Im being haunted by mice

[Thisisanothername]

I was in temporary accommodation for a long time. They were always very run down and in awful condition. I was always mouse /rat proofing constantly looking for signs.

It made me paranoid and when I moved into a permanent home even though it was new build I still lept looking for signs. I have been here over 3 years and I stopped looking a few months back.

In my front garden I have a few sacks of granite dust . Its like grite. Anyway the bag has been chewed and some has spilt out.

Im now paranoid theres mice/rat nesting inside the sack. I know outside is different to inside. And its common for mice/rat to pass through a garden . But im paranoid it may have made a home in the granite dust/grite.

Now im back to shining a torch under the sink, on top of washing machine area . Taking kick boards of in the kitchen . Checking all outside for holes.

Im not actually scared of them. But not happy either.

Im not going to call anyone out. Im just pissed of with myself.

Maybe im just being silly

Might be worth checking all your floorboards/pipe entry points etc and securing small holes to prevent any mice entering. It might give you the peace of mind you need knowing 100% there is no way for them to get in.

I have done already

I so understand I only had mice once around 20 years ago and in a different house. I’m still twitchy about them two houses later. I tend to scan a room I’m entering just in case! I’d say though that having mice outside is very different so they may well have chewed something but are much less likely to enter your home. Could you lay some traps behind kick boards just to put your mind at ease? ATM I’ve had rats in neighbours garden then their house which I’m attached to. They’ve not got into my house but I’m pretty paranoid

I think logically if there was anything I would have seen droppings under the kickboards. Theres no holes from what I can see.

When I was in temporary I removed all the kitchen base units. Filled all the holes in the floor and around the skirting . I put wire wall. And expanding foam . And a layer of cement plus ply wood on top. Then put the units back. I done simlar all over the house.

Hopefully its OK here .

We put a wire mesh over external airbricks at floor level to prevent them getting in from there. Did our attached neighbour too.

It's not about the mice – if you're not scared of them why are you 'paranoid'?

You don't have to be afraid of mice to know it's not good to have a mouse infestation in your home.

If you've never had to deal with a mouse problem you perhaps don't know what a nightmare it can be.

I still dread getting mice again although we have a cat now so I hope he'd prevent the issue.

I’m not scared of mice, but I detest the fuckers and don’t want them in my home. I think it’s normal to not want a mouse infestation, scared or not. It takes time, money and energy to get rid of them, which is in short supply for many.

I have chickens, goats, horses – of course I have mice, I saw three running around this morning (albeit outside).

But I'm not paranoid and I don't constantly check for signs of infestation;

Now im back to shining a torch under the sink, on top of washing machine area. Taking kick boards of in the kitchen. Checking all outside for holes.

That's my point.

Im not afraid of them. But its not nice to have them. And yes I get paranoid because of how it was so shit when I was in temporary accommodation I just don't want that again.

@Thisisanothername Can you just get a couple of (preferably humane) traps? At the moment you are searching simply in order to confirm your fears, not to do anything proactive. All you have is a chewed corner of a non food bag outside your home. Correct?

Yeah as much as many dont agree . I would not do humane traps. I live in a town. I dont drive in not walking for a mile plus with mice in a trap.

For all I know it may have chewed the bag and then left. Or it could have burrowed in and nest there ? But if that was the case surely I would see droppings around that area . And more grit spillages would keep happening?

Can you move the bag you think they’re nesting in?