Mice in my house, losing my mind!

[pollypockett]

Hello, just looking to see if anyone can advise me on how to get rid of mice please? We had some building work done before Christmas and saw a mouse. I was freaked out as I keep the house very clean but google said they’re common at this time of year. Paid £150 to have bait boxes put down. That didn’t work as we were still finding fresh droppings. I then bought snap traps and baited with peanut butter. This hasn’t worked either! There were droppings near the trap so I’m assuming they weren’t interested in the bait? I’m at a loss and don’t know what to do next. I feel incredibly anxious and terrified whenever I’m home. I saw one in my bedroom so I’ve started sleeping downstairs. I feel pathetic as they’re so tiny but they freak me out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I really don’t want to use glue traps but google tells me that’s the next option if the snap traps don’t work 🙁

Everyone will tell you glue traps are cruel, and I can't say they're wrong. But it's the only thing that worked in my house. And the longer you have them, the more they breed and become harder and harder to get rid of. People will give you lots of suggestions but I think ultimately you have to do what works. I didn't enjoy using them but it worked where everything else had failed.

Borrow a cat.

Cat!

Thanks for your responses. It looks like I might have to resort to glue traps then sorry I should have said, a cat isn’t feasible due to my mum being allergic

Mice like chocolate op!! I have a video from Christmas of a mouse trying to pull a Twix into a hole in the skirting board!! Swop your bait to chocolate spread is my advice!

Thank you ‘aprilshowers’! That’s actually a good shout as we found lots of shredded celebration wrappers around the skirting after Christmas so they clearly like chocolate!! I’ll buy some and use it as bait tonight

We got an electric trap that worked very well, was about 25 quid but caught them when nothing else had worked. Worth trying before the glue traps, which are grim (but having had a similar problem, I know how desperate it can feel!)

We had a mouse recently and I was so petrified, we put several traps in each room with something different in them, Nutella, cooked bacon or cheese! Nutella seemed to do the trick. We also kept all the doors shut to minimise movement and It only took a day to catch once the multiple traps were down. It's my worst phobia so completely sympathise with you op.

I bought a pack of two sonic mouse repellents from amazon two years ago. Both plugged into downstairs sockets, not seen any signs of mice since. Cost about £25 for two.

I've caught 6 mice recently. Get your snap trap and tie a bit of bacon rind (or pepperoni) around the raised bit on the bait side of the trap. The mice have to give it a tug so get snapped.
I put a snap trap inside a plastic Chinese takeaway tray. Cut a door in the side, put the loaded trap in and put the lid on. The mouse has less chance of escaping and you can drop the whole thing in the bin.
Plug in repellents have worked here too, got mine at The Range. Good luck 🤞

Go around and block all holes. Use wire wool.
Check your radiator pipe holes. That’s where ours were coming in from.
We were going mad as nothing was working. Glue paper only worked once and it was horrible but I was willing to use it again. They just wised up to it.
In the end it was blocking up the holes that did it. We had a builder to help us.

Nutella. They love chocolate. Trapped our mouse the first night the trap was down.

Definitely chocolate in the snap traps. Or Cadbury fudge bars worked quite well, I found. A bit sticky so they had to make an effort.

I've just put peanut butter on some of ours. I hope it works after reading this. Maybe I'll go and get more fudge!

My mum spotted a mouse in our kitchen about 5 months ago, and then my mother in law saw one again in the kitchen. I'm also petrified of mice (though haven't seen one in the house myself thank God!) I bought the plug in Sonic thingies like BMW6 and nothing has been spotted since.

I had them last year. I got some pre-baited traps from Wilko and they worked a treat - I killed four. Also got the sonic plug-in things from there and haven't seen one since. I also found where they were getting in and blocked it with some rodent repellent stuff I got from Amazon.

I'm not terrified but the thought of them all of my worktops and in my house absolutely horrified me as they spread disease.

Bait the trap with melted chocolate, once it sets the mice have to work to eat it and we find it the best bait. Have caught a good number in our roof

I had a mouse in my flat a few months ago. We trapped it in a humane trap baited with peanuts so it might be worth trying them as bait.
We also plugged up all visible holes with wire wool, sprinkled peppermint oil on cotton pads & dotted those around any areas we'd seen the mouse AND used those sonic plug in things. I got them from Amazon, four for £17.
I've not seen a mouse since!

The one we caught died in the humane trap which I felt terrible about... but at least it's not in my flat any more!

Find out where they’re getting in.

We had building work and the builders left a hole in the side of the extension so the mice could get into the cavity walls, then to the rest of the house.

So while we paid for pest control who poisoned the mice, they kept coming as their route in wasn’t blocked. Pest control weren’t sure of the route as it wasn’t that obvious.

In the end i bought a shed load of pea sized gravel and used it to fill up the hole at the side of the house (the mice were coming from next doors decking). This blocked the remaining ones in and they died from the poison left. We’ve had no problems since.

Word of advice.... if you put snap traps down, dont forget where they are and step on one barefoot. Ow.

The snip traps are far humane than the sticky ones.

Try raisins dipped in peanut butter to bait traps. Close the doors. And agree with filling holes. They get in very little holes.

Bait boxes are also good. Black boxes that you put poisoned bait in. Mouse goes in, eats bait, goes home to die. Poor things. The box keeps the bait in but you still need to be careful with pets and children.

They also learn what and where danger is.

Have you spoken to the Pest Control officer at the local council?

Thank you so much for all your suggestions!! I’m praying it’s just the one mouse but know it’s likely there’s a few. I’ve bought chocolate spread and caulk and I’ve ordered some wire wool and peppermint oil. Will try just the traps and chocolate tonight and see if we catch any. I’ll leave the glue traps for now as I can’t really stomach it at the moment. I’ll update if we catch any (shudders)

Don't give up if you don't catch them straight away, sometimes it takes a few days/weeks before you get them. The old fashioned snap traps baited with chocolate are the best ime.

I will also say that I understand how terrifying it is and I hope you don't feel I'm minimising your worry, but I've gone from being horrified by them in the trap to being able to flick the corpses into the bin and re set the trap. Only because I absolutely had to, I suppose.

I hate them, but I've managed to deal with 10 so far. Give me a live one to deal with and I'd probably cry however. Hope they are all dealt with soon for you. Good luck.

^ agree. Those 10 have been caught over the period from the 23rd December for me.