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 🙁

Please do not use glue traps if you cannot stomach it. It is inhumane not to use correctly. They need checking twice a day and anything caught humanely killed.

Please do not leave them to starve. If you cannot face dealing with it imho you should not be using them.

^ Agree with tilder.

Snap traps baited with snickers work for us although we had to use a humane trap for a crafty vole that got in in the autumn as it outwitted the snap trap every time.
I also stuffed all the tiny holes I could find - in the living room and kitchen they came up through a 5mm hope next to the radiator pipe. In the dining room we had them come in through a tiny gap in between the skirting and the fire surround.
I have to check periodically as we have a big old rural house with suspended floor, non solid walls and mice who think it's cosier than the fields.

We ended up having to get an exterminator out after mice ate their way through my brand new dishwasher.. check your inlet and outlet pipes as they love dws apparently as its like hot soup for them. The exterminator put huge dod of nutella on all snap traps then cut holesout of various sections of our kitchen and utility (newly extended) as we had a floating floor.. and placed blue rat poison boxes under the floor. We retiled floor once we had got rid of mice and put hatches for future problems (we lived in the country) good luck xx

So I’ve reset the traps with chocolate spread. Saw the mouse and screamed which startled it and caused it to run into a tiny hole adjacent from the trap. Sigh. At least I know what kind of holes I need to block as I never would have thought of blocking an area like that before. Hopefully one of the snap traps get it. To those concerned about glue traps, I definitely won’t be using them. I want the mouse gone but I don’t want it to suffer needlessly. I’ll see what the morning brings. Thanks again for all the great advice!

The only thing that has worked in my house has been the little green pellets they sell in B&Q. I put a little bowl of them in every room and never saw a mouse again. The sonic plugs didn't work for us.

Thank you @HollowTalk, I’ll get some of those tomorrow

Have you had pest control round? I wasn't sure whether that's what you meant by having bait boxes out in. Our council charge about £90 to have someone from their pest control department not only place bait but give you advice about how they think they're getting in and what to do.
Building work often disturbs their nests, so then they scramble to find somewhere warm with a source of food. They can squeeze their heads through a hole the size of a pencil. If you have any trees or bushes touching or near your house, they will climb up them (even really high ones) and get into your eves. If you have that, cut the trees back. Wire wool in any small access holes, it's the only thing they won't chew through.

Yes we’ve had pest control round. He put down bait boxes but wanted to charge £145 just to seal the holes. I’ll be sealing the holes myself today. I haven’t found any droppings and the traps haven’t been touched. I’m praying it’s finally taken the bait from one of the boxes and gone off to perish somewhere

Can someone put a link to the sonic plugins please?

The sonic plugins don’t work they might deter a stray mouse from setting up home in your home but won’t cause family to leave so to speak.
Mice are amazing they can squish their heads and skeletons to get through the tiniest cracks and holes. Essentially anywhere you can fit a biro they can get through and if you can slide a 2p coin under your door that too. Holes need to be packed with wire wool and expandable foam. It’s a painstaking job. Common areas are pipes under sink any coming in from outside & cellar etc. Personally I would pay a professional
Glue traps work but until you’ve had to kill one which is stuck fast you don’t quite appreciate how awful they are.
Good luck OP in previous flats I have had them and moved because of them. They’re my worst nightmare.