Had a mouse problem for nearly a year. HELP

[SoSickAndTiredOfTheCuntingMice]

Posting here for traffic.

The first time I ever spotted a mouse was last year August. I cannot tell you the amount of times I’ve posted on here trying to get advice on how to kill the bloody things.

I’ve tried poison (that they barely touch), snap traps with peanut butter, bacon and God knows what else. I’ve used electronic traps. I have sonar mouse repellent plugged into my kitchen walls. Heck, I’ve even used glue traps. And guess what? I haven’t caught not one mouse.

I hear them in the walls, I see the droppings too. I went in the kitchen to get DC a bottle of milk and to my surprise (NOT), a trap had gone off but no mouse? I’ve had pest control come out around 6 times and they do fuck all.

Yes I’ve filled all holes that I can find with wire wool and expanding foam. Truth is, the kids and I are in a rented property and we can’t exactly rip out the cupboards to see what holes may be behind the units. Does anyone and I truly mean anyone, have some words of wisdom for me? Maybe something else that I haven’t tried?

I’m just so sick of these mice. I hate going into my kitchen because I’m scared I’ll see one again!

Stop messing about and get someone in

How have you been setting up the snap traps? You need to have the trigger right on the edge so that it goes off at the slightest touch. Also worth smearing the bait on so that the mouse can't just grab and run.

Failing that, have you considered getting a cat? Or calling in professionals?

I’ve had pest control come out around 6 times and they do fuck all shows that I’m not messging about and have indeed got someone in. 6 different times…

Yep I’ve been setting up the traps in that exact way. I don’t ever see the bait being touch so they’re clearly not interested in what I have to offer. I sweep and mop daily so not sure if they’re getting their food from another flat.

We don’t have a garden and I don’t think it’s fair to have a house cat with a one and two year old constantly indoors. I also don’t like cats so refuse to have another unwanted guest in the flat. I’ve had pest control come out on 6 different occasions

I know you said you had people in but we had this issue and contacted the council. They said if it was rats they'd do it for free, if it was mice we'd have to pay. It was mice so we had to pay but it solved the problem in two days. Would it be worth contacting the council?- their pest control might be more effective and robust than a company you found from an advert? its worth a try, I sympathise. Its a horrible feeling.

I’ve had pest control come out through the council 3 times (I live in a council estate so they handle all pest control queries). I’ve also had the estate agent send out their pest control guy 3 times.

All in all, all these people put together still haven’t been able to solve anything. All they do is put snap traps down, put glue traps down and say, ‘there’s not much else we can do luv’ and go about their day!

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to try and solve this issue?

I don't know op. I'm sorry that is so stressful. Would your neighbours be contributing to the problem?

We had a mouse problem and tried these - it worked the first night they were down. Haven't seen evidence of a mouse since.
Hope you get it sorted, it's horrible having rodents.

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If you're in a terrace you're in a hiding to nothing as they're probably based elsewhere.

However, when we had this problem we were absolutely scrupulous about food hygiene. Not a single crumb on the floor, or surfaces. Everything thoroughly wiped down before we went to bed, food like rice, bread , biscuits all in glass or Tupperware so there was absolutely nothing for them. No dirty plates left unwashed etc.

After about a week, droppings stopped appearing.

We had a rat problem - in the walls mostly. Had the council pest control, and they would only put poison down, which didn't solve the problem. Hired a (fairly expensive) company to do a full review including e.g. cameras downs the sewers. They blocked everything internally and then put one way "doors" in the sewers etc (so they could get out but not in) and they went. This is london though, so not sure if issue the same. There was no point in poison - the point was they had an entry point somewhere.

Oh damn, thats awful.

Personally, I wouldnt bother with traps. That catches only a single one. The council put down really strong poison and we left it in various places around the house for a year just in case they came back. It did work. We have fields behind our house so loads of mice around.

Yeah, we were told that rats are highly intelligent and thats why the poison has to have a delayed reaction as if they get ill as soon as they eat something they learn not to eat poison. He also told us that rats are suspiscious of new things in the house like poison and will avoid it. I think mice are not so intelligent.

See now this is what I need! I need someone who will actively look for entry points and see what I’ve missed.

One of the pest control guys actually started a fire underneath one of the kickboards in the kitchen so the area where I saw mice coming from, is totally blitzed. I’m sure there’s still some holes but I can’t see anything for love nor money. Could you let me know the name of the company you used please? I need more than just laying rubbish traps down

There could well be tiny holes- adolescent mice can squeeze through a space as thin as a ball point pen so even tiny holes lets them in

My neighbour to the right of me has no idea why I have mice as she doesn’t have any. My neighbours to the left of me don’t have any mice as they have a cat.

Tbh though, I live in a big estate in South London. It’s a whole block thing but the council won’t deal with it as it’ll cost too much money. I just want to live somewhere mice free!!! Why is that so hard, I hate this! Especially with two young children

There are (very simply) three types of bait. Two based on warfarin, which can either be single-feed (eaten once and dies), or multi-feed (eaten many times, the poison builds up, then it dies). The third is vitamin D3. Sadly, baits are very hit and miss, as mice and rats suffer bait shyness (they avoid new things). Traps fail for the same reason.

Sadly, I'd go the glue boards. They're not nice... no getting around that, and they're due to be banned next year... but they work. The mouse gets stuck on them and then has to be killed humanely after (within 12 hours). They cover a wide area so the mouse will have a better chance of running over one.

Seriously, get a cat. They’re not that bad. Certainly they are less bad than mice.

We had this problem and got a cat. This was 6 years ago. Not a single mouse since.

You need to experiment with bait in humane traps. There are some really good ones now.
Make sure the traps are where you've seen the mouse or droppings, and against a wall.
Absolutely all food goes into mouseproof containers.
Please don't use poison, and definitely not glue traps.

My neighbour to the right of me has no idea why I have mice as she doesn’t have any. My neighbours to the left of me don’t have any mice as they have a cat.

Your neighbour to the right probably doesn't have small kids so can easily be scrupulously clean.

And your neighbour to the left has a cat which is a mice catcher as well as deterrent.

I grew up in old houses and the solution was with young children/lots of people get a cat, and with less people be very clean so there was absolutely nothing for them to feed on. This includes cleaning the toaster after use, washing dishes immediately, wiping down counters after use etc

Have you pulled out your fridge? There's often a reservoir of water at the back that provides mice with water. If you have this, empty it and clean it out.

I'd echo the previous poster about not having any crumbs of food anywhere, ever. Crisps in a lidded container. No bins left with anything in overnight, ever. Remove their food sources.

For glue traps to be effective you need more than you think and they need to be down a good while, because mice have neophobia and will avoid new things in their path for a good while. But, they also must be checked twice a day.

Where are the droppings and so you ever find gnawed food?

All the cat rescue places are overflowing and they need foster homes, could you foster a cat/cats rather than committing to having one ongoing?

I have lived in rural areas for most of my life.
Mice are everywhere, traps won't solve the problem and most of them are horribly cruel.
Cats are helpful but the single biggest solution is don't have food around that mice will eat.
I agree with Reugny.
Mice come to visit, I do see them from time to time- inevitable as I live surrounded by forest. But they never stay, partly because I have cats, but mostly because there is no accessible food.
Mice will chew through plastic or paper and eat flour, pasta, lentils, biscuits etc.
I keep food stored in metal tins or sturdy plastic boxes. Bread is kept in the fridge and no food or crumbs left on surfaces or floors.
Living in the country it would be a constant battle against mice otherwise.
You can block up holes, but mice will find ways in, and squeeze through tiny gaps. I don't even bother sealing up holes and gaps.
Mice won't stay in a place unless there is food.
If there is nothing to eat they will move on.

We have had mice a couple of times (different houses) - when we have had pest control out, they have done no traps, just very strong poison and hole blocking and they have been great at getting into tight spaces without causing damage. I think you've just had bad pest control.

Are you in London? If so I can message you with who we have used

Don't get a cat,there's absolutely no guarantee it'll be a mouser.

Are you trapping and baitinng at the edge of the rooms? Where have you found droppings? Are you using snappy traps? You can sprinkle talcum powder down and see where it is disturbed and it can show where they're coming in.