To be really really happy at what I finally just caught...

[Maddiemademe]

No not and STD that I am aware of!

We have been living in our large renovation project since last July. Since then I suspected we may have mice setting up residence with us but since Christmas I have been in no doubt at all.

The buggers have gotten so cocky that come 9pm they quite happily stroll past us without a hint of fear. They constantly steal food, the most recent being my DP finding one little blighter happily dragging a whole bag of crisps with him.

They have chewed through the back of kitchen cupboards and eaten a whole bag of porridge at the back. They are also partial to Jammy Dodgers.

We purchased the trap back in January with no luck at all. In fact they would eat the food at the front of the trap that was designed to entice them but would leave the bits where they would set the trap off.

Last night we were discussing what to do about the situation, looking at possibly hiring a company to come help. This morning when I came into the kitchen I noticed our dog acting very strange and scared of one particular corner of the kitchen. I was and am so pleased when I found this little bastard in there!

Anyone have any tips on how else to catch them? I am guessing we have a fair size infestation by now. I have been reluctant to use poisons but I suffer with a number of health conditions and am worried about the disease they may be carrying/could possibly cause.

Any help at all would be most helpful (dog is absolutely terrified of them as well).

We found kill traps and cheap supermarket milk chocolate bait was the winning combo.

I also like making chocolate mice but never quite got round to putting one in a trap for the real mice, it seemed a bit twisted... It's a mouse eat mouse world!

They breed like wildfire. Traps are good for one or two but if it's been going on a while you need poison. You can buy stuff but it's often no good because they become immune. The council or commercial firm will advise. They don't like smell of peppermint so dilute essential oil and spray everywhere they have been, especially where they come in. They can squeeze into space the size of a pencil. Block all holes. They are carriers of disease, they wee and poo everywhere and eat everything. Get rid.

We had field mice in the loft, we tried poison ourselves

Bit extreme to attempt suicide over a few mice. 😂

You really do need help at this point I think. You will have a HUGE infestation.

Store your food properly - anything and everything is in either a tin, jar, secure tupperware or fridge/freezer.

Same with anything that could be nest material.

Disturb everywhere and clean lots. Everything out of the food cupboards, clean with something that smells, repeat weekly. Disturb under bed storage, wardrobes often. Clean. Notice where their poo is.

Recycling and rubbish straight to wheelie bins.

If removing live mice take them at least 2 miles away.

Sorry but I'm not sure that's a mouse.
My mum had rats in the garden last summer and they looked just like that.

Another vote for snaptraps here. I tried with the humane ones but never caught a thing. Took a couple of months to get all the bastards even then. No poison or sonar allowed here due to house rabbits.

Foil has worked for us, might have more to hand than wire wool.

I’d be reluctant to use poison because where do they die?? If under the floorboards then it takes weeks for the smell to dissipate and it’s truly vile.

Been in my house 7 and not a sniff of a mouse until early this year, finally caught t in a humane trap, nothing for a few weeks and then came gone from work to find one in each of the 2 humane traps, was worried it was an infestation but only caught one more after thy and nothing for last 3/4 months. I used crumbled up chocolate and released them

Looks very similar

Please don't kill them as others have suggested, they're doing nothing wrong

Continue with the humane traps and release them far from your house so they can't come back. Block up absolutely all and every hole.

We have occasional unwelcome visitors. Wire wool (the soap filled scrubber ones) were used by my mice to make a nest underneath the kitchen cupboard!

I use backsnappers and Nutella. II have subfloors and they get in from under the floor boards. For every hole I fill, within 6 months they have found another hole. I always keep a trap loaded - that way I know if I have a new entrance they've found!

hmm could be baby rat. might just be the pic though

It looks like a rat to me.

Oops pics wouldn’t attach

The plug ins are good, but they only work for the room that they’re in. They’re more effective at preventing mice from entering than chasing them out, if they’ve made you’re him a permanent residence. They’re stubborn wee gits and would rather put up with the plug ins than leave a well established nest or food source. In saying that, they can help somewhat. The slight clicking noise the plug in males can be irritating.

Stay away from poison as they could, as a pp said, die in difficult to reach places. If they leave the house and die, then cats, dogs or wildlife could eat them and be harmed.

Every review, study or professional exterminator will tell you that snap traps are the way to go. They’re the quickest the most ‘humane’ method of death.

If you’re using humane traps, you’ll need a few. Buying one and hoping that catching one at a time is going to work is a nonsense. They will breed quicker than you can catch. You need at least six. Place them alongside the walls as they prefer to run close to ‘safe’ shelter. Best way is to place two back to back. That way you’ve a better chance of catching them as they can come from either direction of the wall. They need to be released at least two miles from home or they’ll just dander back.

Good luck and be prepared for posters to come along and tell you that they’re harmless and leave them be. They’re vermin that can cause serious diseases and illness. 🤢

That's a rat OP.

Call your council or Rentokill!

That's a young rat I think

Your dog is so cute. I agree poison is the best option, my Dad use to crush glass and mix it in the cement for outdoor gaps, rats or mice wont chew it with glass, who wants internal bleeding.

We had field mice in the loft, we tried poison ourselves

Bit extreme to attempt suicide over a few mice

🤣

Just googled this
Tail – A mouse’s tail is about the same length as its head and body combined while the tail of a rat is shorter than its head and body combined. A black rat’s tail is dark above and pale beneath while a house mouse’s tail is uniformly dark.
Head – A mouse has a small head that is proportional in size to its body while a young rat has a large head for its body. A mouse has a more pointed muzzle while a rat’s nose is more blunt.
Ears – A mouse has large ears for its head size (you could pull them over its eyes) while a rat has proportionally small ears with hairs inside (if you get close enough to check!).
Feet – A mouse has small feet that are in proportion to its body, while a young rat has feet that are large compared to the rest of its body (sort of like a puppy!)

hate to say this, but that looks quite ratty.

Yep, looks ratty to me too...

I also think rat.

Agree that lethal traps are best option. Follow advice given upthread about quantity, baiting and positioning etc. Be thorough and persistent.

We have a visitor... same one every time. Hes trapped after we blocked up his main entry and exit points so he's resorted to hiding up amongst the pipes 🙄 Fortunately not an infestation.

We called out the council. Useless they were. After 4 visits the mouse still hadn't taken the bait. And we paid £91 for sod all to happen.

We haven't seen him for a while so I'm assuming he's dead but just in case we've got the pipe shaft to block off.

I'd also highly recommend wire wool.

And remember, they can fit through 6mm holes so check your flooring, particularly walls between rooms. Check your pipe outlets. Check your outside spaces - do you have any holes they could come in there? Do you have a tumble dryer outlet?

Cover up the holes
Lay traps - very small amount of bait
Minimise crumbs and stash foods away up high and in tubs
Make sure you give your surfaces a good clean with anti bac every few days or so

Oh bollocks I think you are right and it is a baby rat. Professional it is then. Are the council any good or should I just contact rentokill?