Getting rid of rats/mice (merged threads)

nicka99

eilidh_s wrote: »

I'm hearing what I think are mice in my walls as well and I haven't seen any evidence of them in the house so they are driving me a bit demented. I have been around everywhere, inside and out with a can of expanding foam but I didn't find a single hole. The house is only one year old and it is almost completely airtight (it has been pressure tested) the only gaps were in a couple of the windows but we are talking pinhole leaks. The plasterboard has insulation in behind it and you can hear them chewing away at it. I can't see any holes or gaps around the skirtings but just in case, i have laid traps and poison.

I downloaded an ultrasonic repellant app for my mobile the first night I heard them and if I hold it against the wall, it would make them go a bit crazy for a wee while but I can hear the noise too so I amn't going to buy a proper one. They seem to be diminishing though, they aren't as noisy as they were last week so hopefully they will just die and leave me alone!

have you checked the attic and under the kitchen units ? look for droppings - big = rats, small = mice !
where have you put the poison - has it been taken ?

having exhausted all other options - turns out the drains were the problem for us. if all else fails and you cant stand it any more, get a drain survey done to check for problems/holes.

Mikeyorks

Eliza wrote: »

Maybe just have to learn to live with them.

Regrettably that's the answer.

We had a 400 year old farmhouse on the top of the Moors. No obvious 'holes' as you describe - but they flocked in during early winter. Their favourite access was up the outside wall - in through minute breaks in the pointing that were virtually invisible to me - but not to them. Then they would work their way through 2' of rubble filled wall and into the warm gap between the downstairs ceiling and the upstairs floor. Used to drive the dog mad when she heard them.

Regrettably we both just had to leave them to it - as I wasn't up for taking carpets / floorboards up every week or so to attend to traps. Bit unpleasant when one died and the smell lingered for a few days until the body 'dried out'! But it's one of the few penalties for a house like that. I hate to think how many bodies we left the new owners!

It would help if my cat would mouse nearer home!!

A Tom Tom for Christmas?

Mikeyorks

eilidh_s wrote: »

I have been around everywhere,

Do you have an attached garage? When I moved down off the Moors (previous post) .... some of the mice obviously came with me.

But as the soffits etc at this place (facing over the fields) were a bit rotten - didn't think too much of it. But when they were all replaced - and we still had as many mice in the loft - I started looking. And find they come in under the garage door ('up and over' with a minute gap - but 'tis all it takes). They then streak up the inner party wall with the house and in over the insulation!

Tried a sonic alarm in the garage - until I discovered one mouse was living alongside it! So gave that up as a bad job and closed off all the joist runs into the house with DIY pegboard (as you can't seem to buy the stuff now) as I needed a bit of airflow.

That's reduced the influx considerably. But I still trap a few in the loft - and think they're literally shinning up to the roof and getting in via the small channel where the tiles overlap.

The only good news is that my nightly badger keeps excavating holes under the edge of the patio and digging some of them out from under there! I just wish he'd fill his holes in when finished

eilidh_s

nicka99 wrote: »

have you checked the attic and under the kitchen units ? look for droppings - big = rats, small = mice !
where have you put the poison - has it been taken ?

having exhausted all other options - turns out the drains were the problem for us. if all else fails and you cant stand it any more, get a drain survey done to check for problems/holes.

The only wall I hear them in is the back wall of the living room, the other side of which is the stair well. I have poison down under the stairs and in the living room but they aren't taking it and so far there have been no droppings anywhere. The scrabbling and scraping is driving me nuts, if there was droppings then at least I could confirm what was there, maybe track down how they got in and then deal with them properly! I am going away for four weeks on Thursday so I will rope my Dad into being Chief Mousecatcher!

My village is quite bad for them, despite the masses of stray cats that run around! There are horses a couple of crofts away which probably don't help matters due to the feed. Most of my neighbors have them and my parents live two houses down and we always have a couple in there at this time of year. Too be honest I was surprised I managed to go a year in the house without them.

If they would just show themselves so that I can be sure what I am dealing with, it would make life a lot easier. The only other thing I can think of is that it might be insects but given the noise they make, it's an insect that I really don't want to meet!:eek:

julie03

has anyone used the electric shock rat zappers, we have rats under the shed and we have put poison under the shed but they dont touch it.

we dont fancy the old fashioned type of traps as they are too messy and hubby doesnt fancy having to bash them if they are not killed out right.

also if we bought them what is the best type of bait.

thanks

nicka99

I had one in the attic along with regular traps - it caught nothing ! also they are for indoor use only so dont think it would last long under a shed outside.

crazyguy

Why not just purchase a shotgun instead.

julie03

crazyguy wrote: »

Why not just purchase a shotgun instead.

because i have a terrible aim

julie03

nicka99 wrote: »

I had one in the attic along with regular traps - it caught nothing ! also they are for indoor use only so dont think it would last long under a shed outside.

there are some outdoor ones now

Sublime_2

Put some food out as bait, and borrow someones dog to get the pests.