To hate mice in my house!

[Snortles]

Found a mouse today in the kitchen.

It was in the plastic bin so we quickly tossed the bin outside in a panic, breaking the bloomin thing in the process but hey the mouse scurried away thankfully.

I am so, SO paranoid now. Every little sound has me anxious. I keep thinking about mouse piss everywhere. There's always more than one, right? I have to say i haven't heard any more rustling or scratching since it happened this afternoon so hoping that was it.. Not sure where it got in from, probably the kitchen as there are so many holes everywhere. No food has been visibly eaten so I think we caught it early.

Getting DH or someone to get some foam spray that hardens and seals tomorrow for all the holes etc. Also rang pest control and they're coming on Friday. What else can i do to ensure it doesn't come back or that we get an infestation? It's probably not a big deal to some but I can't stand the thought of mice in my house, my anxiety is through the roof!

It might have just been passing through.
Honestly I have had a single mouse twice in my garage . You need to fill every hole because they can get through a gap the circumference of a pencil.
I know it's awful but your imagination is running wild - roll a towel up and block the bottom of your bedroom door up when you go to bed . There's nothing else you can do tonight .

No not necessarily depends where you live when I lived near a river we used to get one most winters it was only ever one I think they came in because it was cold , there's lots of scaremongering in here that evidence of one mouse means loads that's not been mg experience at all.

The above seems to have done the trick for me 🐁

We are having the same problem atm but RATS. It’s been the worst week of my life since I found my sons shoes chewed to bits.
Ours are coming in from next door so we’ve sealed all internal holes (on the advice of pest control) and any external ones just in case. They’re still in the loft as we speak I can hear them - pest control have put really strong poison down so we just have to wait for them to take it.
Hope you get rid, it’s vile.

I've lived all over the UK and seen this problem everywhere and seen them in droves or one offs who may reappear as a one off years later too.

These are your steps:
Pest control (they put poison and in some places is the only effective thing to get rid of the ones hiding)
Rat traps. Not mice ones. They are best kept in the location the mouse comes out from or hides e.g. behind the sofa, under the washing machine... You have to see where it's coming from or running to hide or just trial and test it. Very effective for some, not for others who don't know where it's hiding.

Block holes wherever you see them. The tiniest of holes. It may be that it's by the washing machine pipe, who knows. You'll need to check.

Put all food away. Any food in packets even if not opened need to be in air tight contains. Maintain this and never lax.

Keep all doors closed once you leave them to stop them exploring your home.

And don't worry. As soon as they sense you they run far away from you or where there hiding spot is. Keep an eye out for that.

We struggled for years with mice, tried everything, pest control poison the best, but after a while a new lot arrive. THEN we got a rescue cat, and we have never had one since. The best £60 I have ever spent, and she gives me lots of cuddles.

You are so not unreasonable. I live in the US so my house is made out of —cardboard— wood. We get mice every season and it drives me insane. I hate them. We also had a raccoon the other day as it worked out how to open the stupidly expensive, electronic dog door. Unlike one of my stupid dogs....

Also if they come out from under your sofa, make sure they are not living IN your sofa.

We have never had a mouse/rat problem. Have lived in areas that have had a problem. We are cat people, As Orlandsundry says, they are the best deterrent, even the mere smell of a really lazy one (as opposed to our serial killer squad!).

I lived in a terrace with an infestation once. The only and I mean the only way it was sorted was by filling every single hole gap crack whatever it was they were getting through with expandable building foam.

Mice chewed through the wiring in my & OH's cars! Cost £500 to sort but at least they were outside I suppose. Had cats and terriers - useless articles.

Totally understand the mice wee anger. Our block of flats has them but they just run from flat to flat along the waste pipes into the kitchens. You can hear them slide down the plasterboard walls. Nothing I can do to get rid of them because the walls don’t meet the floors behind all the kitchen units.

Get a cat. Although ours sometimes bring them in and show them round a bit.

Seriously though we've never had any in the house.

Thank you for all the replies, very helpful suggestions and advice. I am popping into town later for more storage boxes and tupperware containers (including cereal ones), and will look for rat traps. I've also been told mice hate mint so will buy some mint leave plants too.

Florene I want to order that plug-in, it seems pretty effective from the reviews but just wondering if the noise would affect my budgies?

I'm not a cat person and find them quite creepy if I'm honest. (Sorry cat lovers!) plus with my birds I don't think it would be a good idea even though a cat likely is THE most effective way of eradicating mice.

I live in a tired old terraced which is full of holes. The skirting boards all need changing, the doors have huge gaps under them and half don't shut properly. We are currently renting but should be in a position to buy within the next year hopefully. Until then we are stuck here unfortunately.

I had a single mouse once about ten years ago. It just wandered (if that’s what they do) in when we had left the back doors open in the Summer. Caught it and put it outside and have never seen another one since.

We've recently got rid of the mice that moved in just before Christmas, we tried with the catch and release traps which didn't work. The buggers then got into my food cupboard and chewed through boxes and pooed everywhere.

I bought an electronic trap and quickly caught them, but they've chewed the skirting boards and made a nice hole in my office wall But it connects to the garage which is how we think they got in. So we've left an electronic trap covering the hole if anymore try their luck!!

Mint doesn't work, the electronic repellant did seem to work in the kitchen but honestly catching and killing was the best thing. If you catch any alive you need to take them away from your house or they'll just come back

I won't bother with the mint then!

DH reckons I'm overreacting but I think he's being complacent now that we're rid of the mouse and everything's quiet again. Just hoping the little bugger doesn't return! It was hiding behind the bins in the backyard yesterday.

We have had telltale signs of a problem in the past. Last summer next door but one had a mice problem. A few months later I heard scratching sounds in the bedroom from the wall we share with my neighbours (same side), also heard noises above the kitchen ceiling (extended galley kitchen). There was also a nasty smell in the front room for a week in November as if something had died under the floorboards/behind the wall.

Ugh. I need to burn the place down don't know I. I feel terrible for the PP with the rat problem, that's awful!

sorry to tell you - but i dont think you will only have 1. Thats the mistake we made - we saw one, caught it and thought that was that. No. We are now on week 15 with pest controllers and the bloody mice still wont die. And ive tried everything - including that untrasonic plug in. Ive got terriers - two of them. Still have mice. Leaving it up to the pest controllers now. Buy steel wool and expanding foam - they will become your best friends. good luck.

I used to work for a pest control firm, and can tell you where there is 1 there will likely be 100... however you can minimise their preference for being in your property and encourage them to go elsewhere by a)sealing any holes you find, they can suck in their rib cage and fit the tiniest gap the width of a pencil! b) keeping all food in well sealed containers, nothing loose. (ask on Freegle for anyone got any empty ice cream tubs - pop things in those)
c) lay traps along their runs - they will run along the edges of rooms, cupboards etc in preference to across the middle of the floor . Might not be so practical with kids, but worth a try if you can keep the door shut and them out of the room
d) they dislike the smell of Eucalyptus, so sprinkle liberally along the edges of the room/in the room where you think they're coming in, (Vicks or Olbas oil contain Eucalyptus too)

There's a recipe online, something like Peppermint oil, lemon oil, curcumin & tea tree. I used it at work once and it worked. Mixed it up and put it on cotton wool and put it down everywhere.

Wire wool and expanding foam. Stuff the wire wool tightly.into all gaps with chopstick or other pointy object. Stick 2/3 traps per room with peanut butter.

Keep every surface clear of food crumbs. Seal away any sources of food. Keeps bins empty

Dont bother with the plug in things - they are only any use once the mice are gone or none present. And even then...... the little tick tick tick noise they make is audible. So much so my son always turns ours off.

I hope you are successful in getting rid of them. I cant bear them either. Make me so twitchy

Mice can chew through expanding foam btw, just a heads up.

We had some a few months ago. They love chocolate! If you get traps use mars bars, they love them.

We used traps to start with, then the landlord got us some mouse poison from home bargains. Just wee blue cubes you leave lying about that smell like sweets. They come into your house and take them away to the other mice, then they all die. Not very humane, but the little bastards shit all over my DDs toys and my living room floor, so I couldn't care less. Just wanted them out.

And they're gone now. Touch wood. We're moving soon anyway!

It is unlikely to be alone AND that mouse will easily find it's way back, when you catch them in humane traps the advice is to take them a few miles from your property.