i hate even killing bugs,but sometime i get overrun with fruit flies. this year i put my apple cores and banana peels in the freezer instead of the trash. it seems to have helped. if i had mice,i would flip out too. i'd probably try the have a heart traps first,but if they didn't work i'd resort to what you are doing. anyway,i sympathize on both counts...having to deal with mice and having to kill them sometimes.