Getting rid of rats/mice (merged threads)

SailorSam

If you know any famous chefs you could eat the rats.
TV Celebrity pair in rat eating row - The Star

poorbabe

I did a little more checking along the skirting boards and it appears it/they've been here a while as I found a few droppings beside one of my bookcases and in the hallway by a cupboard, plus in one of the bedrooms. The path seems to follow the boxed-in pipes. No indicators in the kitchen.

I live in a flat on the top floor (3rd) with open plan kitchen/living room, so I'm speculating they came in via the roof, pipes which run at the back of the kitchen, along the walls into the various rooms. Also there are tiny gaps in the corners (joins) of some of the skirting boards.

War has now been declared :mad:

poorbabe

SailorSam wrote: »

If you know any famous chefs you could eat the rats.
TV Celebrity pair in rat eating row - The Star

:eek: Rats? No, no. These are mice. Or they'd better be :eek:

VKay

Think we have mice in our new house's loft. At least I hope it's mice. Have heard them twice at night scampering around up there.

I'm puzzled as the loft is empty except for a thick layer of insulation. Nothing stored up there at all. It isn't boarded out.

I am tempted to put some trays of poison up there but don't want dead mice in the loft rotting away. Cant really get up there as no boards.

How the hell do they climb up that high? Should i put some old tights aross the drain pipe??? Can't think how else they'd get up two storeys.

stef240377

VKay wrote: »

Think we have mice in our new house's loft. At least I hope it's mice. Have heard them twice at night scampering around up there.

I'm puzzled as the loft is empty except for a thick layer of insulation. Nothing stored up there at all. It isn't boarded out.

I am tempted to put some trays of poison up there but don't want dead mice in the loft rotting away. Cant really get up there as no boards.

How the hell do they climb up that high? Should i put some old tights aross the drain pipe??? Can't think how else they'd get up two storeys.

I was told by environmental health to check all the sills round the windows, all around the suffits and fascia boards for holes or cracks. If these are ok then it could be they have managed to get in the cavity wall and crawled up. So far in 2 nights we have caught 2 mice so things going ok in the capture dept. here.

poorbabe

Round 2 to them but round 3 to me (hopefully) :T

The little squatter returned last night, laughed at my ineffectual mouse trap and left me a calling card, so I've blocked the hole with wire wool having put some caustic soda into the hole first . I've reported the problem to my HA so hoping for a response tomorrow. Ideally I want pest control to come and give me some advice and put down poison that kills them from the inside out, leaving no odour.

Still got other holes to check for but I'll do that tomorrow. Hopefully my attempt will work til pest control get here.

nat_2

noelphobic wrote: »

You might be 'lucky' and only have the one. We have trapped 5 in total and still have traps and poison down, even though we haven't seen any for a while. After we trapped the 4th one we saw a live one but then nothing for a couple of months. My son then saw one on a Saturday morning and we trapped one that night - hopefully the same one!

Hope you manage to sort it soon.

Yes, they might be lucky, but they should be vigilant. In my experience, seeing one and finding that one dead, was not the case. I spotted one mouse in the living room two weeks ago and I though it is unlikely to be the only one in the house, while secretly hoping that was the case. We cought one yesterday and one today. I blocked all the visible holes long ago, but they still get in somehow. Very unhappy about it. Traps and poisons constantly on for several years (well, since we moved into our house with garden). Every year we had smaller infestation ( 1-2 mice) ,apart from this year when we had a big one already and now, few months later, again 2 dead bodies. God knows how many are there. Food is not accessible to them. What they live on I am not sure. It is constant struggle with mice. Checking traps everyday, putting new ones up, blocking the garden door partially when open, holes are blocked long ago (at least the ones we could find on our and pest control company's close inspection)....Don't know what else to do. Pest control company don't know either. I keep checking this board , hoping there will be some new tips. If I discover anything useful, will post. Just desperate and want to share my frustration. Apologies for that. So far I tried everything available on the market and still struggling. Sleeping has improved over the years, a bit. I had many sleeples nights over this problem. Not good for general health. .

blushingbride_3

well we have mice again

Havent seen any or evidence apart from i notice little specks on my worktop so put down poison and it keeps getting eaten.

Well sat i brought different poision incase it wasnt affecting them.

I brought some rentokill bait boxes from b&q safer as we're gettin a dog on sat. they were on offer for £5 for 2.

The question i have.

i have blocked all the entrances from outside where i thought they could be getting in.
However they seem to chew the floor where the radiator pipes are.
This is in the kitchen & utility where i have light coloured wood effect vinyl. what would be best to fill these holes to stop them getting in?

ALso where the pipes are behind my washing machine there is a big gap in the floor, how could i fill this in?

Lotus-eater

Don't use poison for mice, they are easy to catch with snap traps, use some of those.

blushingbride_3

thanks i know traps are best but i am not always home everyday so dont want dead mice lying around for too long.

The poision i had from the council mummifies them so they dont smell etc.

plus hopping my new doggie will put the mice off!hehe