Frustrated Are my Guinea pigs causing my mouse problem?

[ashleerose11]

Hi everyone,
So I've lived in my apartment for a little over a year, and I've had my 2 Guinea pigs for about 6 months. Over the last 2-3 months we've started to have a mouse problem. Prior to having the pigs, we never had a mouse problem. Also, having known the person who lived in the apartment before us, I know there was no problem then either. Our upstairs neighbor has lived here for 10 years and he says they have never seen a mouse in their 2nd floor apartment until this summer. So far I've managed to catch 2 mice (yes they are kill traps, hate me if you want but I live in the city and I'm not doing catch and release).
What I want to know is if it's possible that my Guinea pigs are attracting the mice. I've never seen the mice, or signs of them) near the pigs (or even in that area of the apartment), but it's strange to me that the sudden onset of this mouse problem seems to coincide with us getting the pigs. I keep their hay in an airtight plastic bin but their Oxbow pellets just stay on the floor in the normal plastic bag. Their cage is elevated on a table with metal legs, so I think any mouse would have a hard time getting into it. I don't give my pigs floor time in the area we've seen the mice, but I'm nervous about letting them on the floor anywhere with this problem going on.
Any help or advice would be so much appreciated! I'd hate to think that adopting my boys is what caused this whole issue.

 

[bpatters]

Mice can jump, so they may be getting into the cage that way.

You could move the pellets off the floor and see if that helps. Are the mice gnawing that bag?

You also can stuff screen wire into all the holes where they may be getting it. Around pipe openings in the walls are a very common place for them to enter.

 

[ashleerose11]

Thanks for the reply! They aren't knawing at that bag and I've never seen any evidence that they've been in the room where the pigs are. Since the problem seems to be getting worse though, I am going to move the pellet bag just in case. I just didn't know if having rodents (pigs) living in my apartment would somehow attract other rodents (mice). We've tried plugging up any holes we can find, but it's a pretty old building with lots of spaces I'm sure we can't get to/would never know about.

 

[bpatters]

Rodents aren't attracted to other rodents, they're attracted to food sources. If they can get in the GP cage, they may be after scraps. But if not, the GPs aren't the problem.