We have mice! And are just about to leave for a week!

uns54 · 2021-12-19T06:53:32+00:00

Ffs talk about the worst timing ever. Trying to get a good night sleep before a long journey today and I spot a mouse last night that we managed to get out the house then ds sees another this morning that we couldn't find before leaving. Have put traps down but I don't know what's worse them running amok all week or slowly decaying in traps [envy] Unsure why I'm posting, hopefully someone will tell me there's every chance they will move out the house while we are away.

DinkyDaisy · 19/12/2021 06:55

Eeek!
You haven't got a very, very good neighbor have you who could check traps etc?
Big ask I know!

DinkyDaisy · 19/12/2021 06:57

What about those high-frequency plug things to drive them out?
No idea if they work...

Original poster

uns54 · 19/12/2021 06:57

Nope don't really speak to the neighbours, couldn't ask them to come into the house while we were away. We're not from here so have no family and only really work colleagues that live too far to get them to come over. Honestly the worst timing ever 😕

OP posts:

Joystir59 · 19/12/2021 07:09

Buy and plug in an electronic rodent repelling device in every room, before you go away. They are the only thing that worked for me. Otherwise you risk coming home to a major infestation. They will love the fact that the house is empty

TallulahsCurse · 19/12/2021 07:14

Unfortunately they won't just go away and you ate likely to come back to more. Traps sometimes work but then you will have week old dead mice in your house. What time are you leaving? Any chance of calling pest control before you go who could set proper traps and try to see where they're coming from?
If you know where they've come from you can block the hole with wire wool

lliitttlepiinkhouse · 19/12/2021 07:18

Have you time to get a pest controller in before you leave?

It was the only thing that worked for us, traps and poison we got from the shops just didn't work. It needed controlled substance type poison and a professional to locate entry points and nests. He did it very quickly, we were oblivious.

If you could get the ball rolling now it would be better, even though you might come home to a horrendous smell you'd not be worrying about them multiplying in your absence.

They pissed all over our light fittings inside the ceiling and ruined them, they stopped working and we had to open up the ceiling and have all new electrics for the lights. There was thousands of droppings up there and evidence of nests

neverornow · 19/12/2021 07:19

Any clues how they might be getting in?
We found a few gaps at backdoor and under sink and filled them with expandable spray foam from DIY store.

lliitttlepiinkhouse · 19/12/2021 07:19

Just re read your post.

I thought you were talking about leaving on holiday for some reason but just noticed you said long journey.

Are you back today? Soon?

Just get a professional on it asap.

lliitttlepiinkhouse · 19/12/2021 07:21

Yep you've gone for a week.

It's too early for me I've had to read this numerous times to get the full story in my brain

Original poster

uns54 · 19/12/2021 07:33

We've had to leave, I don't think I want to go home next week. We've traps and poison down and I've electric things ordered so need to find someone to go and plug them in. I feel sick thinking about it.

OP posts:

TallulahsCurse · 19/12/2021 07:39

@uns54

We've had to leave, I don't think I want to go home next week. We've traps and poison down and I've electric things ordered so need to find someone to go and plug them in. I feel sick thinking about it.

I understand what you mean - we had mice for years with constant trips from pest control. It really is gross and made me feel sick and anxious as it goes though, there have been occasions that pest control has been and then came back a few weeks later and collected dead mice - so I don't know how long they'd been there dead but they didn't stink at that point. So fingers crossed you catch some and they don't smell so bad in a week.

I'd definitely get onto pest control while you're away though and get them booked in for as soon as you get back.

nomorespaghetti · 19/12/2021 07:42

It is terrible timing, but try not to worry too much OP. We get mice coming in every winter, despite having blocked up all the entry points we can at great expense - they come from our neighbours under the floors (very old semi and elderly neighbours who can’t seem to get on top of the problem). We’ve spent a fortune on plug ins, traps, poison, pest control, etc etc, put all the food in jars, hoovered constantly. The little bastards were relentless. Came downstairs to one eating my advent calendar a couple of years ago, then went to get baby DS out of his cot and found droppings in the cot with him That was the final straw. We got a cat. He’s awesome. We get the occasional one now, but they mainly stay away due to his smell, and the few that do get in are quickly dispatched!

Anyway, 2 years ago before we got the cat, when the mice were all over the house, we went away for a week. I was dreading what I’d return to, but it wasn’t as awful as I thought. Try to enjoy your trip!

thevampirelestat · 19/12/2021 08:31

similar situation - heard them a week ago and due to go away for a month this week, little arseholes. i've got two cats who don't seem bothered with them. I think they have come in for the warmth, so hopefully when the house is cold it will be less attractive. also going to make sure all food is packed away and the place as clean as possible.

do people find those plug in things work at all? i could run and get some tomorrow, but it's all a bit manic at the mo so had resigned myself to just leaving them.

gogohm · 19/12/2021 08:37

I used humane traps, easy enough to catch them but you must work out how they got it - if like us you have a hole in the wall behind a fitted kitchen unit going to next door (and they didn't tell you) then they just keep getting in!!!

lljkk · 19/12/2021 08:37

I can one-up that... we seem to have a rat(s) in the loft & go away today for 11 days. Ho hum. It hasn't got worse since I first became aware, about 4 weeks ago.

We caught 3 or 4 mice up there, too, but they are seemingly not the very noisy critters.

marriedmadness · 19/12/2021 08:48

Pest control told me the plug ins are a waste of money.
Enjoy your week away OP, make sure to send your DH in first when you arrive home.

Moneypennysfreedomfund · 19/12/2021 08:50

@DinkyDaisy

What about those high-frequency plug things to drive them out? No idea if they work...

They don’t work.

Original poster

uns54 · 28/12/2021 17:37

UPDATE!!!!!!!'

Big thank you to everyone who gave advice, we arrived home this morning. I was a wreck coming home. There was dropping all over my pillow and two dead mice in traps. We've scrubbed the house, changed the bed (though I wanted to burn it!) and since caught another mouse this afternoon. There's no sign of where they are getting in and no droppings anywhere else I can see so hoping it ends soon and we'll be rid of them. We've around 25 different kinds of traps and the plug in things all over the house.

OP posts:

anotherchocolate · 28/12/2021 17:50

Plug any gaps with steel wool. They can fit through a hole the width of a pencil. Get down on the floor, check skirting boards, kitchen cupboard bases, etc. for tiny holes. Keep all food in the fridge, clean thoroughly, deprive them of reasons to stay at your house.

My sympathies. It's not a nice experience at all. Good luck.

riiichteeabiiscuit · 29/12/2021 07:59

@uns54

UPDATE!!!!!!!'

Big thank you to everyone who gave advice, we arrived home this morning. I was a wreck coming home. There was dropping all over my pillow and two dead mice in traps. We've scrubbed the house, changed the bed (though I wanted to burn it!) and since caught another mouse this afternoon. There's no sign of where they are getting in and no droppings anywhere else I can see so hoping it ends soon and we'll be rid of them. We've around 25 different kinds of traps and the plug in things all over the house.

I would say from experience nothing will sort the problem fully until you get a professional in. They will identify entry points and nests, and be able to provide much stronger licensed poison that isn't available to buy.