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chrissy21 · #1 Jul 7, 2007, 08:25 PM

i have a pet bird and my house is infested with mice should i get rid of my bird?? and how do i get rid of all thesde mice?

nauticalstar420 · Jul 7, 2007, 08:27 PM

Your bird will be fine. As far as mice, if they are a HUGE infestation, call an exterminator. If you only see them here and there, put out some traps. I recommend glue traps, because they dont miss and they're very hard for the mice to get out of.

grammadidi · Jul 7, 2007, 09:36 PM

I live in the country and the place had been empty quite awhile before I rented it. It's also very old. It was totally infested with mice when I moved in... and a few rats and snakes! I had a cat, but I now have three. I also have an electronic thing in my basement that supposedly sends high frequency sounds that repel the mice. I used glue traps, but they wouldn't hold the rats... only their (and the cat's) tails! I have not seen a mouse, rat or snake for over 3 years indooors - nor any sign of them. I mostly credit the electronic thing. You can get them at Home Depot.

If you have a bird, make sure that it's food is kept in a container that the mice can't get into. In fact, put as much of your dry goods as possible into containers. Ensure the cage and around the cage is cleaned daily. I would recommend a mite preventative for the birdcage, too (available at your pet store). The bird shouldn't be in any danger from the mouse other than the risk of mites, etc.

I agree with nauticalstar420 though. If you really have a huge infestation, I would arrange to have an exterminator come in. There are too many diseases spread by large populations of rodents to mess with.

Good luck!

Didi

mrssittingduck · Jul 8, 2007, 02:24 AM

i agree with all the above, the main thing to protect your bird here would be to use tube feeders and drinkers,
this will stop the mice having acess to the food and water an durinating into it..
mouse urine is poisonous to birds so if you suspect a mouse has been in the seed then throw it away and get fresh, put in sealed plastic containers with an airtight lid...

if an heavy infestation is their then as said use sticky traps around the edges of your walls, this is a mouse's favourite place to run and shelter from the human eye... find where the mouse goes.. this isnt difficult with heavy infestation (follow the poop) if their are any mouse holes coming in from outside use quarter gage mesh as mice can not get through this at all ..
but i would also call the exterminator out to sort the infestation, tell him you have birds and he will then use the safest method to prevent the bird getting at the poison (usually warfarin) in the form of coated canary seed!! where birds are not present that is..

their are bait blocks you can buy or the exterminator can use them aswell as sticky traps ..

the bird will not be the cause of the mice, the mice will go whereever their is food... the mice can even live in your house because it is close to the next doors house which contains all the food they want.. all because you have them doesnt mean the mice are their for your food scources...

some mice live outside but come in for warmth or food so may just be visitors but once it gets cold more will accumulate and they will breed....

i am guessing you have seen these mice? if so what color are they as they could be a house mouse or like in my house they could also be field mice as i had a mouse problem once.. my 4 year old son caught one and wanted to keep it as a pet

turned out the mice had been desturbed when the neighbours had a new kitchen fitted and they ripped the ceiling out so they decided to take residence at mine!!

however you dont say what sort of bird you have .. if you told us that that would help as while the infestation is been cleared you may (if you have small birds ie finch or canary) have to ask somebody to look after the lil feller for a week as once any food scource is cleared up the mice will be hungry and angry.. small birds can and do fall vicitm to mice attacks,
i saw a mouse in my birdshed and the mouse was literally dragging the poor little finches about and shaking them.. (alas the finch died)

however for normal size birds ie budgies , cockatiels, and bigger they will be fine and no need to move them..

good luck and hope you sort your problem soon

katie

chrissy21 · Jul 8, 2007, 10:19 AM

i have a cockatiel which sits in the living room and it makes such a mess. i have already killed close to 20 mice and there are a lot more, they are now starting to climb on my couches and they are digging big holes and eating wood. the color of he mice are gray and there stomachs are white

nauticalstar420 · Jul 8, 2007, 10:21 AM

Oh my gosh i've never heard of mice causing damage quite like that (digging holes in your couch). Call a good exterminator ASAP!! Mice multiply really fast, and before you know it you'll be over run by them if you dont get some help!

bushg · Jul 8, 2007, 02:47 PM

I agree with nauticlaster, seek professional help. I was raised in the country where mice are plentiful and we never had such a problem. Mice can flatten out and squeeze into almost any space they also can jump very high like 20 or 30 feet. Your walls are probably infested with them. Mice can carry disease. Getting rid of your bird will not solve this and I am sure a small bird would not cause a mouse infestation this large.

grammadidi · Jul 8, 2007, 09:09 PM

Yes, call a pest control expert and deal with this as soon as you can! I have heard that for every mouse that you see there are 10 that you don't see! They are very prolific breeders. I have had cockatiels, so I know what you mean by their mess, but that would not create a mouse infestation such as this. The longer you wait, the faster these mice will breed and destroy your property.

Is there a way for the mice to get into your home from outside? In my place they were crawling around the holes for the tubes for the sump pump and small holes around the basement windows. I used a foam spray that expanded for any holes in the basement area, also around the water pipes in the kitchen and bathroom area.

I found mouse poop on a built in cutting board where they probably only had a 1/4 inch clearance! They will nest in Christmas decorations, clothing, drawers, boots, linens, and, as you have found, your furniture.

If you can have a cat where you live, I would definitely consider a good female cat as a mouser. I have a love bird and 3 cats now, and used to breed cockatiels and canaries while having a cat, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Good luck!

Love, Didi

mrssittingduck · Jul 9, 2007, 02:45 AM

i agree with grammadidi..

each female mouse can have between 9 and 15 babies at a time.. so if you think about how many babies that would produce in as little as a few weeks (mice reach sexual maturity from 4 to 6 weeks of age)
this means that they can also breed from 4 to 6 weeks age , gestation is around 19 days.. they can also get pregnant straight after having the babies.. so if you think of 9 to 15 babies produced every 3 to 4 weeks from 1 female think how many will come from the 15 babies that are born from that litter.. it doesnt take long to be well over run...

you need to get a professional come to sort this out as it seems really bad infestation..
fill in all holes with expanding foam or even better crushed glass mixed in with poly filler , this will hurth the mices teeth and claws when they try to dig or eat into the space...
cats can be good but a jack russel even better, cats soon get bored and lose all drive for catching mice and will not catch a lot of mice in 1 go, a jack russel dog (or a parsons jack russel) will nbot lose the hunting drive to kill the mice and as soon as 1 is down and dead, he will search out for more.... it is an enjoyment for them and also what they were bred for mice and rats...

you really do need to call the exterminator and he will usually do it in 3 visits.. he will put bait down each visit and check sites for where they can get in and out ... after 3 visits the poison should have worked as it gets into lactationg mice so it also kills babies...

good luck
katie

kt1205 · Jul 22, 2007, 10:36 PM

you could set out traps. there's plenty of different kinds of your afraid of them going off on you. but since theres alot you may want to call an extermenator. i once broke my wrist running from a mouse in my house. i fell. now i have a pet rat. lol



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