Invasion of the mice

[bbbluw]

Hi,

I have kept gerbils for almost 2 years now. When I got my first pair I also want mice as pets but my father wouldnt allow it. He said mice attact other mice and kept telling me stories about how his old house got invaded by mice when my cousin brought a white mouse from the pet store.

We just moved into a new house and see no signs of rats or mice. A few months passed and my addiction grew and so have my gerbil gang. And now my father said he saw a few mice in the house and everyone is pointing the finger at me, saying its my fault, because the gerbils attract the mice into the house.

Is is true that mice attract other mice(rodents)? All animals have their own unique scent, I would think too much of a scent would scare of another species. Yes, gerbils are in the rodent family but they are different from mice, so obviously their scent would be also.

[RitzieAnn]

I live with a few friends in a trailer park, and there are some DUMPY places around. As most know, trailers are usually known for "icky" things like wild mice and stuf. Ours is old, but we try to keep it up, our trailer is surely one of the better looking ones in the court. I have 10 gerbils here, and we've NEVER had a rodent problem. I got my 1st in October, and now there's 10, but we've never had problems.

My mom's place gets mice every year, and there's NO rodents. Just 4 inside/outside dogs. Do you live by farm land? She gets mice in the spring, and again in summer/fall when they do all the haying.

I've heard of a captured wild mouse attracting other wild mice, but I've never heard of it of a domestic mouse.

[bbbluw]

Theres an old farm around the corner. We live on one of the busiest road, takes quite a bit to get off the driveway.

I saw a shrew in the garage awhile back and rabbits in the backyard.

My father still dont agree with me. He said he goes by his own experience. I say its the area. Theres always a crack and hole in every house and mice will always find a way in....

So everyone, tell me what you think. I will show my father this post.

[mice]

I've never been to your house! ;D. No, seriously, I've never kept mice but I have kept gerbils and we've never had a rodent problem. My dad bought one home in his lunch bag once (he didn't know it was there) but I can't say I've really heard of mice attracting other mice.

[gerbil]

That almost seems so absurd!

[bbbluw]

Yup, no kidding.

[Ritzie/Admin]

However, Mice are very territorial. So it also seem (possibly even more) that the smell/scent of mice would scare other mice away!

With gerbils is this the same! Gerbils would never enter an established territorium of another group, without good reason. Because if they would do that, they will probably attacked and possibly killed. Probably with mice the same.

[lydia]

In the u.k., rodents kept indoors do not attract other rodents.However,if they are kept outdoors,in a suitable shed or outbuilding,wild mice and rats are attracted to the food bins/storage areas.
I don't understand why.My mice are very territorial,if I put two different mouse cages next to each other,the mice will try to get to the ones in the next cage.Especially the males,they will even squeal in fury.

If you are keeping your gerbils food securely,and,keeping their cage clean etc.,I seriously doubt that it is your gerbils attracting mice.Much more likely that it is due to human waste,or,something happening where they normally live,forcing them to forage further afield.

Lyd

[RitzieAnn]

I wouldn't worry about it. Parent's aren't always right, and besides, if you have farmland around, then it's to be expected that mice will be seen. If they're not IN the house, they'll certianly be around it! Even the cleanest houses will have to deal with them at least once. Honestly, it's kinda like kids and head lice. The cleanest heads get the lice just as easily (often times more easily) than the dirtier heads. Don't worry about it!

[doomgerbiluk]

I would agree with Lydia about storing all food etc in air tight containers.
I live in a 3rd floor maisonette in the inner city. My daughter had a wild mouse living in her bedroom. At the time we only had 2 rats and they were downstairs.
The mouse had found my daughters secret acorn collection!!!!

In other words where there's a food supply there's mice. Whether its a childs acorn collection, a larder in need of tidying or spilt animal feed, a hungry mpouse does not differentiate. I assume young mice looking for new accomodation must pass through other rodents territories so I doubt in that case your own rodents would be a deterrent.

I do suggest you help him lay traps etc to get rid of the wild rodents. After all they are as a big a threat to you pets health as to your own!!!

I personally prefer the spring traps, but you may prefer the glue traps or the humane ones. Do remember that a humane trap only transfers the problem elsewhere when you release the animals.

I'm not keen on poison as it is a slow and painful death.

[gerbil]

I don't know. After getting gerbils, I can't seem to kill any rodent.

[gerbil boy 11]

;D

well, gerb...I know how you feel about killing a rodent .I even walked into a pet store an saw a pack of freased dried mouse pinkies ,i mean talking about filling bad...

speaking of witch there is a compost pile across from the back door of my classroom at my school .some rats make there home in it esspescily wile its cold .!!! i see them about every morning

PS: no offence but that idea of your dad's is bogis...

[doomgerbiluk]

Well there are a few issues in the 'kill or not kill' debate on wild rodents
I have no problem with dead stock, though I do have issues with the poor conditions dead stock are often kept in. I'm lucky enough to have a found a small scale dead stock breeder whose animals live in relative luxury.
Wild mice and rats spread disease. humane traps allow you to release them elsewhere. The problem is how do you release them far enough away not to returns, in a place where they are not in the territory of another rodent or where they will not cause problems for other people. Also if the wild animals are carriers of some thing like Tyzzers could you be responsible for introducing a disease to a new area???
Killing pests is of course a final solution, except that in a world overun with rats and mice, mainly due to our own wasteful ways, the likelihood is they will be replaced by others.
you pays ur moeny and takes ur choice guys

[tirilliel]

I dont think that owning rodents will attract mice in by their scent, I mean mice probably generally fallow a trail left by other mice scents like droppings urine ect. that might lead them into a home, but your gerbils probably dont have the run of the house and Im sure have not made any trails leading from outside to inside of your home

Mice are always looking for safe and warm places to live and raise their young, if they got into the house it was probably by chance of them finding a way in. Of course once they do get in, if they find an area with food on the floor, like maybe gerbil feed around their cage ect it will cause them to keep coming back for more and more But I think the act of the mouse entering into the home initially has nothing to do with the fact you own a clan of gerbils.

If I find any rodents in the house its usually because the cats brought them in, if they are alive Ill somehow catch them by the tail or round them up into a box and put them out side, and well if they are already dead, gotta put em out

I dont like mouse traps if one doent have to use them, of course its hard to catch an entire infestation I would never use poisons because I do have cats that hunt plus even if I didnt have them it can destroy wildlife, the natural predators who eat them.

[Annenrob]

I've never heard that and I've always had little critters mice, rats, hamster, gerbils etc and I've never had any problems.