calling all rodent experts...

[ThreeShadows]

I think Jena's mouse population has moved to my house.

Do mice eat dead mice? I'm a little freaked out, our three killer cats have been begging to go down to the basement, I have always had a strange apprehension in basements and have recurring unsettling dreams which take place in basements. They have been presenting us with their trophies, dead or moribund mice. The other night husband went down there and saw one of our cats eating what was left of his prey. husband shooed him upstairs, saying he would dispose of the remains in the morning (I do mean REMAINS, only a tail and the hindquarters). The next day the corpse had vanished. I don't want to imagine what must have dragged that thing away!!!

 

[susiestar]

I don't know if other mice would eat it, but I THINK, emphasis on think - not on sure, that I remember an episode of The Exterminator on A& E where he found bones of a mouse that other mice or roaches had eaten all the flesh off - even off the tail! I cannot remember if it was roaches or mice, but it was gross either way.

I would set some traps and put out some roach motels and see what happens. Just keep the mice out of the bathroom while traps or poisoned bait are out. That would be a tragedy if one of your cats was injured in a mousetrap. NO GLUE TRAPS. It is just sad to come across a mouse who dies of starvation while stuck in a glue trap.

Sorry you have such a tough time in basements. That and the flooding that happens to most all basements in our town, is a MAJOR reason we do not have a basement, nor will we ever leave our home for a house with a basement. You are NOT the only one with basement fears. Count me in on that. Just don't get in my way on the stairs out of the basement!

 

[ThreeShadows]

CAN'T stay out of the basement, Susie, that's where I keep all the free, or nearly free, stuff I get with all my coupons. I've got a general store going on down there. All the stuff they could chew into is stored in the walk-in closet in our bedroom. Don't you think 3 killer cats could keep the mice population under control? I've got to figure out their point of entry.

 

[gcvmom]

I'd bet it's the other mice eating the vestiges of their "friend". Rats will do the same thing... and worse. I'll spare you our rat stories!

Maybe let the cats live down there for a week or so... that should at least eliminate the current pests, and then you can work on finding out how they're getting in.

 

[ThreeShadows]

I love my cats. I feel so well-armed and I don't have to hide the ammo from the kids

 

[Hound dog]

Yup. Gross to say, but they will feed on any dead carcass.

If your cats are really good mousers........and it sounds like they are.......put a litter box down there and let them have at it until they get it cleaned out. But get in there quick to find out how they are getting in or it just will never stop.

You are in good company with the basement thing. We have lived in this house for 6 years now. I have never stepped one foot into the basement. Even when the tornado sirens are blaring I won't go. No sir. Not me.

When my kids were very small we had a week of horrid storms and many tornados........several of which went right over the house. Spent hours upon hours in that darn basement only to keep my babies safe.....and had to use all my self control to keep myself from running for the basement steps.

I have no clue why I have such an enormous overwhelming fear of basements. But I do.

 

[susiestar]

I fear them because our basement was scary when I was growing up. I had to do the litter box and it was nearly impossible because the light was around the other side of the stairs. The shadows were scary. And we would get water bugs coming up through the drain in the floor from the drainage pipes. I am terrified of them. Still.

Basements are full of scary things usually. in my opinion.

 

[DDD]

Thank God I am NOT a "rodent expert". I did have one hellacious week of living with mice and rats. I learned two big lessons. Dense landscaping is prime real estate for rodent nests. We had one back corner landscaped and it was "home" to a family that once disturbed took off running for a new hiding place.

The bigger (and sadder) lesson was that sealed boxes (appropriately taped) of books or papers are popular nests. Ex and I had boxes of our old yearbooks etc. safely stacked. Turns out that a rat made a small hole in the backside of the box and those boxes were like beachfront condo's for the rodents.

It took four grown men half a day to clear out the nests. They told me to keep the children in the house with me and for hours I would hear one "inappropriate" yelled word after another and then see the big brave men running in the opposite direction. I'll never forget.

The only other thing I know is don't put out kill bait unless you can tolerate the smell of rotting rodents inside your walls and remember that rodents can constrict their bodies to enter very small holes. Yuk. I'm sorry you have the problem but encourage you to get at it pronto. DDD