I'm traumatized...
 

Okay, so I'm fairly new to this life. We moved here about six months ago and I knew critters would be part of the equation. But...it was mildly amusing to find two mice in my washing machine, which I trapped and removed. Today, however, there were two mice in my machine tub, eating a third mouse. Cannibal mice are in no way cute. Why are they invading my washer, and how can I make it stop? Thanks everyone.

Shelby

Any idea on how they are getting into the washer ?
You keep the lid closed ?

Well, I'm sure they are coming in through the lid because I leave it open after I do a load to let it dry out. It's just weird that all of a sudden they're in there two days in a row, after not being in there before. Is this something mice tend to do? I've just never heard of it before.

:cute::benice: that is a pretty odd place for mice.

I am so glad when I see weird things do happen to somebody besides me! ;)

I've had possum in the attic (it died in there!!!!!! :eek:), a snake in the dining room floor, a bat that let himself get sucked in through the window fan of my bedroom twing twing .. circle circle , a bird, raccoons and squirrels both in attic and between floors, AND of course, mice now and then.

I cannot help you, but I may offer you comfort in knowing that my mom has found a dead mouse in her washer once. Just figured it couldn't get back out or something. But it was clean! :bowtie:

I would leave the lid on the washer up and put it a mouse trap or two.. that would take care of that.

I have planted catnip this year because I read that mice hate catnip. Says you are supposed to clip stems and put them around where you think they might be getting in. Thought it was worth a try.

I got mice in my machine regularly (and I keep the lid closed!) until I started keeping rat poison behind the machines. I really don't know how they were getting in!

My first experience was when I first moved here three years ago. I fell and broke my arm and did a lot of other damage the day after I moved, so I didn't do laundry for about two or three weeks. Imagine my surprise when I opened the lid to find three dead mice already desiccating, peeuuuwww! Talk about being traumatized, lol. Guess they got in and couldn't get out. It took forever to get the smell out of there!

It happened three or four more times, though finding them alive in there, before I put rat poison behind the washer and dryer. I haven't had any more since.

I think they might be looking for water. I used to find mice swimming in the dog's water bucket fairly often.

Another tidbit is that if you put out poison for the little critters, you should also give them a water dish. They need water for the poison to work.

I agree they are looking for water. Put a few inches of water in a 5 gallon bucket and smear a little peanut butter inside 1/2 way down. They'll go after the peanut buter and drown. I find this works in my storm cellar.

Weird things...yup. today I was in the apartment out at the farm and hear a rustling in the insulation (one wall is temporary and is a stud wall with insulation - no drywall). Thought it was a mouse. oh well...mice on the farm is normal. But the rustling continued and got louder. I glanced over toward the noise again and saw the wall moving. A LOT. Then I saw this little yellow beak peak out and looking closer saw some feel/talons.

Somehow or other a bird had gotten trapped in the insulation. slid down the wal inside the paper pare and was now trapped. :eek: that was...strange.

About the mice...You could fashion a piece of screen to put over the open tub.

You need to get some outdoor cats! I haven't seen a mouse anywhere near my house since I moved here 7 years ago. I have about a dozen barn cats and they keep everything pretty much critter free.

Mice hate peppermint oil. You could try some on a cotton ball :)

You are sooo lucky to have clean mice, even if they are cannibals. The mice around here don't care about washing, much less getting in a washer for a good soak and spin. I go out and try to bushhog, and there is a mouse sitting in the windrow, kinda looking up at me, saying "Do I really have to go in the washing machine?" I take pity and say, "No, you can stay out here in the field, but you need to wash behind your ears the next time you eat a nestmate." Usually, the response is "Oh thank-you, I'll be sure to do that!" and we go our separate ways (Did you not there is always "a rat" in separate?). If they give me any backtalk , I just go over the area once again.

You might suggest to your mice that when the tide comes in, they will regret inhabiting your washer...

Very interesting.... You weren't watching "I () Huckabees" last night too, were you?

I think the canibals were thirsty Vampires.
I would only use spring traps if you are ready to do a load of whites with bleach.

Thanks, everyone, for the good ideas! We are leaving town today for a few days and my daughter said we should keep our outdoor cat in the garage while we're gone. That's where the washer is, and our cat loves to hunt!

Here's some fun mouse-related links:

A bit of prose:
http://music.skinnywhitechick.com/track/the-mice

and a bit of music:
http://music.skinnywhitechick.com/tr...ice-a-war-song

Listen to them in order, or it won't make sense :p

Yep they hate the stuff.

Likely the three mice may have fallen in the tub and couldn't get out. Then two decided that if they couldn't get out, might as well have a sandwich...

I came home one evening a few months back and headed down to the basement. Opened the door and three squirrels were on the steps with a "What the heck are you doing here?" look on their faces. I had the same thought...

Just as an FYI... and not sure what kind of machine you have so it's possible it's not like this... but my washing machine, and I think most that have the doors on the top, are not sealed like on a front load machine. They are actually just a drum that rotates inside the square outer "shell" and there are a couple inches space in there for the drum to move a little side to side... in fact, if you reach under the front bottom of the machine, you'll likely feel that it is open down there.

I can move my drum side to side enough to see down past it from the top. I'm sure there's probably enough wires brackets etc. inside there for a mouse to walk underneath the washer and climb it's way up to the top of the drum and then probably fall or jump down in to try and get water.

Rob

Are you sure those so called cannibal mice aren't shrews? They eat meat..bugs and other mice....

I probably know first hand just how they got in! The dryer has a vent that usually has a screen on it outdoors. Depending on how this is done or a missing screen, they can come right into your home by going up the dryer vent hole that goes outside. Then they go underneath your washer and get in for water. I had rats get in a rental on the water years ago....yes Rats not mice and found a baby rat in my washer machine just like you found mice. I trapped them all and placed them in a burn barrel...fixed the vent with a heavy metal screen and problem was solved. You have more you don't know about yet...find where they are getting in and repair it. Sometimes they can get in through a hole they will chew through a wall.