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I just found out that my neighbor that I share a wall with is moving out because of "the mouse issue." This is the first I've heard about it. I'm pretty sure I don't have mice. I haven't found any chewed food packaging or what looks like mouse droppings. I do have a cat but I'm not confident he would know how to kill a mouse. I've never seen him chase anything on the floor but I know he will chase flying insects. I also haven't been presented with any "presents." Could he really be keeping the mice from my apartment by just his scent?

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[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 45 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

*If you pay rent: Tell your landlord, this is their job to fix. Email them about it now so you have proof in case they try to blame you for an infestation...

[-] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Why is there an assumption OP is renting? And why in the world is this the top voted comment? It has absolutely nothing to do with the question.

[-] Ziggurat@jlai.lu 13 points 1 year ago

To my understanding US English use different words to differentiate whether you own or not your appartment/condo.

Which IMO is a bit weird, but languages have tons of weird stuff, so one less, one more

[-] starlinguk@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Also: Americans call a terraced house a condo too.

[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 7 points 1 year ago

No, you're right. I assumed they were renting because of the use of "apartment" and "moving out" vs "selling". But as for relevance, they were showing valid concern for the possibility of a rodent infestation. What to do about it would be a logical next step, no?

I do agree with you. Once I learnt that apartment can mean 'renting', your reply made a lot more sense.

[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 2 points 1 year ago

Thanks. I edited my comment to hopefully be a little clearer.

[-] Mothra@mander.xyz 6 points 1 year ago

I guess it's solid advice that most people didn't think about. If OP happens to not be paying rent, this comment is just irrelevant. But if OP is like the majority of users reading this comment, a little lightbulb will turn on and they'll appreciate it

I admit the comment makes more sense after I learnt apartments are by definition rented in some countries.

[-] kkj@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 year ago

Apartments are by definition rented. If they're individually owned, they're condominiums.

[-] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Huh. That's the first time I've ever heard that definition. TIL. Googling it, it seems to be a cultural thing and very much depends which country you live in.

[-] DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 1 year ago

Yep, it's not the case where I live. Besides, is there a secret third name it must have for you to call it by when you don't know the resident's ownership status?

[-] Headofthebored@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I would also accept "crack den".

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

I own and live in a condo, and sometimes call it an apartment., because condo sounds bougie to me. Especially because I happen to know the building was built as apartments and converted later. Lots of people rent condos as well, so they have a landlord, the owner of the unit. Anyway, you can usually say apartment to give the idea it's a multifamily dwelling.

[-] starlinguk@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

In Germany: if you're an estate agent you'd call it an Eigentumswohnung but most people aren't show offs so they just call it a Wohnung.

[-] Iapetus@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 year ago

It's a flat if it's one floor, owned or rented. 'Flat' is also easier to write, say, and spell too.

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[-] tyler@programming.dev 24 points 1 year ago

Cats get rid of mice just by existing. We had a mouse problem when we moved in. The cats never once killed a mouse. We no longer have mice (in the house). Mice are always outside so maybe your neighbor just doesn’t like that?

[-] Ephera@lemmy.ml 24 points 1 year ago

Mice can often find ways you wouldn't believe, but they still have to adhere to the laws of physics, so you might simply not have suitable holes in your apartment for them to enter. But yeah, also quite possible that they can smell the cat and don't want to enter the lion's den.

[-] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 25 points 1 year ago

but they still have to adhere to the laws of physics

[citation needed]

[-] Crashumbc@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago

You didn't HAVE a mouse problem... You may soon, the mice may travel now that their previous source is cut off.

The cat well help though.

[-] Flocklesscrow@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 year ago

*the cat will help if it is so inclined. -cat

[-] rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

When the dirty neighbor moves out you're about to have a "mouse issue".

IMO, get ready now and set some old-school wood-and-copper snap traps, I put mine in shoeboxes or disposable tupperware with little mouse holes in the side. This keeps the kitty off the traps. I bait with peanut butter, two traps per box and I bend the sear so it goes off on a hair trigger.

I am loath to use poison on rodents because I don't want to make pets, raptors, or owls sick. I settled on Cholecalciferol because it seems safer for other wildlife.

Good luck and don't forget, smacking them with a broom works too.

edit: I like to imagine the two people who downvoted this are soap-dodging militant vegans who are AGHAST I would kill vermin.

[-] scytale@lemmy.zip 17 points 1 year ago

Poison also means they’ll hide and die somewhere unreachable and will stink up the place.

[-] rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

yeah, but sometimes they are smarter than traps. small mouse = small stink.

[-] Chocrates@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

It'll dessicate eventually

[-] FaceDeer@fedia.io 4 points 1 year ago

And the other mice will clean it up too.

[-] FaceDeer@fedia.io 8 points 1 year ago

I occasionally deal with a mouse or two in my house, and I much prefer these kinds of traps. They're slightly more expensive, but you don't need many and they're reusable so that doesn't really matter much. The advantages are:

  • Super easy to set, just pull the jaw open by the little handle and it clicks in place. No need to touch the dead mouse, it plops right out into a garbage can.
  • I've never had mice successfully steal the bait, the cover forces them to put their heads in exactly the right place for the kill bar to come down on them.
  • This also means that I've never seen a mouse fail to get instantly and painlessly killed.

The best places to put mousetraps are often dark and hard to see, and the bright red kill bar makes it easy to tell at a glance whether it's triggered.

Have you ever tried sticking your dick in it?

[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 2 points 1 year ago

Uh...

At your link I'm a little concerned about all the 1-star reviews on Victor's own site saying the kill bar didn't... y'know, kill and they had to deal with a live mouse stuck in the trap. Of course it depends on the type/size of the rodent, but I'm inclined to believe them since they aren't steering people to competitors, only Victor's traditional spring-bar traps...

[-] FaceDeer@fedia.io 2 points 1 year ago

That's very weird, frankly. 75 reviews and every single one of them with 1 star says the same thing? And all of them within the period of Dec 2024-Feb 2025? Not to mention I've been using these for years myself and have never seen a mouse survive, the kill arm smashes hard and the trigger is very sensitive. I get the suspicion that one person had a bad experience and spent a few months review-bombing.

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[-] raynethackery@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Thanks for the information. I guess it's time to get containers for all my food. I already keep bread in the freezer.

[-] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

I already keep bread in the freezer.

Wouldn't you rather enjoy it?

[-] kkj@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 year ago

If you toast it before use, it's pretty much identical to unfrozen toasted bread.

[-] TachyonTele@piefed.social 3 points 1 year ago

No. I must keep it in the freezer in case the bread factory goes silent.

[-] raynethackery@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I just toast it. It's just regular American grocery store bread. Anything nicer gets eaten pretty quickly but sometimes I want a piece of toast with my cocoa.

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[-] Mothra@mander.xyz 10 points 1 year ago

Yes cat smell can fend off rodents. I only saw rats in my childhood house after my cat died.

[-] palordrolap@fedia.io 5 points 1 year ago

You'd definitely find dry little black rice-grain-like droppings on all surfaces if you had mice, especially in rooms that have food, and more will appear if you clean them away. Also, little sticky splotches that are easy to mistake for drink spillages, because they pee everywhere too.

I managed to get rid of mine, but I occasionally still find evidence they were here in out of the way corners that I forgot about.

Brave mice - because I'm sure some will have that trait - and those infected with toxoplasmosis won't care about cats.

Good luck.

[-] deltapi@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I have mice active in my house and haven't found poop yet, only realized last week when I found a piece of leftover food that was nibbled down on the edges. These ones are sneaky.

[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Many apartments have a firewall between units, it's a safety measure. If fire can't get through, I doubt mice could.

this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2025
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