Think I might have mice. Please help.

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InTooDeep

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Its 4am. From my finished basement I just heard squeeks and rustling in the joists above me. I haven't seen any signs other than that.

I don't know what to do. Should I call a professional in the morning or is this something I can take care of?

I live in Canada and it's been very cold the last few weeks.
 
meet the "crew"

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Rascal
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Bug Bug
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Big foot
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Lil Bit
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The dude

The word is out, mice do not come around.
Big foot is especially talented, and Rascal likes to play with them
Bug Bug likes to supervise,
 
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The most effective first step is denial of entry Find the skinniest opening through which they could have gotten inside. Block these openings. Steel wool is useless. You can buy rolls of pest mesh that is tough enough to stop them. Once you deny entry by new "friends", you can proceed to murdering the guys in the house.

They are smart and creatures of habit. They run the same path and are alert to new obstructions. Place traps without bait for a couple of days. Let them get used to seeing the traps. Then bait all the traps. You will catch a bunch. Repeat as necessary.

RAT.jpg
 
I'm surprised you said steel wool is useless. The pest people still swear by this, and I personally have had great great success using it. What am I missing?
 
Thanks villa. My only concern though is that the mice are in the walls/celling and won't be able to get out if I seal them in. Then they'll die in my ceiling and rot.
 
If it is so cold outside, why would they leave anyway? You need to deny them entry to the house. Deny them access to food. Give them baited traps so they don't die in your walls or ceilings.

BTW, having worked in restaurant remodeling, I find steel wool is not nearly as effective as pest mesh. In those situations, we have also used aluminum sheeting and Wonderboard Lite as barriers because those little guys will chew through drywall to get at the food.
 
I sealed everywhere with expanding foam. Peanut butter traps are up (although I haven't seen them or their droppings so I don't know if they have access to it).
Let the battle begin!
 
In my old house I would get them in the attic. I started just leaving poison trays up there and it for the most part stopped them. Every once in a while I would hear one but not for long. I never did figure out where they were getting in.
 
2 down. Peanut butter and the basic spring traps work really well.
 
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