGANTIC ears. Their ears must have been half the size of their faces!

When I got up to take a closer look, they scurried away, so I though maybe there was a 'nest' behind my shelf... Nope, they were just being gutsy and playing.

So apparently lady luck was not on my side, and the two mice that I saw before were OPPOSITE GENDERED. *facepalms* Now I have to catch all these mice before they breed!! Maybe some of them are pregnant already!! ㅠㅠ

ETA: Also, they got all the food out of the Havahart trap without triggering it. Even the peanut butter that I smeared on the bottom of the trap pan was neatly scraped off. :/ :gaah:

Hahaha, waaay too lite for that havahart

 

[purinpurin]

ㅠㅠ Yeah, they're definitely too light!

I took a better look at them when they were coming out of the hole again (I saw them stealing the food off the trap pan >:I), and they are a maximum of 2 inches long (not including the tails).

 

[SQ]

pet mice?
pics?

 

[purinpurin]

I'm currently attempting to catch a picture, but they're just too fast! Dx

I'm not sure whether they're pet mice, but they don't seem too bothered by the fact that I'm in the room, as long as I don't make any sudden movements, or noises. *rolls eyes*

 

[Dazzle87]

Well I guess mice is better than rats at least. I'm surprised they were so bold though, wow!

Good luck catching them, hopefully now you can get the smallest trap, they're more likely to fall for it now that they've been in one and been safe at least.

 

[victoria]

I'm currently attempting to catch a picture, but they're just too fast! Dx

I'm not sure whether they're pet mice, but they don't seem too bothered by the fact that I'm in the room, as long as I don't make any sudden movements, or noises. *rolls eyes*

What colour are they?

Havahart makes a live trap for mice, it's something to keep in mind.

 

[purinpurin]

Yeah, they're pretty bold. I think maybe because they're still babies and don't know any better?? :S

@Vic: They're a light brown-grey in colour; and yes, I'm hunting down the mouse trap. ㅠㅠ I had to call over 12 different Home Hardwares to find the one that I got. *Goes nuts*

 

[victoria]

Yeah, they're pretty bold. I think maybe because they're still babies and don't know any better?? :S

@Vic: They're a light brown-grey in colour; and yes, I'm hunting down the mouse trap. ㅠㅠ I had to call over 12 different Home Hardwares to find the one that I got. *Goes nuts*

They're probably wild then.

 

[purinpurin]

Awww. D: That kinda sucks.

Does anyone know anything about mice?? I heard from lilspaz that rats were predators, but these mice don't seem to care much LOL! If that's the case, I kind of want to keep them in a separate cage... x_x I'm going to have such a hard time just leaving them in a park somewhere if I do catch them...

 

[victoria]

Awww. D: That kinda sucks.

Does anyone know anything about mice?? I heard from lilspaz that rats were predators, but these mice don't seem to care much LOL! If that's the case, I kind of want to keep them in a separate cage... x_x I'm going to have such a hard time just leaving them in a park somewhere if I do catch them...

Wild mice would be miserable in a cage, please do not keep them just because. Leaving them in a park/wooded area would be the best for them, even if it's hard for you.

 

[handmeafish]

Wild mice often cary Hantavirus, which is very not good.... often fatal... At least that happens a lot here.
Its transfered from their poo, and the dust gets in the air, and you breath it in, and it gets in your lungs, and things aren't good.
To avoid, just make sure to wear a good mask when vacuuming or sweeping up any droppings, and wash your hands good.

is this what they look like

Thats just a common deer mouse... brownish grey, with huge ears...
also, check this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peromyscus

Good luck.