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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how the HELL do you get rid of a clever mouse?!

254 replies

Squeakingmad · 29/11/2023 06:47

Not an AIBU but traffic etc.

We've got a wild mouse living under the floor in our house. Discovered about a month ago when the thing scurried across the floor.

We immediately put some traps down. No luck.

For three weeks we've had pest control in, putting poison down, laying traps. He is coming back today and I've just found fresh mouse droppings so the little fucker is still alive.

My kitchen is a mess because nothing can be in the cupboards. I'm knackered with constantly vacuuming and cleaning up. We know it's getting out and about and I'm actually full of RAGE about it this morning.

I've got two kids. I don't want a fucking mouse. If pest control can't get rid of it, what else can I do?! This is really affecting me now.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
EvieSchnoz · 29/11/2023 12:36

Jelly babies, fruit pastilles?

Blueberrycreampie · 29/11/2023 12:42

Loverofoxbowlakes · 29/11/2023 07:13

You've never, ever, only got just one mouse op (unless your own stupid cat brought the fucker in, but that's a different story).

Mice like chocolate in snap traps. Just sayin'

Caught one this week with peanut butter!

MBM18 · 29/11/2023 12:43

I had just one mouse this time last year OP, it was definitely one and must've sneaked in somehow on its own.
The only thing that caught it was (Galaxy) chocolate on a snap trap.
Tried a couple of other ways first but it was too smart for them and all it ended up doing was eating the bait and getting bloody full up and hiding for longer.

KnittedCardi · 29/11/2023 12:46

Please don't release poisoned mice, or chuck poisoned dead ones in the fields. They can potentially poison the birds that prey on them. If they are poisoned and dead, put them in the bin, if they are poisoned and still alive, please kill them and dispose of in the bin.

12LuDo · 29/11/2023 12:53

Thank you, Knitted, I didn't know that. It was many years ago, I don't think I would bother with poison if it ever happened again, seems more trouble than it's worth!

Mademetoxic · 29/11/2023 12:57

KnittedCardi · 29/11/2023 12:46

Please don't release poisoned mice, or chuck poisoned dead ones in the fields. They can potentially poison the birds that prey on them. If they are poisoned and dead, put them in the bin, if they are poisoned and still alive, please kill them and dispose of in the bin.

👏 well said.

cherrypopsicle · 29/11/2023 12:59

Only thing that worked for us was snap traps with a dollop of Nutella and then a bit of chocolate digestive stuck into it. When they tugged at the biscuit then snap! Felt awful (and hearing the snap was horrific) but I couldn't cope with them in my house and the dogs were fecking useless. My border collie lay and watched one saunter past his nose and didn't flicker

Mademetoxic · 29/11/2023 13:01

ItsBarbieBitchhhh · 29/11/2023 09:32

Haha people on MN always come with the ‘oh I’d rather have mice living with me than use a glue trap.’ That’s great for you, I don’t feel the same.

OP, I really feel you. I had 2 under 2 when I first saw a mouse in my flat last year. My youngest was only 4 months at the time so I was extremely stressed. I had the LA send out pest control as well as the estate agent as both were as useless as each other. They laid down bait boxes, snap traps and poison. I also had an electronic trap to try and catch them. In 11 months time, we caught absolutely nothing.

I went through all the kickboards to find any holes and fill them with wire wool and we still saw mice. The only time I caught two baby mice was using glue traps so they certainly are effective. In the end I paid for a pest control company to come out who managed to cut a hole in a cupboard and find the entry point. It’s now been sealed sinc the summer and I haven’t seen any mice since.

It’s the most stressful thing and you feel so unsettled in your own home. Get yourself some glue traps and place them were you see the mice. Make sure you use gloves as they can smell your scent and and will avoid the trap if you don’t. Good luck!

Sorry but if you think it's stressful think how the poor mouse feels being glued to that and dying a terrible, stressful death.

It's barbaric.

They're illegal for a reason.

parsleyred · 29/11/2023 13:02

KnittedCardi · 29/11/2023 12:46

Please don't release poisoned mice, or chuck poisoned dead ones in the fields. They can potentially poison the birds that prey on them. If they are poisoned and dead, put them in the bin, if they are poisoned and still alive, please kill them and dispose of in the bin.

Well said! You'd think it would be common sense.

Cats and dogs can be poisoned this way too. The same goes for the stupidity of the people who use sticky traps also putting those outdoors.

VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 29/11/2023 13:04

Scruffington · 29/11/2023 11:35

Apparently humane mousetraps are cruel unless you set the mouse free within an hour. Poor things die a prolonged death of stress etc.

This is true. 'Humane' traps are bullshit that just means a slower death.

A Jack Russell or other kind of rat catcher dog would be more effective than a cat. If you could borrow one for a week.

Depends on the trap. Mine is a big cheese one, I put bedding and water in.

mrsnoodle55 · 29/11/2023 13:06

Not that this helps you; but it could be worse.

We currently have a rat in the attic.

sunglassesonthetable · 29/11/2023 13:11

*Well said! You'd think it would be common sense.

Cats and dogs can be poisoned this way too. The same goes for the stupidity of the people who use sticky traps also putting those outdoors.*

Never saw any of our poisoned mice. No idea where they went to die.

The ones caught in the traps went outside in the bin.

VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 29/11/2023 13:12

How are Amazon still selling glue traps?

EmpressSoleil · 29/11/2023 13:14

I just looked it up and the ban is from April 2024, so currently still legal.

Scruffington · 29/11/2023 13:21

VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 29/11/2023 13:04

Depends on the trap. Mine is a big cheese one, I put bedding and water in.

Show quote history

But they don't tend to survive if they're released miles from their territory. People think they're going to live a Disney woodland life but they generally just die.

parsleyred · 29/11/2023 13:22

I said I thought it was April. Illegal now in Wales though. Not sure about Scotland.

So there's a few weeks left where you're able to buy and use, though it's a grim prospect and you really shouldn't be using them just because you can.

Advice is to frequently check the humane traps.

fingerguns · 29/11/2023 13:34

We had a wild mouse* about a year ago. The only thing that would catch it was one of those long tunnel humane traps with nuts at the end of it. The trap needs to be alongside a wall or counter as they won't go for something that's in the middle of the room.

Turns out there wasn't one mouse, but seven! I got rid of them all in four days. Each one I took to the park down the road to release.

Good luck!

*I'm petty sure it was a wild mouse because of the colouring of its fur.

ItsBarbieBitchhhh · 29/11/2023 13:38

Mademetoxic · 29/11/2023 13:01

Sorry but if you think it's stressful think how the poor mouse feels being glued to that and dying a terrible, stressful death.

It's barbaric.

They're illegal for a reason.

Show quote history

You can’t convince me to give a toss as I genuinely couldn’t care less.

Illegal? So did I go on the black market to purchase glue traps? No, I didn’t. Pest controllers are also using them so I wonder just how illegal they are

parsleyred · 29/11/2023 13:44

You can’t convince me to give a toss as I genuinely couldn’t care less.

What an appalling attitude. They won't be available for people like you to use soon, fortunately.

Squirrelsbite · 29/11/2023 13:52

Please don’t use glue traps unless you are going to finish it off yourself
they are cruel

sunglassesonthetable · 29/11/2023 14:02

But they don't tend to survive if they're released miles from their territory. People think they're going to live a Disney woodland life but they generally just die.

As I said before I don't there is a "nice" way to do this.

Poison, a fierce JR, a cat who tosses them around a bit before they die, a snapping trap. It's all pretty grim.

But so be it. I still don't want them around.

Evaka · 29/11/2023 14:14

I had a nightmare with a big, dark house mouse (quite rat like) a few years ago. It was running in and out of the bathroom and our bedroom most nights. I'm fucking terrified of rodents and honestly lost my mind so I have huge sympathy, OP. Pest control did nowt. In the end got sonic plug in devices for every room and I stuffed steel wool in every crack and crevice. I then masking taped every open millimeter in the skirting/kick boards, gaps behind rads etc. Heard our guest scratching the tape one night but he couldn't get through, then we had a bit a smell for a few days and never saw/heard from him or his crew again. Presume he croaked it in the wall. Got a rangey rescue tomcat last year as extra insurance. I sleep much better since.

VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 29/11/2023 14:21

Scruffington · 29/11/2023 13:21

But they don't tend to survive if they're released miles from their territory. People think they're going to live a Disney woodland life but they generally just die.

Show quote history

It depends on the territory they are from and go to

truetruebarneymcgrew · 29/11/2023 14:42

If it's very clever make friends with it, and then remind it gently that friends and family are like fish lovely when first arrived but go off quite quickly, and give it a teeny tiny suitcase with a peanut and a crumb of cheese whilst you wave it off.