We live in an old place right out in the sticks and each winter the mice move in from the surrounding fields - this year though they've moved in earlier  - I saw one yesterday hopping casually up the stairs and into my bedroom ! ...we've tried the plug in ultrasonic deterrents and the humane traps ( hubby hates the thought of killing them ) but nothing seems to work . The dogs don't even try and catch them and I worry about getting a cat with my 6 large dogs - anybody tried something that works ?

Yvonne

We got two cats having three Labs that had never lived with cats before and they were fine.

We crated the kittens for a week whilst the girls got used to them and once the kittens were let out they were all fine.

A cat will kill them, so your OH may not like that option either!

The best thing I've found that works is the electronic mouse trap. You just bait it with peanut butter, the mouse enters and is quickly electrocuted. You don't even have to touch the body, just open the lid and drop in the bin. (http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=electronic+mouse+traps&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=np&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=2396830800103539075&sa=X&ei=F0JbTqHXFZKp8QOryNSiDA&ved=0CH0Q8wIwAw)

Having had mouse problems for over a year - both escapees from my own and wild ones, and then the resulting offspring when one of my boys just would not be caught for months (ARG - although I did get him in the end!), I've found the only effective way to sort the problem is to kill them.  I've not tried Pedlee's trap - I just used normal snap traps, although a modern plastic version.  I would go for the electronic ones I think - snap traps are not always the best thing, I've had mice trapped by legs and across their middles when they've gone into the trap from behind :-(

I should add at this point I never put snappers down when my own mice were out!!

I tried humane traps - the one-mouse traps are hopeless, if you do catch one you have to get it out sharpish or the poor things end up with hypothermia from the condensation (had one of mine go through that when I checked the trap after only a few hours, although she did survive and was fine afterwards).  I tried the 10-mouse traps - worked great for months, and I even caught an entire family one night - mum, dad and 12 babies! :-o but at some point one mouse figured out how to get back out of it, spread the word and I've never caught any in them since.

Tried ramps leading to buckets with food, tried clearing up anything that might attract them but in the end I had to start snapping them - I don't like to do it but after a year of poo on worktops etc I'd just had enough.  No more mice now unless mine spring out of the cage while I'm cleaning them out!

The problem with mice (apart from the health issues) is that no matter where you release them they will come 'home' so you could end up catching the same mouse time and time again.

The only effective way I've found is to kill them. I had a good mouser (he used to leave me presents on my pillow ) but he never caught one in the house. Probably because they were in the cupboards, not running loose around the house.

We got two cats having three Labs that had never lived with cats before and they were fine.

To be honest I would NEVER trust a Belgian Shepherd, let alone 6, to get on with cats if they haven't been since early puppyhood. They're wellknown to not be okay with cats, mine are always seen as the odd ones out but they were more or less born with cats watching. Even I have one that would kill a cat within seconds if given half a chance -as he was sold as a pup and came back aged 18 months. So unfortunately I don't think this is an option here.

We live in the middle of nowhere, and have Mice and Rats at the moment.
We have 2 cats, they live upstairs during the day and come down at night (their choice, as they swap with the dogs!!)
We have had about 4 dead Mice since we let them out!!!! so not a great buy LMAO (they were got to try to keep the mice population down, but have managed to be the biggest lap cats ever, even though we got them as semi ferals!!!!)
So my advice would be, traps and poison!!!!!!!
I killed a very poorly very LARGE mouse the other day that had obviously been at the poison!!!
I always find the 'little nipper' good old fashioned mouse traps are the best.
And ALWAYS bait with CHOCOLATE :) :) Mars bars are the best choice!!! They love them.
Although yesterday and this morning, I have found the Slugs also like chocolate and mouse traps in the outhouse LOL
Lea :)

I have found fruit pastilles to be very good bait on the snappers. The sugar attracts them and the pastilles are hard enough to make them have to work at getting a piece, which makes the trap go off.
I don't like them though because some get trapped awkwardly and I think they may have lingering deaths which I hate the thought of but I have no success at all with the 'live' traps

thanks you helpful lot - I think I'll give the electronic traps a go - I'm hoping the fact that they'd moved in so early in the year does'nt mean we're in for a hard winter !

Yvonne

Similar surroundings to myself Yvonne.  I have 3 cats, 2 were feral from Cats Protection aged 6 months, and got used to the dogs very very quickly,  I also inherited my daughters 9 year old cat last year when she moved to a town. She took a little time, but now settled with the dogs, and no mice :-)

How about extending the dog family - get some JRT's the yard I'm at has a little pack of 4 of them.  These particular ones aren't the friendliest but are extremely good micers & ratters.  I put 2 over my stable door the other day and within 5 minutes I had 9 dead mice at the front of my stable..... but they will happily go for an ankle or finger as well given half a chance.  These are yard dogs though and they live in a barn so I;m not saying all of them are like this.

Not sure that I would want susiebell's JRT's taking off my fingers!

But can recommend a breed that loves cuddles, and are good at fast killing.  My Toy Poodle was great at keeping rats out of the guinea pig shed!

She used to go for the jugular.

I've heard of some lurchers that are exremely good at dispatching vermin.

we have a 13 yr old male cat who I could loan out at a fee ...HA HA HA (JOKING) he brings home mice and the occasional frog practically every night and has done for the last week or so ,he has always been a good hunter, we hear him make a strange howling sound and know right away he has got something most of the time they are dead but the odd one can be found hanging out of his mouth , I cant bear the fact that he kills them so I open his mouth and shake them out bring him in and give them time to run away, we never leave him out at night but are finding it difficult to get him in lately as he is 'too busy'. I would probably have a different view of it if I lived in  a rural area .