dead mouse

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Blue Vomit

Minister of Fire
Jul 12, 2011
662
eastern PA
I noticed a foul stench the other day. I traced it back to one of my HVAC vents. It was then that I remembered about a week ago I put out some mouse poison in the basement. The little bastard must have crawled in there and died. I thought the poison was designed to make them go outside looking for water?
Anyway, I think I have it narrowed down to a 14 foot stretch of horizontal ductwork. Unfortunately it is not easy to get to with bends and elbows in the ductwork at both ends. It is in the ceiling behind drywall.
I stuck a shop vac hose in about 6 feet with negative results. Several sites online basically said dont waste your time punching holes in the walls and ducts, just wait it out until it dries up.
The stench is BAD. I have it sealed off with duct tape now but it still seeps through any crack in the trim.
The plan now is to have the HVAC guy punch one hole in the middle of the 14 foot stretch, look both ways and hope the rat bastard is in there.
Any suggestions?
 
Blue Vomit said:
I noticed a foul stench the other day. I traced it back to one of my HVAC vents. It was then that I remembered about a week ago I put out some mouse poison in the basement. The little bastard must have crawled in there and died. I thought the poison was designed to make them go outside looking for water?
Anyway, I think I have it narrowed down to a 14 foot stretch of horizontal ductwork. Unfortunately it is not easy to get to with bends and elbows in the ductwork at both ends. It is in the ceiling behind drywall.
I stuck a shop vac hose in about 6 feet with negative results. Several sites online basically said dont waste your time punching holes in the walls and ducts, just wait it out until it dries up.
The stench is BAD. I have it sealed off with duct tape now but it still seeps through any crack in the trim.
The plan now is to have the HVAC guy punch one hole in the middle of the 14 foot stretch, look both ways and hope the rat bastard is in there.
Any suggestions?

Several sites online basically said dont waste your time punching holes in the walls and ducts, just wait it out until it dries up
 
hossthehermit said:
Blue Vomit said:
I noticed a foul stench the other day. I traced it back to one of my HVAC vents. It was then that I remembered about a week ago I put out some mouse poison in the basement. The little bastard must have crawled in there and died. I thought the poison was designed to make them go outside looking for water?
Anyway, I think I have it narrowed down to a 14 foot stretch of horizontal ductwork. Unfortunately it is not easy to get to with bends and elbows in the ductwork at both ends. It is in the ceiling behind drywall.
I stuck a shop vac hose in about 6 feet with negative results. Several sites online basically said dont waste your time punching holes in the walls and ducts, just wait it out until it dries up.
The stench is BAD. I have it sealed off with duct tape now but it still seeps through any crack in the trim.
The plan now is to have the HVAC guy punch one hole in the middle of the 14 foot stretch, look both ways and hope the rat bastard is in there.
Any suggestions?

Several sites online basically said dont waste your time punching holes in the walls and ducts, just wait it out until it dries up

the wife is NOT a fan of that idea
 
That is why I only use mouse traps. That mouse poison make them bleed out from inside and die, I may be wrong but that is what an exterminator told me. I would rather see the dead lil body...makes me feel better. I friggin hate mice.
Use the traps next time with peanut butter..gets them every time. Last year I had one and put 15 traps (I know extreme) inside the house on the perimeters. I got the lil bugger. I had one a couple years ago here that I bludgoned to death. I won't tell you with what. I hate them.
 
GAMMA RAY said:
That is why I only use mouse traps...

When I was a kid, one time my Dad knew there was a devious mouse hiding out in his attached garage - My Dad and the mouse played cat & mouse for a while until Dad got tired of it and loaded up his shotgun, closed the door on the garage and went on a hunt. He got it with one shot. I think Dad was deaf for a month or so afterwards.......... :)
 
At least it's not a rat. That'll last you for weeks.
 
yup, only traps. The only time i used poison was outside in my detached garage. didn't care where they died out there. put it out last winter, and kept finding them until this past fall!!! And I'm sure there are some up in the rafters that I didn't find. You don't want that in your house.

I set up about 6 snap traps all around the top of the perimeter of my basement walls. Catch them here and there mainly in the winter months, but leave the traps baited with PB year round to catch any stragglers. Haven't got one in about 3-4 weeks, but check daily before work. Probably caught 6 so far since November.

I, too, thought I had just one when I saw one running through my living room one night a few years ago. Set up traps in the basement, under the living room area and caught him. Left the other traps up and caught a few more throghout the winter. Never saw "evidence" of them, so if i didn't actually see the little crapper I would never even know I had one. I always say that I think people have mice that don't even know that they do. Set up a couple traps in the basement and leave them there for the winter, and people will be surprised how many they actually get!!!
 
GAMMA RAY said:
That is why I only use mouse traps. That mouse poison make them bleed out from inside and die, I may be wrong but that is what an exterminator told me.

Warfarin...a blood thinner. Your doctor may prescribe the same chemical under the name Coumadin. But don't use it for vermin....

Cheers
 
GAMMA RAY said:
That is why I only use mouse traps. That mouse poison make them bleed out from inside and die, I may be wrong but that is what an exterminator told me. I would rather see the dead lil body...makes me feel better. I friggin hate mice.
Use the traps next time with peanut butter..gets them every time. Last year I had one and put 15 traps (I know extreme) inside the house on the perimeters. I got the lil bugger. I had one a couple years ago here that I bludgoned to death. I won't tell you with what. I hate them.

+1 but that's not much help to the OP.

Maybe its time to have your ducts cleaned. There are companies that do that.

I've tried many mouse traps and really really like the D-Con UltraSets. They're built to keep other animals (like my dogs) out of them. I've caught 15 mice in 3 of these in my woodshed. Peanut butter works great.
 
Poison is a definate no go. Been there done that......put up with the stink for weeks.
Best thing is to determine where the entry and exit points are make note. Use the sticky glue mouse traps. First day do not peel sticky of trap just use a dab of peanut butter on the trap. Determine if there is activity, if yes peel sticky off and bait again.

Gets them every time.
 
Blue Vomit said:
Several sites online basically said dont waste your time punching holes in the walls and ducts, just wait it out until it dries up.
The stench is BAD. I have it sealed off with duct tape now but it still seeps through any crack in the trim.
The plan now is to have the HVAC guy punch one hole in the middle of the 14 foot stretch, look both ways and hope the rat bastard is in there.
Any suggestions?

I know I could not wait that smell out...just a suggestion to help get that rat bastard. If you have the rods for sweeping a chimney maybe you can push or pull it out with them. I'm not sure I would use the brush but you can rap rags or brush on the end and duck tape it to make a broom. just a thought can't stand that smell of ratatouille.
 
thanks for all the replies. No poison ever again. A friend is coming over tomorrow with an IR fiber optic snake camera. We'll see if we can find the carcass and take care of business.
 
Blue Vomit said:
thanks for all the replies. No poison ever again. A friend is coming over tomorrow with an IR fiber optic snake camera. We'll see if we can find the carcass and take care of business.

Pics??? :lol:

We wanna see the lil bahstard. :cheese:
 
we had some in the garage this fall/winter
wife said " oh leave them alone, they only are eating the bird seed"
I went into the garage and noticed mice droppings on her nice weather car
Dodge Hemi Challenger (pink)
went back inside and told her, her responce
get the traps and start killing the little bast......
 
After a couple of stinky experiences I will only use poison as a last resort. The old fashioned sping loaded mouse traps are just about the best solution. Bait them wiht creamy peanut butter and if you don't get the little bastard on the first night, move the trap to a new location.

D-Con also sells these great reusable traps that are basically an old fasioned trap inside a plastic housing, which is great because I've had mice able to side step and avoid the regular traps here and there.

0001920000095_500X500.jpg
 
Stick a raccoon in the duct work. They will find and eat it : )
 
In my experience, one little mouse will only stink for a very short time. If it a rat, it will stink for ever. I keep my basement supplied with poison (up in the ceiling. This way I can monitor the situation. If I smell something, I know they are getting in. The population of mice multiplies so fast, that by the time you see one, you have a lot! I think its funny that people usually think they only have one mouse!
 
GAMMA RAY said:
Blue Vomit said:
thanks for all the replies. No poison ever again. A friend is coming over tomorrow with an IR fiber optic snake camera. We'll see if we can find the carcass and take care of business.

Pics??? :lol:

We wanna see the lil bahstard. :cheese:


No joy with the camera today. The stench seems to be dissipating though.
 
I saw a mouse in the old flatbed once. Well, actually twice, but it was moving much slower the second time.
 

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Flatbedford said:
I saw a mouse in the old flatbed once. Well, actually twice, but it was moving much slower the second time.

Man that's a big mouse...they grow big on the Hudson huh ? That mouse even has a color coat, mainly all gray here.
 
About 7 years ago, I had quite a time catching one certain mouse. Used a snap trap, baited with peanut butter, cheese, whatever. It would just lick the bait off without tripping the trap. This went on for a week. I finally decided to try something silly - I drilled a small hole through a peanut and tied it to the trap trigger with thread. The mouse got one peanut, but the second try nailed the mouse!
The trap worked fine many times for other mice, I guess this one had a particularly delicate touch. We still laugh about tying a peanut to a trap!
We gets loads of mice here. I use different kinds of traps, including a Rat Zapper, and they all do well.

Last summer, something died in the attic over my office, in a spot I couldn't get to. It was so bad that the flies were trying to get in through the screens, and I couldn't tell just where the smell came from - above, below, behind something. So, I let a couple of flies in, and they went right for the same spot on the ceiling. I went into the attic, and was convinced that's where the dead critter was. I tried everything to kill the smell, no luck. I abandoned the office for about a week. It must have been bigger than a mouse! Whatever is was, it's still up there, but the odor is gone.
 
mayhem said:
After a couple of stinky experiences I will only use poison as a last resort. The old fashioned sping loaded mouse traps are just about the best solution. Bait them wiht creamy peanut butter and if you don't get the little bastard on the first night, move the trap to a new location.

D-Con also sells these great reusable traps that are basically an old fasioned trap inside a plastic housing, which is great because I've had mice able to side step and avoid the regular traps here and there.

[image above]

I've tried a lot of traps and these are the best I've found yet.
Every kill I've had has been clean, they don't maim and allow the mouse to drag the trap off, they're reusable, and other animals can't get in them.
 
Flatbedford said:
I saw a mouse in the old flatbed once. Well, actually twice, but it was moving much slower the second time.

If I'm not mistaken, that's what we call deer mice. They are bigger then the stardard grey house mouse and they live outdoors and in the ground (unless they can get inside). They are in my shed, beneath my shed, wood stacks, etc... They caused $ 1000 damage to my outside A/C units. They love to chew wire insulation. They got into my boat and chewed every PFD and net I had. Christmas Decorations I put in tupperware bins - they chew right thru that stuff. I found 12 mice in one container, and the strands of lights were trashed from all the chewing. I've got one nesting in my Dodge truck now in the air vents. I can't use the heat for the smell. Can't get to it either.

Every car I've ever parked outside - they get into. They like the warm engine and will make nests on the engine block. Inside the cab of a car is warm in the sun during the winter - they will chew seats, make nest up in the dash.

In the car, they are easily trapped with a snap trap and PB, but outside? There must be a thousand of them. When I mow the grass in the summer, I see them scurry 10 feet infront of the mower. I put down poison and traps in the shed, theres just too many.

I hate them. Until I can move, I won't buy another car, boat, or camper.
 
basswidow said:
Flatbedford said:
I saw a mouse in the old flatbed once. Well, actually twice, but it was moving much slower the second time.

If I'm not mistaken, that's what we call deer mice. They are bigger then the stardard grey house mouse and they live outdoors and in the ground (unless they can get inside). They are in my shed, beneath my shed, wood stacks, etc... They caused $ 1000 damage to my outside A/C units. They love to chew wire insulation. They got into my boat and chewed every PFD and net I had. Christmas Decorations I put in tupperware bins - they chew right thru that stuff. I found 12 mice in one container, and the strands of lights were trashed from all the chewing. I've got one nesting in my Dodge truck now in the air vents. I can't use the heat for the smell. Can't get to it either.

Every car I've ever parked outside - they get into. They like the warm engine and will make nests on the engine block. Inside the cab of a car is warm in the sun during the winter - they will chew seats, make nest up in the dash.

In the car, they are easily trapped with a snap trap and PB, but outside? There must be a thousand of them. When I mow the grass in the summer, I see them scurry 10 feet infront of the mower. I put down poison and traps in the shed, theres just too many.

I hate them. Until I can move, I won't buy another car, boat, or camper.


Holy crap. You need to write to Animal Planet. They have a new show you could be on, Infested. Check it out.
 
If you have a mouse that is particularly adept at getting the bait off of the spring type traps, you can use a cooked spaghetti noodle wrapped around the trigger. It will dry back out and get tough while being conformed to the shape of the trigger. Add a dab of peanut butter for some smell.
 
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