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[RedKing]

Don't feel bad about killing them. They are filthy vermin with exponential population growth.

Certain people used to say the same thing about Jews.  (It wasn't a random choice by Art Spiegelman to use mice in Maus).

I don't blame the mice (or any animal pests) for wanting shelter and food. I just relocate them to some place where they can find it without disturbing humans. Besides I do enough on a daily basis to fuck up my karma, if this is one small thing I can do to show compassion then I'll take it where I can get it. Maybe I'll get lucky and one of those mice will be reincarnated as a benevolent deity.

Of course, I also realize I'm a total hypocrite with that, because I swat flies and smash cockroaches like there's no tomorrow. 

[Mushroo]

Oh please. I've been vegetarian for 20 years, I love animals---but once they start chewing holes in my house and defecating on my food supplies, they forfeit their right to "life liberty and pursuit of happiness!"

Don't fool yourself into thinking "catch & release" is more humane. If you remove the mouse from its home and family and dump it in a park somewhere, it will likely starve to death or get killed by another animal that's already claimed that territory. I've watched my Jack Russell Terrier kill mice and squirrels (yes I have those too, 4 different species!) and let me tell you, the quick snap of a mousetrap is much less frightening.

ps please don't use the glue traps, not cool!

[RedKing]

Oh please. I've been vegetarian for 20 years, I love animals---but once they start chewing holes in my house and defecating on my food supplies, they forfeit their right to "life liberty and pursuit of happiness!"

Don't fool yourself into thinking "catch & release" is more humane. If you remove the mouse from its home and family and dump it in a park somewhere, it will likely starve to death or get killed by another animal that's already claimed that territory. I've watched my Jack Russell Terrier kill mice and squirrels (yes I have those too, 4 different species!) and let me tell you, the quick snap of a mousetrap is much less frightening.

True, but a mouse rotting in a landfill seems a bigger waste than in the stomach of a snake or owl or what have you. It's not entirely about what's most "humane" but rather what's most beneficial.

[Flaede]

IF there aren't many (yet), then the 'ruler'+bucket trap is the way to go. It can be a live trap, if that's what you want. A little noisy, but oh-so-effective.

[Mushroo]

True, but a mouse rotting in a landfill seems a bigger waste than in the stomach of a snake or owl or what have you. It's not entirely about what's most "humane" but rather what's most beneficial.

No landfill for my little guys... I return their bodies to the earth, the worms eat them, they nourish the soil and help the flowers grow. It is the circle of life, Simba!

[RedKing]

True, but a mouse rotting in a landfill seems a bigger waste than in the stomach of a snake or owl or what have you. It's not entirely about what's most "humane" but rather what's most beneficial.

No landfill for my little guys... I return their bodies to the earth, the worms eat them, they nourish the soil and help the flowers grow. It is the circle of life, Simba!

Okay, that's not bad then. I still like my catch-and-release traps. One, because it provides a lesson in compassion for my kids (at least until they get old enough to note the disparity with my treatment of roaches) and two, because I can maintain my fantasy of all the relocated mice forming a Secret of NIMH-like society in the pasture, and speaking of the Legendary "Tall One" who put them there. 

[Mushroo]

What a great lesson to teach your kids... there is a correlation between serial killers and childhood cruelty to animals... I support your catch and release program! (just don't release them near my house )

[RedKing]

Sadly, we couldn't do the same with the raccoon in the attic. I would have liked to, but a 45lb momma raccoon defending her nest is not something I'm equipped to handle. And the professionals don't waste time with live-catch traps, because they have nowhere they can legally release or turn the animals over to. 

[GlyphGryph]

And the professionals don't waste time with live-catch traps, because they have nowhere they can legally release or turn the animals over to.

Actually, every "professional" I've ever met has exactly that. Most trappers/pest control groups have agreements with shelters, reserves, and various other locations where they can release trapped animals. Every state in New England, at the very least, has ways and places to release legally, at least for native species. If they don't have anywhere they can legally release the animal, it's a good sign they are not as "professional" as they claim, in my experience. Especially for animals like racoons, where many places explicitly forbid the use of kill traps, and require them to be live captured and brought in even if they are to be euthanized because there's nowhere to release them.

For any pest control service that's actually doing it's job properly, live-trapping the raccoons doesn't take any more time than kill-trapping them, since work like finding the point of egress and cleanup and all that usually needs to happen as well.

Of course, this only applies to the US - in other countries your mileage may vary. And it's not generally true of dealing with mice.

[ed boy]

On the mouse front, I would advise repackaging some of your food.

For example, cereal boxes are very easy for mice to get into. What I do, therefore, is I have a thick plastic box with a sealable lid. When buying cereal, I pour it out of the packet it comes in and into the box. That way, mice cannot get at it. The same can be done for things like pasta and rice. If you start to make sure that all of your food is in mouse-proof containers, then that will keep then away.

[Grakelin]

I've been examining some pictures, trying to figure out if it was really a mouse, or a rat. I have ascertained that it may well be a shrew.

Which kills the cat idea, because shrews are venomous.

[RedKing]

And the professionals don't waste time with live-catch traps, because they have nowhere they can legally release or turn the animals over to.

Actually, every "professional" I've ever met has exactly that. Most trappers/pest control groups have agreements with shelters, reserves, and various other locations where they can release trapped animals. Every state in New England, at the very least, has ways and places to release legally, at least for native species. If they don't have anywhere they can legally release the animal, it's a good sign they are not as "professional" as they claim, in my experience. Especially for animals like racoons, where many places explicitly forbid the use of kill traps, and require them to be live captured and brought in even if they are to be euthanized because there's nowhere to release them.

For any pest control service that's actually doing it's job properly, live-trapping the raccoons doesn't take any more time than kill-trapping them, since work like finding the point of egress and cleanup and all that usually needs to happen as well.

Of course, this only applies to the US - in other countries your mileage may vary. And it's not generally true of dealing with mice.

I think our municipality may actually have regulations AGAINST using live-catch traps. :-/ I know we asked, and vaguely remember something about how if I lived in Raleigh they could have used one, but in Cary they're legally obligated to use kill traps. It wouldn't surprise me.

I've been examining some pictures, trying to figure out if it was really a mouse, or a rat. I have ascertained that it may well be a shrew.

Which kills the cat idea, because shrews are venomous.

Not mention they could mutate and turn into killer shrews!!

Spoiler: And look like a dog wearing shag carpet and prosthetic teeth (click to show/hide)

[alway]

Spoiler: And look like a dog wearing shag carpet and prosthetic teeth (click to show/hide)

On second thought, just burn your house down.

[Grakelin]

Nope, I finally confirmed what I saw. It's an Eastern Chipmunk. The dark corner it was scuttling in confused me as to colour and the tail, but the pattern in the fur is distinctive, and the size is right.

[Mushroo]

Nope, I finally confirmed what I saw. It's an Eastern Chipmunk. The dark corner it was scuttling in confused me as to colour and the tail, but the pattern in the fur is distinctive, and the size is right.

It is very unusual for a chipmunk to be in the house... they are normally outdoor creatures. It may be sick, hurt, or lost... be careful handling it if you decide to live-trap.