Sounds in my basement - Page 2 - YorkieTalk.com Forums

romeos mommy · 01-10-2009, 03:47 PM

animals like to find warm places in the winter.

Yorkiekids · 01-10-2009, 04:48 PM

I would put the cages out just in case there is something down there. That would freak me out.

yorkiesmiles · 01-10-2009, 05:07 PM

I just checked the peanut butter - it's untouched. I decided not to tramp thru the snow - guess we got 7 inches - I'll wait until tomorrow when it is warmer & not so windy

Koran · 01-10-2009, 05:11 PM

Start out cheap and work your way back to the traps. Take a few crackers and for 1 night leave them in a few places. Count how many you put down and see if the same amount is there in the morning actually you may want to leave them out for a whole day. See if any are missing. That will confirm if something is there. It is fairly common for mice to look for dry warmer places in the winter. If the pup is going nuts, there definately was something there. Also, look behind appliances (washer dryer hotwater heaters or anything else with a flashlight to see if you see droppings, not only will it confirm the if but the how big.....

One little note. Maybe she is remembering when the squirrel was there. My Sparkle is a light addict and the lazer no longer works, hasnt for months but she saw it and went CRAZY....hey its an idea.....

tmatherly · 01-10-2009, 05:34 PM

My son had a finished bedroom in our basement a few years ago and came upstairs one morning and said, "mom, there was something in my bedroom last night with glowing red eyes". Now my son is a very laid back and calm person and said this with such underemphasis...I asked him if he was sure it wasn't a dream? He didn't think so, and just went on about his business. The next night, he came upstairs and said, "mom, dad..that thing with the glowing eyes is in my room again". We went down there and here is this little baby possum hissing at us! My husband swiped at with a broom and scared it into a part of the basement we couldn't get to.

I got a live animal trap and bated it with apple/peanut butter and caught it. Problem was, this went on for three nights..we caught three baby possums. A few days after we caught all these babies, we found the momma possum dead under our front porch. We assumed they were just foraging and didn't know quite what to do since their momma died.

Sorry this was a long story...I always thought it was so funny how my son reacted. The live animal trap worked well, and we just turned the babies out in the woods (I wasn't about to try to raise baby possums!) From then on we called the basement "Ben's Possum Pit"..hehe

Here's a pic of the trap...you can get it at Lowe's or Home Depot:

Roseanderson · 01-10-2009, 05:41 PM

My girl does it alot....but family says she is seeing ghosts.....lol.....needless to say.....I could never see what she is barking at neither does my boy furbaby......

yorkiesmiles · 01-10-2009, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmatherly

My son had a finished bedroom in our basement a few years ago and came upstairs one morning and said, "mom, there was something in my bedroom last night with glowing red eyes". Now my son is a very laid back and calm person and said this with such underemphasis...I asked him if he was sure it wasn't a dream? He didn't think so, and just went on about his business. The next night, he came upstairs and said, "mom, dad..that thing with the glowing eyes is in my room again". We went down there and here is this little baby possum hissing at us! My husband swiped at with a broom and scared it into a part of the basement we couldn't get to.

I got a live animal trap and bated it with apple/peanut butter and caught it. Problem was, this went on for three nights..we caught three baby possums. A few days after we caught all these babies, we found the momma possum dead under our front porch. We assumed they were just foraging and didn't know quite what to do since their momma died.

Sorry this was a long story...I always thought it was so funny how my son reacted. The live animal trap worked well, and we just turned the babies out in the woods (I wasn't about to try to raise baby possums!) From then on we called the basement "Ben's Possum Pit"..hehe

Here's a pic of the trap...you can get it at Lowe's or Home Depot:

oh Tiffany, thanks for sharing that story! Boy that possum looks pretty big for being a baby - I know they get huge though. I'd be scared if red glowing eyes were looking at me too!

Jenn218 · 01-10-2009, 07:42 PM

We have a daylight basement...meaning it is underground on three sides and opens to outside on ones side. We have two sets of french doors down there...as well as our laundry room, extra bedroom, game rooms, storage, etc. We have no door leading down to it...just an open stairwell, since it is part of our living space (heated, cooled, finished, etc).

Sometimes, Mojo and Lily will stand at the top of the stairs...looking down and whining or barking. We never had problems with mice...... but when we had our pest control people out for our yearly inspection...they found signs of a mouse

So, I am thinking that is what it was!!!

Whatever it was....they most have taken care of the problem because Mojo and LG don't do that anymore! Whew!

So.....I hope it is just a mice that can easily be taken care of!

yorkiesmiles · 01-11-2009, 03:10 PM

There is definitely something living in my basement! Earlier today Roxy was again whining in front of the basement door. I could hear kind of this flapping repetitive noise. The furnace was running - and I was pretty sure it wasn't a flapping noise. I thought maybe it's a bird - but it was a pretty big noise, can't imagine it's just a bird.

Roxy has been camped in front of the door most of the day & I just went & opened the door - half scared it would be standing at the top of the stairs - but I had my brave yorkies & almost 17 yr old Siamese cat to protect (well, I'm hoping whatever it is wouldn't lunge at them

)

As soon as I opened the door I heard that same flapping type noise & as I turned on the light I heard something loud scamper across the basement

It sounded like a very good size - it is not some little mice

It seems the last time I had the squirrel in my basement, animal control told me they did not lend out cages & that's why I had to rent one. But I will be calling them here shortly & if I can't get one from them I will go to the rental place in the morning - I scared of what I'm going to catch down there

But whatever it is - is not interested in the peanut butter - it's untouched. I guess I should try the crackers or maybe dog or cat food - any other ideas??

labrown · 01-11-2009, 03:31 PM

Eek! I am no good with those kind of things. I can't say I'd be so calm if there were red glowing eyes in my bedroom, 3 nights in a row!

That's so cool that Roxy is sharp enough to know there is something down there. Let us know how you take care of it!

MeganS · 01-11-2009, 03:53 PM

Could it be a bat? I wasn't born yet, but in our old house when my brother was a baby there were bats...my mom is still terrified of bats because of this.

Koran · 01-11-2009, 05:05 PM

Well, now that you know there is something down there dont let your pets down there. You never know about Rabies or other diseases animals carry.
Bird food is good bate but if you dont have something to catch it, dont feed it, that will keep its energy up and until you get a cage you want that thing to be calm and listless. The bad part of that is that it will look and look until it finds food. Most important , you need to find out how these things are getting in your house or it will keep happening. You can find the no kill trap (called Have-a-Heart traps) at Tractor supply, Home depot, lowes, places like that. They are really not that expensive and they can be useful for future use to own them instead of rent. You can catch squirrels, fox, SKUNKS, opposums, lots of things that can be bad to have in your yard with your little pup or kitty if it goes outside. If you catch a skunk, just cover trap with blanket and they wont spray.

ANYWAY, good luck and keep up updated.

Missiemiss · 01-11-2009, 06:47 PM

Bats! Yepper! It sounds like a bat!!!

BTW - did you know it's illegal in Iowa to kill a bat? If it truly is the case you will have to call an exterminator. Or get a tennis racket. (FYI: We used a tennis racket and THEN found out it was illegal). I'm sure we just "stunned" it with the racket.

Moses · 01-11-2009, 06:56 PM

Remember dogs have great hearing. they can hear what we can't. Sounds like a mouse or a small animal. She might be keeping it away..hehe

Potter · 01-11-2009, 06:58 PM

Oh...don't kill the bat. They are actually not harmful except for the fact that they carry rabies. Maybe just get someone to trap it and release it instead of killing it. I used to catch fallen bats with box and hands (gloves on) coz I didn't know they carried rabies back then. Their faces aren't that ugly really. They look pretty cute.

01-10-2009, 03:47 PM	#16
romeos mommy YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Pennsauken , NJ Posts: 4,068	animals like to find warm places in the winter. __________________ Bernadette & Romeo

01-10-2009, 04:48 PM	#17
Yorkiekids Piper & Sebastian Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: florida Posts: 14,495	I would put the cages out just in case there is something down there. That would freak me out. __________________ Susan, Piper ,Harley & Suiki

01-10-2009, 05:07 PM	#18
yorkiesmiles Donating YT 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Iowa Posts: 9,493	I just checked the peanut butter - it's untouched. I decided not to tramp thru the snow - guess we got 7 inches - I'll wait until tomorrow when it is warmer & not so windy __________________ yorkiesmiles Loved by Bubba & Roxy *Holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come*

01-10-2009, 05:41 PM	#21
Roseanderson Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: Ajax, On, Canada Posts: 210	My girl does it alot....but family says she is seeing ghosts.....lol.....needless to say.....I could never see what she is barking at neither does my boy furbaby...... __________________ Mommy to the stars Diddy and J'lo

01-10-2009, 07:42 PM	#23
Jenn218 Mojo, LilyGrace & Me Donating Member Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: cuddling with my babies<3 Posts: 17,329	We have a daylight basement...meaning it is underground on three sides and opens to outside on ones side. We have two sets of french doors down there...as well as our laundry room, extra bedroom, game rooms, storage, etc. We have no door leading down to it...just an open stairwell, since it is part of our living space (heated, cooled, finished, etc). Sometimes, Mojo and Lily will stand at the top of the stairs...looking down and whining or barking. We never had problems with mice...... but when we had our pest control people out for our yearly inspection...they found signs of a mouse So, I am thinking that is what it was!!! Whatever it was....they most have taken care of the problem because Mojo and LG don't do that anymore! Whew! So.....I hope it is just a mice that can easily be taken care of! __________________ Hi I'm Jenn Mom to..... Mojo,LilyGrace & DD Kate RIP Mojo FOREVER in our hearts!

01-10-2009, 05:11 PM	#19
Koran Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Indian Head, MD Posts: 89	Start out cheap and work your way back to the traps. Take a few crackers and for 1 night leave them in a few places. Count how many you put down and see if the same amount is there in the morning actually you may want to leave them out for a whole day. See if any are missing. That will confirm if something is there. It is fairly common for mice to look for dry warmer places in the winter. If the pup is going nuts, there definately was something there. Also, look behind appliances (washer dryer hotwater heaters or anything else with a flashlight to see if you see droppings, not only will it confirm the if but the how big..... One little note. Maybe she is remembering when the squirrel was there. My Sparkle is a light addict and the lazer no longer works, hasnt for months but she saw it and went CRAZY....hey its an idea.....

01-11-2009, 03:10 PM	#24
yorkiesmiles Donating YT 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Iowa Posts: 9,493	There is definitely something living in my basement! There is definitely something living in my basement! Earlier today Roxy was again whining in front of the basement door. I could hear kind of this flapping repetitive noise. The furnace was running - and I was pretty sure it wasn't a flapping noise. I thought maybe it's a bird - but it was a pretty big noise, can't imagine it's just a bird. Roxy has been camped in front of the door most of the day & I just went & opened the door - half scared it would be standing at the top of the stairs - but I had my brave yorkies & almost 17 yr old Siamese cat to protect (well, I'm hoping whatever it is wouldn't lunge at them ) As soon as I opened the door I heard that same flapping type noise & as I turned on the light I heard something loud scamper across the basement It sounded like a very good size - it is not some little mice It seems the last time I had the squirrel in my basement, animal control told me they did not lend out cages & that's why I had to rent one. But I will be calling them here shortly & if I can't get one from them I will go to the rental place in the morning - I scared of what I'm going to catch down there But whatever it is - is not interested in the peanut butter - it's untouched. I guess I should try the crackers or maybe dog or cat food - any other ideas?? __________________ yorkiesmiles Loved by Bubba & Roxy *Holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come* Last edited by yorkiesmiles; 01-11-2009 at 03:14 PM.

01-11-2009, 03:31 PM	#25
labrown T&T-DYNOMITE! Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 2,111	Eek! I am no good with those kind of things. I can't say I'd be so calm if there were red glowing eyes in my bedroom, 3 nights in a row! That's so cool that Roxy is sharp enough to know there is something down there. Let us know how you take care of it! __________________ TBone Tina & Lauren

01-11-2009, 03:53 PM	#26
MeganS Donating YT 7000 Club Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Jersey Posts: 12,016 Blog Entries: 1	Could it be a bat? I wasn't born yet, but in our old house when my brother was a baby there were bats...my mom is still terrified of bats because of this. __________________ Megan "I have my dreams, I have made plans." - The Pirate Queen All Gave Some; Some Gave All

01-11-2009, 05:05 PM	#27
Koran Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Indian Head, MD Posts: 89	Well, now that you know there is something down there dont let your pets down there. You never know about Rabies or other diseases animals carry. Bird food is good bate but if you dont have something to catch it, dont feed it, that will keep its energy up and until you get a cage you want that thing to be calm and listless. The bad part of that is that it will look and look until it finds food. Most important , you need to find out how these things are getting in your house or it will keep happening. You can find the no kill trap (called Have-a-Heart traps) at Tractor supply, Home depot, lowes, places like that. They are really not that expensive and they can be useful for future use to own them instead of rent. You can catch squirrels, fox, SKUNKS, opposums, lots of things that can be bad to have in your yard with your little pup or kitty if it goes outside. If you catch a skunk, just cover trap with blanket and they wont spray. ANYWAY, good luck and keep up updated.

01-11-2009, 06:47 PM	#28
Missiemiss Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Iowa Posts: 651	Bats! Yepper! It sounds like a bat!!! BTW - did you know it's illegal in Iowa to kill a bat? If it truly is the case you will have to call an exterminator. Or get a tennis racket. (FYI: We used a tennis racket and THEN found out it was illegal). I'm sure we just "stunned" it with the racket. __________________ Gracie Froto Blair and RIP Bear-Bear 12/31/08 & RIP Roscoe 06/12/08 Free Samples! All-Natural, High-quality Pet food for your Furbaby! http://www.trilogyonline.com/missiemiss

01-11-2009, 06:56 PM	#29
Moses Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Morrisville, NC Posts: 1,184 Blog Entries: 1	Remember dogs have great hearing. they can hear what we can't. Sounds like a mouse or a small animal. She might be keeping it away..hehe __________________ Nikki Moses Moses' Page Mommy lubs you very much!!

01-11-2009, 06:58 PM	#30
Potter YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 2,583	Oh...don't kill the bat. They are actually not harmful except for the fact that they carry rabies. Maybe just get someone to trap it and release it instead of killing it. I used to catch fallen bats with box and hands (gloves on) coz I didn't know they carried rabies back then. Their faces aren't that ugly really. They look pretty cute. __________________ http://www.dogster.com/pet_page.php?j=t&i=410379 "No matter how little money and how few possesions you own, having a dog makes you rich."