Mouse in the kitchen PLEASE help

[Pizzaaddict]

A few weeks ago I was sitting watching tv and suddenly spotted a mouse dashing past the living room door from the kitchen, heading god knows where. I jumped up and it darted like a bat out of hell back to wherever it came from, which (by listening) I realised was in a corner of the kitchen. Lots of rustling noises and then nothing. I found a hole in the corner and filled it with foil that same evening. The foil remained intact but the next night the mouse appeared again like clockwork (assuming it was the same one).

I bought traps (horrible and I don’t like the idea of killing but I can’t handle catching and releasing - I don’t drive and I know they need to be released a good distance). Anyway the traps remained empty for a good two weeks and I thought it must have been just one rogue mouse and it must have found it’s way out and gone. But no. Yesterday it appeared again, much later, obviously it had been lying low until it thought I had forgotten.

I rechecked all the traps which are underneath the cupboards.. lo and behold half of them have had the bait removed but there is not one dead mouse.

I feel absolutely sick to think they are wandering round my house when I sleep. I have young children and a new baby due soon and I can’t cope like this. I also haven’t the money to pay someone to come and deal with them. What do I do???

For what it’s worth my house is clean, there are no food sources easily accessible and I hoover crumbs etc every day. I have a feeling it’s something to do with the neighbours who left a few days before the first sighting, they must have lost their food source and are seeking out a new one.

HELP! I don’t want to resort to glue traps, I really don’t. Or poison as the thought of a decaying mouse carcass stinking the place out is terrible.

Also after yesterday’s sighting, it appeared again within a few minutes so clearly it/they are becoming more brazen.

Glue traps work if you check them and kill them as soon as you hear the squeaking which they will do then i think its ok.
Cats
Peppermint and tea tree oil essential oil soaked cotton walls in the sighting area work. Plus fill all holes with metal scourers instead of foil.

Wash your plates before eating and wipe surfaces before you eat.

I was advised to put the traps along the 'runway' of the mice. I took this to mean work out where they run, along skirting boards etc( also check on the top of kitchen cabinets)
I caught mine using peanut butter and it only took about three days to rid the house of the lot.
I feel your pain, I was almost hysterical when I finally realised they hadn't just been in the kitchen!

The only thing that I've ever used - and it works - is these pellets.

You can get them from B&Q and hardware stores. I used a different brand to this but they look the same.

I put little piles of them on kitchen roll everywhere I could think of.

The trouble with a trap is it'll just kill that one mouse. The pellets will be eaten by any mice and taken back to any nest they have, too.

What have you been putting on your traps as bait? Peanut butter is good. You can also get the plug in things that make a noise to deter them, but I would try and catch them fist.

What are you using as bait? Chocolate is best, or nutella.

Don't just put them in the kitchen - put them in every single room. If you put them in a neat pile you'll be able to see if they've been disturbed, too.

A cat is the only thing that has ever worked long term for me

Have you tried your local council for pest control? Usually cheaper than private. Also you may get a discount if you receive benefits.

I have mice in my flat but the whole block has them it's awful! Waiting for treatment from our council.

Victor electric boxes from 25 quid up on Amazon are worth the money

Thank you for all the suggestions I’m going to look into them all.

We used chocolate as bait. I feel like the situation is even worse now as I have basically been feeding them their favourite treat. It’s horrific.

If you see one, you can be sure it's not the only one. Get, or borrow, a cat.

For what it’s worth my house is clean, there are no food sources easily accessible and I hoover crumbs etc every day

I don't think that matters. My dm's house is spotless but every autumn she gets mice.

Electric shock traps baited with peanut butter are dh's favourite mouse disposal method. You also need to have a good look around outside to try and figure out how they are getting in.

Glue traps are cruel, please don’t use them. You would also then have to kill a tiny, terrified mouse, stuck by its paws. Horrific.
We have had mice occasionally, and use humane traps, then release the mouse somewhere with other mice eg near old outhouses or stables. That might not be an option for you though (we are rural) .
A dead mouse in a wall or under the floor smells for weeks. We had one die in a wall space and had to close the door and not use the room for almost a month as DH couldn’t get to it. We have never used poison.
I would say that quick kill traps or humane traps are your best options. Also as pps say, making sure there is no food they can get at.

I know people think it's a waste of money when you can just buy some traps yourself but...pay a man. I did not want mice, nice chap came and he was encyclopedic about mice killing, job done, never saw one again. £150 well spent.

He knew all sorts of things about not touching the traps with your hands because the smell makes the mice suspicious and they'll avoid it. He was excellent.

Cat. Even a kitten will work.

But if you don't want the commitment, try to block all holes as well as setting traps.

Mice - gotta love them 🤢

So :
peanut butter on traps - can’t just steal it have to lick it
Be aware of some bait - turns out with some they peel the outside off and eat the central grain with no poison

Ultimately - get a man in. They put down bait and the bait ensures that the mouse is killed and often have bait that will ensure there is no decaying smell.

They aren’t likely to cross the room but will go along skirting boards - check behind your sofa for droppings

Wire wool in any hole. They have bendy bones so can fit through ridiculous spaces 🙄

For the future it’s worth considering a cat 😁

I used a rentokill fast action mouse killer trap. This was after I had left the thing alone in the loft over the winter and realised it had destroyed loads of stuff.

The poison is very fast acting and the mouse died in the trap - so must have been almost immediate.

It wasn't pleasant but it got the job done.

The traps (I like the big cheese plastic ones that are reusable) need to be perpendicular to the wall to trap the mice, rather than them stealing the bait.
And you have to fill every hole you can find, however small to stop them getting in.

Best of luck.

Please please please don't use glue traps - they are horrifically cruel. Mice will gnaw their own legs off to get away from them.

Mice can get through a hole the diameter of a bic pen , so def fill all holes with wire wool .

YY to Big Cheese traps. The best. They never miss.

Concentrate on gaps. Mice move into empty brand new builds where no one has ever lived, so don’t blame yourself.

I would get a pro in frankly.