Getting rid of rats/mice (merged threads)

Dan-Dan

I keep finding the odd log in ours

kwmlondon

Can you keep a cat in your bathroom?

KeepCalmCarryOn

To Lonestarfan,

We've found the most effective way is snap traps with some peanut butter inside to tempt them in. Not the nicest way to get rid of mice, and we did try humane traps at first but they didn't work and now I just want rid! The most important thing though is to find out how they're getting in or at least block up every possible way you can find. It's not an easy task as the mice can fit through gaps the size of a pencil, but the best thing is to block up any entry then deal with the ones already in. We were out last night filling up air brick holes with wire wool and small holes in the wall and around pipes with filler. Good luck, our count is 10 dead so far!

Rev

I'm terrified of mice. I mean truly terrified of them. Just the thought of them makes me feel ill.

So you can imagine my reaction when I saw one sat bold as brass on top of a chair in my living room last week. Whilst one of my two cats sat snoozing less than a foot away.

My dog spotted it and chased it off. Called the council there and then only to be told my area is only covered on a Tuesday, fair enough.

Mean while I blitzed the entire house. Came down from doing the bedrooms to find a soggy dead mouse in the middle of the living room. The dog attempting to use it as a toy.

Didn't find any droppings etc whilst cleaning and waited for the council. Bloke turns up Tuesday. Puts down two black boxes and says he'll be back in a week. Couldn't have been less interested.

Again last night dog takes off and sure enough there's another mouse running about the back room.

Called a local pest control firm today. They were out within the hour. Four visits for £80. There's now more poison in my house than a poison shop. Three different types. Trays under things the cats/dogs can't get too. Boxes in areas they can. He went room to room to find any possible entrance points. Told me how to patch them with cement or wire wool etc.

I also have the ultrasonic plug ins. I know they might be crap but it can't hurt can it.

My cats are useless ha! My dog is happy to give chase though.

But Non of this is helping my nerves. I suffer from severe anxiety that I am on medication for. But I've slept about three hours since Friday. My nerves are utterly shot. I can't settle. The slightest noise and I'm having a panic attack. And I feel absolutely pathetic for it. They're tiny. They're obviously going to be more scared of me. But I just can't settle.

Fingers crossed this pest control treatment gets the problem sorted.

Sorry for the essay. Just needed a bit of a vent.

Sterlingtimes

Progress. We had the large laurel bush cut down that led up to the loft. I filled in all the holes around the house. Then installed an electronic rodent repeller.

Last week, the rodent man from Solihull Counsel came and determined that our problem was limited to mice (thank goodness). He placed Neosorexa poison in the loft. Today, he revisited. The poison has not been touched. He concluded that we no longer had a problem. Cost £50. Good result!

noelphobic

I've got a mouse infestation for the third time (that I know of). We usually manage to get rid of them (although it takes weeks) but on average they are coming back every 2-3 years.

I'm absolutely terrified of them and would move house if I could! My son has a cat that he can't keep any more - long story - and I'm wondering if I should take it on and if it will get rid of the problem.

I'm absolutely terrified of mice and this totally disrupts my life every time and I would love to solve the problem for good.

noelphobic

lonestarfan wrote: »

Has anyone used the peppermint and found it to be effective?

Yes I've used it, no I haven't found it effective!

The first time I was going to try it i couldn't get the essential oil so I got peppermint essence instead. I soaked cotton wool pads in it and left them in the kitchen, close to where I'd seen them. I came home from work and the cotton wool pads had gone - they must have taken them for their nest!

I've since used the peppermint oil but now have mice again!

noelphobic

Has anyone used this and can recommend them? Are they really pet safe?

Thinking of getting a cat but don't know if it will be a good mouser and don't want to kill the cat!

Wolfsbane2k

Hi.

We just moved into a house that's next to a nature reserve, but have discovered that there are mice in the loft insulation due to scratching sounds, and have caught 4 to date. We only got 10cm currently installed, but it's very badly laid, and has numerous runs/gaps in it.

I've had a brief dig around, and it appears to be difficult to tell between old nest and poos vs new poos. A professional has popped in, given a quote for a 30 day course of bait &poisions, but suggested that it will be a yearly occurrence unless we find how they are getting in, which could be from anywhere in the eaves/under the tiles.

So, I'm thinking of removing all the existing contaminated insulation and boarding to remove all old signs, fixing mice wire around the soffits/eaves, and then calling for free insulation from British gas, and boarding it out again but ensuring that its all been wired off properly. That way, if they do get in, they can't get into the insulation, and trapping them on the boards (with mousr wire over it) should be significantly easier!

Has anyone done similar and been successfully in getting free installation?

We're about to get an energy assessment done, so that will suggest a top up anyway but its not currently enough to count.

What's the best way to get rid of old insulation anyway? Tip?

Gloomendoom

I had exactly the same problem a few years ago. I got the people that laid the new insulation to take the old stuff away. They charged me £60 which I thought was an absolute bargain.

Good luck getting rid of the mice. I couldn't and have had to redo the insulation since.