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Hello Julia,

I'm no pest control expert, thought I've certainly dealt with my share of rodentia over the years.

First, I DEFINITELY support your avoidance of poison. In addition to its obvious toxicity to kids/dogs/etc., I find it has two major drawbacks. (1) things can die in the walls--wow, is THAT the pits (been there done that), and (2) there is no 'confirmed kill' (did it work, or didn't it?)

Sounds like you've got a bigger problem than mice, what with all the gnawing, etc. Could be larger rodents including squirrels or chipmunks (as you say), rats, raccoons, skunks (lovely!) or something else(?)

One problem with these is that they're quite a bit smarter than mice and don't fall easily for traps. I've dealt with rats (in a previous house, thankfully) and they can be caught with rat traps if you are careful to set and bait them while wearing rubber gloves (helps hide the human scent)--and also nail (or somehow otherwise tie) them down. They can make quite a mess when they spring, and they can still go quite a distance, even with the trap attached to them (again, lovely!)

But alas, no guarantees: They also learn how to steal bait from traps. They can be frustrating--they outsmart us all too often!

If it's something like raccoons or skunks (or, yes, even rats), you may be better off hiring a professional. For one thing, some of these can get dangerous to deal with. Pros will often set live traps then kill them after being caught (it REALLY isn't a good idea to re-release them!)

As far as sealing the house, well, it may not be as sealed as you think.

Good luck; please keep us posted!


Regards,
-k2 in CO

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