bellenurse
New Member
Joined: September 2023
Posts: 4
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Post by bellenurse on Sept 27, 2023 21:11:06 GMT -5
Hello all,
I suspect this is probably a common phenomenon. I recently lost my husband to cancer. Since then, I have found it very difficult to keep my home in shape with working and taking care of kids on top of it.
My city brought in large garbage and recycling containers and since then, my neighbourhood has noticed mice and rats... Some nesting in people's cars and eating their carseats and such.
Unfortunately, I caught a rat in my kitchen on my indoor camera I set up when I started having my suspicions.
Now tonight I've seen one run out from my closet to my bathroom. I am absolutely terrified. And I am embarrassed to call anyone out to help in the way of exterminators, not to mention the cost.
Anyone relate?
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Post by papermoon on Sept 27, 2023 23:13:52 GMT -5
Yes, I've suffered from mess and inertia after loss of loved ones. It's a natural part of grieving.
But rats in your house is an urgent situation. Go buy at least one rat trap at the hardware store... something that's safe to use around children and pets. You need to protect your kids right away, no delay, and not let them be traumatized by this.
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Post by def6 on Sept 28, 2023 9:40:02 GMT -5
So sorry for your loss bellenurse I can surely relate to the grief and the mess. We live in the county therefore the occasional rat is commonplace around here. I suggest getting a cat and check around the house to find any place where they might be getting in. |
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bellenurse
New Member
Joined: September 2023
Posts: 4
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Post by bellenurse on Sept 29, 2023 1:33:11 GMT -5
Yes, I've suffered from mess and inertia after loss of loved ones. It's a natural part of grieving. But rats in your house is an urgent situation. Go buy at least one rat trap at the hardware store... something that's safe to use around children and pets. You need to protect your kids right away, no delay, and not let them be traumatized by this. Hi Papermoon, I have purchased many traps. I have placed them along my baseboards facing the walls as instructed. They avoid them. I have built little boxes around the traps to act as a tunnel, they avoid them. I got desperate because my kids are in the house, lined the floor with glue traps GALORE... You guessed it. They jump over them ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ I must have done 50h of Reddit and YouTube research but these rats dart across the room and don't follow the walls. |
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Post by papermoon on Sept 29, 2023 2:04:24 GMT -5
Oh no, it sounds so awful. I'm sorry you have to deal with such devious critters. You may just have to bite the bullet and bring in a professional exterminator instead of driving yourself crazy over it.
Is owning a cat an option you could possibly live with? I've had one cat or another in my home for 50 years, and never had any rodents at all. They just stay far, far away from us.
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bellenurse
New Member
Joined: September 2023
Posts: 4
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Post by bellenurse on Sept 29, 2023 2:13:31 GMT -5
So sorry for your loss bellenurse I can surely relate to the grief and the mess. We live in the county therefore the occasional rat is commonplace around here. I suggest getting a cat and check around the house to find any place where they might be getting in. Thank you, he was my life, I feel so lost not taking care of him. He was a country boy himself! I have been thinking about adopting a cat, we had to put mine down last year but I worry with the traps. |
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bellenurse
New Member
Joined: September 2023
Posts: 4
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Post by bellenurse on Sept 29, 2023 2:34:23 GMT -5
Oh no, it sounds so awful. I'm sorry you have to deal with such devious critters. You may just have to bite the bullet and bring in a professional exterminator instead of driving yourself crazy over it. Is owning a cat an option you could possibly live with? I've had one cat or another in my home for 50 years, and never had any rodents at all. They just stay far, far away from us. Thank you, yes it is very rough!!! We had to put our cat down last year. Might just bite the bullet and get another. I love cats anyway! |
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Post by desposito on Sept 29, 2023 8:37:20 GMT -5
Hi belle, whenever I see the topic about mice and cats I have to tell my story--I worked for 30 years at a small cat shelter in a former private home that had a basement and three floors above. The three upper floors had cats roaming around, we only had a small number of cages. The basement had a storage area but 4 closed off rooms full of new or sick cats. Through my many years there, we had frequent mouse infestations in that house. I'm sure they entered in the basement, but dead mice would be found on each of the three floors each time we had an infestation. We had between 250 and 350 cats at the shelter at any given time, so I can say with certainty that the smell of cats does NOT keep mice away. Somehow this idea has taken hold and everyone believes it, but I saw with my own eyes over 30 years that this is not true.
Not to mention that depending on the cat and the rat, a rat can injure a cat. Plus, mice can give cats parasites and some serious diseases. So getting a cat specifically to "get rid of" mice or rats is not a good idea.
If rats are getting into your home there have to be openings where they are getting in. Do you own your home? If so, maybe you can get someone to inspect the outside and close up any spaces they find without actually coming inside, if that's what you're trying to avoid. In the meantime, it's important to start getting any garbage out, but don't think about doing it all at once--just one bag at a time in between doing other things can get you started.
Try making a blog to report your progress, or join in on a working thread to share your progress, it's easier to work when you're joining in with other people who can cheer you on! Good luck!
Diane
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Post by Arid on Sept 29, 2023 13:41:23 GMT -5
I agree with what desposito said.
I swear that in the past, we've had cats who were *friends* with the mice, not to mention the ones that were too darned l*zy (and well-fed, no doubt!) to do anything!!
Arid
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Post by mylittlescholar on Sept 29, 2023 14:19:05 GMT -5
many of us have lost spouses and other loved ones. it is such a difficult thing to endure. and many of us have had to deal with vermin. another icky part of life.
I hope you can release the shame and embarrassment about having pests. I did not have rodents, but a major flea infestation. humankind has had to fight off unwanted critters in our territories since time began. it is a challenge even for people with cleaner homes!
I applaud you for trying to handle this on your own. but it is okay to ask for help! yes, the expense sucks, but the fact that there is a whole industry dedicated to helping people with this sort of thing lets us know that we are not alone.
keep us posted!
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Post by joyinvirginia on Sept 30, 2023 12:26:35 GMT -5
Welcome belle nurse, so sorry about your loss. Yes, do ask for help. Until someone looks for and blocks the tiny places the rats use to enter your home, it will be a losing battle. Especially if you are in an area with cold winters, they will come inside to get warm. I hope you can get help soon.
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Post by danny15 on Sept 30, 2023 12:55:07 GMT -5
Hi bellenurse my two cents......
Living in the country we have mice. When we had 10 cats I wasn't aware of mice, maybe a couple but no big deal. The cats frequently left dead mice as little *gifts* for us right by the door. Now we only have 3 old cats and they will occasionally catch a mouse if they feel like it. As Arid said the cats are well fed and catching a mouse is for fun not food. The mouse population exploded last winter. I put out humane traps but you have to take them a good distance away from the house to release. That probably isn't feasible in a neighborhood.
Since your neighborhood has rats and mice, you are not the only one dealing with this, so don't have any shame about calling an exterminator. I don't have experience with rats but I've heard how intelligent they are. Trying to get rid of them on your own doesn't sound like a good plan. I had a friend who put down poison; at least one rat ate it, crawled into a wall to die and stunk up the house. desposito is right ~ getting a cat to deal with rats isn't a good idea. Rats can be fierce and besides hurting the cat, the cat may have no interest in rat catching. Then you have the responsibility and expense of a pet on top of all your other responsibilities. An exterminator will trap the rats and more importantly, find the places where they are getting in and seal off those areas. Not much help to get rid of the current rats without preventing the others who will follow.
Has your city done anything to address the problem? Since the rat/mouse population were attracted by the large garbage and recycling containers, they may be willing to have an exterminator do the entire neighborhood. Or perhaps pay for an individual like yourself to pay for an exterminator.
You will find a way to get rid of these critters. The main thing is not to feel like it is your problem or fault. They can be found in clean homes as well as messy ones. Let us know how you are doing. This is a great group and no judgement.
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Post by lostchild on Nov 19, 2023 2:11:17 GMT -5
Sorry I took so long to reply! I’ve been dealing with a frustrating health problem and am currently getting it under control!
First off…a house doesn’t need to be dirty to have a rodent infestation! We got ours after having plumbing work done! They left the crawl space open and it was on! That being said…call an exterminator and make sure they also do mitigation and sealing of outside access into your home! A mouse or rat can find a crack and get in easily! Due to climate change many areas are either colder than normal earlier than normal so rodents are looking to nest and with this being a recent problem they may have eaten a way into your home attracted by an unclean environment!
I know they are scary because we are terrified and then being flat on my back and two kids ( 31 and 10 both autistic) who love to scatter food mean a battle here! First off if you can afford it please get someone in to help you clean! You’re grieving and that means it’s hard for you to clean the way you would normally! Paying a teenager to clean or a maid service is an investment in caring for yourself! Private message me! We can arrange a time to clean together which will help you regain control! Since my separation I have completely lost my maintenance status and then add in a mystery illness in which I have extremely heavy bleeding to a point of being incapacitated and things got out of order but it happens!
It’s going to be okay! Pick an area and start! Some cats are good mousers and you’ll laugh but my dogs have caught rats and my cat kills them! That doesn’t mean that you should get a pet because you still have a responsibility if you get a cat or dog! Get kill traps because humane sticky traps can be easy for them to escape! Try to eliminate stuff if possible! The more places they can hide that you get rid of the better! I know people say don’t put down poison but still you may have to! Call an exterminator and don’t feel shame!
It’s not easy to get rid of them but it can be done! We are having mitigation done and you can do it too! If you find a hole put in steel wool and nail tin over it! You can use the ends off a tin can or coffee can! Go outside and check because they can climb trees so if you have tree branches or vines get them cut down! Put traps outside and use peanut butter! It’s a great bait! Hope this helps!
Remember than emotions can be powerful and it’s okay to grieve and ask for help! Be blessed!
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Post by ohblondie on Nov 21, 2023 11:44:11 GMT -5
bellenurse I am currently at war with the mice in my house. I am trying to eliminate any areas where they have made themselves way too comfortable. I am cleaning up and cleaning out different areas. Lets each channel our grief and depression and frustration into our war against those critters!
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