Dog Food Attract Mice?

[MyDuke]

I have a serious issue...Duke and I moved to an apartment where I have been told that by me leaving Duke's food out during the day that it attracts mice???

I have been leaving his food out all day since the first day I got him because he is so little that not having food during the day while I go to work is just not a good idea to me.

I've spotted droppings here and there and closed up as many holes as I can find but really don't want our landlord to blame it on me leaving his food out. I have traps that are safe for pets and Duke is doing well with them around.

Even if I buy the elevated shelves for his food/water, I'm afraid that the mice might still be able to climb up. I've gotten over my fear of the crazy rodents (sorry to those who have them as pets) but I'm more concerned about how Duke might have a run in with one of them or that they might poison his food.

Any advice or suggestion would be appreciated.

[Yorkiedaze]

If your house sits up off the ground, then just fill in all around all the pipes with steel wool. The mice won't chew it and therefore can't come in.
Maybe you could get a cat too!

[emilyann]

I'd just make sure that all the holes are filled with something the mice can't get through. They make some kinda foam stuff that's for holes and everything to keep mice out, can't remember what it's called though. I didn't know that dog food attracted mice?!

[BamaFan121s]

I can see how that might be the case. I know that mice/rats will eat dog food, so if there are mice in your area, I can see where they would be attracted to it.

[mylucy]

yes dog food attracts mice and rats. Keep your bag of dog food in some sort of cannister. Keep your kitchen clean. No crumbs on the counters or floor. No food left out. This includes bread. Put your bread in a bread box or fridge. Also make sure they can't get in your garbage can. They also eat dog feces so get that up asap. They both carry ticks, fleas, mites, worms as well as other diseases (rabies). They can also give you and your dog food poisoning from the germs they carry on their filthy feet that they go through their urine and feces with. If you leave any kind of fruit out be sure to wash it. Best not to leave it out.

Mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime rats the size of a quarter. I have always heard that steel wool works in plugging these holes. It might work if you can find all the holes. holes can hide between the wall and your carpet. Rats make their holes.

When I had this problem I lived in a house. In the same neighborhood there was a feed store and a dog food plant. I had to get aggressive and use poison. You have to make sure your dogs, cats and wildlife cant get to the poison. Remove any remaining poison when the pest are gone!

For those who don't know rat and mice poison is deadly to a dog or cat. If your dog by chance gets any at all immediately take them to the emergency vet.

I fed my dogs twice a day. I would mix the dry food with canned food so they would eat it quickly. Then pick up the bowls and clean them out.

Good luck fighting these rodents in an apartment. I know you will feel like you are fighting a war by yourself.

[Punkin&Piper]

Get a kitty and they will steer clear of your house

[fadeddenim]

i never knew dog food attracted mice! i'm so scared now. first of all, i hate rodents! second, i leave my puppy's food out for him while i'm at work.

[meli]

I raise rodents. I feed them dog food. They LOVE IT! They will eat it faster than your dog will. The only thing they love more is cat food. What you need to do it keep your foods in the bags they come in and keep the bags in Sterlite containers (plastic containers with snap on lids like they sell at walmart) or those nifty dog food containers with lids that snap and have wheels on them. Even an unused fish tank with a wire mesh lid if you already have one of those will work just fine.

My other suggestion is one most people hate but if you have pets an the mice or rats are coming into their space this will work. WARNING!!!! Keep a bottle of vegtable oil on hand incase you pet gets stuck on the trap and not a small bottle either. Glue traps! They work...you'll know when you catch something because sooner you later it will scream out of frustration or your pet will let you know. There is no poision involved with these traps so you can use them around foods and animals. But I will warn you that curious animals will have a tendency to get stuck to them once. They will rarely get stuck twice because they learn that getting stuck sucks. You can unstick you pet by coating the area with vegtable oil, Coat the fur, skin, trap and all and in a few minutes they will be freed.

I use these traps around my cages to keep my homes from being invaded should I have escapees from the rodent tanks. I have had dogs, cats and snakes (pets) get stuck to these traps and other than one upset animal, they were fine. If the traps sit out too long they get dusty and need replace (like a year or so).

I do not agree with the use of chemicals inside a home unless it is a last resort. It just isn't healthy for anyone.

[littlek9lover]

I apologize that I am not a Yorkie owner, i am a miniature Dachshund owner however, I have problems with mice and have done and am still doing a lot of research on how to get rid of them while having my puppy.
After speaking with the vet and mentioning to her that I was told about the steel wood idea, she did agree that mice will not eat through steel wool, HOWEVER, if your puppy eats it, it is very dangerous for them. It tears up their digestive system and can kill them. So if you use it, only use is in areas that they don't go. Be very careful with it so that your little baby doesn't get a hold of it or you may get rid of both the mice and your little one.
Not worth it to me. I cannot stand mice, I mean CANNOT stand them. They aren't an insect you can step on...they are a critter and they are nasty but I would rather deal with them and keep my little baby alive than watch my little man suffer and die just to get rid of a mouse.
Use caution around your little ones. If you are like me, Kota is my baby. It is just me and him, he is my family. I mean I have a sister and mom and dad but in my house it is just the two of us. I am 30, not married and have no kids. He is my kid
If anyone has any other ideas about the mice, I am all ears. lol
God Bless Everyone and their precious pups

[Yorkiemom1]

I think steel wool goes around the space where pipes and cables enter the house...like behind the stove, under the cabinet where the sink is, etc. Hopefully, puppy does not have free access to those areas! Mouse traps in those areas work well also.....as well as in drawers, behind doors, along long walls, etc. I personally hate mouse traps and will not use them. I detest those sticky pads that secure them to the pad so they scream and holler and then starve to death if the pad is in an out of the way place you dont check every several hours.....

[Einstein1]

Wolfie eradicates my mice. He gets to them so fast, there is never any mouse spoor around. He has killed two of them. He is a regular mouse slayer. He caught his first one when he was three mos. old. He is five mos. old now.

[Bobswench]

We had exactly this problem. We live on a canal and rats love to come indoors during the winter. They entered through a hole in the outside wall that was behind the dishwasher. Little buggers chewed through the water hoses and caused a huge leak in the kitchen.

After we caught the rat (which Abbi had been trying to tell us about for weeks!), we plugged the hole with insulating foam - comes in a can, you can buy it at Home Depot. It hardens almost immediately and rats and mice can't chew through it. The dog couldn't get to it, so no worries there.

[Cooper2010]

Mint is also a deterrent. Buy some peppermint or spearmint oil and shake some onto a cotton ball. Place them in drawers, cabinets, etc. This is particularly helpful once you get rid of the mice to keep them from coming back. If you are able to you can plant it around the edges of your house. It smells nice too

[matese]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

I think steel wool goes around the space where pipes and cables enter the house...like behind the stove, under the cabinet where the sink is, etc. Hopefully, puppy does not have free access to those areas! Mouse traps in those areas work well also.....as well as in drawers, behind doors, along long walls, etc. I personally hate mouse traps and will not use them. I detest those sticky pads that secure them to the pad so they scream and holler and then starve to death if the pad is in an out of the way place you dont check every several hours.....

inside kitchen and bathroom cabnets where water pipes and drain pipes are, there are usually spaces around these pipes where the mice enter, also check dryer vents that vent to outside. Use steel wool ONLY WHERE PUP CANNOT GET AT IT.

[Yorkiemom1]

Mice/rats will eat ANYTHING left out!! They also dine on bird seed....I stopped feeding my back yard birds in my bird feeders because I was sitting out on my patio one evening, watching rats run down the fence to come to my bird feeders! So now, I just throw a couple of handfuls for seed on the patio and the drive way so the birds can get it all eaten up by dark. Possums also eat dog food, cat food......dont know about bird seed but I have one that comes nightly and is digging up all my large pot plants, looking for grubs.....destroyed my gorgeous double camellia.