The Mice must die

[Buglife]

Having never had them before, we have had mice in our understairs cupboard and possibly behind the oven the last few months. They chew things and poop everywhere, obviously, as mice do. We tried humane traps, caught 2, then they managed to chew their way out of one sadly. They don't get at the food cupboards as they can't get in but I am getting droppings on the worktops and DH has just found a tie he accidentally left in that cupboard has been chewed. They need to go, but I have a 2 year old so can only use poison in the boxes you can't get in and also I am not keen on the snappy ones in case he gets them or also don't want him seeing dead mangled mice. What's the best way of getting rid?

[DrDreReturns]

Ive always gone with the snappy traps. But it would be tricky with a toddler around. The dead mice aren't too mangled in my experience! If you use poison they can die in wall cavities and decompose which is grim.

[JellyWitch]

We got a cat. We specifically asked the shelter for a good mouser with a proven track record with small kids (DD was only 6 months at the time) and she has been both those.

We do have to tidy up the bits of mouse from the front door step as she is an awesome hunter and we don't have a cat flap for that reason! The mice have long since decamped from the kitchen though.

[JellyWitch]

The kids really aren't squeamish about dead whole or part mice. They find them fascinating!

[Janey50]

Borrow someone's cat for a week. Never fails!

[specialsubject]

Screwfix snappy traps - quick, easy to empty and humane. The dead mice don't look mangled.

[monkeyfacegrace]

I caught 7 in one night with snaps, then got bored of emptying them and still listening to the little furry fuckers running across my ceilings.

So I bought poison, and mixed it into Nutella. Put it on squares of cardboard begins kick boards, in attic, behind bath panel so the dog or kids cannot physically get to it.

Two days later....peace at last. Until next time

[insan1tyscartching]

Try one of <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/PestBye-Advanced-Whole-House-Repellent/dp/B005GKCFV6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1485891518&sr=8-4&keywords=sonic%20mouse%20repellent&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">these they work miracles. We would get rats in the loft every winter but couldn't find how they got in. Bought this and within a month they had left home and haven't been back an added bonus is that it seems to deter spiders as well as we've had none of those either.

[everythingis]

Fill the holes!! We had traps everywhere for months but until we got a handyman to fill every tiny little hole they were still getting everywhere.

[Buglife]

That's my worry about the poison boxes, they all mention that the mice will go away and die in their nest... but what if I don't find the nest and they all stink the house out?! I am a bit squeamish about the idea of the snappy traps but thinking about it it's a much quicker death than poison isn't it? I don't want to cause suffering! But it's silly, I was wiping up some poo from the table and DH said 'are these mice just our pets now?' And I realised that I really do have to kill them. Maybe poison and snappy traps! Also I have to hunt for holes they might be getting in I suppose, although that sounds like a tricky one.

[MrsderPunkt]

Buy a dozen traps and set them at night when the toddler is in bed or in places that s/he has no access. Poison would be worse for a child than a nipped finger.

[Buglife]

It's a Victorian house so there may be loads of holes I suppose! Would expanding foam be the best plan?

[jazzandh]

I bought a rentokill trap from amazon (with green bait/poison) and the mouse died in the trap. I think they die really quickly with them....

<a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/d/Home-Kitchen/Rentokil-PSF135-Fast-Action-Mouse-Killer-Pack/B000TAY2HI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485892474&sr=8-1&keywords=rentokil%20mouse%20trap&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">these

I just removed the trap plus dead mouse.

[Buglife]

Insan1ty I was dubious about those working, but I do have a plug socket directly next to the cupboard so if it does work it would very much drive them out! I have ordered two Rentokil poison boxes after talking to DH and I think I'll clear the cupboard floor to put them down. I've had a look and my box of wrapping paper and present bags has been a bit shredded so I think they must nest in there somewhere. They are such little fuckers, DH left some butter out and the next morning it was nibbles and you could see the little mouse teeth marks all over it! So I clearly have obese mice.

[Buglife]

Jazzandh those are the ones I got! Good to know they work. I kid myself there's one, maybe 2 mice tops, but there might be loads for all I know.

[averylongtimeago]

We have had mice (and rats) a number lots of times over the years. The neighbouring farms cats die, or they relax their pest control and bam! Population explosion.

First : See if you can see where they are getting in. A mouse can squeeze through a hole the diameter of a pencil......look round air bricks, at the side of drain pipes, round the skirting boards, at the side of pipes under the sink, pull out your oven. Block the holes with cement, they will chew through wood or plastic.
Next: Mice have a regular "run" , see if you can see it, they are dirty buggers so it will look grubby.
Put down lots of snappy traps, under the oven, behind the plinth of kitchen units anywhere there is evidence.
If you use live traps, unless you take them miles away, they just come back.
If you use poison, they will die horrible deaths, usually under your floorboards or in the cavity wall and speaking from personal experience, the smell is absolutely revolting and lasts ages.

Don't worry about the traps mangling them, the "snap"' snaps down on the back and breaks the spine, instant death. The mouse stays whole, little or no blood.

[7SunshineSeven7]

I heard mice don't like peppermint. Get some extract and put a few drops around.

[insan1tyscartching]

We had rats in the loft, Rentokil got rid of them but we got more I think because they were coming via our neighbour's loft and she was too tight to pay rentokil. Plugged it in as a last resort tbh, really didn't believe it would work but within a fortnight they had gone and haven't been back and it's three months now. It does warn that if they have a nest and babies they will stick it out until babies have weaned so don't panic if the effect isn't immediate. Ours is plugged in on first floor and rats were in loft so it doesn't have to be in the same room.

[averylongtimeago]

Just seen your comment about expanding foam - they love it, chomp straight through.
Oh, you won't just have got 2 mice. They can have up to 10 litters a year, of an average of 8 per litter...

[AshesandDust]

Quick way to fill holes, use Brillo type pads - the mice can't chew through the metal.

[Buglife]

I put the Rentokil boxes out, next day the poison bits showed nibble marks but no dead mice... so I'm going on a dead mouse hunt. I've decided that if I'm going to kill I should just get the snappy traps and be done with it. I don't like the thought of poison death and having to hunt the mice out.

[PenelopeFlintstone]

Even the 'One Feed Kills' poisons still take several days to take effect so you probably won't find any dead mice yet. I read this on a box once and was horrified!
That's why I changed to traps inside (red and white 'Big Cheese' brand, if their available near you), and poison outside (we are rural).
I didn't want them to keep coming in for blue 'food' until they died.
Your mice will be looking for water now - fridge overflow, dog's water bowl, etc.

[ppeatfruit]

DO NOT IGNORE 7sunshine7 We have ,had, all sorts in our attic. I control them all with using ess oil sprays (or any strong room sprays ) I hate them but I hate mice\rats\ferrets, or whatever was waking me up and eating the beams in our attic, more It needs to be done every 3 days or so till they get the idea IT WORKS.

So I spray at any point where there are cracks in the ceiling in wardrobe ceilings etc. (they HATE strong smells) so they don't die they just go somewhere else where there are no smells

[ppeatfruit]

We are also rural. Though we had them in Nth. London and used those sound plugs which sort of work but are fairly horrible. (they burst their ear drums)

I prefer the sprays and or you can put down moth balls (they hate camphor type smells too). Obviously not where your kids can get them.

[Wex]

We've had them many times in the roof and the council pest control were great.
This week there has been a mouse in the living room. I found nibbled bits.
We have a useless cat so snappy traps not an option but I did manage to buy a lockable box with a snappy trap inside it. Not caught anything yet though.
Does anyone no if those sonic things affect cats?