Mice!

[Glutenberg]

I would love to know just how many people have persistent problems with mice, and best solutions!

We certainly do. It seems virtually impossible to block every entrance.... and believe me we've tried.

Cue trap debate - cruel vs mouse friendly, and effectiveness of each (dont shoot the messenger!)

Also the professionals..... are they the answer, and can the problem ever be solved?

It's far from great when you see them running around now and again and have babies/young children.

[jimbo1964]

Us too. I find the old fashioned trap with a raisin as bait to be most effective.

[Penguin68]

It may just be a coincidence, but following a series of successful trappings I installed those electronic disrupters (not the ones that just send out a beam of ultrasound, but also set up a disturance in the electrical circuit itself - I think its an annoying (for mice) humming) - you need one for each ring main (normally in a two story house the upstairs and downstairs mains will be separated, in a flat there is likely to be just one. This seems to have kept mice away. [Don't try this if you keep e.g. hamsters]

Wood mice (light underbellies) do come into houses, but prefer the outside, house mice (grey all over) do what it says on the tin.

Live trapping and release tends not to work, unless you release them a long way away, as they just come back.

Make sure all food is in sealed boxes - but mice can go a long time without food. And they will want to come in in this weather.

If you do find holes, you can block them with wire wool (mice don't like biting through that) - gaffer tape it in - make sure you air bricks aren't broken. If you can put a pencil through any gap, then mice can get through as well.

The problem with poison is that mice can die in awkward places, smell and become maggot infested (see an earlier thread for the consequences of that). But if all else fails....

If you have a friend with a proven mouser it can be worth asking to borrow that, but not all cats are effective or a deterrent.

[Mike_B]

had a similar problem a while back. I found this article useful: http://www.darwinpestcontrol.com/rats-a-mice.html

Don't get discouraged by the "you have to think like them" in the first paragraph :P

[Twirly]

I've had mouse problems at various points over the years, always when my upstairs neighbours have done work in the loft. Initially, I used humane traps and carted the little offenders over to Peckham Rye Park every so often. But at that stage, they were very small (field mice I suspect) and there weren't very many, so that worked for a year or two (they mostly appeared in the cold weather). Then there seemed to be more of them, and they were wise to the trap. Much as I hated it, I had to get some baited traps. I only ever found one dead one - unfortunately I trod on it (luckily in slippers rather than the bare feet I'd normally have had in the morning), luckily MrTwirly was here and, once he realised what my screeching was about, disposed of the corpse. This seemed to clear them out and we were untroubled again for a while.

We've had more problems recently though, and this time they've been bigger and more persistent, probably proper house mice. We've tried assorted traps baited with various things which they have steadfastly ignored. The only thing that's worked is poison - Rentokil Rodine, which you can get from Sainsburys. They absolutely love the stuff! The first time we used it, MrTwirly put it in the little trays and placed them strategically where we knew they'd been, then put the box in the cupboard under the sink. They ate the stuff left out, then attacked the box under the sink, shredding it in their eagerness to get to the goodies and scattered it far and wide! So I highly recommend the purchase of a dedicated plastic box to keep it in too. This seemed to clear them out after a week or two, and I assume they went back to their nest to die as we didn't see any corpses. They made a reappearance with the cold weather recently, so we put more poison out and they've gone again - we've just been away for a few days, and there's been no sign of them.

We can't block all gaps either, so are stuck with managing the problem. Good luck!

[The Minkey]

My old place was in a victorian terrace in Brixton. Everyone had a mouse problem apart from us as our old cat was a champion mouser/ratter. That's where a good cat really come into its own

[lilolil]

We have had a problem with mice and have tried all sorts,traps with chocolate and peanut butter,the plug ins etc and nothing seems to work. We've just had our kitchen completed gutted and holes blocked but the mouse has made an appearance ! Don't know how it's getting in.You can hear them sometimes in the space between the ceiling and floor above.I also have two cats who do nothing at all but sit and stare at a mouse and look confused LOL

[Lynne]

It has to be snap traps, I've decided. If you use poison, they just creep away and die and then you get the smell. The sticky traps mean you have to dispose of wriggling mice. Over years of warfare I've decided that you can keep the numbers down, but not quite out. Mine live in the boiler, nice and warm and safe. As recomended, box up all food. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, as someone said

Lynne

[wee quinnie]

Regarding the mouse poison issue....I have just had a mouse problem solved by Colin from K and O (mentioned many times on here), which involved poison which "mummifies" the mice after killing them....and henceforth...no smell.

[maxxi]

Have always found snap-traps baited with dried fruit work but: you should remember to change the fruit regularly as it won't attract mice once stale, and place the trap at right angles up against the skirting as this is a house mouse's usual route around a room.

[Annette Curtain]

I had mice

Now I have Cat

I have no mice

I still have cat

Nette:)

[srisky]

Yes, had mice too - every flat in our building did. It's a case of having to treat the whole property not just one flat. We tried various types of traps but the blighters always got back in.

The final nail in their coffin was the impending arrival of our child. The thought of mouse poo and urine over the baby's bottles, steriliser (what's the point if you have mice pissing every where??), toys etc was just too disgusting to think about. So we got in Colin from K&O pest control - no mice since! Reasonable price, too.

[maxxi]

Annette Curtain Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I had mice

>

> Now I have Cat

>

> I have no mice

>

> I still have cat

>

>

> Nette:)

Nette has cat and mouse

Mouse is not netted, Nette writes

A fine Manx Haiku*

(*no tail)

[ChristopherH]

sticky traps are the best a swift wack with the back of a shoe gets the job over and done with or maybe a bucket of water on stand by!

i cought 7 mice about 2 years ago and have had none since i tried loads of diffrent traps and poison they didnt work first night with the sticky traps i cought 2

[The Minkey]

My cat caught a sticky trap once, he came home from nextdoor's wearing a skull and crossbones on his a**e.

[northlondoner]

Sticky traps. Pretty ghastly - but not as ghastly as the mice.

[Tanza]

We had persistent mouse problems over several years and in the end called in Colin - who has lots of recommendations on the forum. I tried loads of things before calling him in - trying to block up holes, poison, traps, electronic beepers - you name it.

He sorted our mouse problem out and (touch wood) we haven't seen a mouse in over two years. Can definitely recommend him.

His number is (or was)07940 751 255.

[Gidget]

wee quinnie Wrote:

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> Regarding the mouse poison issue....I have just

> had a mouse problem solved by Colin from K and O

> (mentioned many times on here), which involved

> poison which "mummifies" the mice after killing

> them....and henceforth...no smell.

What is the name of this poison please?

[????]

It's just management (via pest control, traps or a cat) if you live in Victorian terraces they move about the street like a door to door knocker and will return at some point, we've not had any for a while but suspect they'll be back.

[wee quinnie]

Gidget Wrote:

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>>

> What is the name of this poison please?

I don't know...I wasn't focused enough to ask. You could send him a PM though, as he does post on here from time to time. Username is Colin.

One of the other aspects of the poison is that it was laid inside little boxes rather than in open trays - apparently that's how the mice like it.

Actually, if you find out do let us know!

[henryb]

It is a pity there isn't like a Rent-A-Cat service where you could hire a really good mouser for a few weeks.

[ibilly99]

Colin is great too - got rid of the pesky rotters once and for all in 2 visits - he is very thorough and has access to poisons that we mere mortals cannot buy. Rodents are becoming immune to over the counter solutions apparently.

[Sue]

northlondoner Wrote:

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> Sticky traps. Pretty ghastly - but not as ghastly

> as the mice.

xxxxxx

Depends whether you're looking at it from your perspective or the mouse's, I guess :)

Not a very quick death for the mouse :-S

[Saila]

>"It is a pity there isn't like a Rent-A-Cat service where you could hire a really good mouser for a few weeks."

i'd lend you mine. he was great in his prime. These days he goes to bed before i do... the last mouse he caught he dropped in my mother in laws handbag while she was screaming from the sofa..

useless

[tfwsoll]

I had tried electronic sonic devices, electronic mouse boxes and every poison on the market, with limited success. I then tried Rentokil's Fast Action Mouse Killer and did it the trick for me.

To quote their blurb 'Fast Action Mouse Killer is a unique, highly palatable and effective rodenticide product, which kills mice within 24hours. Sufficient bait to kill up to 100 mice. Bait is kept securely in pre-baited boxes making it child and pet friendly. Contains Alphachloralose.' They sell it at Plough Homecraft.

Good luck!