Mice!!

[Sweet Louise]

I couldn’t figure out why, when I checked on Louise, she was clinging to the toy as an uncomfortable night perch. This morning, I checked the security camera and watched a mouse scurry across the floor, up the inside of her cage, and across into her bowl. The mouse had to have come within 5 inches or less of her. Mousetraps come out tonight. Not sure how I am going to do it because I cannot bend yet because of back surgery but it will get done. I may have her sleep on her playstand in the bedroom tonight, which worries me as she sometimes flies into bed with me, I don’t know that I will know that while sleeping. Which is worse, possible get smushed at night or being in her regular cage with traps below it/if there are several mice, one could still get in her cage...? the first pic is how I found her perching at night, the second one shows the mouse in her bowl. I have already used f-10 one her play stand and bowls. When that dries, I will do her entire cage. Poor bird!!

 

[expressmailtome]

Bump.

 

[sunnysmom]

Can you put her cage in the bedroom with you? How scary for you both.

 

[rockoko]

poor Louise

 

[Mizzely]

Does she have a travel cage she could sleep in instead?

 

[Sweet Louise]

Travel cage is a good idea-. Did catch 2 mice last night. Where there are 2....oh geeze, there are many more... I have the cameras set up now so I can better monitor until no more activity happens. I'm going to have to hunt this weekend for where they hang out during the day...I caught one by the basement stairs, I only put a trap there because my schnauzer showed way too much interest in that area last night, she went into hunting mode. Thinking I should take her in the basement to see what areas she finds interesting...

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

Oh dear Louise! I would keep her in your bedroom or where ever else there couldn't be a mouse invasion until you resolve where the mice are entering and feel that you've caught the ones that have entered. My reasoning… it's been 3 or 4 years … but one late night I was sitting up on my computer which is next to my bird room and I could hear Ruby doing a whole lot of scuffling around in her cage. Three of my crimsons like to sleep on the floor of the cages so I build a tent of paper for them to sleep under. I finally decided to see why she was so active in the dark and checked her cage. When I pulled the tray out there was a giant palmetto bug in the tray. It's a southern bug… and they look like a giant cockroaches on steroids. I HATE them. She was so stressed out by this bug. I got it, killed it and tried to settle her down. This incident was the onset of Ruby plucking. She still plucks new growth today …. primarily her back, a bit under her wings and sometimes her thighs. She was so traumatized by that bug. I no longer feed anything sweet to them that will attract the palmetto bugs… just vegetables, nuggets and a seed blend with a different pellet from the other they get. I haven't seen one in their room for a long time and now the weather is warmed up… they're outside and like mice they can get through some pretty tiny cracks. Another temporary solution for you may be purchasing some plexiglass or other slick material and creating a barrier around her cage that the mice can't crawl up.

 

[alshgs]

Oh my! We have problems with ants in our house, and have had mice, but thankfully at the moment they are gone!

 

[Sweet Louise]

@Mockinbirdiva that is a good point. Louise hasn't been herself, she has been crabby. I bird that 2 weeks ago I could say has never bit me, well, she got me 3 times in the past few days, just little bits, the size of the tip of a pen. Today, she hasn't flown to me when I ate (so I took her some) but she always comes to try to help herself. no plucking. With the travel cage, she can sleep there nightly and I can monitor activity with the nest cams. The mice came out within 10 minutes of shutting off the lights and going to bed. I have to go out and won't be back until dark so I will leave my mouse hunting dog out, lights on, and tv on so they don't come up. I think that should do it, and I hope it does..the one dog could catch a mouse and that just grosses me out... hmm, I may leave 2 dogs out and two locked in the kitchen...they put up a fuss when separated. And they are no threat to the bird, they cannot possibly reach her when the cage is locked. Even if they stretch on their toes, they can't reach the lowest perch.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

@Mockinbirdiva that is a good point. Louise hasn't been herself, she has been crabby. I bird that 2 weeks ago I could say has never bit me, well, she got me 3 times in the past few days, just little bits, the size of the tip of a pen. Today, she hasn't flown to me when I ate (so I took her some) but she always comes to try to help herself. no plucking. With the travel cage, she can sleep there nightly and I can monitor activity with the nest cams. The mice came out within 10 minutes of shutting off the lights and going to bed. I have to go out and won't be back until dark so I will leave my mouse hunting dog out, lights on, and tv on so they don't come up. I think that should do it, and I hope it does..the one dog could catch a mouse and that just grosses me out... hmm, I may leave 2 dogs out and two locked in the kitchen...they put up a fuss when separated. And they are no threat to the bird, they cannot possibly reach her when the cage is locked. Even if they stretch on their toes, they can't reach the lowest perch.

Stress can manifest itself in many different ways. Not sleeping through the night because of the mice could be making her irritable enough to bite. I do think the fear doesn't quite go away during the day but daily distractions of the household probably helps to calm the fears while the mice aren't present. Good that you have a dog that would catch the mice… it's really only icky if they eat it and then give you kisses…. Maybe you could also take the food out and put the bowls in a plastic container just before it's lights out and put it back in the morning. If they don't have a food source they'll look someplace else. Same for the dog bowls if they don't eat it all…. though my yorkies do a fine job eating all their kibble and lick their bowls for any crumbs left over. My Ruby is a hypersensitive bird … slightly neurotic and best described as a chihuahua on speed. I had to train her to stay with me when the birds in that room are out because she also started pulling feathers out of Casey. So now, I'm the object of affection… she licks me, nibbles my ears… gives me those tiny annoying pinches for moving around too much … and climbs all over me like a play gym…. and loves to be smooched on. Super sweet but will shred her sister Scarlette in a nano-second ( in my avatar).

 

[Sweet Louise]

good advice, thank you! getting ready for bed and Annie (mouse dog) is very interested in one section of the couch, prob their route from the stairs to the cage...a trap will go there for sure. she wasn't interested in anything in the basement which is where I think they are coming from, makes me think they are in the basement ceiling--drywall not drop. It would explain how they clearly know when I go to bed, on the cameras, they are at the cage within 10 minutes... hopefully I will find snapped traps at my usual 3 am wake up...

 

[camelotshadow]

 

[Shezbug]

Wow leave all the dogs out. They like to compete with each other for the catch and it motivates them to hunt for more mice. The mice wont stand a chance if you let the dogs do what they are good at. Just have to watch they dont try to share their catch with you, my dog likes to keep going back to make sure they are dead and then he goes looking for more. The dog and the cat are the reason I know when I need to start trapping outside, they hear them under the house and start annoying certain areas of the house like under the dishwasher (they come in with the water pipe as the hole has not been properly covered and I can not get to it without removing the bench and cupboards). Once they do this I know before the week is out there will be a few caught inside by the dog and I will have got heaps outside in bucket and snap traps. Once your dog has shown interest, encourage and praise and you will mostly never need another mouse trap they will even find the nests for you. Plus the dogs are better at it than we are with the traps.

 

[Serin]

Mice are not a major threat to a parrot, they will want the seed, not to bother her. I have never had a mouse harm a pet bird though they have often gotten into the cages and eaten seed.
Snap traps under the cages baited with peanut butter do the trick, mice find it irresistible.
Glue boards along the walls also catch them readily, but you have to kill the mice once you find them or they suffer.

 

[Dartman]

Nerd bird always bothered the areas where he knew moce were hanging out and the mice were good at staying out of sight to eat whatever they found. Once they start coming out in the day time you know you have a very bad problem as they overpopulate and start running around during the day as they get forced out of hiding spots and they of course love bird food leftovers. Get the T Rex snap traps, mice don't recognize them as traps so if set up along the edges of walls they will run right through them and that's the end of that mouse. Reset it and put it back till the infestation gets whittled down. When we finally set some up at our old house just before we moved they got like 5 the first night and I heard one go off as I was getting ready for work. Found the victim when I got home. Mice can give your bird nasty diseases so best to get rid of them as best you can but they will always be a problem in the spring and fall so try to block up any tiny entry points and use traps or bait as you feel comfortable with.

 

[Clueless]

I was told that Secret is scared of mice.