Mice within the flat. Anyone about?

[CanTheMousePLEASEGoToHell]

Someone please help!

I’ve posted COUNTLESS times about the mice situation as I’ve had mice since the summer. Pest control have come round numerous times to mouse proof the kitchen (there was a massive hole underneath one of the kickboards). They’ve laid down poison and traps yet nothing. I also have snap traps underneath the kickboards where we’ve seen mouse droppings as well as one of those electronic mouse traps.

Tonight I was asleep in my bedroom with both DCs in their cots and I heard a mouse in the room right next to DDs cot. Now I know this sounds dramatic but I was so scared I thought I was going to have a panic attack. My younger sister stayed over last night so I woke her up to ask if she can help me try to catch it. We couldn’t see it at all. We then saw a mouse run in the kitchen!

Can someone please tell me what I’m doing wrong. I have all these traps about but I haven’t even caught one mouse. Does anyone have any tips? I really can’t live like this😭

I had this, but with rats too.
They are attracted by the next door neighbour's chickens food...they were coming in through the extractor fan above the cooker😱
I put out traps smeared with chocolate, which worked to an extent, then got a cat, haven't seen a live one since.

@tiddlyipom that sounds awful! Which type of traps did you use? I may give chocolate a try too. I’m seriously considering buying a mouse even though I have two kids under the age of 2. If that’s the only way to deal with this issue properly then I may have too

You probably have a good reason, but having a cat is the most effective way of never having a mouse problem again, or at least they won't live very long with a cat installed!

Buying a mouse?

A cat or a ferret would be better. Of the two ferrets are better mousers but harder to train and often get lost during hunts.

We had mice the only thing that worked was poison. The blue looking grains.

This is how I got my first cat.

The poison takes a few days. We put little bowls and saucers in as many corners as possible esp where they'd nibbled the carpet

Oh God sorry I mean buy a cat, not a bloody mouse!

My mum suggested I get a cat as soon as I first had mouse however I wasn’t sure because of the kids. I have a 7 month old and a 18 month old. I know people have pets with young kids but I wasn’t sure how the kids would be around the cat and vice versa. I also don’t have a garden or anything so was unsure if it was fair to keep the cat as a house cat. So many thoughts and questions but I believe I’ll have to get one!

I wouldn't use poison as it can also poison local cats and birds of prey. We've always had terriers and/or cats and never had a problem with mice or rats even when my dad kept pigeons.

Besides from live animals snap traps are the most humane. Use something stinky like sardines or sweet like chocolate.

Pest control has poison all underneath the kickboards so I really have no clue why it’s not working. These mice are so smart

I had two cats when my eldest was a baby and they were fine. In fact, the only thing that stopped her from screeching during her "colicky hour" was one of the cats sitting on the end of her pram. Without him, she would screech from 9 pm to 11 pm. He naturally jumped up to investigate the strange noise/steal her body heat and she'd instantly stop crying. He never sat on her. He'd perch between the handle of the pram and the foot of the pram basket.

As she got older he would snuggle on her when she napped in the front room on the sofa but I always ensured he could never get into her bedroom.

My current cats were raised as house cats and don't attempt to escape even when the door is open. They're quite happy with their toys and each other/us.

We've had a mouse problem in the past and we had cats. They didn't stop the mice coming into the house so please don't get a cat simply to try and get rid of the mice. Not all cats are interested in them and what happens to the cat if they don't solve your mouse problem? Would you get rid of them?

I used peppermint oil last winter all around the outside of the house. Refreshed it every few weeks and last year was the first time we didn't have them come in.They were field mice and were coming in when it was cold. I didn't think it would work but it did for us.

Mice have poor vision I think but a good sense of smell. They don't like the smell of peppermint so they avoid that area. They also lay scent trails and it disrupts those.

I feel your pain. We only ever caught one using traps but there were definitely a lot more.

You do know not to touch the traps without using gloves? Apparently they can smell you if you've touched them and will avoid them 🤷

This is also how I got my first cat nearly 6 weeks ago. I used to see and hear them most days but nothing for 3/4 weeks.

If it helps I have a 6 month old and a 2 year old and I also have a 5 year old cat who is our protector against all things rodent 😁 he’s fabulous with the kids and they love him too - ok the baby just enjoys watching him, but the 2yo loves looking after him, she insists on giving him his breakfast every morning, he’s always letting her stroke him because he knows she loves to give him treats! So if it’s the kids/cat interaction that was worrying you then please don’t be too concerned, plenty of cats are great with little ones.

I currently have 3 cats and have always had cats with my children. To be honest cats are not that interested in babies and young kids and will likely ignore them. So don’t worry about that BUT My best hunters have been cats that love going outdoors, not sure about keeping a cat in a flat without outdoor access with young kids. It doesn’t sound wise and once the mice have been killed off they will be bored and probably unhappy in close proximity to toddlers.

Probably ask pest control company to remove the poison if you get a cat?

You need to get wire wool and pack it tightly around any entry points eg radiator pipework, bathroom pipes.

Spring mouse traps with peanut butter or the sticky mouse paper are effective for catching them.

Dont use poison as the mouse could die somewhere random and your home will have the stench of a decaying rodent.

Dont leave any open food around. Everything should be packed away.

Good luck!

Fill any gaps where they could be getting in with steel wool. It hurts them to bite through it so they don't bother. It stops them getting back in. You can Google how to best do it.

We just got our first cat this week for this reason. Found droppings under my sons cot 😭 as well as kitchen worktop, bathroom, kitchen cupboards. So we have a rescue cat now, she has lived with children before (ours are 22 months and almost 4yrs) she moved in Thursday evening, and yesterday morning proudly left one dead mouse next to her litter tray! She's lovely and still shy but getting used to her new home 🥰

See this is what I was thinking. There’s nothing wrong with a house cat and my next door neighbour also has one. However there’s three adults living in a two bed flat whereas mine would be in a one bed flat surrounded by two little kids 24/7. I’m just not sure what to do!! Nothing I’ve done previously is working so getting a cat looks like the best option

It’s great to hear so many people have cats around kids/young kids and the cat just kind of gets on with their lives haha.

I’ve also blocked ALL holes with wire wool and expandable foam. Pest control have done the same so what the hell is going on!!

When we had mice (field mice had got in from the garden through a hole when we were getting work done in our bathroom) we plugged up where they were coming from and used humane traps placed where we had found droppings and put peanut butter in them- they couldn’t resist and we caught them all by putting down two traps a night until we hadn’t got any more. The issue is that the longer it’s left the more they will breed and you’ll have an infestation on your hands. I’d try the traps that close behind them with peanut butter first before getting a cat.

@CanTheMousePLEASEGoToHell
In our last home, the problem was with the cottage next door - the vermin (rats in our case) got in there, & simply got through to ours in the loft. So ask your pest control to check the neighbours property too.
Regards the bait / poison, I have no idea why that's not doing the trick - they are supposed to vary it every so often?
Your traps, do you put them against walls? Mice run round the base of walls / skirting boards rather than in the open most of the time, so you'd have a better chance doing that, if you haven't already.

Yep I genuinely do think I have an infestation at this point. It’s been about four months since I saw the first mouse and I haven’t even caught one. I’m wearing gloves when setting the traps, using peanut butter for the snap traps. I don’t know what else to do!

Pest control came around again last week and the guy even said he doesn’t know why the mice aren’t eating the poison and he doesn’t know how they’re dodging the traps

Yeah the traps are against the kickboards. I’ve bought some more traps as I’m slightly running out so I’ll have to get them today. I just don’t understand!