HELP - think we've got mice/rats?!?!

[blossom2]

we found 2 half eaten potatos at one corner of the kitchen this morning - no idea how they got there and we dont have any pets.

how do i know we've got mice/rats and what can we do to get rid of them???

any advice would be greatly appreciated... thank you

Most local Councils offer a free ratting service - we had them last year and are now gone gone gone!! Hurrah!

DH set up the camcorder in the kitchen last night an caught sight of our RAT - god its huge. its really creepy as well so off to get rat poison this afternoon. also going to call the council on monday to see what they can do ...

I hate rats! did we get rats because our house is messy at the moment ?? or just one of those 'luck' things ...

Aloha: It wasn't my DS, honest! !

Tip for those of you catching mice in traps: put the trap on a big sheet of newspaper, then it's easy just to wrap the paper all round it and take whole lot to bin. More importantly, occasionally, the death is a bit messier, and this stops mouse blood being smeared all over your kitchen floor.

Blossomhill - really sorry to hear about your rat. I had one in my old house. They are really wary of traps, and I never caught one in a trap. Poison is v effective, but has one bad side effect. The rats go away to a corner to die - probably under the floor somewhere, and you can end up with a horrible smell and flies. sorry - but prepare yourself. Doesn't last long.

Sorry, Blossom, not 'hill'.

And no, it's not the state of your house!
It's the cold weather and shortage of food. Do you live near a railway embankment, or fields / barns? Outdoor rats often come in in the wonter - the young rats from the summer that haven't learned to survive out doors yet. that's what the council pest man told me.

no deffo not the state of your house

ours came in from under the floor up theough a hole that had electrical cables up theough

they chewed it bigger and came in to get the crisps

there was no reason for them to come into ours cos they didn't go anywhere else apeart from into the cupboard and under it

the council blue blocks will work cos they like the taste

and MARS BARS

We've had success in the past with slices of banana in traps for mice.

HTH

isn't there some statistic that says that in the UK you're never more than 5m from a rat

shudder

anyway we too have mice (seen it)

anyone know anything about humane mouse traps?

our mice came in through an air block. we have to wait till the pest man comes back in 3 weeks to check the poison and then cover all the air blocks with mesh to stop them coming back in. am now crapping myself a rat will come in and join the party too...

I am so pissed off with my cat for being so useless! he is scared of mice!

How's it going Blossom - any resolution yet???

2 more in the traps this evening.

mazzystar - they've got humane traps in Homebase, sorry don't know how much, but they are like a square tunnel that the mouse goes into and the door shuts behind it so it can't get out. The only problem is where do you let it go? As it's probably a homing mouse and it'll come back!

well, DH put out rat poison out last night so its lets wait, hope & see.

it just makes me feel creepy, especially with the girls and the idea of a rat dying in the hse somewhere just makes me cringe ... yuck ...

thinking about getting a cat!