Getting rid of rats/mice (merged threads)

Dan83

We had mice a few years ago, 1st thing I done was told the other half to stop feed the birds. Buy some traps, I used peanut butter to bait them, don't use poison in the house. Check all over the house for where they could be getting in, then fill any holes you find.

whitesatin

For some reason we have had mice during past winters, eating through washing machine rubber hose twice, nibbling packets of dry food etc. We got a company in to put boxes down, block possible entrances etc. But in anticipation of getting them again as winter approaches, we need to decide whether to get the same company in to put down boxes again (expensive) or is this something we can do for ourselves?

Every dry item of food is now in lock n lock containers but I really don't want them in the house again this year.

Ebe_Scrooge

For a permanent fix you need to find out where they're getting in, and block their access. However, this is usually easier said than done.


Failing that, I personally favour a simple old-fashioned trap, baited with peanut butter ( yes, really ! ). It always works well for me. Of course, you have the slightly ikky job of checking it every few days and disposing of the corpse; but it's a cheap and effective method. Buy 2 or 3 traps and place them wherever you see signs of the little blighters ( droppings, signs of nibbling, etc. ).


When I had mice in my loft I did this. Caught about 2 mice a day, every day, for a week or so, then no more. I can only assume I'd killed the whole family or whatever.


Alternatively, get a cat


<Edit> These are the traps I've got in my loft : http://www.screwfix.com/p/pest-stop-sure-set-plastic-mousetraps-2-pack/70203


I bought them from a local independant hardware shop, but you'll be able to get them anywhere. Cheap and very effective.

suki1964

As above, you need to find where they are entering and block it, filling the gap with wire wall before cementing over

If you can slide a 50p through a gap, a mouse can get in

Our came in via the boiler pipes from the garage to the hot press, then through the house

Traps along their runs are the best, loaded with peanut butter or Nutella

You can buy poison and put it down yourself making sure no pets or children can get to it.

Keep the kitchen spotless. Keep all opened food in containers and wipe all work surface and clean the floor daily. A crumb is a feast to a mouse

If you hear them in the attic, put trays of poison up there and keep checking, removing any dead and refilling the bait till you hear no more

martinthebandit

Another vote here for using your own traps, although the mice that came in here last year seem to prefer a piece of mars bar*


*This has nothing whatsoever to do with the person who set the traps not liking peanut butter or Nutella but quite liking having to eat most of the mars bar whenever resetting the traps.

FreeBear

suki1964 wrote: »

Traps along their runs are the best, loaded with peanut butter or Nutella

The little blighters usually run alongside walls and cupboard bases. So position the traps against the walls in such a way as they will be triggered as soon as a mouse runs across it. Quite often, you don't even need to put any bait down.

When plugging gaps/holes, don't use anything soft that can be chewed. Some coarse steel wool with a top coating of filler works quite well.

wellused

As for mice getting in I have heard that they can get through a hole which you can get a pencil through, block holes with wire wool as they can chew through wood or plaster filler e,t,c,

nkkingston

Heard a nasty little scrabble scratching at 6am this morning We moved into our house in August, and I've always had a suspicions it's the sort of place that could get mice - Victorian terrace with a single skin of bricks, a cellar and an attic, and neighbours who've taken over a month to figure out bin day! - so I've been sleeping with one ear open, so to speak. Unless the neighbours just happen to have bought a hamster, which they're keeping on the floor next to the wall, pretty certain it's yesterday's snow driving the little darlings indoors.

The thing is I'm pretty certain the mice aren't in our house, yet. Shining a torch at the source of the noise revelled a nice solid wall. The previous owners did a good job with the plastering and skirting in the bedroom, so it's not easy for them to get through. There are other parts of the house where they might (good old wood chip plaster board in the hall, and of course there's the cellar), which I'll be sorting over the weekend, but so far the only noise is in the well decorated parts. Doesn't help with the noise waking me up, though.

Anyone got any thoughts on repellents? I've ordered a load of peppermint oil and cotton balls to put by the skirting in case they do try to come through, and I was thinking of trying those ultrasonic things, though I know they don't work through walls or furniture. Depending on how much noise there is, I might pop round and let the guys who live there know they have a problem, and then escalate to the landlord, but frankly, if they don't mind an infested house there's not much I can do except discourage the mice from coming into mine.

jeff_chandler

We have a kitchen extension which has a flat roof. It was completely re-boarded insulated and felted last year. For a while members of our family have seen small rodents around the house . Recently above the ceiling in the kitchen we hear scratching noises as if one or more of the Rodents are trying to dig the plasterboards away. I have looked at all the possible entries they could get in but the facia boards seem flush with the brickwork which seems as if nothing could get beneath. This scratching has been occurring every day for the past week and it's worrying because there are a lot of wires under those boards.
Has anyone got any ideas how to rid these little pests without major upset. I know getting a pest controller in would cost a fortune. I'm scared to put poison down because my Daughter has a Rabbit and we have a little dog.
I have been told there's a spray where a small hole can be bored through the ceiling allowing the spray to used without much damage but I have yet to see anything on the web that suggests such items are available.
Kind regards Jeff.

robotrobo

jeff_chandler wrote: »

We have a kitchen extension which has a flat roof. It was completely re-boarded insulated and felted last year. For a while members of our family have seen small rodents around the house . Recently above the ceiling in the kitchen we hear scratching noises as if one or more of the Rodents are trying to dig the plasterboards away. I have looked at all the possible entries they could get in but the facia boards seem flush with the brickwork which seems as if nothing could get beneath. This scratching has been occurring every day for the past week and it's worrying because there are a lot of wires under those boards.
Has anyone got any ideas how to rid these little pests without major upset. I know getting a pest controller in would cost a fortune. I'm scared to put poison down because my Daughter has a Rabbit and we have a little dog.
I have been told there's a spray where a small hole can be bored through the ceiling allowing the spray to used without much damage but I have yet to see anything on the web that suggests such items are available.
Kind regards Jeff.

Anywhere theres a cavity , then theres a chance mice can get in through vents etc & can make home where ever takes thier fancy,
our local council used to be free , not sure in this day & age