Leah,
I've been giggling to myself about this thread and subject ever since you wrote the other day. You spurred even more memories for me ... and perhaps now I'll send the energy back around to stir more for you too!
You were talking about the glue traps ... they were new when we had this experience, but we tried them along with everything else we could get our hands onto. They were, as you said, quite effective. You said "mice tend to run through the same areas" which is absolutely true. Actually, they're following the scent "path" created by the first one. If you can figure out the path, you know right where to set the traps. Then when you've eliminated all the current population who might come (and in the lull 'fore the next invasion), if you "erase" the "path" with disinfectant (like Lysol or bleach), the next (new) invader will have to make a new path and might not get as far as the first one did before, especially if you can manage to get a trap immediately in front of the entry hole.
Anyhow, what you got me giggling about for days was that when DH had to get rid of the successful traps, he had to kill what was on it before pitching it in the trash. He never said a word to me, but the neighbor (husband at the house where I ran crying when the rat came out of the wall) cautioned DH NOT to smack it with a shovel ... and he demonstrated with his hands, bringing one down smack on the other and then lifting both up as if they were stuck together! LOLOLOL DH could only say through gasping laughter, "TOO LATE!!!!!!!!!" Ewwwwwwwwwww. Personally, I'd have thrown the shovel away (hopefully it wasn't an expensive one!)
In this house (not the mobile home), I actually considered getting snakes and letting them loose to reside in the basement and keep the problem under control. DH killed a HUGE black snake here because I thought it was going into the basement and freaked. It was about 8 feet long and wider around than I could put my hands around (not that I actually tried, but I guestimated!) I'd never known black snakes could get so big and wouldn't have killed it if not for its immense size. Anyhow, it turned out that it had been protecting us and keeping things under control. An annoyance problem turned to a total invasion, and DH was catching about a dozen a night. We got "pros" then to come, and they've come regularly for years now. In fact, tomorrow's our appointment for this month. :o)
Smiles and giggles, Eve :o)