to be freaked out by mice...

[oinkyoink]

...in our rented house?? I am spotlessly clean, a bit of a germ freak to be honest. Anyway we moved in in feb this year, and in May got the first mouse. I told the landlord who said it wasnt her area and to get pest control out. they came out and laid bait, cleared the problem and now over the last week they are back again. i am so angry as i have a 6 week old and a 2 year old and i have now seen them in two bedrooms, the living room and the kitchen. it disgusts me!!!!! i am so on edge and cannot relax.
obviously this will be an ongoing problem so i don't know what to do.
the council have said it is the landlords duty following the pest control treatment to do a proofing of the house, however she says that it is impossible to proof an Elizabethan house..... she has suggested getting pest control every time we see a mouse but for me it is too late once they are in....
apparently it is a bit of an issue in the area but seriously, i cannot bear seeing them while i am feeding my new baby during the night in my bedroom

the next step would be to complain to the council who will phone her to clear with her why exactly she wont proof the building but i am worried about upsetting the landlord and being kicked out

opinions needed!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[minipie]

YANBU

I thought mice weren't a big deal, till I learned that they are incontinent and wee everywhere

But I can't really think of any other solution apart from getting the council to speak to your landlord (with the risk that it annoys her). She couldn't kick you out for that, but she could choose to end your tenancy at the end of the term or at the break clause if you have one, and not renew it. Sorry, not v helpful. If it were me I would probably complain to the council and risk pissing off the landlord, but then I don't know how much you love that house...

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

YANBU to be freaked out by mice. They're nasty little dirty things that chew your stuff and leave poo & piss everywhere whilst multiplying at an alarming rate! You wouldn't tolerate any other health-risk for fear of upsetting the landlord I expect.... damp, mould, blocked drains, dangerous boiler... so put on a bit of pressure and, if nothing happens, call the council

[ObiWan]

I hate them too. We had them in a place we were renting. We were told that it was our responsibility to sort them out, and our local council were not that interested in mice livivng in privately rented homes.

We bought some of that expanding foam, and blocked off every likely entrance ( the landlord was not bothered as long as he wasn't paying). It worked well, and they dissapeared.

For ages afterwards though I was seeing movement out of the corner of my eye

[AgentZigzag]

I'm not bothered by mice or rats, but I definately wouldn't want either of them having free reign in a house where I had such small children.

Personally, I would risk getting kicked out and try and get it sorted, the alternative is to leave the situation as it is, which you can't with your DC there.

[LucyGoose]

Yes, they are filthy, and piss and poop everywhere. What if the 2 yr old found a poop and thought it was something tasty - I can't even think about it!!!

Landlords are real bastards about mice sometimes. I had the same problem in London, and the landlords insinuated that the mice were there b/c we were filthy! It turns out the whole building was infested, and the landlords could have cared less. They put poison out but that just meant we'd find dead mice in the bathroom at night! Gives me the creeps just thinking about it. Never again will I live in a place with mice, I'd take my chances complaining. Sorry you are going thru this, it really makes you feel dirty.

[carabos]

Get a cat - seriously - even if you just borrow one for a couple of weeks it will sort out the mice and their friends and relatives won't come back as they will be able to smell it for ages afterwards.

[izzywhizzyletsgetbusy]

I agree with carabos that cat is the environmentally friendly way of ridding premises of mice.

I also agree with the landlady that it will be extremely difficult to rodent-proof an Elizabethan (or any old) property and, if it's a listed building, there may be restrictions as to what can be used internally to block holes etc.

Frankly, I'd deal with the problem myself and wouldn't risk upsetting a good landlady by going back to the council.

If you don't want a cat, you could consider buying plug in repellents that emit sound waves to rid properties of rodents/insects etc.

[izzywhizzyletsgetbusy]

There's a variety of sonic repellents on the market - google or go to ebay to find a large range to suit different needs

This is just one of many that I've found: www.primrose.co.uk/budget-rat-and-mouse-repeller-whole-house-p-4418.html

[TooImmature2BDumbledore]

Reading with interest as also live in a rented house with mice! I am in the middle of the country with fields/rough ground on 3 sides and across the road, and as soon as it gets cold the little buggers come in. I can't borrow a cat as my dog would kill one - the dog has no effect on the mice whatsoever. We have traps out and have to dispose of dead mice, ick! Poison had no effect. The mice ate the poison, dragged the box it came in around the kitchen and then ran around the worktop leaving little blue poisonous footprints and poops!

I like the suggestion of getting expandable foam to block up all the holes - I never thought of that! I think ours get in next to various pipes - under the sink in the bathroom, behind the cooker somewhere and in the airing cupboard next to the boiler pipes. Any other ideas to deter them? Do the sonic repellers actually work?

[nocake]

It is pretty much impossible to make a house of that age mouse proof. Have a look outside to see what might be tempting them to come near the house. Any food sources or nesting locations. Remove those and put down poison bait outside. Then use spring traps inside, as long as you can put them somewhere the kids won't get to them. I like to bait the traps with peanut butter.

[oinkyoink]

I have sonic repellers now but the guy from pest control said that he thinks they are a waste of money because he has been to many houses where mice are present even with these repellers.......

Arrghhhhhhhhh!!! It's driving me nuts.

The cat option sounds great, I hate cats but not as much as I detest mice being all over my house so perhaps that is the solution.

I found a website called pest removal or similar and they guarantee to proof your house.

What bugs me too is the fact the landlady didn't even try to come across like she would have a look at the various outdoor vents etc I had highlighted as possible entry points.

Thanks for all the responses.