Mice in newer, higher rise apartments

christina · #1 Posted: **Oct 14, 2009, 1:50 AM**

I'm sure this has been touched on already, but I thought I might ask if anyone can help me with how to get my building manager to ensure the only things living in my apartment have two legs.

My apartment is approximately 5 years old, I live in a 6 story building, in which I'm on the third floor, well above ground level. My apartment is kept very clean and I've seen mice. I called my super who put down sticky traps (and a mouse has been seen since, not on the trap) so I emailed the building company (rhymes with Millam Properties)

I found a bylaw in M100 http://www.halifax.ca/legislation/bylaws/hrm/blm100.pdf, page 4 of 15 that states "buildings shall be kept free of rodents and insects at all times. Methods for exterminating pests shall be in accordance with the provisions of Pest Contol Products Act" but what can I make them do? Should they be sealing up the holes where they obviously came from? What are my rights? I couldn't find anything in the tenancy act.

I realize Halifax is a water city and rodents are a problem, but I don't live downtown, I don't live in a ground floor apartment and I keep the floors clear of crumbs and food. If anyone has any suggestions it'd be most helpful!

Takeo · #2 Posted: **Oct 14, 2009, 1:59 AM**

Snap traps and peanut butter. Or a cat.

Dmajackson · #3 Posted: **Oct 14, 2009, 2:47 AM**

Only one mouse? Man that actually sounds better than most places I know ...

A year ago I was cleaning my Nan's house in the South-End and well its a three storey house infested with mice. I think over the course of the week I found one mouse in a trap, five or six more dead elsewhere and well rat feces in all the drawers and cupboards.

Heck to be perfectly honest I don't mind mice living where I am at all. They are quiet and as long as you don't leave a mess for them to get at you won't have a problem.

I forget where I read this fact but apparently there's on average 72 mice per city block in Halifax.

hfx_chris · #4 Posted: **Oct 14, 2009, 2:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by christina

...ensure the only things living in my apartment have two legs.

As Ian Malcolm said in Jurassic Park, life finds a way. The mice will start walking on their hind legs.

phrenic · #5 Posted: **Oct 14, 2009, 6:22 PM**

I lived in a house behind Hogie's/Quincy's/Athens restaurant on Quinpool for three years. The first 2 years we had two cats. I never saw a mouse.

The third year when my roommate with the cats moved out, they overran the place. No matter how clean we kept it they just kept coming and coming. They invested both levels, ate a couple of my shirts and even ate an entire bag of flour in a few days.

My landlord lived in Toronto and his solution was to "buy traps." When traps weren't cutting it anymore he said to buy poison. He refused to call an exterminator and I was about to take him to the tenancy board, but it was a month away from when I had planned to move out anyway so we just used the poison and let them die in the walls. I pitty the people who moved in there afterward and probably had no idea.

None of that really answers your question, but as far as I'm concerned mice on the third floor of a relatively new apartment building is completely unacceptable no matter if we're in a port city or not, and I'd continue to press them to act until they call a professional in or set a lot of traps.

Takeo · #6 Posted: **Oct 14, 2009, 9:01 PM**

I guess each situation is different. I had mice when I lived in Toronto. I bought a ton of old fashioned snap traps and peanut butter and wiped the out within a week. The snap should be pretty quick and lethal... if you don't mind killing them. Glue traps are pretty horrific I think. If you want to catch and release... put a big garbage pale by the kitchen counter and then balance a paper towel roll on the counter with peanut butter in the far end. They walk out and mouse and roll fall in the bucket. If it's a plastic pail... hopefully they don't chew through it by morning.

240glt · #7 Posted: **Oct 14, 2009, 9:18 PM**

I've seen evidence of mice in penthouses of 15+ story buildings. It's really quite amazing the places those little rodents can get.

From what I've seen, the most popular entry into a space for mice is adjascent to building services... hot & cold domestic lines going to sinks, dishwashers etc, electrical chases, radiation piping, etc. You can get split flanges to cover the holes left by sloppy tradeswork around pipes & such.

I had mice in the basement last winter. Tried the humane approach (catch & release trap, ultrasonic devices) but they don't seem to work that well. Got some good ol' snap traps, a week later, problem solved.

Oh, and mice really like chocolate as well.

Keith P. · #8 Posted: **Oct 14, 2009, 11:22 PM**

I have cats. I have no mice. A fair trade I think.

Takeo · #9 Posted: **Oct 15, 2009, 12:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

Got some good ol' snap traps, a week later, problem solved.

Oh, and mice really like chocolate as well.

Ya. I've used snap traps with chocolate and peanut butter. One time I set one with chocolate smeared with peanut butter and I head a **SNAP** literally a few minutes after setting it. LOL. Poor fella. How much would that suck? Oh well.

As for catch and release... they will sniff their way back "home" unless you drop them far far away.

hfx_chris · #10 Posted: **Oct 15, 2009, 11:48 AM**

I don't think I could use chocolate and peanut butter, I would keep setting the traps off myself