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Original poster

I think there’s a mouse in the Christmas presents

36 replies

TheGirlOnTheLanding · 19/12/2025 08:37

We’ve never had mice in the house to my knowledge (except on occasion when Dcat brought them in and quickly despatched them) but our Dcat died just a few weeks ago 😢 and this week DH thought he heard scrabbling in the cupboard in our bedroom at night. He emptied the cupboard last night, cleaned and hoovered it all, and sure enough, there were what looked like a few mouse droppings in the corner, so I’ve ordered traps and peppermint oil which should hopefully arrive soon, and he’s blocked off what he thinks might be the access point from the roof space. I was lying in bed this morning, probably half listening for telltale noises, and I’m convinced I heard something under the bed - where the Christmas the presents are 😱 that I was planning on wrapping this morning 😱😱😱. I hope I’m just being paranoid but I can feel my blood pressure increasing in readiness for a jump scare. As long as all it’s helped itself to are the chocolate oranges it’s not a major disaster but if it’s nibbled (or peed) on anything else I won’t be able to get replacements in time.

On the plus side, DH is now on board with getting another cat soon after Christmas.

OP posts:
FanofLeaves · 19/12/2025 08:42

Well I wouldn’t advise peppermint oil AND traps as the former will put it off coming out and having a sniff round the latter- it’ll disguise the smell of whatever you put in the trap (I recommend peanut butter or Nutella)

They are buggers though. When we had them, one climbed the curtains very noisily and obviously at 2am to try and reach a chocolate Easter egg I had on top of the wardrobe. And you won’t need replacements for non edible items it’s been on, just wipe down and disinfect, I presume most stuff is still in boxes?

Original poster
TheGirlOnTheLanding · 19/12/2025 08:44

The plan was for traps in the cupboard and under the bed and peppermint oil everywhere else! Nutella is a good tip.

OP posts:
Fitzcarraldo353 · 19/12/2025 08:45

Argh. We had three mice running around downstairs last week. Bloody nightmare. Found them living in the fireplace (we don't use our fire). Thankfully no presents were under the tree yet! Got rid of them and think we've sorted how they got in.

Original poster
TheGirlOnTheLanding · 19/12/2025 08:48

I’m very much hoping we’ve caught it early and it’s a single pioneer rather than a whole family @Fitzcarraldo353Bit cheeky of yours to set up home in plain sight!

OP posts:
Forever1973 · 19/12/2025 08:49

'twas the night before Christmas
All over the house
Not a creature was stirring
Not even a ... oh, wait a minute

You definitely need a cat in the new year.

DeliciouslyBaked · 19/12/2025 08:53

Around 18months we got new neighbours who had a dog, and shortly after we had an influx of mice (we presumed that they had been living between the houses and the dog scared them away). DD2 was about 2weeks old when I caught one sniffing round her cot and then when going downstairs in the middle of the night, I met one coming up the stairs 😱😣 We bought some rechargeable electric shock traps and they are brilliant. Its a box, the mice go instead, get delivered an electric shock and a light flashes outside if there is something to dispose of. You then just tip it up to empty, recharge and put back. We caught about 5 over 3 nights. Highly recommend.

Original poster
TheGirlOnTheLanding · 19/12/2025 08:53

@FanofLeavessome stuff is boxed, some (books and stationery, mainly) in a larger box.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheGirlOnTheLanding · 19/12/2025 08:56

@DeliciouslyBakedoh those sound better than the ‘humane’ traps I’ve ordered (since ordering them I’ve read that releasing mice in a strange place means they don’t survive and if you release them in a familiar place they just make their way back in). Where did you get those?

OP posts:
DeliciouslyBaked · 19/12/2025 09:34

TheGirlOnTheLanding · 19/12/2025 08:56

@DeliciouslyBakedoh those sound better than the ‘humane’ traps I’ve ordered (since ordering them I’ve read that releasing mice in a strange place means they don’t survive and if you release them in a familiar place they just make their way back in). Where did you get those?

Amazon! DH ordered them but I think if you search for electric mouse trap you should find them.

Original poster
TheGirlOnTheLanding · 19/12/2025 09:40

Thank you@DeliciouslyBaked- I’m on it!

OP posts:
Tighteningmybelt · 19/12/2025 09:43

Oh OP. It’s never one mouse 😱😁

Deadringer · 19/12/2025 09:52

The celebrations sweets that no one liked worked a treat in the traps when we had mice a few xmas's ago. They especially liked the milky ways and Mars.

FoxFeatures · 19/12/2025 09:53

Forever1973 · 19/12/2025 08:49

'twas the night before Christmas
All over the house
Not a creature was stirring
Not even a ... oh, wait a minute

You definitely need a cat in the new year.

Excellent!

drspouse · 19/12/2025 09:57

We used Rentokil Advanced mouse traps with peanut butter in our old house. Putting them behind a piece of furniture, or in an open doorway helped.
Then we moved to our new house and finally got a cat. We ended up taking her on around the 28th Dec on the grounds that we didn't have the tree down yet but she'd be in a single room till we did.
PS Cat 1 used to bring them inside if there weren't enough in the house to play with. Cat 2 goes over the garden wall into the alley to get his rats but luckily kills them before dumping them at the back door!

FanofLeaves · 19/12/2025 10:39

Tighteningmybelt · 19/12/2025 09:43

Oh OP. It’s never one mouse 😱😁

Technically no but it depends where the nest is. I know OP is in a house but they do occasionally find an interconnect to others in terrace house and definitely in flats. Ours would pop up every now and then and when the pest control came round they said the only chance we had was to try and block off all our own exits and entry points but they probably had well established corridors under the floors into all the other flats. My neighbour had one find a way into her spice cupboard and it ate an entire packet of garam masala and some cloves and died.

She blocked off the little crack behind the wall and never found any others.

Copperoliverbear · 19/12/2025 10:52

I would get a cat before Christmas if I could.

Original poster
TheGirlOnTheLanding · 19/12/2025 10:56

@Copperoliverbear We are visiting family over Christmas so not fair to bring a new rescue home till things are back to normal. I may ask to borrow the neighbour’s though!

OP posts:
Purlant · 19/12/2025 10:58

Our cats do bugger all about mice!!

Squidgoals · 19/12/2025 11:03

On the bright side, if you’ve got mice it means you don’t have rats, and as someone who had rats… well I’d have preferred mice

SkankingWombat · 19/12/2025 11:15

Best to get 2 cats OP - better odds at least 1 will be a decent mouser. That would be my selling angle with DH anyway... 😬

Iknowdino · 19/12/2025 11:24

TheGirlOnTheLanding · 19/12/2025 08:37

We’ve never had mice in the house to my knowledge (except on occasion when Dcat brought them in and quickly despatched them) but our Dcat died just a few weeks ago 😢 and this week DH thought he heard scrabbling in the cupboard in our bedroom at night. He emptied the cupboard last night, cleaned and hoovered it all, and sure enough, there were what looked like a few mouse droppings in the corner, so I’ve ordered traps and peppermint oil which should hopefully arrive soon, and he’s blocked off what he thinks might be the access point from the roof space. I was lying in bed this morning, probably half listening for telltale noises, and I’m convinced I heard something under the bed - where the Christmas the presents are 😱 that I was planning on wrapping this morning 😱😱😱. I hope I’m just being paranoid but I can feel my blood pressure increasing in readiness for a jump scare. As long as all it’s helped itself to are the chocolate oranges it’s not a major disaster but if it’s nibbled (or peed) on anything else I won’t be able to get replacements in time.

On the plus side, DH is now on board with getting another cat soon after Christmas.

I was going to say this is definitely a sign that you need another cat asap. Just think of all the mouse conundrums you could have over the holidays!! You probably need two to get over the infestation.....!

Iknowdino · 19/12/2025 11:26

I could lend you my cat. She is a wonderful mouser and just today brought me back a deceased one that she has flung down the back of a cupboard attached to a wall!!! 🤢

drspouse · 19/12/2025 15:39

Squidgoals · 19/12/2025 11:03

On the bright side, if you’ve got mice it means you don’t have rats, and as someone who had rats… well I’d have preferred mice

We had both... in different parts of the house (mice at the front, rats at the back/cellar).

Pandasarethebest · 19/12/2025 16:05

Two Christmases ago we found we had mice. How did we know? They'd eaten the end piece of carrot for Rudolf. My husband thought I'd done it as a joke. It didn't help that I found it really funny. The council came out to sort it and we blocked where we thought they came in.

Cherrycola4 · 19/12/2025 16:10

The electric shock traps sound psychopathic. Try the humane ones that you got first, as least they’ll stand a chance.