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?

[Primaryteach87]

We have CO2 traps. V child safe and humane death for mice.

[ppeatfruit]

Buglife Have you read the thread? because the strong soapy smells WORK, I spray them Wex is doing it . You do have to re do them a bit but the mice hate strong sweet, soapy CLEAN smells They just go away!!! IT WORKS, HONEST !!!!!!!

[SealSong]

Try one of <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005GKCFV6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">these. Worked for me.

[PenelopeFlintstone]

That mouse was a bit unlucky. I have Big Cheese traps and it's very, very often one snap and not a single movement afterwards. Very rarely will get them by a leg though.....

[madeleinecreek]

I heard a radio four show about humane mouse traps the other day (six months ago probably!) and basically there is no humane way to get rid of mice as even the humane ones are distressing to the mouse as they get very stressed while trapped and you can't really release them instantly every time.

You can't live with mice and young children. The snap traps are the least worst option, despite what you heard.

[Buglife]

Oh God, Just heard one of the traps snap and then lots of noise as if the mouse was flapping around and bucking about. Only lasted about 30 seconds but I feel awful about it. I wish I could get rid of them in any other way. But I agree with a PP that in a Victorian house filling up all the possible holes is just not realistically going to work and it's been 4 months of mice now. I'm going to go in the dining room and deal with the poor mouse now... I might have to splash out on the plug thing and hope that helps because I really don't like killing them at all.

[Wex]

I don't have any oil but maybe zoflora ? Mothballs keep their smell for ages, I might try some in the roof.

[Buglife]

Four snappy traps put out and one poor little mousy caught this morning. I got the plastic Big Cheese ones and it was non gory and I hope fast. Felt horrible looking at it with its lovely soft fur. I'm not scared of mice or dislike them really, just can't be done with the droppings everywhere anymore.

[ppeatfruit]

Well Wex you can buy room sprays, I do use those when I haven't got any essential oils left (or money for them ) . I make my own with water in old spray 100 ml. bottles and add 10 drops of mint or other strong essential oils, like lemon or orange. What you like really. It's good to change them too.

[Wex]

What are the sprays ppeat?

[ppeatfruit]

Try the sweet smelling sprays where they've been Bluntness Poor little mice Then they won't die they just won't come to your house HONEST, it happens immediately .

The plug ins take quite a time to work though.

[Bluntness100]

I've just ordered one of those plug in units w previous poster advised. We get little field mice. I've used the poison traps from rentokil and they do work but they keep coming back, we are also rural and it drives me nuts.

The other morning I got up early and went into the living room and one was casually walking across the living room floor. Ffs. So cue more traps. Hopefully the plug in unit deters them.

[ppeatfruit]

Well I have managed to get rid of them in the attic with the sprays. Our cat did well downstairs killing the mice and I have put down the moth repellents near any holes in our utility room to stop them, it has worked, we have an ancient old stone house so there'e no way to block holes !

[Girlwhowearsglasses]

You need a cat. We have one and the mice scarpered the moment he arrived. No dead mice now for four years.

If you see one mouse that means a colony of dozens. You will never get rid unless your Victorian house has been really extensively renovated with no holes.

Mice laugh in the face of expanding foam. In a Georgian flat I used to sit in the evening listening to them eating the bloody stuff.. If you are unlucky enough to have rats concrete with broken glass in it is all that you can seal holes with.

Sorry.

😻😼😸

[ppeatfruit]

They don't affect cats, but they're not totally successful with our 'visitors' in the attic. I go for the 2 pronged attack , I use them and the sweet smelly sprays\moth balls.

[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?

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[AshesandDust]

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

[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...

[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.

[7SunshineSeven7]

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

[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.