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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

A mouse ate my cuppa soup aibu to feel targeted?

18 replies

Superchop · 05/12/2014 07:12

A mouse keeps stealing the food in my cupboard. He's thoughtfully gnawed through the packaging under my ikea bag clip and eaten all my coriander seeds, coriander powder (who'd have thought a mouse would like corianderConfused) gnawed a hole into my cuppa soup so the powder went everywhere as I was leaving for work. He's also helped himself to a slice of bread and a bit of an oxo cube, whilst lovingly shitting all over my tins as he made his exit. Aibu to feel like I am being targeted in my weakest moment? I am in the middle of a pgce with looming deadlines, Christmas on its way and a poorly teething 1yo. I really don't have time for mischievous mouse.

Does anyone know whether peppermint oil works. I just bought some. I would like to sit and wait with a pellet gun but I'd probably miss. It's a shame he doesn't try the hot chilli powder see if he likes that. Any other successes at ridding the house from mice?

OP posts:
scaevola · 05/12/2014 07:20

Peppermint oil doesn't really work once one has taken up residence (it might deter a new arrival from actually arriving, but won't drive away one who is there).

You need snap traps.

And get as much food as you can in high up cupboards with well fitting doors. Or put in sturdy containers.

We ended up with poison in the cellar before we eliminated our infestation properly. We bunged up so many holes we never knew we had (Victorian house) but the little blighters still wriggled their way round.

londonrach · 05/12/2014 07:34

Give the mouse an apron and get it to cook xmas lunch as at this time of the year you need as many hands or paws you can get. Grin. On a serious note dont mice (you could have a family) like chocolate. I remember using a rolo in a human trap once.

SageYourResoluteOracle · 05/12/2014 07:37

London Rach- wasn't a human trap a tad extreme (and big?!) Grin

Mice are a complete PITA but peanut butter can be rather good bait for them.

DurhamDurham · 05/12/2014 07:40

We bought humane traps, they don't work so we had to get the nasty ones.......it wasn't a pretty sight but it did the trick. We never had any more so I think word must have spread through the mouse community to stay away.

londonrach · 05/12/2014 07:41

Dam you autocorrect. You right it would be too big for a little mouse. Grin

mrsm16 · 05/12/2014 07:41

The fat off rashers is really good for attracting them into traps, chocolate they managed to take without getting caught!

MyCarHasBrokenDownAgain · 05/12/2014 07:45

No advice but you have my sympathy. I'm watching this thread with interest as we've just found the buggers in the loft (and two which I'm hoping are odd strays, in the kitchen). Much as I'm a rodent fan, invaders are not welcome!

avocadotoast · 05/12/2014 08:13

Snap traps and peanut butter. It's awful, and gross when you have to deal with the bodies, but the humane traps don't work. The mouse we had broke ours!

Original poster
Superchop · 05/12/2014 08:31

Snap traps with bacon covered in peanut butter maybe the way forward. I just have an image of the dog with a snap trap on his nose.

How often do you have to check them? They're going to have to be put under the skirting board so it's not that simple to get to. If not then they will be inside the cupboard where little fingers can get

OP posts:
Original poster
Superchop · 05/12/2014 08:33

I reckon this mouse will make a nice table to Eat my food off of out of a humane trap.

OP posts:
avocadotoast · 05/12/2014 08:52

Check them daily if you can. They're going to be most effective if you put them where you know the mice are going, but it's difficult if that gets in the way of day to day life. We had to put ours outside my housemate's bedroom door and she just had to remember not to stand on it...

Peepants78 · 05/12/2014 09:06

It was clearly a direct attack. My grandfather was also a victim of one.
His only treat was a bar of fruit and nut. He was annoyed that gm kept eating it. She denied it. It was the only time anyone had ever seen them bicker he was a saint.
A mouse was eventually seen. she never let him hear the end of it It was a running joke until his death. Grin

fascicle · 05/12/2014 09:14

DurhamDurham and avocadotoast It's a huge and untrue generalisation to say that humane traps don't work. Like anything else, some models are more effective than others. I have one which is brilliant (20 cm long tunnel type thing) which has been very successful - everything is caught eventually. I also have a much shorter one that has never caught anything.

ACardiganForCat · 05/12/2014 10:44

Get a cat.

londonrach · 05/12/2014 10:46

Or a jack russell..

Helgathehairy · 05/12/2014 10:51

I have a cat and a golden retriever. I have rescued mice from both (golden thinks they're toys, picks them up in his mouth and then gets confused about what to do with it!). The little bastards have invaded and eaten my chocolate chip cookies. I'm not impressed.

PoirotsMoustache · 05/12/2014 10:52

Poor little mouse. Maybe it's starving and has a huge family to feed and no money to buy food. Won't anyone think of the baby mice??!!!!

Original poster
Superchop · 05/12/2014 16:04

My old dog was a great mouse catcher. The current one thinks he is too good for hunting.

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