Mouse in kitchen, help!

[WiltshireGirl]

I hope this is the right forum?

I saw a mouse the other day on my kitchen workserface, tried catching it but it was too fast and zoomed behind my fridge freezer. Apart from putting a humane trap down, whats the best way of keping them out of the kitchen?

Don't leave food lying around.

You have to find the hole they’re coming in from and block it. Use wire wool.
Also traps and poison. Old fashioned traps are apparently the best but I had no luck with them. Put the poison somewhere that children and pets can’t get to.
Hit them from every angle.

Call rentokil. Get the professionals in.

You don't need professionals. Get some mouse traps and block up every hole you see. Sadly even though you've only seen one in the kitchen there will probably be more. My experience was them originating from the house next door where the students had ignored a mouse infestation for a year. They came through a tiny hole in the under stars cupboard. I never leave food out or so I thought but did find they'd chewed over a bag of potatoes in a cupboard. Not to make you feel worse but once I scoured the house I found they'd been in every single room ( five bedrooms, two bathrooms, two reception) and we hadn't seen a thing. It took me three days to get rid of them

'Don't leave food lying around.'

I always brush plates off after having toast on them into the bin.

'You have to find the hole they’re coming in from and block it. Use wire wool. '

I think they could be coming up from my neighbours flat who lives down below me. There's holes round the pipe of my boiler in the kitchen. If I put wire wool round that will it do any damage?

Where can I get wire wool from?

I have sprayed Dettol on the work surface and put everything in tins and air tight boxes. I keep bread in the freezer, so I hope mice can't climb up those?

'Call rentokil. Get the professionals in.'

I rang up my housing association and they say It's my problem. My stupid neighbour has ignored a mouse infestation and let it get out of control, and won't do anything about the problem.

So far I've put a door stopper and a towel under the kitchen door.

If everything is in airtight containers, they will probably look for food elsewhere. They can smell through packets and will be tempted by a fruit bowl.
You can buy wire wool in shops like Wilko. It's probably labelled 'Steel Wool'. I'd get a trap. Not a humane one

I ripped up brillo pads to fill in any gaps. And expanding foam around pipes that could have external gaps.

Traps with the hole/catching bit against the wall so that the mouse doesn't avoid it. Mice tend to run around the edges of a room. Use chocolate or peanut butter for bait if using a humane trap.

The only traps that worked for us (field mice coming in at harvest) were the humane ones that are huge and are basically a ramp that hinges one way so the mouse can't get out.

If you catch a live mouse you need to dispose of it a long way away or it will come back.

If you're in an urban area, get traps that kill.

Disinfect all worktop and floors. They urinate as they walk and run.

Could you get a cat?

I got my wire wool from B&Q or Home Base, excellent stuff I used garden gloves to stuff all holes I had in my house.

Good luck.

My mum has had mice under her house for years. She has made sure that no food is accessible by nibble by using airtight containers and wiping down surfaces religiously. They don’t bother her now.

I live in an urban area, but not far from the countryside. Our Homebase has gone up the swanny, but I'll try B & Q for the steel wool, it shouldn't damage the boiler pipes should it?

.Disinfect all worktop and floors. They urinate as they walk and run.

I've sprayed it down with Dettol.

I can't get a cat as I live by a main road, and the housing association won't allow it.

Will peppermint scare them off?

These worked for me - with the added bonus of not getting any ants in the kitchen over summer as well.

www.amazon.co.uk/Electronic-Mice-Repellent-Ultrasonic-Ware-House/dp/B075CKFL73?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1&tag=mumsnetforum-21

Interesting, can they work on mice?

Mice were the reason I got it! And yes, it worked for me, the mouse packed its bags and left within a day or two or plugging them in 🐀

Ok I might try that, does it have a light on, and is it noisy?

The light changes colour when it is emitting the noise, but it doesn't illuminate the room at all. If the room is completely silent you can hear a faint hum when it's doing its thing, but most times I don't notice it and when I do it's not irritating.

You can easily sort this yourself if you have the wherewithal but I am wondering! In view of your lack of experience, I really would get in pest control. Not Rentakill too expensive. Most local councils will do a paid for service. They will put down poison, identify the entrance, give you good advice and follow up. It really is your best bet if you didn't know what you are doing.

It's too bad about no cat because ours solved our mouse problem in about a fortnight after she came to us. That said, I think you can buy some sort of cat scent that you cannot smell but mice can and it will put them off.

I never heard of cat scent :)

Maybe it was lions (big cats). Either way I sympathise. Mouse problems are really annoying.

I hate going into the kitchen, in case I see it.

Mice are tiny and harmless. Don't be scared. Could you borrow a cat?

Not really, I'm not allowed cats in the property. Not scared of mice, its the thought they carry diseases and nibble cables. I'll have to get my house fumigated because of hoarding neighbour who won't do a thing about it.

Could you complain to the landlord/freehold management?