Ok so I do have mice

[igrowonyou]

A while ago I posted about a mouse sighting, well now it seems more serious because I have (today only) noticed droppings. It's like in one night there has been a mouse rampage (though they have not eaten anything, ti might be the search party).

Anyway I want to get rid of the little bastards before this goes too far. Sonic gun? Humain traps, death traps? What is best?

I thought I had one in the loft last year so I put a trap up there and caught 7.

 

[Guineveretoo]

I know your baby is not mobile yet, but I would not use poison in a house which has a baby in it.

They don't die immediately from the poison.

What if, for example, one of the mice crawled into your baby's bedding or clothing drawer and died there?

What if one of them crawled into your baby's bedding or clothing drawer and shat there?

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

In one trap? Did they all go for the cheese at once?

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I know your baby is not mobile yet, but I would not use poison in a house which has a baby in it.

They don't die immediately from the poison.

What if, for example, one of the mice crawled into your baby's bedding or clothing drawer and died there?

What if one of them crawled into your baby's bedding or clothing drawer and shat there?

So far they have only been in the kitchen by the door. They don't seem all that interested in being upstairs. Never the less I think I'm going to go for traps now. Don't want to risk anything.

 

[Guineveretoo]

Have a look at this website - it looks like it may be helpful:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/InYourHome/PestAndWeedControl/DG_10026737

 

[igrowonyou]

In one trap? Did they all go for the cheese at once?

We used chocolate............

 

[zygote]

short derail

..........the lofts in our terrace are connected

Ooh! I don't think I'd like that.

 

[mozzy]

Oh Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, etc.

I think I have them also. I keep a friut bowl in the kitchen and for the last week, i have been coming down stairs and seeing soft fruit knawed at and (stupidly) hoped it was some sort of insect. I think it is mice (or even rats ) though as this moring there is some sort of droppings next to the fruit bowl - I did move soft fruit into the fridge but they have now knawed through an apple I will have to remove everything now - I am really worried they will start to come into the cupboards.

I am not sure what to do - my bf has said he will be really pissed off with me if I use rat poison but I can't really see any alternative method. I have friends who have had mice and used a "humane trap" but they still havn't caught the blighters so I am not convinced humane traps actually work.

I have never had mice before - as a kid as we had a cat, and i fuckin' hate them (I am also shitting myself if they are rats) I live in an old terraced house so I have got nocks and crannys everywhere so I just don't know where to start as to where the buggers are getting in.

The link above was useful - I didn't realise I could call my local council - i think I will call my council tommorow - thanks for that.

 

[equationgirl]

First, find out where the mice are getting into your flat, and stop up all the holes. Any hole the width of a pencil can potentially be an entry hole. Stop up the holes with wire wool or expandable foam. Put all food in cupboards and get into the habit of leaving none out, even it's on a worktop or table. Clean all surfaces with disinfectant.

I wouldn't use poison. Until you find out where the mice are getting in, all the poison will do will kill the ones getting in, but it won't stop the problem.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Sealing up holes has seemed to have done the trick. There isn't really anything for the little blighters to come in for as all my food is in high cupboards and I'm pretty clean.

I think they are coming from next door, finding nothing and then going home. There have been no droppings since the incident and only one sighting (new hole taped).

 

[mozzy]

First, find out where the mice are getting into your flat, and stop up all the holes. Any hole the width of a pencil can potentially be an entry hole. Stop up the holes with wire wool or expandable foam. Put all food in cupboards and get into the habit of leaving none out, even it's on a worktop or table. Clean all surfaces with disinfectant.

I wouldn't use poison. Until you find out where the mice are getting in, all the poison will do will kill the ones getting in, but it won't stop the problem.

I do clean surfaces with mr muscle every time i wash up, which is at least twice a day.

I have blinkin loads of holes in my house as it is so old and have wooden floor boards through out which have gaps - i just wouldn't know where to start - i don't think i can manage this on my own <groan, groan>

Thanks for the advice about poison though - my bf pretty much said he would be very, very mad if i use poison, but he doesn't live here and have to deal with them!!

What are the long term consequences of these gits?

 

[roryer]

I've got rodents in a thrid storey appartment, I've not seen one but there are plenty of droppings, if I kill them with poison won't they just rot away in their hiding places causing a bad smell?

 

[stat]

our mice love the rat poison, they've finished off half a bottle of it already. they love it.

i think mice are quite cute, personally.

"meep meep, squeak squeak squeak" aww bless

how do other languages write mouse sounds?

 

[equationgirl]

I do clean surfaces with mr muscle every time i wash up, which is at least twice a day.

I have blinkin loads of holes in my house as it is so old and have wooden floor boards through out which have gaps - i just wouldn't know where to start - i don't think i can manage this on my own <groan, groan>

Thanks for the advice about poison though - my bf pretty much said he would be very, very mad if i use poison, but he doesn't live here and have to deal with them!!

What are the long term consequences of these gits?

Mice carry nasty diseases, apparently, and they wee everywhere as they are incontinent little buggers.

I had them twice in my flat. It too was a old place with wooden floorboards, and I did not realise how much of an 'open house' it was to mice until I started looking. I had massive holes under plug sockets because some muppet had cut large chunks out of the skirting boards and not filled them up underneath.

I live on my own, and you CAN do this. Another benefit of stopping up all the holes is that my place was much less draughty and therefore warmer

You'll also sleep better knowing none of the little fuckers can get in.

 

[mozzy]

Another thought - my food is kept in cupboards but low down - what are the chances of them coming into the cupboards - and my bin - will they start rumaging into that? I think i will have to empty that every night now just to be safe. Oh shit...............!!! I hate mice and rats - they freak me out

 

[equationgirl]

I've got rodents in a thrid storey appartment, I've not seen one but there are plenty of droppings, if I kill them with poison won't they just rot away in their hiding places causing a bad smell?

They'll rot away alright - do you know what a disgusting smell that is? AND POISON WON'T STOP THEM COMING BACK IN!!!

 

[equationgirl]

Another thought - my food is kept in cupboards but low down - what are the chances of them coming into the cupboards - and my bin - will they start rumaging into that? I think i will have to empty that every night now just to be safe. Oh shit...............!!! I hate mice and rats - they freak me out

Take everything out of the cupboards and have a look for droppings. If there are any in the cupboard, bin everything that's not in a tin or bottle. Move your food up to a wall cupboard if you can. Look for holes in the cupboards, and stop up any that are there.

If your bin is a solid container, rather than just a carrier bag on a door handle (for example), you should be ok.

This is a problem you can solve - and the little fuckers can be detered from coming into your flat.

 

[mozzy]

Take everything out of the cupboards and have a look for droppings. If there are any in the cupboard, bin everything that's not in a tin or bottle. Move your food up to a wall cupboard if you can. Look for holes in the cupboards, and stop up any that are there.

If your bin is a solid container, rather than just a carrier bag on a door handle (for example), you should be ok.

This is a problem you can solve - and the little fuckers can be detered from coming into your flat.

Thanks for your advice - i need to sort this out asap - can I use just normal newspaper as I don't have anything else to block holes at the moment?

 

[equationgirl]

You can, but they'll chew through it in no time.

Wire wool is very cheap from a hardware store - I think it took one bundle to do my entire flat. I also used one can of expandable foam. £10 roughly for the two items. You'll also need a screwdriver to push the wire wool into place.

Wire wool can't be chewed through by the mice.

 

[Gavin Bl]

I've used poison against mice successfully at a couple of properties, and I've never seen a mouse dying or dead, or smelt a decaying animal.

Whilst poisoning will not stop them coming in per se, it will gradually kill off those that are coming in. In combination with plugging any gaps you can with wire wool, should do the trick, though its feasible you will have multiple incursions. I live behind woodland and ponds, and last winter had four separate spells of rats in the loft, but nothing this winter (this far, touch wood, etc)

I would destroy any food that I thought a rodent had eaten, and try to keep the house scrupulously clean

If you can't tell if its a rat or a mouse, the mouse droppings are very small, smaller than a grain of rice, if the droppings are about 1/2inch long, rounded/barrel shaped and slightly wider at one end, then its rats.

 

[mozzy]

I have checked where they are coming from and I think they are coming in from behind the cupboards underneath the sink where the stop tap is and from behind the cooker.

The problem I have is I am not strong enough to move the cooker to stuff the holes, and behind the sink is hard to stuff as the cupboards are built in so I can't stuff there as it will go on forever (if that makes sense).

I will ring my local council tommorow and hopefully they may offer some help.

I think i have mice - the droppings look like small black grains of rice.

Thanks for the advice urbanites - has been most helpfull!

 

[Gavin Bl]

I think i have mice - the droppings look like small black grains of rice.

definitely sounds like mice. the council usually just put down poison, they might well charge you (rats they poison for free usually).

 

[equationgirl]

Get your boyfriend to move the cooker, and the plinth at the bottom of the sink normally comes off with no hassle. that should give a way of looking underneath the sink unit at least.

 

[mozzy]

definitely sounds like mice. the council usually just put down poison, they might well charge you (rats they poison for free usually).

Oh well - I just want the problem sorted - I am so annoyed I can't fill the holes as my cooker can't be moved as it is chained to the wall - i would need a plumber to move it - and I can't stuff behind the sink as it just goes on forever where the plumbing pipes are.

I will still buy some cotton wire and see how i get on but I think will proberbly get so pissed off i may just use poison in a heated huff but I would rather not!

 

[mozzy]

the plinth at the bottom of the sink normally comes off with no hassle. that should give a way of looking underneath the sink unit at least.

Yep, good point Equationgirl - at least it may offer clues, etc - thanks!

 

[Gavin Bl]

Oh well - I just want the problem sorted - I am so annoyed I can't fill the holes as my cooker can't be moved as it is chained to the wall - i would need a plumber to move it - and I can't stuff behind the sink as it just goes on forever where the plumbing pipes are.

I will still buy some cotton wire and see how i get on but I think will proberbly get so pissed off i may just use poison in a heated huff but I would rather not!

I meant more that assuming it is mice, why not try putting poison down yourself, rather than paying over the odds to get the council to do it.

Maybe ring them and see if they charge.

Obviously, putting down poison is not ideal, but when you are dealing with rodents in the home, then needs must, IMO.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I put down humane traps and some more traditional inhumain ones and went away for the weekend leaving the mouse/mice to their own devices.

I have returned home to empty traps.
Just saw a mouse, dodge a couple of traps and retreat into the cupboard under the stairs (home of most of the traps).

What's wrong? DON'T THE FUCKERS LIKE CHEESE?

 

[softybabe]

I put down humane traps and some more traditional inhumain ones and went away for the weekend leaving the mouse/mice to their own devices.

I have returned home to empty traps.
Just saw a mouse, dodge a couple of traps and retreat into the cupboard under the stairs (home of most of the traps).

What's wrong? DON'T THE FUCKERS LIKE CHEESE?

hehehe!

they're evil!

 

[ddraig]

try peanut butter!

 

[mysterygirl]

Oh no, this sounds horrible. What can I do?

Get a cat. The best option - the mice that are there will move out and new ones wont move in.

I put down humane traps and some more traditional inhumain ones and went away for the weekend leaving the mouse/mice to their own devices.

I have returned home to empty traps.
Just saw a mouse, dodge a couple of traps and retreat into the cupboard under the stairs (home of most of the traps).

What's wrong? DON'T THE FUCKERS LIKE CHEESE?

Actually, no they don't. They're big on chocolate though (and horse feed but you probably don't have any of that lying around!). If you're not going to get a cat use the humane traps, the inhumane ones are just mean.