Best way to get rid of mice

[PinkHat1]

Hi,

On Saturday evening whilst relaxing in my living room, I discovered a mouse darting across the living room floor. After hiding behind my bookcase for a few minutes it left the room and headed towards my cellar. Ive put a trap there with peanut butter as advised but it hadn't touched all weekend.

I know it's cold and mice usually end up finding their way into homes during the cold weather but I'm on a mission to keep mice out of my house - they freak me out!!

I'm pretty sure the mice come from my cellar (I saw it jump down a few stairs and slide between the bricks of the foundation of the house in the cellar wall)

I've blocked up every hole I can see in my home and got a few traps in the cellar but I'm looking for tips on how best to stop them getting in my house. Should I put poison in my cellar - would that work? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

Keep dried or unpackaged food in eye level cupboards and get a cat.

Although after sorting out our mouse problem, the cat now brings them in from the park to play with. So swings and roundabouts...

Rentokil

You saw the mouse exit point. Block it, and any the same, with wire wool.

I would go with pest control. They are persistent buggers.

mothballs near holes - mice hate naphtha
or any strongish scent eg Olbas oil
it will soon disperse as will the mice
cat never stopped our mice

Yy to strong smells. Eucalyptus essential oil, peppermint essential oil. They loathe the smell.

You can get mice repellers which plug in.

I use the plug in things, They don't work brilliantly. Traps can work, or poison or get a cat. Keep food and water secured away. Block up holes. Bleach surfaces to stop their smell.

I should have mentioned I'm allergic to cats so that wouldn't work. But thanks for all your suggestions really helpful.

Poison. Lots of little baits along walls, under kitchen units, inside units, behind and under cooker. I use bright-red extra-small flowerpot saucers.

Fill them up every day until they stay full.

Meanwhile, clean and disinfect all your kitchen cupboards, put food in biscuit-tins or sealed plastic crates.

Put pet dishes down on a plastic tray and take up and wash after feeds. Sweep or wipe up all food spills and drips. Clean the oven of any fat traces.

I have 4 cats, and mice.....:)

my cats used to bring me RATS

Your better off getting in Rentokil as they put down loads of poison and if you bought that much it would cost you more doing it yourself, they come a couple of times. I didn't know how mine were getting in so got one of those plug in things after they had gone - not had any more that was 3 years ago.

I blocked every hole I could find, including under kitchen cupboards. It worked for me. I only got mice during a period when I didn't have a cat and there has been no recurrence since I got one.

Old fashioned mouse traps -bait with peanut butter or chocolate. (I started with peanut butter but they didn't seem keen, although that has worked well in the past then moved on to using up the chocolate coins left over from Christmas).

I caught 14 in two days in our larder last week, despite having stored all food in tins/plastic boxes (as per Pigletjohn). They had obviously nested in the gap between the ceiling and upstairs, (we kept hearing scratching and then squeaks) and when the babies were big enough to venture out they all started appearing.

I have tried to block all holes with wire wool, but we live in an old converted barn, with beams and holes everywhere so I am bound to have missed some.

I was actually relieved they were mice - from the noise they had been making I had feared they were rats.

Most of us have to learn to deal with mice ourselves, as ongoing house maintenance, really. They're like dandruff, or eczema, or hangnails...you sort the issue out, forget about it.

Then it comes back.

Double and triple check and block holes. If you're sure you've got all the holes consider mesh over your air bricks.

mice are not good. for the first time ever since i was 7 years old, i saw a mouse dart across my 1st floor landing - nowhere near kitchen. should i still disinfect the kitchen cupboards? Is anti bac spray ok?

pigletjohn - do the mice die in your house once they've taken the poison or where do they end up?!

They seem to go back to their nests to die. Once or twice I found dried bodies in the garage. I think they get into the garage when the big door is open in summer, then climb a plumbing duct to the kitchen. I now keep baits in the garage, and behind the kitchen units, so probably they take bait as soon as they get in, and before they have time to set up a family home.

Mice dribble wee all the time, so they will follow the scent of a track another mouse has found, so cleaning and disinfecting in and under cupboards and points of access reduces the number that will follow.

I have learned to keep packet foods in tins or in wall cabinets and rarely see mouse traces now, but check and refill the bait saucers from time to time.