to want to burn down my house and move

[mommy2ash]

The is something living behind my kitchen cabinets. It has ripped a cardigan in half, nibbled holes through a shirt and stolen a packet of cherry bakewells. I can see the top of the insert sticking out of a hole under the stairs that leads into the backs of the cabinets. My dd is off out with her friends for the day and I need to figure out how best to start a fire help!!!!

My first thought was along the same lines as Dawn

We did have mice that came and ate most of our porridge. Didn't run away with the packaging though.
They do tend to leave droppings around. And a certain musty type smell where they pee , which they tend to do as a sign post for which way to go.

Also we have pet rats, they will try and pull away and try and hide a packet of yoghurt drops but a packet of Bakewell tarts would be a bit heavy for them.

Anyway, to repel mice and other rodents. Block any holes. If you can plaster or use decorators caulk to fill holes, if not use wire wool, brillo pads or other wire scourers to block entrances.
Wipe along the walls to mask any of their urine trails preferably using a few drops of peppermint oil
Peppermint oil on cotton wool balls dotted around as deterrent.
Put all foods in plastic storage containers or boxes.

My DS had a sonic deterrent in his flat, he reckoned it chased the mice away.

On reading the above post maybe my pet rats are too pampered to lift heavy stuff!

we were renting a house once and could hear something in the loft, it was a squirrel. We managed to work out where it was getting in and got a squirrel cage trap thingy, waited for it to go up, put it ready to catch it when it came out. Supposed to kill squirrels if you catch them though I believe but we couldn't do that so hubby drove it a mile away and released it near a water mill.

a mouse couldn't drag something that size but it might be a squirrel rather than a rat (squirrels seem cuter so try and look on it as a squirrel)

I have heard the electronic things are quite effective. We can't use them as is would upset our pet rats and, in any case, we have developed a reasonably relaxed attitude to wildlife in the house. We occasionally see fieldmice indoors in winter ( they have huge eyes) and I think we have glis glis living in our roof space. We have open eves (originally done to allow bats to nest) and at night I can hear scampering above my head.

Saucyjack AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

We used a thing that uses noise, I'm ill so making much sense sorry, high pitched noise that rodents can't cope with. It drives them away. We got ours from B&Q. Just plug it in and set to Mouse/Rat/Other Bastards and they should move out pronto.

They won't move out if they have babies
The sound repellents stop new ones but not a established colony.
Humane traps only work if you take mouse >5 miles away.
They come back like boomerangs.
Snap traps work but are grim to dispose of. You need several per room perpendicular to the wall along the lines of the wall.
Best device I have come across is the instant electrocution black boxes. I will look at the make and link it if you are interested.
Holes/peppermint oil bud/bounce sheet/wire wool and expanding foam combo. That said, with the cotton wool bud, once the smell wears off you could just be giving them bedding! The boxes do work as long as batteries good or they will taunt you by putting a lego brick in there.Also disposable gloves for all handling of traps or bait so it does not have your scent.
Good bait: hot dog, salami
Reasonable bait: m&ms, peanut butter, nutella (tiny amounts as can be eaten around/licked from the sides)

I think you have a rat.
I have a persistent bait thief living in my shed, I will try one of those sonic repeller things, thanks Natty

If you felt brave you could try this method which was told to me by a neighbour:
Get a plastic dustbin (needs to be a deep bin) and melt some grease. Pour the grease into the bin so it coats the bottom. Then put in some cornflakes or other such temptation. The rats go in the bin to eat the cornflakes but can't climb out as their paws are too greasy.
But you then have to deal with the rats...

I lived in a rented house about five years ago - we'd been there for six months when my date stayed into the early hours chatting and we both happened to see a mouse as bold as brass running in front of us when we were sat on the sofa! Luckily my parents had my ds's that night. I went nuts at the landlord who sent in private pest control on a Saturday. Turned out the house was overrun and had been infested for years. I nearly died at the thought of it. It was only that is been up during 'they're hours' that is noticed anything. I had wondered why the house always seemed noisy though especially at night... I moved out for a month until they'd all been destroyed. The smell left was not pleasant though especially as apparently there were probably dead ones olynder the floorboards... If recommend moving out if you can. Apparently they can climb walls, the thought that they could have climbed my two year old's cot was enough to send me running!

If you are renting and are able to move I'd say give notice and find somewhere else. we had this problem a year ago and they couldn't get into the house but we're living under the floors due to a drain problem. we fixed the drain issue and have no more but I would strongly recommend no poison as the smell is terrible and lasts for ages and just when you think it is over you get the flies. I kid you not it was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. however if you can't move get them to use traps and just watch movies like ratatouille to maintain sense of humour during the whole thing.

I agree with the other posters that think this is a rat. I'd call the local pest control people asap. On the positive side a relative had this issue a couple of years ago and pest control managed to get rid of it (using poison) quite quickly. They've had no repeat issues and the people who came were really kind.

Sonic thing moved our family out - they'd definitely nested but the whole lot shifted. Maybe we got lucky and the babies were mobile enough to be moved.

Was fab though; doesn't kill them just makes them leave. So no dead bodies rotting everywhere.

I had mice in my last flat. I didn't think my land lady would appreciate me burning it so I did the next best thing - I moved house

Oh and the electronic sound repellant doofers apparantly only work as a preventative method. If you already have mice they won't be affected by it but if you don't then it should stop any settling

definitely fraggles

I had a rat once. We saw it pull a plate across the kitchen surface with its mouth. If you have a rat you have to inform the council - I think that's a legality. You need to get it sorted as they spread a lot of disease.

We often have mice - they couldn't pull a single cake let alone a packet

natty
Do you remember the brand of sonic device and where you bought it from?
Thank you

sorry sounds like rats, don't think mice would be so strong.

Nah, not a rat at all. Not a Fraggle either. I'm thinking... BADGER!

They're well-known bakewell tart snafflers, apparently. Take a look at this link from the Telegraph -Badger caught on camera sneaking through catflap and eating Bakewell tart

Mystery solved.

I bought a plug in repeller and have that on now. My dad will come tomorrow and have a look to see what we are dealing with am finding this entire experience very traumatic already

Haha I think that badger looks friendlier than I'm imagining the rat to be lol

Meal moths? They are nasty and you need to chuck the contents of your cupboards. But dealable with.

ferrets are better than cats if you can borrow one. If you don't know anyone with a ferret then maybe someone on your Facebook will

I would not like to meet the moth big enough to nick a packet of cherry bakewells.