To bleach everything, burn the house down and then move?

[TwoDrifters]

Currently awake, terrified, as there's a mouse in my bedroom. I've never seen a mouse in this house in 16 years of living here.

WIBU to bleach everything then torch the place?

Been lying awake shaking for the last hour, now sat on sofa with blanket wrapped tightly around me. Arrrggh.

Buy some mousetraps.

We tried the humane ones, they did not work.

Having a cat now, who brings in live mice (thanks you for that fluffy!) I'm less scared.

I had a pet mouse as a child, I think they're cute.

I had a mouse problem in my old house. I would often hear them scurrying around whilst in bed but tried to ignore it. Then one night I was woken up by something touching my hair - a mouse was only in my fucking bed!!! I screamed the house down and then didn't sleep for days. I was like a ninja, sat cross legged on my bed waiting for the fucker to make an appearance. Then one night I saw it, managed to chuck a box over it to keep it contained and told myself I'd deal with it in the morning.

Next morning I still couldn't do it so around lunch time I finally made the decision to get it outside. I put a bit of cardboard under the box and took the mouse into the garden, lifted the box to reveal the beautiful outdoors only to find it laying down, struggling to move and looking like it was taking its final breaths. It died a few minutes later. I've felt guilty ever since. Poor little bugger :-(

Do you live in London? WE ALL HAVE MICE. Only way to limit the problem is to be absolutely obsessive about crumbs and food around the house. Everything in Tupperware. They will find somewhere crumbier. Helps not to have too warm a home as well.

To all those playing the world's smallest violins for dead house mice two words....Rodent Mites.

I moved to the countryside about 20 years ago. In the field next door is a large hen house, so we've been blighted with mice and rats. For the first year, we used humane traps (because I couldn't bear to me mean ) with the result that we ended up with a huge mouse infestation. They don't work.

You're right, they are vermin and a health risk. Trap/poison without mercy. Obviously, you can't put poison anywhere where your child might have access, but if you have an attic space I'd recommend putting poison in there - I hate to say this, but if you see one, there may be more.

We got two cats eventually, haven't seen a live mouse or cat since. Thankfully!

OP, to be sure, you should reset the trap, and leave it.

Not sure I understand the problem ? Mice are rather normal - get or borrow a cat ?

Yes mice are normal but you don't want them in your house. It's a health hazard.

There is never a single mouse.

Well it does happen once in a while, but all the good ones are taken.

Grim!

I share your shivers for the scuttly creatures. Even more so birds - truly phobic.

Mice need releasing at least 2 miles away otherwise they can find their way 'home', if you intend to humanely capture & release. I'm not even sure it's kind to do so actually and, having had a squirrel infestation, my attitude to vermin is hardline. We also have a rodent killing cat. We do, however, release spiders.

House mice are considered dangerous and destructive pests. Infestations should be handled swiftly and are most efficiently dealt with through professional pest control methods. Because they carry and transmit viruses, bacteria and other diseases, mice are considered to be troublesome pests

I have cats that like to leave presents. I usually just pick live mice up and take them outside or catch them using welly boots. They will run into them as they're dark and safe looking and then you can pick up the boot and carry it outside.
I did find a rat in the kitchen once when we were having building work done and a large drain cover had been removed. Luckily (!) it ran into a drawer in my kitchen island and I grabbed the drawer and ran with it outside where it jumped out and fled into the undergrowth never to be seen again. My builder just stared open mouthed at me.
No point relying on men 'round here.

My mum had a mouse a few weeks ago. She was terrified, she can't even look at a picture of one. . Its not rational but no phobias are.
I'd shit myself if one was scurrying around my house

Talk to us about what exactly you are scared about? Rationally this is s a tiny creature who can do you no harm at all, so there is something else going on in your brain.

The problem is this - phobias aren't rational. Of course a tiny mouse or a uk house spider can't harm you, yet some people are petrified of them. You can't deal with a phobia calmly and rationally (unless you get some sort of help to de-sensitive yourself). So while OPs reaction seems extreme and hard to understand if you don't have the same reaction, it's one that's shared by many people.

Dont believe anyone who says having cats will prevent mice in your house. Our cats bring them in (live) as a 'gift' for us, only to drop them somewhere and bugger off outside to find another. We have also found live snake and frogs in our house at various times of the year.

... Though unlike the OP, we do ensure mice/birds/frogs/snakes are safely returned to their own environment!

We are country and mouse veterans. Snap traps from screwfix baited with peanut butter and choc. Kills instantly. We found one and ended up catching 20+. I filled all the holes in house with wirewool and expanding foam - pushed in with chop stick. After that nothing as they couldn't gt in the house.

I made my self sick for 3 months. Washing everything, cleaning carpets. Just need to be extra vigilant with crumbs and floor cleaning

20+?? Martin the Mouse Man( we ended up on first me terms) from the council said if you catch 5 in a snappy trap it's considered an infestation! We caught 10,I though that was bad enough.

To the pp earlier who had one nibble their hair, I've had that too- not something you get over quickly ,is it?!!

Do not get a cat. Ours never kills anything but brings very lively guests in daily. Often several times a day. My kids could identify most types of live British rodents from about 2. Also lizards, snakes, toads, rabbits ( 3 this week) many birds a few bats and a stoat. All very very much alive. Never seen a dead one yet.

The number one thing to do is ensure they can't get any food. Not a crumb. They will not stick around if nothing to eat.
Hot tip - put something over your toaster when not being used - I discovered mice had been in mine via the bread slots......ate all the crumbs, left droppings

DidIplanthis Do we live in the same street ?

I agree with PP
We all have mice.
They are everywhere.

Sleep tight.

We moved house when I was about 13 and the first morning we were in the house, I was woken by a screech from my DM - a mouse had run over her bare foot as she got out of bed

We had mice in our walls.

DH bought several Black and Decker rodent repellers. These plug in and I think emit a frequency that only mice hear, and they don't like it. I couldn't hear them and the cats weren't bothered by them.

No more mice, no dead mice, no trapped mice dying slowly. Much more humane than traps.