Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 09, 2026, 09:00 PMSpeaking of Mousetraps...I just reached under the sink to refill the dish detergent dispenser and there's mouse poop under there. I really need to get my mousetraps up and running ASAP!
We had mice a few times after we bought this house. I found a mouse "poison" that I put out about a year, or so, ago, and have not seen any evidence of mice since then.
It turns out that mice are unable to pass gas; neither farting, nor burping. So, this "poison" (completely harmless to non-rodent pets, etc.) is just baking soda. You mix baking soda in equal portions with Jiffy Honey Cornbread Mix. The sweet smell of the honey cornbread mix attracts mice (and rats, etc.) Then the baking soda mixes with the acid in their stomachs creating carbon dioxide. The gas actually ruptures their stomachs, and kills them. Even better, the rodents take some of the "poison" back to their nests and give it to their "wives" and kids, and it kills off the entire family. And, since other animals can pass gas, scavengers that eat the mice do not have any troubles.
We have not seen any signs of mice since I put out these traps.
Quote from: granz on Aug 10, 2026, 06:28 AMWe had mice a few times after we bought this house. I found a mouse "poison" that I put out about a year, or so, ago, and have not seen any evidence of mice since then.
My concern with any type of "poison" or anything that kills them at some arbitrary time is based on a recent issue we've been having. About a month ago we started smelling this dead animal / rotting carcass smell in our living room. We can't tell exactly where it's coming from. It smells horrible and when the weather is really hot it smells worse. We're not sure if it's in the wall, under the floor (there is a crawl-space) or where it is coming from.
I thought by now the smell would have gone away, but it is persisting and without knowing exactly where it's coming from, we're unable to do anything about it. I am hoping to revive my mousetraps and catch them live and control their "death" so it doesn't happen in a wall, ceiling, floor, etc. But I do appreciate the suggestion. If not for the current situation, I might have considered it. But the smell is horrible! We have two glade plug-in type air fresheners and they don't seem to help.
Quote from: Chris Savage on Aug 10, 2026, 10:30 AMBut the smell is horrible! We have two glade plug-in type air fresheners and they don't seem to help.
Try some pans (low-height and wide, like frying pans, or pie pans) filled with vinegar. That did some great help to a house that our daughter had accidentally rented out to druggies - there were half decayed rat carcasses, and leftover food, all over the living room and bedroom. It was almost impossible to breath in her house after the druggies moved out, but the vinegar helped to clean the smell out.
Quote from: granz on Aug 10, 2026, 12:44 PMTry some pans (low-height and wide, like frying pans, or pie pans) filled with vinegar. That did some great help to a house that our daughter had accidentally rented out to druggies - there were half decayed rat carcasses, and leftover food, all over the living room and bedroom. It was almost impossible to breath in her house after the druggies moved out, but the vinegar helped to clean the smell out.
I will convey this to Valerie. I just wish we could isolate
where the smell was coming from.
Quote from: Jeff_T on Sep 28, 2026, 10:31 AMSetting the mice free after capture is a humane thing to do. I certainly don't like the glue traps a slow death does not seem right to me I have even had spring traps that don't kill the mouse imediately.
The worst mistake I made was installing a speaker system in a bedroom and dropping the wires down between the sheetrock, I did not caulk the holes in the roof space and a mouse crawled down the hole and could not get back out. It eventually died and the smell was awful, I ended up cutting a hole in the sheetrock and retrieving the corpse. I make sure to caulk the holes ever since. I had a similar thing happen in a vehicle, the mouse crawled into the cab fan and died instantly but the odor was horrendous, another corpse retrieval was needed.
We all have our own ideas, personally, I'd have rather kept Midnight for while longer, then her dying in my arms from whatever she got from the flee's from the mice..
@JKnightandKARR I had a cat named Jasper who passed 6 years ago at the age of 18. When I took him home as a kitten I never thought I would ever bond with a cat but Jasper was incredible ( a good mouse catcher BTW )I have so many stories, like the time he got into it with a skunk.
When he died it devastated me, it is one of the most emotional losses I have ever experienced. Maybe him and Midnight will get together sometime.
Quote from: Jeff_T on Sep 28, 2026, 08:36 PM@JKnightandKARR I had a cat named Jasper who passed 6 years ago at the age of 18. When I took him home as a kitten I never thought I would ever bond with a cat but Jasper was incredible ( a good mouse catcher BTW )I have so many stories, like the time he got into it with a skunk.
When he died it devastated me, it is one of the most emotional losses I have ever experienced. Maybe him and Midnight will get together sometime.
Could be, along with her brother Noah, from birth, and her Miniture Pincher brother, Gizmo. Never thought I'd bond with Gizmo, but MAN did I love n still DO that lil boy. I miss him more then my cats, and I had them from like 8 weeks old. I think with Gizzy, he was abandoned not once, but 2 times, inc by my exwife.... first was in trash can with 2 broken legs...
Earlier in another thread (https://savagechats.com/index.php?msg=5500) I mentioned using cornbread mix to kill mice and rats. The thing about using that, is that the rodents seem to come into the house, and before they move in, they apparently take some of this "poison" out to their outdoors nests and kill the entire family before they get the chance to move in.
Ever since I put out these cornbread/baking soda mixes, we have never seen another mouse inside the house. I tried to place my boxes close to anywhere I thought that they might come in, so maybe that gave them the chance to take the "poison" back out to their nests. I just know that it ended up keeping me from finding any more mice, or carcasses.
If you prefer, you could put several of these mixes (inside small [about 4" X 6" X 2"] boxes, with a small hole in the side) around your house, to kill the mice outside, before they move inside.
Quote from: granz on Aug 10, 2026, 06:28 AMIt turns out that mice are unable to pass gas; neither farting, nor burping. So, this "poison" (completely harmless to non-rodent pets, etc.) is just baking soda. You mix baking soda in equal portions with Jiffy Honey Cornbread Mix. The sweet smell of the honey cornbread mix attracts mice (and rats, etc.) Then the baking soda mixes with the acid in their stomachs creating carbon dioxide. The gas actually ruptures their stomachs, and kills them.
So, these items are both powders. No liquids are used to bind them?
Correct, in the "trap" they just sit as a pile of powder. You want to mix them together - the mouse needs to be unable to separate the powders. Then the baking soda mixes with the mouse's stomach acid and the reaction produces lots of carbon dioxide. You can see this by taking a small pile of baking soda, and pouring a bit of vinegar (which simulates the stomach acid) on it.
All those bubbles are filled with CO2Actually any acid will work, but the stronger the acid, the more gas released - stomach acid is pretty strong.
Quote from: granz on Sep 30, 2026, 06:18 AMYou can see this by taking a small pile of baking soda, and pouring a bit of vinegar (which simulates the stomach acid) on it.
I do remember our "volcanos" we made in school. Paper mache mountain and orange food coloring to make it look more realistic. Okay, we'll try this. Ironically, haven't seen any movement lately.
Those volcanoes were fun. That "lava" (foam) is a bunch of bubbles formed by the CO2. That is what bursts the mouse's stomach.
Hopefully, that will do the job, and get rid of the mice. And, you don't need to worry about other animals eating the dead mice - the CO2 won't cause them any harm unless they are other mice, rats or other rodents.
Quote from: granz on Aug 10, 2026, 06:28 AMWe have not seen any signs of mice since I put out these traps.
What did you store the "poison" in?
Just some little tupperware-ish containers that I picked up at the Dollar Tree.
(https://i.postimg.cc/c1mPkX1h/Mouse-Poison-Trap.jpg)
You can see the little hole (squarish) that I cut in the side to allow the mice access to the bait. These things are so thin that it is a bit difficult to cut the plastic. however, the hole does not have to be pretty - the mice don't seem to be too discerning. Any way, it is cheap enough to give it a try - about a buck-and-a-half for three of these containers, and what? another one, or two, dollars for some Jiffy Mix, and another for a small box of baking soda. Just mix them in equal measures and put in these holders (actually, the containers are just to keep the powder in one place, rather than spreading it on your floor. ;) )
It looks like the bait stuff is starting to clump up a bit. I don't know if that is indicating that it is getting old, or not. It has been well over a year (maybe two years?) So, maybe I should get another box of the Honey Jiffy Mix. We shall see...
Quote from: Chris Savage on Sep 30, 2026, 08:44 AMQuote from: granz on Sep 30, 2026, 06:18 AMYou can see this by taking a small pile of baking soda, and pouring a bit of vinegar (which simulates the stomach acid) on it.
I do remember our "volcanos" we made in school. Paper mache mountain and orange food coloring to make it look more realistic. Okay, we'll try this. Ironically, haven't seen any movement lately.
They'll be back sadly....
Quote from: granz on Sep 29, 2026, 08:15 AMEarlier in another thread (https://savagechats.com/index.php?msg=5500) I mentioned using cornbread mix to kill mice and rats. The thing about using that, is that the rodents seem to come into the house, and before they move in, they apparently take some of this "poison" out to their outdoors nests and kill the entire family before they get the chance to move in.
Ever since I put out these cornbread/baking soda mixes, we have never seen another mouse inside the house. I tried to place my boxes close to anywhere I thought that they might come in, so maybe that gave them the chance to take the "poison" back out to their nests. I just know that it ended up keeping me from finding any more mice, or carcasses.
If you prefer, you could put several of these mixes (inside small [about 4" X 6" X 2"] boxes, with a small hole in the side) around your house, to kill the mice outside, before they move inside.
You have my full attn..... what is needed??
My wife got the Jiffy Mix you mentioned. Two boxes for $1. We already have the baking soda. I'll be setting these up tomorrow.
Make sure that you are using the Honey mix, that has the strong smell to attract the mice.
Quote from: granz on Oct 01, 2026, 01:19 PMMake sure that you are using the Honey mix, that has the strong smell to attract the mice.
Yeah, that's what she got. I copied and pasted from your original post.
Hopefully that will take care of them.
Make sure to put the "traps" close to any entrances. I have one right up against the hot water heater, and furnace/air conditioner, where the pipes come in from outside. I have another (the one that I photographed) in the guest bathroom, where the plumbing comes in.
When the traps are near the entrances, the mice will come in, and immediately smell the bait. They will grab some, and take it back out to their nest to feed the rest of the vermin. This should kill the entire nest before they move inside. Also, this is the time to set these out - when the weather is starting to cool, and the mice are thinking about moving inside to keep warm.
Both threads regarding mouse elimination have been merged into this new thread, separate from both others.
Quote from: granz on Aug 10, 2026, 06:28 AMQuote from: Chris Savage on Aug 09, 2026, 09:00 PMSpeaking of Mousetraps...I just reached under the sink to refill the dish detergent dispenser and there's mouse poop under there. I really need to get my mousetraps up and running ASAP!
We had mice a few times after we bought this house. I found a mouse "poison" that I put out about a year, or so, ago, and have not seen any evidence of mice since then.
It turns out that mice are unable to pass gas; neither farting, nor burping. So, this "poison" (completely harmless to non-rodent pets, etc.) is just baking soda. You mix baking soda in equal portions with Jiffy Honey Cornbread Mix. The sweet smell of the honey cornbread mix attracts mice (and rats, etc.) Then the baking soda mixes with the acid in their stomachs creating carbon dioxide. The gas actually ruptures their stomachs, and kills them. Even better, the rodents take some of the "poison" back to their nests and give it to their "wives" and kids, and it kills off the entire family. And, since other animals can pass gas, scavengers that eat the mice do not have any troubles.
We have not seen any signs of mice since I put out these traps.
Ok, I will have to remember this. I know, I will have the lil bastrards back before too long...
Quote from: granz on Oct 01, 2026, 01:19 PMMake sure that you are using the Honey mix, that has the strong smell to attract the mice.
20261001_214923_640x480.jpg
Not only did we get the mats for your "poison", but I am replacing the D-Con traps that are on the floor with Victor Snap-Traps. No more
Mr. Nice Guy!
Quote from: Chris Savage on Oct 01, 2026, 05:35 PMBoth threads regarding mouse elimination have been merged into this new thread, separate from both others.
Thanks, this should make things easier for finding info about this topic.
Quote from: Chris Savage on Oct 01, 2026, 09:55 PMNo more Mr. Nice Guy!
Absolutely, that is the way to deal with these cousins of the bringers of the Black Plague (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death).
Quote from: granz on Today at 06:03 AMAbsolutely, that is the way to deal with these cousins of the bringers of the Black Plague.
Yeah, I'm also done being woke up (or kept awake) at the chewing / scratching sounds I was hearing in the walls.