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Original poster

Mice

28 replies

LawnsLT · 31/12/2019 15:05

We have an infestation of mice going on in our house, like even coming out during the day and in pretty much every room.

Happened all of a sudden..

Partners gone out and brought traps and we have caught 2, however we have contacted a pest controller who cannot get to us until the weekend.

They have told us to remove all traps....

I cannot understand why we need to remove traps for 4 days and let the mice run a amok!

Would I BU to leave the traps down and remove them before the pest man arrives!

OP posts:
midnightmisssuki · 31/12/2019 15:08

i would leave the traps - we have had mice before and set traps everywhere! They breed so often too!

makingmammaries · 31/12/2019 15:35

Poison would probably deal with them faster than your ‘pest controller’.

LakieLady · 31/12/2019 15:35

Try those ultrasonic mouse/rat repellents that you plug in (they look like plug-in air fresheners). They worked for me.

DP unplugged them for some reason best known to himself, and about 2 months later there was evidence that rats were getting in the kitchen.

Plugged them back in, no further signs of rats.

Boom45 · 31/12/2019 15:37

Oh god. I saw a mouse last night, no evidence of them before but we do have them in the garden so I've sort of been expecting it. I hate mice, I'm terrified! I haven't managed to get in touch with an exterminator yet but I hope I don't see any more...

nomorespaghetti · 31/12/2019 15:45

We've just had this Angry keep the traps, I've no idea why they'd suggest otherwise! Clean out all your food areas, chuck any food the mice have been at, and put all your other food in Tupperware/glass/otherwise sealed. All food away in cupboards, and try your hardest to remove all crumbs. You really need to identify where they're getting in and seal up the entrance points on the outside of the house. Ours were getting in through air bricks with too-big gaps, so we put wire mesh over them. Mice can get through a gap the size of a pencil, so go around the house with a pencil and seal any gaps you can (obviously don't seal air bricks). Inside the house you can use wire wool (or brillo pads) to block up gaps they might be coming through, e.g. in skirting boards. We put poison down too, but they didn't touch it. Peanut butter or nutella in the traps, but it seems you are already having success there. I scrubbed the house and removed all droppings etc, so that i could see each morning whether they'd been again and where. They didn't like the smell of bleach, and i also sprayed peppermint oil around, which they don't like the smell of. We have been mouse free for a couple of weeks now!

Honestly I'd sack off the pest control person and try the above first. It's not that hard to deal with yourself. Good luck!

OhioOhioOhio · 31/12/2019 16:23

You need a dozen mouse traps. I guess the more mice you get the more money pest control get.

Original poster
LawnsLT · 31/12/2019 16:24

Thanks for you replies! Yeah I’m petrified of them and they make me feel really cooty!
Funny enough we are putting peanut butter in the traps and it seems to be working..

We know we still have loads of mice as we see them as soon as it gets dark....lording it around the house like they have no care in the world Grin we will keep up with the traps...
Hoping to catch the rest tonight lol

OP posts:
FluffyEarMuffs · 31/12/2019 16:30

Gosh, your house would be heaven for a cat with a killer instinct. Or a dog like a terrier.

Seriously do consider a cat if other circumstances allow as just the presence of a cat would pretty much guarantee no mice! I used to live abroad and it's why most locals had one. And why farms always try and have a few living outside, even in this age.

Yes yes to good food containers. And chuck anything else out now.

LakieLady · 31/12/2019 16:37

Gosh, your house would be heaven for a cat with a killer instinct. Or a dog like a terrier.

Terriers are a bit shit with mice. Mice are too tiny and get through such tiny gaps that the dogs have trouble getting hold of them.

My old lady (lakeland terrier) was an awesome ratter in her day, and got a rabbit most days, also caught slow-worms and a lizard, and brought 2 frogs into the house, but she never managed to catch a mouse. The nearest she got when we had mice in the house was to lie by the skirting board for hours, with her chin on the floor, hoping a mouse would be daft enough to stroll into her waiting gob.

cava14una · 31/12/2019 16:50

I live in an old house so a paradise for mice as lots of entry points. While I had Fancy Rats I never saw a mouse. Within 3 weeks of the last rat being pts I saw a mouse in my bedroom. Never saw it again and got 2 cats soon after and found the remains of a mouse in the living room and that was that as far as mice went.

Oil of peppermint is good but must be oil not peppermint essence

Bogoffrain · 31/12/2019 16:52

Can’t you contact another pest controller, I’d not be able to sleep thinking they were in my bed 🤢

MereDintofPandiculation · 31/12/2019 16:55

I wonder if he wants you to remove traps so the mice don't get familiar with them and learn to avoid them? If you're having success with them, then I'd keep going.

Flicketyflack · 31/12/2019 17:05

We had mice recently, I heard 'scratching' back in October and had pest control round who suggested it was rats.

Anyway he set up outdoor bait (poison) and then baited in house and where we heard the noise.

We found two bodies -it turned out to be mice!

I sealed up all entrances in to house (after about three weeks) .

Fast forward- no further noises!

It took about four weeks in total. Wink

Flicketyflack · 31/12/2019 17:22

Ps dead mice smell horrendous
We found one in the airing cupboard Confused

ReanimatedSGB · 31/12/2019 17:28

Oh dear, we have mice too. Fucking things. It's an old house so they are forever finding new ways in.

paulinespeaksmanylanguages · 31/12/2019 17:34

The sonic repellents are good but the best thing of all is a cat who is a mouser, The mice soon get to know, word travels around and you're never pestered by them again.

Beware of dead mice, they stink and if you can't find the corpse, blowflies will swiftly follow.

EggysMom · 31/12/2019 17:41

just the presence of a cat would pretty much guarantee no mice

Not our cat. He actually sat there and watched the mice run along the skirting without anything more than a passing interest in something moving ... We used traps, caught four last year (and saw no more evidence), caught a solitary mouse earlier this year (and again have seen no more evidence)

Flicketyflack · 31/12/2019 17:58

We have three cats- still got mice Grin

paulinespeaksmanylanguages · 31/12/2019 18:07

Are they Toms? Queens are much better mousers-they're the hunters.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 31/12/2019 18:10

Poison and traps and clear all food away and into plastic containers.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 31/12/2019 18:18

My sister had a crazy infestation from seemingly nowhere- no exterminator, lots of traps, caught like 15- all food stuff cleared. They tried to block the hole they were coming from too. Fingers x clear for months

Bourbonbiccy · 31/12/2019 20:50

Someone mentioned glue boards, not humane but get the job done.

paulinespeaksmanylanguages · 31/12/2019 21:01

Please don't get glue traps. They are horrific-the mice scream. Unsurprisingly.

Original poster
LawnsLT · 31/12/2019 21:07

I did buy some glue boards but they look awful and then you have to put them to sleep (with a book) so I’d be refusing to that...

We have caught another one tonight so I’m hoping that could be it!...
We don’t think it could be though...we have 6 traps set up, so hoping we might catch a few more tonight...

But to answer my own question....the traps are staying down until the weekend

OP posts: