We first spotted a mouse about 6 months ago but presumed it had disappeared as when we set a trap we didn’t catch it and also didn’t see anything of it. I’ve just woken to a gnawing noise and haven’t seen one though. Is it safe to say I have an infestation now? And would they try live inside my bed or sofa even tho these are high traffic areas? And also do they all have ticks and how would theses presents themselves?
A mouse tries very hard not to present itself at all. A sofa is a great place for a mouse to hide. There is lots of soft cloth and “stuffing” it can use to build a cozy nest. The cloth and foam inside a sofa muffles any gnawing that may going on there. The gnawing you heard could be the sofa-dwelling mouse trying to get out of your house to go forage for food, or it could be another mouse trying to get in to enjoy all the comforts of home.
Please don’t put poison in your sofa. Anything that kills mice and rats can at least make people sick, and poisoning your sofa can cause serious health problems for you, your family, and your guests – especially anyone taking anticoagulants after a heart attack or stroke.
Instead, use snap traps for pest control. Target mice where they go for food and water instead of where they nest. To catch even one mouse, you need to put out at least 6 to 8 snap mouse traps near food and water sources. This could be under a sink, under the fridge, under the cook stove, near any frequently opened waste receptacle, and near cabinets where you have food stored in cardboard or plastic containers. Put two traps next to each, so the mouse can’t hop over any one trap and escape. If you kill mice in the kitchen, they won’t go back to the sofa.
It’s only reasonable to be concerned about ticks. Ticks carry an astonishing variety of diseases, including babesiosis, Colorado tick fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, cytauxzoonosis, Lyme disease, relapsing fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick-borne meningoenchephalitis, and tularemia.
Fortunately, it’s very, very rare for anyone to contract these diseases from tick bites indoors. And mice are not especially likely to have ticks on them at all unless they come into the house from tall grass. If you keep grass trimmed in the yard, you will have fewer ticks in general, and the risk of tick bites from ticks carried by mice is essentially zero.
If you were to be bitten by a tick, you’d see a small, brown, oval creature about a millimeter long stuck to your skin. It is important to get its mouth and pincers out of your skin without mashing them and releasing bacteria. Grasp the tick with tweezers and pull it out of your skin with a steady upward motion. If you can’t get the entire tick out of your skin, you need to see a doctor—but it is highly unlikely this will be a problem inside the house.
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I’m pretty sure I have a mouse nest in my couch. If I move my couch outside for a few days, will The mice leave the couch?
No - they need to come out of your couch to get food and water. Use food and water as bait in mouse traps. Also get a camera trap to learn where their mouse runways are.
I have a rat in my couch and my apartment has been no help. I’ve placed snap traps and stickies and he has out smarted them both. He has got off the sticky. My couch is not but a year old so I want to save it if I can but the apartment can’t tell how he got in. We have removed the bottom of the couch and don’t see him but we think he gets in on the top sides . How can I get rid of him it’s been over 10 days and terminx has been no help. And is there a way to take apart the couch to clean it ?
Hi Jess - there is no easy way to take a couch apart. If you believe the mouse has a nest in your couch then you want to make it as inhospitable as possible for a mouse. Do things like put an ultrasonic unit in the couch, use peppermint and moth balls. Get a rodent camera trap and film your couch to see where it goes in and out and place traps accordingly.
No but i saw my carpet in my attic being chewed up,,,, I tonight i went down in my cellar i saw a hole in the wood door,,, on both side i filled them up with steel pads ,,, my banister is being chewed as well as my bed room furniture ,, one window sill has been chewed ,,, along with chew marks on my doors & my paneling they are chewing everything all food is kept in metal cans in cabinets nothing is left out ,,,,i found 2 holes outside & filled them in with metal ,,,,i can feel them on my floor boards over the kitchen they are destroying my house & nerves & so far i have only caught 1 mouse,,,, i think they are in my drop ceilings ,,,,,which i plan on taking down,,,,,i think they are coming from my neighbor"s house as he leaves his trash can outside near my basement door ,,,i am getting ready to sell this house i can not stand living in fear of them,,,, this comment is coming in on 12 - 9 - 19 duplicate problem that is getting worse
I would set up a number of camera traps so you and video their activity. You will also be able to see how they are responding to your mouse traps.
I'm moving because my neighbor has a hoarding problem I seen mouse droppings in my couch I cleaned it and vaccines it this couch was my only gift from my husband I don't want to throw it away just yet. I'm scared they made a nest and are going to take it to the new place I haven't heard or seen any should I be concerned?
If you haven't seen any new evidence of mice living in your sofa then I wouldn't be concerned.
How we pd $8 grand 5yrs ago for a BEAUTIFUL leather living room set. Past 3yr has been in storage and we moved it. Trying to save LEATHER but OPENED reclining seats and when moved it could tell mice build BEST in there so has mouse dropping and WORTH urine smell. Leather cleaned up nice AS would like to sell to get something back. But have searched all over and just want to know the quickest MOST cost effective way to put something inside of the couches to remove this smell! Pls help!
I think you are going to have a hard time trying to remove the smell. I would suggest trying a product like Urine Off - here's a link to Amazon https://amzn.to/2FEoZVt
I have mice in 2 beds and a couch. After 2 exterminators and $350 , I still have them. There are no droppings anywhere but I am getting pictures on a night camera of them. I don't know what to do next. Actually, both exterminators didn't believe I had mice until I showed them the camera pictures. There is one picture of a mouse sitting on the edge of my dogs water dish eating his dog food and another picture of one along the side of a snap trap licking peanut butter. I don't leave food or water out anymore overnight. I hope you can help me get rid of these critters.
How do you know they are in 2 beds and a couch?
I have a house that i have lived in for over 40 yrs,,,,,problem no matter how clean it is i have mice in winter & summer,,,,, i had all holes closed up there is bait & snap traps everyplace they are walking on my furniture & they were in my bed,,,,,i caught 1 that is it i have a bird who is 14yrs old he knows when they are around,,, they call to each other,,,,everybody has cats but me,,,,i am going nuts i have no idea what to,,,,,,I have drop ceilings every place there is bait & traps in them nothing is working
Have you tried using a camera trap to get a better understanding of where they travel to and fro or and identify the mouse runways?
I have a RAT in my house he is pretty big and pretty smart I set traps and poisons but he won’t go near them I have a small child in the house am I’ am pretty much afraid of him he goes in and out my vent and he also put holes in my pull out couch can u please help me
Teyana
Your first step is to make your vent rat proof, and if you do this while the rat it outside, then you have solved your problem.
Best
Simon
I recintly bought a sofa bed off someone that had it in a cabin when i pulled it out i found mouse/rat droppings not sure which in the hidden part and the bed part i cut that part off an vacuumed the whole thing i dont hear or feel anything and havent had anymore droppings my question when it was being moved/delivered would the mice come out leave and can i use lisol to clean it it smells like its had rodants on it iv cleaned it best i could wit what i had
Hi - this article might be helpful http://www.cdc.gov/rodents/cleaning/index.html. You could buy a black light to identify urine trails left by the rodents. Not sure I would want to sit or sleep on it if it smells. Yes the mouse could have traveled and left or made its new home in your home. Just keep your eyes & ears out for evidence of them. Again, I'm not sure I would want to sit or sleep on it if it has been cleaned with lisol.
Simon
I used disinfectant dpray their is no signs in my house or around the couch its been two months since i got it the couch came from an hour away if i had any idea i would have left it were it was but since i have it now an no way to get rid of it im doing everything I can to keep it clean i just found out that the people I bought it off had cats an that mey be wat i was smelling
I feel movements in my settee and my bed I no I ad mice but my son cought 1 so the movements like vibes I feel even on the floor IV covers every hole laid poison and traps I no my dog senseing them it's driving me insane my family fink I am imagine it I no am not tho it's corseing so much stress an rows I can't andle the feelings I av on my settee an bed IV frown 1 bed owt we tear the couch open the is no signs of it IV boarded it wot is left 2 do .
Hi Liz,
The best thing to do in your situation is to get a camera trap so you can see exactly what is happening. You can read about camera traps here https://www.pest-control-products.net/2761/reviews/wildlife-camera-trap/.
Simon