Mouse House

July 28 - After Three Rivers Inspection completes its work, they report a mouse infestation at 211 Hunt Road. Quality Pest Services returns and discovers evidence of severe mouse infestation, advising it be treated immediately. Brian recommends that traps be placed in the storage room, the basement, the ceilings, and the attic.  There is rodent feces spread over most flat surfaces in the basement, for starters, something else that the Exlers covered up when we viewed the house (or any prospective buyers visited, apparently).

Just one of the many corners filled with mouse dirt in our $800,000 house.

July 30 - Russ Kowalik, of Three Rivers Inspection, informs Lorri and Lisa of a severe mouse infestation in the basement.

August 3 - Mark Rabe from Quality Pest Control returns to treat the mouse infestation, describing it as “very heavy” and using 27 bait traps.  A comparable space with a moderate problem would typically require six traps.  Mark also uses liquid pesticide and dust pesticide, recommends that professionals vacuum pervasive mouse droppings, as they cannot be removed without goggles, respirators and other suitable protective gear.  Lorri asks if it is possible for someone to have lived here and not been aware of infestation, to which the exterminator shook his head and offered a definitive, “No way.”

August 10 - While  cleaning, Lisa finds increased mouse activity in the basement and the attic. 

August 11 - Lorri and Lisa discuss with Emilio, owner of landscaping/general home repair company, removing mouse droppings in the basement to make it usable. Given the extent of the problem, they conclude that the ceiling tiles, the walls, and all flat surfaces between paneling and foundation wall will need to be removed.  This is dangerous work, because mouse droppings (not to mention dead rodents themselves) contain various bacteria and virus, some of them threatening to human life, including the deadly hantavirus.  

If you have a mouse infestation or extensive mouse droppings in your house, please get professional exterminators to deal with it.  Here's a page from Orkin on the dangers of mouse droppings and how to deal with an infestation. 

Not to be gross, but here's what mouse droppings look like close-up, so you can recognize them if you have this problem.

August 12 - Architect Todd Swann and his parter, Stuart, visit to discuss how to proceed. Both emphasized the need to deal with health and safety issues immediately, including the mouse infestation.

August 13 - Emilio and crew arrive and begin demolishing the basement. Numerous mouse traps of recent vintage are located in the walls and ceiling and dried mouse remains are found in the storage area. More bait packs, mouse traps, and mouse remains are uncovered August 14 when the crew returns. 

While another crew is demolishing the unsafe kitchen on October 1, a dead mouse was found behind the refrigerator and mouse droppings are found along the wall adjacent to the mud room.   As yet another contractor (yes, we had LOTS of contractors) is tearing out the flooring several months later , he uncovers still more evidence of mouse infestation behind the refrigerator and in other locations. November 8, Lisa pulls out an entire mouse corpse from the gap between the floor and wall where the refrigerator had been. 

We'll spare you the pictures of the literally dozens and dozens of dead mouse corpses.  Believe me, you don't want to see these things.  Certainly, our sellers and "our" real estate agent didn't want us to see any of this -- and they worked extra special hard to make sure we didn't.

There is a mouse — or maybe hundreds — in the house! 

Thanks Roz!!