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!

No sign of any more so so far, so good.

Pest Control visited today and placed poison in various spots to be re-examined in a week. The man revealed that given the area it was most likely a rat that we had (ffs) and offered some advice on prevention. Stuff which is quite obvious but a lot of us are lax about (eg it is vital to use sink strainers and prevent any waste food going down the sink. This food is what rats are feeding on underground and then breeding and multiplying more than they generally would. He said he couldn't emphasise enough the importance of it). No obvious signs in ours but identified some big holes in the neighbours' backyard which may have been a source. Advised me not to bother with plug ins, oils and to stick to bleach and detergents..

A man from further down my street got talking to the pest control guy and now fully aware we've had a problem. He's a nosy gossiping gobshite and I imagine he's already fabricated stories that we have a HUGE rat infestation. I shouldnt but I feel more than judgey feckers