Mice at Work!!

[Amyyy27]

I'm 6 weeks pregnant and found mice droppings in envelopes I have been handling all morning. I have washed my hands and used hand sanitiser but freaking out.

The same thing happened in my last pg which ended in mmc. I work in a really small office in a very old building above a café and although the mice seemed to have gone through the winter it looks like they are back.

All that was done last time was to put some poison down. They weren't really bothered about the mice or me being pregnant.

I am extra cautious with this pregnancy after mmc last year and don't want to put my baby at risk. On the other hand I want to cause as little fuss as possible as I am hoping to change jobs and the job I have almost been accepted for will be asking for a reference for me in the very near future.

Any advice?

Well, depends how much fuss you want to make. If they're in a room above a cafe, they're in the cafe, full stop. So it's worth working together with the cafe to get it fixed properly ( they are more likely what's attracting them than an office.)

So, if you want to really get it fixed, work with the cafe. If they don't want to do that, report to environmental health. Don't eat from the cafe, or have tea there. They have a mouse problem. Any good food retailer would be falling over themselves to rid the whole building if mice, so that isn't a good sign on what their General hygeine is like.,

If you're looking just for tips to quietly protect your own health then...

Mice get everywhere, and pee constantly. They then track that pee over anything they walk on. If you can poke a pencil through a hole, a mouse can get in. No cupboard is safe. Poison does sod all these days as many are resistant.

Assume all surfaces are moused. If you have teabags of food in a cupboard, bin it. Bring in metal or plastic tubes to keep teabags/snacks in. Wash all plates and cups in hot soapy water before using. Wash your hands before eating.

The chances of you actually getting ill from exposure in your office is very low - but this will help put your mind at rest hopefully!

Thanks very much for your reply.

We aren't on great terms with the café. We had to report them before after they refused to pay for their bins to be emptied which led to an infestation of fruit flies. They were everywhere in our office! I certainly would never eat anything from there.

I was considering reporting them anonymously for mice and hoping something would be done for the whole building?

I have bought anti-bac wipes and have hand sanitiser to use and hoping that will keep me as safe as can be under the circs.

Thanks for the reassurance :)

Yes, you can report to your local council's environmental health team. Make sure they know it's affected the whole building. They won't come out for just your office ( they don't do that any more, you gave to pay) but they should investigate a cafe or restaurant. Mice on a commercial food premises would be taken seriously. It's really grim, isn't it?

One thing - you are better with soap and water than antibacterial wipes to be honest - they don't all zap viruses. Just hot soapy water and a good scrub is the best thing for it.

I used to work with lab mice so I'm sure I've been exposed to everything under the sun! I have a lot of respect and affection for the little critters, but I don't want them in my home or anywhere I eat!

Fingers crossed for the new job!