My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Housekeeping

mouse infestation. Please help!

16 replies

Dreamgirl1111 · 07/02/2014 14:12

My house is infested with mice. I tried diofferent products like, traps, sticky tape and mouse bait. They have been eating the bait for months and still there, multiplying. Does anyone know of a product that actually work? Have used the services of a pest controller? I heard that pest controllers use the same products that one can buy on the market and that they have to make several visits. In my previous house, the only way I got read of them was by taping every possible opening with a duct tape> I taped all over the wasing mashine, they climbed on top of it. i taped over the top openning. All around and under the wardrobes, I taped every cupboard and did not use them for three months. When I untaped everything back, the pests have gone. Unfortunately, this house is much more difficult to tape. Last night, I watched in horror how one of the beasts, sprang out from under the sealed duct tape. I could not believe my eyes. Any advise will be appreciated.

OP posts:
Report
sebsmummy1 · 07/02/2014 14:15

I think it's time to get the professionals in. They are professional for a reason. They will give you advise re. prevention against future reinfestation and I am sure they must have stronger mouse killer bait available to them.

Report
HazeltheMcWitch · 07/02/2014 14:18

I agree that this sounds like a job for the professionals.
You might also need to have a think about your immediate environs - eg are you a flat, a terraced house? Do you have a shared attic space etc... as if there are mice somewhere else, you might just be sticking a metaphorical plaster over the issue if you don't 'get' them all.

Report
offblackeggshell · 07/02/2014 14:19

We used these plug in deterrents and washed all the hard surfaces with , and liberally sprinkled around peppermint oil.

We don't know how many we actually had, but they were definitely there, and went immediately with the plug ins. Our house is huge (5k sq ft) so we used a total of 3, but I'm sure with a normal sized house, one would do.

Good luck - DD thought she had a monster under her bed, and was terrified. It didn't help that we laughed, then the next night hear the little buggers ourselves. Then found piles of poo under the bed and sofa. Yuck!

Report
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 07/02/2014 15:09

Do you keep all your food in containers/put fruit in the fridge/never leave bread out/wash up immediately?

You need to get super tidy so there's no food out or anything they can use for bedding.

Traps and poison down every night religiously. Wipe kitchen counters down with bleach every single morning.

I think if you've really exhausted everything then you need to call in the professionals but check your council as some offer a free service.

Report
Dreamgirl1111 · 07/02/2014 16:27

Can they really climb the kitchen worktops?

OP posts:
Report
AmberLeaf · 07/02/2014 16:31
Report
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 07/02/2014 17:15

Yes, they can climb vertical walls. Urgh!

Report
HazyShadeOfWinter · 07/02/2014 17:19

We used wire wool in every possible opening. Apparently they don't like chewing through that.

Report
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 07/02/2014 17:22

Iirc they do chew it but it kills them.

Report
EmNetta · 08/02/2014 01:12

You're right, AmberLeaf, local council used this on their visit, and recommended throw-bags of same, telling me where to buy it, but never needed more.

Report
cerealqueen · 08/02/2014 01:20

They prefer peanut butter to cheese. I second the plug in things too, plus wire wool and expanding foam for any tiny hole. And keep house very very clean.

Report
unlucky83 · 08/02/2014 01:34

Agree with dame - you have to seal all the food away in containers they can't gnaw through. They won't stay somewhere were their isn't any food. Also if you can get a ball point pens in a gap a mouse can get in...
I went to work as temporary head chef in a restaurant with a mouse infestation (long story...need for a head chef was in part due to the discovery of mouse problem)
We had rentokil out almost daily, poison down, advice from EHO, every single bit of food sealed away, cleaned under all the equipment and even the grease trap from the charcoal grill daily, lids on the deep fat fryers etc. Every morning we had to wipe and sterilise the surfaces...apparently they poo and pee as they walk along. We knew we were finally winning when they were so hungry they had gnawed through a plastic jug to get to the oil inside...that was after 4 weeks ...just before they had found a permanent replacement and I left... (so no idea if they did finally solve the problem for good ...)

Report
unlucky83 · 08/02/2014 01:36

ahh even 'there' - Blush sorry

Report
redrubyindigo · 08/02/2014 01:50

Borrow my cat. She wiped out the mouse population in our compost heap within a week of arriving.

Report
ToAvoidConversation · 08/02/2014 02:02

Try the tops of your kitchen cupboards, that's where ours were getting in, a pipe hasn't been fitted right do had a big gap all the way round... Boke.

Report
averyyoungkitten · 08/02/2014 08:35

Mice are a nightmare. I nearly had a nervous breakdown in one plce I had . I was in the situation someone elsedescribed of getting visits from a colony that was in the house nextdoor (terrace). I think you may well need professionals to track themdown.

I used the plug in things. I cleaned everything. spotless. I kept all food out of the way ( they will though even bite through plastic and eat soap).

I blocked up all the holes. I got a cat. I think of all those the cat was deterant number one.

I still have a cat although I moved out of that house.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.