# Mice in attic - how to get rid of?



## help-me

Ive looked at the other threads all about mice! This morning I was woke at 8am with this like scratching noise and like running along the ceiling type noise. Himself said it must be a mouse in the attic, Neither of us could go back to sleep with the noise. does this noise sound as if it could be a mouse? Its a very loud noise for a mouse to be making? also how would it have gotton into the attic? im so scared its going to get into the house i nearly want to move out. also is there any way it could get to anywhere else in the house like say the hot press or loos?

im petrafied. we live in a semi d house


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## GOBSTOPPER

*Re: Mice in attic? how to get rid of?*

if your feel so bad about it i would suggest contacting a professional pest control company to solve the problem and advise on possible points of entry.


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## CCOVICH

*Re: Mice in attic? how to get rid of?*

I would second GOBSTOPPER's advice-there are plenty or DIY mice solutions, but given your initial post, I would be surprised if you want to go down that route.

You will probably find a few places to call in the Golden Pages.


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## Bobbins

*Re: Mice in attic? how to get rid of?*

The poor little mouse...he was probably just freezing and looking for somewhere to warm his little toes...don't kill him, think of Mrs Mouse and the mouse-lets waiting for daddy mouse to come home to them  Isn't there traps available where you can catch the mouse and set them free...although I have heard that they can find their way back...so make sure you find a nice big field for him...I'm sure he's more afraid of you than you of him....


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## markowitzman

*Re: Mice in attic? how to get rid of?*

if it is a very loud noise it could be a ................ RAT!


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## z103

*Re: Mice in attic? how to get rid of?*



> Isn't there traps available where you can catch the mouse and set them free


I made my own, and it worked a treat.

Mice are very cute creatures, I couldn't harm one of them.


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## Bobbins

*Re: Mice in attic? how to get rid of?*



markowitzman said:


> if it is a very loud noise it could be a ................ RAT!


 

Dum dum duuuuummmm.....shudder...make sure you pull your socks up over trouser leg ends just in case...you know how rats like to tunnel in denim....


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## help-me

*Re: Mice in attic? how to get rid of?*

mm..Thanks for all the kind words! I havent been back upstairs since. My bf says it cant be a rat because the noise wasnt that loud but i thought it was  

We have been listening for noise but have heard nothing since maybe it has gone back outside? im dreading going to bed!

I'm off to try and construct my own little trap with a lunch box put it in attic before going to bed tonight and check in morning!!

oh god what if he runs down when he sees the opening?


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## Bobbins

*Re: Mice in attic? how to get rid of?*



help-me said:


> mm..Thanks for all the kind words! I havent been back upstairs since. My bf says it cant be a rat because the noise wasnt that loud but i thought it was
> 
> We have been listening for noise but have heard nothing since maybe it has gone back outside? im dreading going to bed!
> 
> I'm off to try and construct my own little trap with a lunch box put it in attic before going to bed tonight and check in morning!!
> 
> oh god what if he runs down when he sees the opening?


 
Lol...don't worry, you'll survive, I have yet to hear of someone being murdered by a vicious mouse attack!!!! I remember a friend of mine telling me that she was in her downstairs loo and saw a mouse tail hanging (and moving) through the vent grid....... Perhaps you should get someone to advise you, as suggested by another poster, as regards to the entry points available to rodents.....Sweet dreams, let us know how u get on...!


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## Sue Ellen

*Re: Mice in attic? how to get rid of?*



Bobbins said:


> Lol...don't worry, you'll survive, I have yet to hear of someone being murdered by a vicious mouse attack!!!! I remember a friend of mine telling me that she was in her downstairs loo and saw a mouse tail hanging (and moving) through the vent grid....... Perhaps you should get someone to advise you, as suggested by another poster, as regards to the entry points available to rodents.....Sweet dreams, let us know how u get on...!



Lads, please lay off frightening the poor girl any further.  She is upset enough as it is.


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## Slash

Don't just do nothing, hoping they will go away, because they probably won't. In fact, most likely they will breed. So you have to kill all of them. Get traps and check them every day until there is no more sign of life. There is plenty of advice on other threads on AAM about setting and baiting traps.

Good luck, it's not a nice situation, but it can be dealt with. You will be surprised how quickly you start to deal with it, and after a short while, you will not be afraid of them at all.


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## socky1

help-me,
don't rule out possibility of birds trying to nest through a broken tile on your roof. It could be birds moving up and down flashing underneath tiles. From past experience we would wake most mornings to the sound of scurrying or whizzing sound in the attic which we initially thought was a mouse or rat. But then we used to only hear the sound early morning for about an hour and nothing through day or night which seemed strange. Rats and mice would definitely be more active during the night so investigate if noise is clear at night. It turns out by looking at the outside of the house that we had a broken tile which birds where using to nest. Up to then we had layed 2 traps in the attic to see if anything was stirring. Just ruling out all possibilities.


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## help-me

Hi guys!!

Well after another sleepless night whatever is up there wasnt in the trap i made this morning! bf has put wooden traps up there now one with cheese and one with peanut butter. didnt really want to kill it/them but going back to work tomorrow and need sleep!

as soon as we went to bed last night there was the scratching noise like he was at cables or something tv aerials perhaps. all i could do was put my head under the duvet and hope he didnt get into the bedroom. the noise stopped after a min. eventually fell asleep but kept tossing and turning all night knowing there was something over my head. will have to wait untill this evening to check traps as bf gone to work and dont think i could handle seeing dead mice/rats/birds!

bf was up listening at 6/7 and 8 o clock yesterday eve and not one word..then when we go to bed it comes out. Its like having another child in the house only my child doesnt keep me awake..!!

just after hearing noise again so going downstairs now for the day with all the doors closed and towels underneath them all. I wonder how long it will take to catch? like how will they no theres food around?

thanks slash & socky for comments. will have a look outside to see if i an see any tiles broken now


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## Duffman

Had the exact same problem myself recently & it was mice in my case.  They do sound VERY noisy when scurrying around so its not necessarily rats as has been suggested.  I used normal traps first but they kept getting sprung without catching anything & the bait was eaten every time.  My conscience got the better of me & I got a few humane traps - ones that tip over & close when the mouse enters & used peanut butter - they worked brilliantly.  I caught five mice over a period of about two weeks & released them all unharmed.  The last one was caught about 2 months ago & there hasn't been a sign of any more since - even though I've left the traps up there since then.


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## peno

I had one in my bedroom before.

I heard noises under the bed one night he popped his head out and when I moved he ran back undrneath the bed.

Next day I got one of those plug in devices that emit a noise to get rid of them. Worked a treat and never saw or heard from him again.


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## Sim Two

Help-me

Had the same situation before Christmas and caught two mice in the attic - for the second one, I heard the trap go off and listened for 10 minutes as the mouse moved about the attic in the trap.  

Check and reset (if necessary) the traps on a daily basis.  Have had no problem since then.

Sim


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## Bobbins

*Re: Mice in attic? how to get rid of?*



sueellen said:


> Lads, please lay off frightening the poor girl any further. She is upset enough as it is.


 

Apologies Help-Me, I do hope you get it sorted, try not to be too freaked out. If you are that scared perhaps you should call an exterminator and have them sort the problem once and for all. It might take longer if you try to do it yourself....Sorry again Help-Me didn't mean to scare you


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## z105

OP - look at Rentokils website, you can enter your details for a free survey of your premises, might be worth having them take a look for possible entry/exit points, stuff you wouldn't see yourself, and you can get them blocked up then. As someone else said, Mice can sounf VERY load - especially in the dead of night, so not necessarily a rat.


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## help-me

duffman, where can you get the humane traps? 5mice over two weeks hope we dont have that many. It does only sound like one hunting around up there though. 

Peno..if i saw one in my bedroom i would have moved out by now!  i read on another aam thread that once the mice are in the sound things are not much good? I might get one of them anyway to keep them after I catch what ever is in the attic!

Bobbins, no worries im probably going a bit mad I just hate the thoughts of mice rats birds etc especially in house! Think I will leave an exterminator for a while and see how we get on with the traps  

Will have a look at that site now havealaugh. I was standing on the bed after shower this morning trying to get dressed in case one was in the room.

I actually think I can hear the noise again..computer upstairs at least if im downstairs I cant hear a thing! 

What type of cheese do they prefer? All I had was some greated stuff so stuck it to the end of a cocktail stick and attached! maybe it will go for the peanut butter instead!


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## Bobbins

help-me said:


> What type of cheese do they prefer? All I had was some greated stuff so stuck it to the end of a cocktail stick and attached! maybe it will go for the peanut butter instead!


 
I heard they love fries from a very well known fast food outlet...don't know if I can mention the name on here but my bro-in-law had mice in his semi d and put some fries in the trap which they loved.....just a suggestion...


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## Slash

Don't be afraid of them - they're much more afraid of you than you are of them. They run pretty fast, but usually away from you!! If you are going into a room where you think they may be, bring a sweeping brush, you can actually corner a mouse with a sweeping brush prior to whacking him with a shovel!

Forget humane traps, it's your house and you have to get rid of mice, just kill them. Mice are not an endangered species.


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## Sue Ellen

Heard a long time ago that its too easy for them to get the cheese out of the trap and that the rind of a rasher is better.  Its longer and delays them getting away.


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## Duffman

The humane traps I used are made by rentokill & are called trap-ease.  I bought them in a local hardware shop so I'm most type of hardware shops would stock them.
Regarding normal vs humane traps - I've tried both & the humane ones were more effective in my experience.


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## spinal_tap

Here's a vote for Cadbury's Double Choc Chip cookies. Worked within two hours!


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## Marie

All any creature needs and seeks is a warm secure place to nest and a food supply.  If you don't want rats, mice or other rodents in your immediate vicinity (it might be interesting to you to know that city-dwellers are never more than 5' away from at least one rat!) then _don't feed them! _   Be scrupulously clean and if you have a nesting mouse it will very shortly relocate.

Or alternatively *KILL!  KILL!  KILL! *.........and hope there's no truth in the idea of Karma.


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## bigchicken

I found chocolate and bacon better than the cheese in the traps.
It doesn't really matter though - if they are hungry they will go for it.

Just make sure to only put a tiny bit in and squash it in to the little hole in the wooden traps - if its too big then they can pull it out without the trap going off.


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## kilomike

Get a cat


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## help-me

just a quick update! bf checked the traps this eve and nothing so i put a bit of ham in the trap that i had the cheese in! maybe they will come out at night as we seem to hear them alot at night!


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## ACA

An aside to your squeamishness about killing them......mice are double incontinent and if they're in your attic they don't just stay there! They're bound to be running around your work surfaces - mmmm mouse wee and poo on your sandwiches...lovely. 

It is unlikely that you have any tiles broken anywhere, a mouse can get in a hole the size of a pencil - I don't know how! One female mouse can have 5-10 litters a year of 3-14 young, (average 6-8) thats a lot of meeces running around your home. And who's to say that after you set them free, they don't come back in!!

We've found chocolate or bacon rind to be best thing to set the traps with, although to be honest they'll eat pretty much anything. Best of luck getting rid!


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## Marie

Well sounds as if whatever is in OP's attic will have plenty of energy for breeding from the varied delicious menu - cheese, chocolate, bacon etc., etc. - being laid out.  Look forward to hearing how this one goes!


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## z103

A few years ago I set a spring loaded trap. The mouse got 'half caught' in it, and I heard it banging around with trap attached. I had to swiftly put the poor thing out of its misery.

That was the last spring loaded trap I set. It was humane traps from then on.


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## mloc

It sounds to me like a rat. I have a relation who got rats into their house and they made their way up to the attic through the access for the hot press and water pipes. Then they started building nests or whatever it is they build using socks etc. (this is true, I saw it for myself).

They ended up catching 5 and it took them nearly a month to get them all using traps, poison and even ferrets!! Traps got some and the poison also got 1 which left a smell under the floorboards upstairs(it's how they new it was there...had to lift the carpet/floorboards etc).
They also were told to change any traps that caught a rat as it leaves it's smell and then others won't go for that trap again.

Hope this helps.


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## help-me

hi all.

Well just another update! since we put the mouse traps up there still havent caught anything and their right where we heard the noises. Actually got some sleep last night didnt hear a word. Did hear some noise this morning though like something was walking along!! 
Have called pest people and there sending someone tomorrow, if not tomorrow def monday. The guy on the phone said it probably isnt a mouse as we wouldnt hear it running around as there so small..so with bird,bat,or rat! 

mloc is there different traps for rats? like we just have 2wooden mouse ones. 

Roll on tomorrow so can see what is up there!!


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## mloc

Yes the traps are a lot biger then mousetraps, you can also get rat traps with a serrated edge where the trap comes down to make sure the job gets done properly. I don't think a mouse trap will kill a rat, just give them a fright. Chances are though that if the mouse traps have not gone off then it's not a rat either (though they are very wily).
It could be a bird, common problem in attics. They get in and fooster around for a while before getting back out. I took a futon frame out of my folks attic over Christmas and it had bird poo on it but nobody had heard a bird up there so it could be this too.
It's certainly a more welcoming prospect then a rat. Have you tried sending your bf up yet with a torch to investigate?


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## help-me

hiya mloc,

haha bf he seems to be more afraid that I am!! It was hard enough to get him to put the traps in there. It was just up quickly and out quickly. We were scare in case one seen the opening and jumped down the hole! I know that whatever it is probably hid whenever it heard noise but still scared! He was also scared when checking the traps...Im telling ya il be slagging him forever over this! Yes would rather have a bird than a rat. I sleep with the torch under my pillow and the mop beside my bed just in case.


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## Duffman

help-me said:


> hi all.
> 
> Well just another update! since we put the mouse traps up there still havent caught anything and their right where we heard the noises. Actually got some sleep last night didnt hear a word. Did hear some noise this morning though like something was walking along!!
> Have called pest people and there sending someone tomorrow, if not tomorrow def monday. The guy on the phone said it probably isnt a mouse as we wouldnt hear it running around as there so small..so with bird,bat,or rat!
> 
> mloc is there different traps for rats? like we just have 2wooden mouse ones.
> 
> Roll on tomorrow so can see what is up there!!


 
That pest guy obviously doesn't know what he's talking about. As I said on a previous post we had mice & you wouldn't believe the noise they could make. Anyway after I caught five of them I haven't had a problem since.
And I reiterate that the humane traps are definitely more effective in my experience. Having said that - if you are both squeamish I suppose it would be difficult for you to set them free afterwards?


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## eiregal

> The guy on the phone said it probably isnt a mouse as we wouldnt hear it running around as there so small..so with bird,bat,or rat!


 
We had mice in the cavity between the ceiling of downstairs and the floor upstairs.  We could hear them moving about above the livingroom.  I was convinced it was rats because the noise was so loud.  In the end we caught two mice and they were small enough.  They made a hell of a racket!


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## Donnachain

you could get a cat to take care of your problem


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## Bobbins

except most cats wouldn't kill a rat....my nan can remember going out her back garden and seeing her cats up a tree and the rats eating out their bowl!!!  A jack russell terrier is great for catching rats........


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## Donnachain

i thought it was mice not rats. god rats give me the hebee gebees


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## help-me

ahhh!!

So now were gonna pay this guy for a service and he might not have a clue what he's on about? 

Well from my first post, it was scraty like noise running around up there. Loud enough to wake us both and my daughter one night 

I dont want to get a cat/dog, no one at home to look after it so its out of the question. 

Im leaning more towards a rat now as we have the two traps and havent caught anything...I wonder is my next door neighbour having any trouble? Should I go round and ask? I dont really know her that well..

oh and how would a rat get into the attic? I know mice are small and bats can get tru holes size of your thumb but rats?? omg the thoughts of it.


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## carpedeum

help-me said:


> hi all.
> 
> The guy on the phone said it probably isnt a mouse as we wouldnt hear it running around as there so small..so with bird,bat,or rat!


 
Don't let this guy scare you. It's more likely to be mice. We had a couple in our attic and behind wall partitions a couple of years ago and could hear them running around. We caught them on wooden traps.

One of our friends was awoken a couple of weeks before Christmas by a mouse running across his legs _under_ the duvet cover! He later caught it, but, then discovered that the little guy had been chomping away on the kids selection boxes at the bottom of a wardrobe!


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## Slash

help-me said:


> I'm leaning more towards a rat now as we have the two traps and havent caught anything....



For heaven's sake, stop working yourself up into a frenzy. Wait until the guy comes, does and inspection and gives you an assessment. It may only be a bird, which may explain why you have not caught anything.


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## teachai

I had to use them before. I actually found what I though was a Rat in the Drain.  However he had confirmed that Rats had been in attic previously. 
It turned out to be a Hedgehog, but they look like a rat when they're wet.

Called Pest control, did a survey, removed the Hedgehog(Deceased), cleared up a wasps nest in the thread, put poison down in palces inaccessible to children and pets. Suggested if they return, get a drain survey done. 

He was quite expensive, but then he had to come a long away. But the piece of mind is worth it.


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## RainyDay

help-me said:


> I dont want to get a cat/dog, no one at home to look after it so its out of the question.


If you get a pair of kittens, they will entertain each other during the day. You're right not to get a dog in your circumstances, mind you.

However, cats aren't instinctive mousers. You need a cat that has been taught how to catch mice by its mother, so look for one that was brought up in a mostly outside lifestyle.


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## Bobbins

teachai said:


> It turned out to be a Hedgehog, but they look like a rat when they're wet.


 
Lol....! 

I think everyone is getting carried away....we had mice in our attic before and they sounded like mini elephants and interestingly enough they only ran around when it was me in the house and not my bf so he thought I was cracking up......I really doubt that it is rats....get a* reliable* pest control company to deal with it, if only for your sanity!

P.s. I wasn't suggesting you adopt a jack russell, I was merely passing on info that they are good for catching rats...


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## help-me

hi gang. 

Well the pest control guy was supposed to come at 12 yesterday. rang and said he be here at 1 etc this continued until 4 when he said he could not make it now and How was monday? I told him to forget about it. So egged himself on into the attic while I kept watch at the door  to put the mouse traps in a differnt place and with some bacon this time!! Low and behold checked 1st thing this morning and we well "he" caught two mice  god am soo delighted so gonna set more traps tonight and block up any holes we can think of. New house so shudnt be that many holes right? whats best to block holes with? carpet/wood? I wonder is there many mice left? we didnt hear a single noise all night..

Thanks to everyone for there advice here made me a lot calmer in dealing with the situation.


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## Sue Ellen

Its not a good idea to block up holes in the attic as a certain amount of ventilation is necessary.  As mentioned previously in the thread with the narrow space that a mouse can squeeze through you will probably be wasting your time trying to block up all small holes.  IMHO it would probably be best to leave the traps in place/resetting them when necessary until you get to the stage where they are free of mice maybe for a month or so.

Another great spot for mice to appear is under the sink so you could keep an eye out there also.


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## addob

Congrats on catch! Firsy, I agree with sueellen, you souldn't go complelte blocking ventalation to your attic, however if you do find somewhere the mice are getting in you need to block the holes with something they can't chew threw. I've used steel wool in the past, it's not solid so air can still get through but it's one of the few things they can't chew through. Not sure where you would find it tho but maybe Woodies or B&Q.

addob


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## help-me

sueellen, sorry to be sounding dum yet again but how would the mice get under the sink? you mean press under sink?

addob, will have a look at getting steel wool. we have a hole from where the sky cable thing goes in and I was looking at it today so will def cover it up.

Thanks!


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## PM1234

I think they get into the cupboard under the sink through the pipes if they aren't sealed properly - it must be where the drain is outside the kitchen wall I suppose? Don't mean to freak you out but they're supposed to be able to get into the hotpress too. There are sound devices that you can plug in that emit a sound that they don't like if that helps but I don't know how effective they are.

I know that there are plenty of people saying to free them into the wild  and know they're probably right but I'd rather know they were dead than take the chance they'll visit again. Well done going anywhere near the attic. I have a complete phobia about them (have skimmed through this thread to find out what signs I should look out for mainly although I know at the first sound or sight of them I'd be gone)


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## REMFAN

When blocking up those holes, make sure to block them well! A rat can squeeze it's body into a hole the size of a coin (according to Gil Grissom at CSI)


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## bertson

Hey
You need to go around the outside of your house with a fine tooth comb and check for cracks in the wall, gaps under and around window sills (including upstairs), around pipes, around door jams. If it looks like a mouse might get in then it will, so fill everything in sight.

I live in a new bungalow in the middle of nowhere, and had boiler trouble in December, the result being the plumber bent the door of the boiler, so low and behold the little feckin mice go in and made their way up the cavity wall and into the attic. I sealed up the boiler, set 4 traps and caught 1 mouse. I have heard nothing now for over a week.

Then last week my missus heard scratching behind the cooker (No access to kitchen from the attic so I was stumped where the fecker got in) - turns out he got in the cooker vent on the wall and ate its way through the vent pipe to the cooker (5 feet away from the cooker)....I changed the filter for a aluminum and set a trap, caught that feck again...

In short, seal every avenue of entry. Also checj your attic if you are in a semi. Make sure your neighbours mice dont cause you problems.

Now I wont tell you my "Rat in the Meter Box story...."


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## Sue Ellen

help-me said:


> sueellen, sorry to be sounding dum yet again but how would the mice get under the sink? you mean press under sink?



Yes its the press under the sink.  Its a regular haunt for mice.  If the pipe entry is not sealed they can come in through there.  I would wonder how they are getting into the attic.  It may well be the sky cable entry point.


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## Bluebells

This might be a daft question, but how does a mouse gain access to a house through the attic? 

Does he take a run up an outside wall to a hole, if so how can he see a hole that high up ? Does he run up hoping he'll find one, and if so, is he able to scamper around on the vertical surface of the wall without falling off? Can he climb up the drainpipes?


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## Sue Ellen

Bluebells said:


> This might be a daft question, but how does a mouse gain access to a house through the attic?
> 
> Does he take a run up an outside wall to a hole, if so how can he see a hole that high up ? Does he run up hoping he'll find one, and if so, is he able to scamper around on the vertical surface of the wall without falling off? Can he climb up the drainpipes?



I was wondering the same thing myself but didn't want to ask   Had thought as mentioned earlier that they might be coming through from next door if its not a detached house.


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## ACA

They can climb walls, stairs, etc.


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## Bluebells

ACA said:


> They can climb walls, stairs, etc.



I am asking how he can get directly into the attic from outside the house, not from inside the house !!!!


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## Duffman

I'd say they can climb up walls / drainpipes easily enough under their own steam.  One of the mice I caught in a humane trap I put in a high sided cardboard box to show my young son.  He jumped about twice as high as the box and scuttled off across the garden.  I'd say climbing up the side of a house via drainpipes or wires etc would be no bother to them.


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## ACA

Hi Bluebells, They can climb walls! Straight up the outside and in thru any tiny space, air vent etc. As stated by Sueellen, they also can get in under the sink, there's so many pipes coming into your house that they can just squeeze in beside them. I've had some migrate from the sink area into the airing cupboard straight up into the loft by climbing on the pipes - sneaky little devils!!


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## mercman

Some of the posts that are been made sound like they are from Mickey Mouse !!! Two things -- Not sure what part of the country you are living, but did you ever consider that you might have BATS. Had the same problem - thought they were Mice, then Rats, found out they were Bats. And guess what - not allowed kill them. So the answer for the three types of Vermin is simple - Go to Tesco, Dunnes or a decent electrical retailer and  purchase the electronic plug in module which give out an electronic  beam through the electric wires - you won't be able to  hear them  but the noise will drive the  vermin mad.They are about €50/€60 each - you will need two - one for downstairs and one for upstairs. Give it 36 Hours and then let them run into someone else's house. One thing certain, they won't hang around your place.  And to the idiots who think 'the poor little creatures', wake up and smell the coffee. Rats especially  are dangerous. i know somebody who was killed by Weild disease, from drinking  from a bottle where a Rat urinated on.  NOW changed your tune ???


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## help-me

hi mercman,

Thanks for that info. If you have a look at a couple of my last posts you will see we caught 2mice in the attic.

Will def get some of those sound things to keep them away, have blocked up some holes to.

We still dont know how exactly they got in attic but could have been from anywhere.

Oh and they are so noisy it sounded like a herd of cattle up in the attic running around!!


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## roadrunner

Woken up at 3am this morning to the sound of scratching and scampering in the attic.
I`d say the little fecker was between the floorboards in the attic.
Is there any way to get at him there other than ripping them up?
I`d say he got up one of the drainpipes - is there any wiremeshing or any other device that i could put on the drainpipes to stop them entering?
It`s a new house and we are in it 5 months - first sign of rodents, not pleasant!


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## bullbars

roadrunner said:


> I`d say he got up one of the drainpipes - is there any wiremeshing or any other device that i could put on the drainpipes to stop them entering?


 
They didnt come up through drain pipes. More than likley they came up in a box you carried up there or if its new they could have been there since the builders were in.


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## roadrunner

bullbars said:


> They didnt come up through drain pipes. More than likley they came up in a box you carried up there or if its new they could have been there since the builders were in.


Have nothing up in attic - it`s an attic conversion.
We are in 5 months & this is first sign of any life up there so they must have came only recently.
I see somewhere else someone used brillo pads in the drainpipes - would this work?
I`m also going to get a few wooden traps using rasher as bait, a sprinking of storm around the attic & a couple of those ultra-sonic devices.


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## mousey

the humane traps can be bought in most hardware shops AFAIK. We invested in two after clearing out our utility room using the wooden traps. We had a family of 9 mice. We invested in the sonar plug ins that are supposed to keep insects and mice away.  we plugged one into the utility room as this is where the back door is. The big thing with the plug ins if you have mice is they will be curious as to what the sound is. We lay our traps beside them and thats how we caught them 6 in one day. It was great in a sense as the problem was solved in less than a week overall. So far the mice have stayed away and long may it continue. The mice were very cute and managed to get the cheese out without setting the trap off. We managed to observe it one day, was actually quite ingenious of the little fella. Anyways we were advised of rasher rinds. burn it slightly. The reason this works is because its hard and they need to dig there teeth in in order to get it out of trap. Most cheeses come apart easily.
Hope you get to the bottom of it.


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## barbie

I heard they really like chocolate best of all.   Also, they are very partial to the rind of a rasher!

Good luck.  

Barbie


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## bullbars

roadrunner said:


> Have nothing up in attic - it`s an attic conversion.
> We are in 5 months & this is first sign of any life up there so they must have came only recently.
> I see somewhere else someone used brillo pads in the drainpipes - would this work?


If you put brillo pads in the drain pipes how do you expect them to work? They wouldnt come up the drain pipes, could weel have been in a pack of insulation / flooring etc.


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## Ash 22

Peanut butter is suppose to be good too. There are things called rat zappers you can buy online and are very good. They electrocute the rat or mouse when he goes into it for the food. They are battery operated.


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## Leo

mousey said:


> The big thing with the plug ins if you have mice is they will be curious as to what the sound is. We lay our traps beside them and thats how we caught them 6 in one day.


 
More proof if it was needed that these plug-ins do not work. They are supposed to be so irritating that rodens run a mile from them, not come out to investigate them!
Leo


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## LLDLY

Just stick some poison down in the loft. The good news is that mice's  bodies don't smell when they die, they just dry up. RATS are a different matter! I suspect its mice though.


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## roadrunner

4 traps plus bait were set Tuesday & I plugged in the ultrasonic sound thingy in attic. I heard a few noises on wednesday but have heard nothing since. 
Also no sign of any droppings & none of the traps have been set off.
I wonder if the sound device has worked or is my friend too cute for the traps.


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## Ash 22

LLDLY said:


> Just stick some poison down in the loft. The good news is that mice's bodies don't smell when they die, they just dry up. RATS are a different matter! I suspect its mice though.


 
Mice do smell. We had dead mice in attic and smell came down into our sitting room. Pretty foul.


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## roadrunner

Was just investigating the traps today and found a little Bat on the ground! Set him free outside. Is this what was causing the noises in attic - do bats make scratching noises or is there possibility i still have a mouse?


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## Black Sheep

We have had annual visits from these creatures mice/rats (not sure which as OH dealt with their disposal from traps) for many years. I was on the point of moving house and decided to have a final try. Purchased one of those plug in thinngys, *Industrial* version and have never heard a scratch since. That was about 3 years ago


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## pippi

*Re: Mice in attic*

We have been having this problem for two years now, we came across the problem when we experienced the worst smell in our bedroom...found a mouse dead in the attic. Between october last year and march we caught 2 in the attic with traps. 

This year we bought those electrical plug in devices (don't think they work) put poison outside under the decking so other animals couldn't eat it and bought a humane trap for outside near bins (they walk into and cant get out of it) AND put about 6 traps in attic with nutella in them (they love the stuff). So far they have cleared 2 poison packs, ive caught 3 in the humane trap and 3 in the attic. Im hoping to kill mouse/nest before they make their way into my attic. Other side of the arguement is that by putting poison outside, am I just attracting them to my garden/house???? 

We really don't want to face into the next few months continuouly getting up and down into the attic. They are obvously crawling up the exterior wall. We have huge gaps all around the edge of the roof (between slates and gutter)- when you look out you can see light coming in, in places - its a MASSIVE job to fill these spaces - don't have a clue what to use - would have to get a builder in I'd say to get everything sealed. We have a covered man hole in the middle of our garden - new estate - could they get into our house from here? We have never had any in the house, only attic. We don't leave bins open or rubbish outside or feed the dogs outside.

Not sure what to do - sounds ridiculous I know, but really don't want to call professionals and have they're van parked in my driveway advertising to all that I've a pest problem!!!!!

So sorry for long post - not sure what to do!!!!


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## sadie

Pippi, I'd start a new thread maybe if I was you, people might not see your question so far down the Mouse thread. I'd say getting all the gaps is not going to help that much as a mouse can squeeze through a gap as small as a pencil. And I've seen one myself squeeze through an impossibly small space - a slit below the oven smaller than a pencil would fit through. You could ask the pest control guy to park down the road a bit and walk up the road!


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## pippi

Thanks so much for replying Sadie, much appreciated!!!Good idea about asking pest control to park down the road....opposite somebody else's house and not mine!!!!!

Think I'll start a new thread, hope nobody minds reading all this twice!!!


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## mercman

Blacksheep, where did you get the Industrial type of the plug-in thinngy ?


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## Vanilla

You could try an expanding foam type filler that you can get in any DIY shop to fill the gaps yourself. If you do not fill all the holes then you will never get rid of the mice, simple as that.


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## pippi

I'd need to buy a hell of a lot of foam filler!!!   Think Im going to have to get a builder in, spaces are with of a plank of wood, I don't think they should have been left as they have been - something that should have been noticed when we got the house snagged.  

Could anyone answer these two questions - by putting poison outside am I just attracting them to my house or are they around anyway and by putting baited chocolate spread traps in attic am I also attracting them in?   Can they smell it that well!!!!


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## tabatha

LLDLY said:


> Just stick some poison down in the loft. The good news is that mice's  bodies don't smell when they die, they just dry up. RATS are a different matter! I suspect its mice though.



mice do smell when the die.  i worked in an office with a warehouse attached.  we often had mice come into the offices and die.  smelt like hell  after a few weeks.  also had blue bottle flies with them after they died.  not nice at all.  go for traps they are the best.


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## Galway5

Hi All,

It is obviously the time of year for the rodent visitors. Came back from being away for the weekend only to have the wife see a mouse in the en-suite. I think her scream might have given him a heart attack  but I was called on to finish off the job. 

Had the same problem last year. I have looked at the external walls for cracks / entry points and still don't understand how they are getting in (filled all obvious cracks - holes around pipes). Caught five last year (by using pre baited traps, in two different locations - under sink / hotpress). This is the first visitor this year, but if one got in, I am sure there will be more.

I have poison outside in the back garden / yard. 

The house is a semi-d. The insulation in the attic is loose stuff (not sure what it's called) but not easy to detect anything up there. 

We don't leave food hanging around or leave doors open. But what I would like to know is can mice climb from ground level to second floor on the outside of a building? Do they climb up drain pipes? Because I think they have originated from the en-suite. 

The wife is going to contact Rentokil so will let you know how we get on.

Thanks.


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## pippi

Well our problem seems to be getting worse, over the past week we have caught 4 - far more than we ever have before, again only in the attic. A family have obviously decided to move in and have babies!!! Can't bear the thought, was fine with the idea that we had one or two but a family.........

I need adivce on this, have I done the right thing by putting the poison outside - have I just attracted them to my house??? By leaving baited traps in attic have I again attracted them in????

I don't have any idea where I'd start or what to look for in the attic with regard to holes or gaps....

My next idea is borrowing a cat for a day.

Galway5, our mice must be scaling the walls outside, as we don't have them in the house.


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## risinmarie

hi there, 

I have mice too, so waiting to see what Rentokil do for Galway5. I have been trying to catch them for a week. I caught one the second night, but nothing since. They seem to be living between the ground and first floors but the mouse I caught was trapped in the attic (so they must go walk about at night). I left three traps in the attic since to see if the rest of the family would venture up there but no. I can hear them running about above the sitting room every evening. Perhaps the food in the traps isnt tempting enough to get them up to the attic. But I would prefer to trap them up there than pull up the floor boards on the first floor to set traps. They havent been spotted in any of the rooms nor is there evidence of them anywhere.........just the pitter patter on the ceiling every evening.

I am going to try peanut butter today as i have read it works and the smell should be stronger than the food i have been using. i have already tried bread, cereals, and chocolate.


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## bcol1

We caught 7 mice this time last year - 3 in the attic, 3 in the bedrooms! & 1 in the garage, my nerves were shattered so we got a cat, he's a year old now and is worth his weight in gold - he's outside all day, comes in at night, he's caught 5 mice in the past month, i've seen them dead around the footpaths outside the house and witnessed him killing 2 of them, so i'm definitely won over on a cat as the solution!


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## pippi

Riseinmarie, try Nutella chocolate spread, my ones are lovin it - keep coming back for more....I've tried peanut butter - they ate all the chocolate ones and left peanut butter traps!!!!  Tried rasher rind, boiled ham, cheese but chocolate seems to be doing the trick!!

Caught none last night in attic but did catch one outside, I too am going to wait to see what happens with Galway5 & Rentokil before I call in the professionals......


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## lightswitch

The area I live in had quite a lot of mice over that past couple of years.  I got two kittens which are now cats and fantastic hunters.  Saw a mouse on my decking in the begining of the summer, brought the cat out and had a dead mouse in less than 2 minutes.  Cant recommend them highly enough.  If you go into the freebe or pets section of gumtree.ie you should be able to get one.  LS


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## Galway5

Hi Pippi,

We had booked Rentokil to come out on Tuesday, but then I talked to an ex-employee who advised that he thought it might be a waste of money as they would not help my particular situation (which is finding out how they are getting in). 

We got a friend who does final checks on new houses in the building trade to give the house the once over and spot any defects / entry points for the mice. He spotted two very wide holes at the front door (drain just outside front door for water run off). These were at ours and neighbours house. He also found a few more holes on the outside in the neighbours house which he said they could get in on ground level. 

Therefore I think this has been worth a lot more than what Rentokil would have done. We were told that they would come out and put down something (gel) in certain areas so that they could track where the mice were coming in. Then they would come back a while later and sort that out (fill up the area / advise where should be filled). They would also put down poison in the house and areas they think the mice might be to get rid. 

But we have traps down all over the house and have poison outside the house (and I think anyone can do that). 

Three days after finding the first one and we are mouse free, after blocking up the other points of entry. I still think there may be one or two in the attic, but we'll get them too if they are there. 

My main concern which I feel more confident about is that we have stopped them coming in. However in a semi-d if the neighbour leaves the back door open (which she is prone to doing) that will let them get into her house and from there they can get into her attic and then our house, don't know whether this is your problem?

Hope this helps - rentokil were going to charge us €240. From talking to the ex-employee, it is about call volume and not necessarily about finding the mice! 

All the best.


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## risinmarie

I am going to look for entry points this weekend and block them all. I think I might put traps outside too to try and stop them before they get it in. 

I have just reset three humaine traps with peanut butter, two in the attic and one in the bathroom.....so I will have to wait and see if it works. If it doesnt I will try nutella as suggested by pippi. 

hopefully I will catch the blighters this time. I dont want to have to resort to murder, but I will if necessary.!


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## allthedoyles

Forget about fries and cheese . Buy poison - I believe storm is best brand . 
It may be rats , so best advice is move quickly and contact a hardware store assistant .


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## pippi

Speaking from experience, poison is fine outside but if you put poison in your attic and the feckers eat it and die up there the smell is terrible - gasy, toxic smell that most definitely doesn't disappear in one or two days.  It's a dreadful job trying to find the dead mouse in the attic and there's the possibility it could get into the cavity in the walls - then look at the job you have on your hands!!!!!!


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## GreenFlag

Hey All

just got rid of mouse number 11 in 2 weeks. its murder on rodents! started off all humane with the mouse friendly traps but I got paramoid that the guys I was relaesing were coming back in so had to get tough, as it sounded like there was a mouse rave going on upstairs in the attic and after spending 2 or 3 nights with one casually strolling across my office floor.

basically, I would say act fast. If you hear / see/think you have one, its literally  anmatter of days beore theres 10 plus babies and the task becomes even harder. cheese on sprung wooden traps seemed to do the trick.

would advise against the posion option alos, as I remeber back in college when we were in a student hovel, we put doen poison, mouse/ or plural ate and died and the place stank for about a year after from under the floorboards.


its not their fault - just seeking some nice warm attics / houses, and they are exceptionally

good luck


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## artane area

hi 

I had the same problem with mice in my attic. I used 'Blue Blocks' They proved to be very good. The mice will think that its food and take them to their nests usually outside of the house. Once taken the poison will kill them. I then got the plug in devices that give off a piercing noise which doesnt effect the human ear but will rid any mice or other small creatures. I havent had a problem since.


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## pippi

galway5,

Forgot to say thanks in that last post, great words of advice...am going to do a thorough check of everygap outside at the weekend.

Thanks again.


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## Teabag

Galway5 said:


> But we have traps down all over the house and have poison outside the house (and I think anyone can do that).



Birds will eat rodent poison. Make sure birds cant get at it (especially the seed based poisons)


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## tick tock

does anybody think the mice / rats could get in through the air vents in the soffits...well probably not a rat but a mouse and that would bring them into the attic..?


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## cozzie bhoy

We have mice (hope they're not rats) up in the ceiling of the sunroom. Can hear them running around by night. Some days the smell in the room is unbearable. Its like urine, Has anyone else had this? Took down the downlighters last week and put some poison up there, And put down a few traps outside and still nothing. I also noticed a cat hanging around our back garden the last few days. I'm thinking of pulling down the ceiling if the smell doesn't go away!


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## Alzeral

Take a mineral bottle, cut off the top one-third and place this upside down in the main section of the bottle.  Smear cooking oil in the inside of the bottle and place poison along with burnt cheese (smells stronger) inside.  Angle the bottle so that when the mouse enters, he can't get back out a) because of angle, b) because of slippery oil and c) because the entrance into bottle (upside-down bottle top) is too awkward to get out


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## 4th estate

My meeces were everywhere! uggggh. Anyway, checked around and blocked up outside piping with expanding foam. Waited, and they were still there.
Next thing they were in the hot press. Oh my God, so I got my expanding foam and filled in all the piping holes in the said hot press. Nothing since touch wood. That is where they were getting up and down the whole house. 
Neighbours put in an attic conversion, and I think that was the start.
Anyway, I just LOVE expanding foam, did the trick for me anyway.


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## eekogirl

Sympathy, I was demented when we had mice.  But c'mon, don't hurt them!  Our mice sounded so loud we thought they were rats at least!  Cat was NO deterrent.  We used the humane traps with peanut butter (they LOVE it) and then took them AT LEAST A MILE AWAY - apparently they will try to find their way back...  You are better to put the traps lengthways alongside wall - they don't like to break cover and come out into the open.  Main thing is to block up any possible entry points from outside or next door - if  you can stick a pencil through a hole, they can get into it.
Try the humane traps, you will feel so much better not killing them, or torturing them if they take a while to die, honest!
Good luck!


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## harvey

Babysitter told us last week that a tiny mouse ran across the floor of the kitchen.I set traps immediately and lay a trail of weetabix to 5 traps that I had laid out in a circle. Turned the lights off and sat in a chair and waited. CAught two tiny mice within 15 minutes !


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## killybram

We tried traps - no good. The Ultrasonic pest repellers are a waste of money, a mouse will come in out of the cold and put up with the US nise rather than die! The best thing that worked for me was the glue - put some on a piece of cardboard with chocalate for a bait. Works every time!


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## Snork Maiden

harvey said:


> Babysitter told us last week that a tiny mouse ran across the floor of the kitchen.I set traps immediately and lay a trail of weetabix to 5 traps that I had laid out in a circle. Turned the lights off and sat in a chair and waited. CAught two tiny mice within 15 minutes !



Sounds like these are the babies......I would keep setting traps as they could have 6-10 siblings! and dont forget the parents.

A number of years ago we heard the telltale scratching noise, caught one adult mouse and within days we have 8-10 babies running around right under our nose.....they dont have as much fear and if the mammy mouse is dead they come out of the nest looking for food.....


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## musicfan

I am now terrified after reading this post!!!  

Couple of times over the last couple of weeks, I have been hearing scratching noises during the night - don't know if its coming from the bedroom itself or if its coming from the attic or where!!  Anyway, OH told me I must be imaganing it but I was convinced we had a mouse.

Today, saw a mouse in the sitting room but it ran out into the hall to god knows where - went straight up to our local DIY show and bought 6 of those plug in thingys - kitchen, dining room, 2 bedrooms, sitting room and landing and bought some sort of plastic mouse trap things that already have some sort of bait in them, apparently the mice crawl into them and it traps them.  We have put one in the attic and one at the back door.   The plug in thingys make a clicking noise that I can hear - is this how they work?

Should I just wait and see is this enough?  Should I be getting more mouse traps in every room in the house?  Am terrified of them and have no hesitation with killing the pests.......


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