My house is under attack by mice. Droppings everywhere, holes in boxes and plastic bags. I'm not a killer, so, I decided to use a humane trap. With it, I caught 8 mice in 2 days, not bad. But I only decimated them, not eradicated them, so more to go. I can hear them at night.
I'm quite happy with my traps and bait; the problem is now the weather is 10F degrees outside, and 20" of snow. I won't put the mice out there until it's a bit warmer, but I can't just not trap them, either.
I've got a mouse now that I've trapped and placed in an empty fish tank, I just lined the bottom with paper towels and placed a dish of water and bait for food.
I know next to nothing about keeping mice, my intention is to release any that I catch as soon as the weather turns; but how do I care for them in the meantime? Do I have to worry about disease, or fleas, or getting bitten? What happens if I do get bit?
The mouse, by the way, is having a temper tantrum, ostensibly from getting caught. He (or she) has already torn up all of the paper towels into confetti, after one night, and seems to be testing the best choice places to eliminate his/her bowels. That includes in the water bowl and food dish. And everywhere else. So, how often do I have to change the linings, food, and water?
And for posterity, I might as well learn how to sex the mouse... how do I do that?
And if I manage to catch more, should I keep them together or put them in separate tanks? I don't want babies. (I have one more tank suitable for this purpose, the others I have are not large enough or don't have adequate covers on top).