If You Trap Mother Mouse, Watch for Babies

I live on 20 acres in the middle of nowhere Montana, by choice. I live far enough outside of town to still be close enough. With country living comes wildlife, snowdrifts +5 ft, dust and no real protection from the elements (eg. no trees)

Growing up, I was a city girl or a major metropolitan city girl. Lived in the same city for 40 frigging years (wish I would have left sooner but that's another story). Never had a mouse problem, worry of rattlesnakes or even hearing coyote yelp each night.

Mice, I really don't like dealing with them, seeing them or hearing them chew especially in my house. Rattlesnakes, on the other hand, I can kill without hesitation and be calm as a cucumber (thankfully only outside). Mice, I'm ready to jump on a chair and scream. Coyote can give me the creeps in the middle of the night but I know they aren't going to come carry me away.

We dealt with our first round of mice back in July and eliminated twelve. Whew, I'm glad that's over. Well, two days ago I hear scratching in the garage somewhere on the shelves. Obviously, the mouse is trapped in something because the scratching continued for two days and finally subsided. By the way, mouse traps remain set at all times in the house since our battle in July.

I started scoping out the basement for any "signs" of mice because I had cleaned the basement thoroughly so I would know who's been where. I notice a bunch of insulation in a corner that wasn't there before. I walk to the opposite side of the basement and see one good sized mouse with its neck snapped. Woo hoo!!! Empty the trap, reset trap and take carcass to trash. When flipping mouse into the plastic bag I noticed that perhaps this was a momma mouse. Hmmm...

Next morning I go downstairs to same corner and there's more insulation there. Uh, oh! Look between the studs and there's a "bunch" of mice bundled together wriggling and writhing. What do I do? Leave them? Set traps closer to them? Here's what I come up with: put on gloves and grab the little guys by the tail and place them one by one in a plastic grocery bag. What the hell was I thinking??? When I first attempt this humane way, I got all squeamish because they started to squirm and squeal when I grabbed a tail. EEEEEEEK!

I return to the garage (stopped to listen for anymore scratching which I conclude has ceased) and I notice the can of bug spray. Yes! This will stun them and I will be able to grab all of them.
Well, when spraying mice with bug spray, they scatter! One mouse got so coated with bug spray that it looked like an albino. Others escaped from their hidey-hole. I didn't catch one. So, now I have five baby mice running around in my basement and they haven't gone to the traps yet. I guess I must go find them. If you hear a loud, blood curdling scream, it is me and I'm looking at a mutant mouse right in the eyes.