Absolutely clean up wherever the mice are before the Orkin man comes!

For sure start cleaning up those boxes before the appointment. If you happen to open one that appears to be mouse nest, maybe leave that box for the Orkin guy. Otherwise, try to get the area clear so he can do his job easier.

I am very anti Orkin....don't want anyone spraying stuff around my living quarters. the mice are finding their way in....figure out where they are coming from and your problem is over.
Perhaps when you move those boxes you will find out.

Thank you.

I'll empty and clear away the boxes. I'm sure the mice are not coming from a hidden entry point around the boxes. The boxes are not next to the wall and I don't have a hole in my floor under them. I just wasn't sure if something in the boxes is attracting the mice.

Orkin said they would come out and inspect for entry points, fill them, and lay traps. So ideally the mice won't be able to enter my condo anymore and we'll catch/kill the ones already inside.

I've never dealt with mice before so this seemed like a good approach. Is there a better option than Orkin's idea?

Hi everyone. I just wanted to give an update. Over the last week I've caught 8 mice. They started out big (about a 4 inch body) then I was only catching small ones like 2 inch bodies plus the tails. I was laying out snap traps with peanut butter for bait. I haven't caught any in the last 2 days. I had a guy from Orkin come out today and he said I didn't need him and that it sounds like I've got rid of all of them. I'm going to add a few more traps around the condo to see if anymore show up. I kind of wanted him to locate the entry points but he didn't seem very interested.

What do you think should I just lay traps and give it 2 more weeks and if I don't catch any more consider if handled or get an inspection from another company?

Kudos to the Orkin guy for being honest and not ripping you off. If it were me, I'd just lay a few more traps and handle it as you said in your last paragraph.

I am also having a mouse problem. If you don’t identify the entry point, won’t the problem repeat itself? I am in a new build with slab.and stucco, I have no idea how it got in.

I think you need to find entry point (which may be difficult because I have heard they fit through a hole about the size of the diameter of a pencil).

I had an exterminator come out. They can’t find the entry point. They suggested baits.

Sounds like one or two got in somehow and set up housekeeping/started a family in one of those boxes.

My last mouse came in with something that I brought inside from the garage. I saw it, then caught it with a snap trap.

Did you bring anything into your unit that might have had a mouse hiding in it?

Years before that, I discovered that mice were getting in through a tiny gap that had been gnawed large enough, on the corner edge of the flooring of my addition (on a crawl space foundation). The hole was hidden under the carpeting and pad, but the mice were able to get past those. The combo of my cat and a trap caught them until I found and sealed the gap.

Do look for anything outside that reaches your condo that might be a pathway for the mice - or from a ground floor unit. Look for small holes by doors, windows, corners of floors (where the subfloor might not be tight against the wall), gaps in baseboards.

I don't think mouse traps are the best solution. I understand your problem perfectly because unfortunately I also went through such problems and I had mice in the house for a long time - a horrible period. I am very afraid of mice, so I lived in fear for a few months. I tried a lot of solutions to solve the problem, including the traps. It didn't work. Mice can easily avoid any trap in your home. I was helped by a company that deals with pest control, and with the help of different special solutions, they helped me get rid of these mice. I needed 2 visits from this company, and I completely forgot about mice. I haven't seen a mouse in the house since.