Key Post Mice and Rats

Re: >>Mice/Rats

There are a few key things to remember with mice:

1. Mice will generally only congregate where there is heat and a food source. If crumbs and scraps of food are left around mice will be attracted. Good housekeeping will go a long way towards minimising infestation. Examine how refuse is stored and disposed, is it secured from rodents.

2. Mice need a point of access into your home, so for example if you leave your back/ front door open for only a minute while hanging clothes on the line or bringing stuff in from the car this may allow mice to gain access. This is in addition to plugging usual cracks and small holes that can provide access.

3.Cheese is not the best bait for mice. The rind of a rasher or chocolate make good bait. The newer plastic baitless traps are not as good as the traditional spring loaded timber trap properly baited. Mice tend to run close to walss to avoid being detected by prey in open spaces, so place the baited trpas near walls.
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

Thanks carpenter but have tried all of the above! 11 of the 12 mice we caught last year were in the main bathroom. One in the kitchen sort of behind the fridge so I'm not sure if it's food scraps they're attracted to in our house. The bathroom and kitchen are kept spotless after last years infestation and we've never seen evidence of them at any food source in the presses and we've never even found droppings!! I think we got them as soon as they emerged from the walls/floors.

All rubbish is kept out the back in the wheelie bin. No food scraps are ever put in the bin in the kitchen - this goes straight to the wheelie bin.

Doors are never left open ever since one of the neighbours saw 2 mice run in through her patio door last year!!

We don't use cheese but also don't use rashers as we're both vegetarian and there's no meat ever in the house (I know it's terrible for veggies to kill mice but I can't explain or excuse that). We found that crunchy peanut butter is the best bait as they have to really lick it off. Minty aeros aren't bad either!

I half expected them to come back this year so I'm not too surprised but I'd forgotten how sick/disgusted/dirty etc they make me feel!!! I think all I can do is get more poison and try to be brave!
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

I feel for you! Since we built our house we've had two seperate infestations of mice- and none now since last winter. The only traps that work ( and believe me I've tried them all) are the old fashioned wooden spring loaded ones. We use chocolate syrup as its better if you put something on the trap that they have to stay to lick off rather than grab and run. I hate the bloody things!

Last year after getting rid of all the ones in the house, we methodically went around every single inch of the outside of the house, including the guttering, as we too are very careful about leaving doors open, so they HAD to be getting in somewhere else. We finally discovered they had been coming in through a vent for an extractor and promptly blocked it up- although we also blocked up umpteem tiny little cracks and so on that realistically they probably weren't getting in through, but at that stage we were taking no chances. So far, so good, so hopefully we have found the problem.

My honest opinion is that you will have to do the same- if you don't leave the doors and windows open, then how else are they getting in?
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

Vanilla said:
We finally discovered they had been coming in through a vent for an extractor and promptly blocked it up-
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Just a note of caution - people have died from carbon poisoning after blocking up vents - make sure all your rooms are well ventilated. Check out tall blond Duncan's ads on TV for more details.
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

Ah no, we didnt block up the vent, as such! Poor wording, I'm afraid! We put a fine mesh guard over it and blocked up around it, as there were gaps around it.
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

By the way Cahir I was in no way suggesting you house was less than spotless! Are there old hedges or ditches bounding your property? Have a clean up around the garden and see if you can spot anything that may be harbouring mice. Are any of your neighbours less than meticulous with their housekeeping? Our previous neighbour cancelled their regular bin collection about 18 months ago, with the result that bags and bags of rubbish were left to accumulate in the open air, uncovered and obviously attracting vermin and flies. Thankfully they have since sold up but this is the kind of careless activity that will attract mice.
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

No hedges and the back gardens are all new so they're not overgrown yet! I really think they're getting in through the attic from the neighbours house but she won't put traps down anymore because she doesn't want to have to dispose of any mice. I checked again yesterday and there's no other way they can be getting in. The vents are all in the windows and I don't think it would be possible for mice to get through them.

I'm really hoping it was a one off the other night and as poison seemed to stop it last year I'm going to go down that road again. :(
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

Have you considered getting a cat? If so, make sure it's one that has been brought up around mice, as they need to be taught how to hunt by the mother. It's not an instinctive skill.
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

Cahir said:
I'm really hoping it was a one off the other night and as poison seemed to stop it last year I'm going to go down that road again. :(
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Where did you get the poison and what 'brand' did you use?
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

If you think they are getting in to the attic, then prevent them coming from the attic into the rest of the house by blocking around all pipework etc. Still not great to have them in the attic, but at least if they can't come in to the main house...
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

I'm in a first floor apartment and saw a little mouse in my kitchen on Sunday morning. I immediately went on a cleaning frenzy and the place is spotless.

As for blocking up the holes, my little visitor came from behind the kitchen units . . there was a space there for a dishwasher but I didn't get one so the units do not form a continuous line wall to wall and he came from the space.

But even kneeling down looking in behind the units, how can you spot and plug all the little holes around all the pipes etc I can barely see in there never mind reach.
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

CCOVICH said:
Where did you get the poison and what 'brand' did you use?
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I used one in a red box with black writing. Can't remember the name but the pellets are green and they come in sachets that go onto little white trays. I used the trays in the hotpress, the kitchen and the bathroom floor and also threw some down the holes in the bathroom where the little sh*ts were coming from. I'm going to pick some more up on the way home and maybe some more traps too as I've only about 6 or 7 left!
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

Vanilla said:
If you think they are getting in to the attic, then prevent them coming from the attic into the rest of the house by blocking around all pipework etc. Still not great to have them in the attic, but at least if they can't come in to the main house...
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If I do that won't they multiply in the attic and walls and then take over!! I'll have to sell the house!
I'm not looking forward to going home this evening as my boyfriend won't be there to do a mouse check....
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

Cahir said:
I used one in a red box with black writing. Can't remember the name but the pellets are green and they come in sachets that go onto little white trays. I used the trays in the hotpress, the kitchen and the bathroom floor and also threw some down the holes in the bathroom where the little sh*ts were coming from. I'm going to pick some more up on the way home and maybe some more traps too as I've only about 6 or 7 left!
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Ok thanks. Where did you actually buy this?
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

Vanilla said:
Doubtful. They will still need a source of food.
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That makes sense but as far as I can tell the only source of food they're getting from my house is the crunchy peanut butter on the traps.
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

Horrible little buggers will eat just about anything- list of things I found chewed in our house: cushions & the foam inside, candles, soap, christmas decorations ( lovely- had to throw them all away), different kinds of material, cardboard etc etc. Eurgh! Any chance you could get a loan of a sure fire mouse killing cat? But as previously said, not just any cat would do, it has to be a mouse killer. Remember one office I worked in years ago, and the only male in the office was the boss. Anyway he was away one day and lo and behold a mouse was spotted in one of our secretaries offices- boldly on top of the computer monitor. Of course all the females freaked out, myself included. The accounts manager boasted about her mouse and rat killing cat, and was duly dispatched home to get same cat. Cat came, took one look at the mouse and ran out of the room. Needless to say, door was closed and no more work was done in THAT room for the rest of the day until rentokill arrived ( greeted like a hero to his embarrassment).
 
Re: >>Mice/Rats

Hmmm.....all the Christmas decorations are in the attic - guess I'll be buying new ones this year! I had a look around the kitchen yesterday for any "exposed" food sources and after putting the fruit bowl in the fridge, the only thing left was my basil plant - no more fresh basil for me!
 
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