Oh no! Panic stations here!

[AdaColeman]

Oh no! What to do?......
I must have a mouse in the house.

Last night I had left a melon out to ripen a bit, but today it's got a little bit nibbled off!!
What to do? How to get rid of it? Traps or poison or call Rentokill? I don't think the Local Council will help.

Though I'm in quite a rural place, I've never had this problem before, so any advice would be very welcome, before I burn the house down.

Borrow a cat

@RomanRoysSearchHistory beat me to it!

Mousetrap and cotton wool balls soaked in peppermint oil, put these anywhere you think they may be getting in

Except my cat, as he actually fetches mice INto the house as 'presents' 😂

At some point you will spot it. When that happens, put on your gardening gloves, corner it, pick it up (or trap it with a tupperware box). It may play dead at this point but don't be fooled! Name it whatever you like (we prefer names like Alan and Timothy) and take it outside. Give it a little stroke and send it on its way.

Life capture mousetrap with peanut butter, if you don't want to kill them and put them out well away from the house. And find where they are getting in and block the holes.

Thanks for all the ideas everyone, I'll be trying them all out. Well, except the cat, as I don't know anyone with a cat!

Any other ideas welcome, has anyone tried the high frequency electronic deterents?

Just giving this a bump to see if anyone has used the ultra sonic deterrents with success.

Yes. But if you cant use them if you have pets.

There are mice and rats everywhere, funnily enough the amount increased the more rural you get. If you don't leave food out they've got no reason to come looking. Find out where they're coming in and block it up.

@MrsPerfect12
That's alright, as I don't have any pets.

My cat is always bringing in mice. I've become pretty skilled at managing to catch them under a big bowl now if I spot one. If not a trap with peanut butter does the job.

I understand they aren't for everyone but a good old fashioned snap trap is the way to go.

I don't think the deterrent things work, they get pretty bad reviews usually.

Trouble is what they think is food includes electrical wiring, clothes, cuddly toys and anything else they can get into.

Put mouse traps once it seems you have caught (them) find where they are coming in . Fill the holes with wire wool and expanding foam.. check for holes outside the house to.

Check under your kickboards in the kitchen . Fill in any holes you find even if tiny with wire wool and expanding foam. Inside and outside.

Use wire mesh with really tiny holes. Or over lap . Needs to be so a pencil can't get through . On any air vent again Inside abd outside. Also wire wool and expanding foam around any piping that gos in/out of the house

If it is a house mouse and you release it close to the property it will probably find it's way back inside. If you take it further away it will probably get eaten within a short time. House mice have developed no survival skills for the world outside.

Ours are largely field mice or rats that find their way in. If they come back we will take them out again. And if something eats them, that's nature. At least they are not dying and festering or chewing wires in the house.

Electronic deterrent worked great for me in the garage... within 3 days all gone.. and there had been quite a few! ..never to return..
Best £20 ever spent!

Block any holes you find with wire wool.
Cats are no guarantee of a mouse free environment. We have lived in our house since 1998. Got 2 cats in 2018. In the last 2 years we've had mice intermittently but had been mouse free for 24 years. The cats have caught quite a few but not all.

If your house has air bricks make sure the hole aren't too large. We fixed fine gauge wire mesh onto ours. We keep all food in containers and sweep up any crumbs every day.
Many house in our road have had similar problems in the last 2 years.

Thanks so much for replying everyone, I really appreciate all your advice and thoughts. I live alone, and I'll have to deal with it myself, so it's helpful to get a range of ideas.
Thank you once again.

@itsgoingtobeabumpyride
Reminds me when I visited a friend and reeled back at the smell of peppermint. I said to her "Blimey, you have overdone it in the teeth brushing department!". That is when she mentioned a mouse!