Wild stillborn mice of unknown species

Question
This afternoon as my mother walked from the garage to the backdoor of our house she noticed three newly born mice... stillborn.  I have no idea what to do with them...  They are fully formed with no obvious deformities or underdeveloped characteristics, the mother had cleaned them and no placenta, umbilical or such was around.  In short, they are good specimens for learning.  Are these little guys something a school science class would have use for, or should they be thrown away?  It is now summer by public education standards.  I am quite willing to try to contact the local science charter school, or what have you -- as long as it is viable.  It seems a shame to have nice specimens (albeit sad) and just toss them out with the rubbish.  I realize you are probably not "in the know" with regards to the public education system in the mid-west, but thought i would at least inquire!  Additionally, my mother has been saddened by this discovery.  It is not a joyous event I agree.  I have tried to explain that chances are the litter was bigger than those three.

We recently moved from small town West Coast to farmland in the South Plains.  To no surprise we have had 'critter visitors.'  Initially we were worried about Hantavirus-- we've spent some time in the southwestern US, so we are probably a bit hyper-responsive in this regard.  I do not know what species of mice our visitors are / were.  While I was away a couple of weeks ago she employed a pest specialist who sprayed something (we have five rescue canine family members - I have been assured it was non-toxic) and left bait that is supposed to dehydrate the mice sending the critters elsewhere.  The past two nights one of our gaggle of dogs had indicated there was still a mouse in the house.  Last night we saw an adult.  I managed to corner him and get him in a box... to no avail.  Just as I was securing the top he escaped.  We have tried to keep the dogs from eating him and his accomplices (caught and released a young guy about three weeks ago - took him 5 miles or so from the house and let him scurry off in a wheat field).

I apologize for taking a long way to ask: What is the most effective, humane way to encourage the mice to remain outside of the house?  Stumbling over mice stillborns with regularity is simply not something my mother is currently able to handle.  Neither of us wants to penalize a critter trying to do his job, or supplement our dog's staple diet with a side-dish of 'mouse.'

Thank you kindly for your assistance and patience!!!

Answer
Hi,

If the science classes in the school have dissection of baby mice, they will undoubtedly procure their own in the pet store, where they are sold at that age to feed lizards and small snakes. Which is terrible but that is another topic. However, certainly a particular science teacher might think it would be a fun exercise. But since the way to keep them is to freeze them, and your mother is squeamish about dead mice in the freezer (who wouldn't be?), there is probably no point. I do not think a school would want them when school is not in session. I understand the sadness of it... Why don't you bury them?

If you were told that the poison would simply make the mice want to go elsewhere, I believe you were deceived. Mouse poison pretty much kills in a painful way. If your mother is saddened to see baby pups, she won't want to see what I see, because my neighbors poison- actual dead mice appearing here and there. And the smell of dead mouse is a unique and terrible one.

To deter the mice, you must first figure out how they are getting in, and plug up those spots as best you can. Next make the place uninteresting for a mouse- never leave food out, avoid crumbs, and put dry goods in plastic, glass, or metal containers.

Next, supply yourself with a humane trap. There are many different kinds. If the mice are not very tiny, the classic trap is a Havahart. I'm pretty sure they spell it that way, not have-a-heart, which is of course where the name comes from. But extremely tiny mice can sometimes escape; also, unless they have changed the design recently, they are extremely hard (delicate) to set. But there are many types of humane trap. If you want to have fun you can even make your own, with things like soda bottles or pie plates or buckets, following instructions you can find on the web. In any case, once you have the creatures, you bring them over a mile away to some nice spot where they can live. You can even supply them with a bit of mouse food to help them get started on their new life.

There are also electronic devices which you plug in, which make high pitched sounds that actually do make the mice want to leave, with no harm to them. I believe these are not unpleasant for dogs; you would have to read up on it. I of course have never tried it, having my own rodents as pets.

I hope I have helped. I thank your mother for her caring and concern.

Squeaks,

Natasha