Getting rid of rats/mice (merged threads)

prosaver

when all the mice are trapped killed leave a few baited just incase a new lot start sniffing round and food sealled up...
simples

elsien

I have mice which appear and disappear under the floorboards in my upstairs bathroom (victorian terrace). There's big gaps because I'm in the process of getting quotes to have the room refurbed so at the moment it's bare floorboards and large holes, which probably isn't helping.
Working out where they might be coming in (I've blocked all the obvious holes downstairs as there's also been signs of them in the kitchen), the only other place I can see is a louvred round plastic airvent which I can see from outside and which is handily accessible to vermin via a trellis and large jasmine plant, but would appear to be inaccessible from inside as it's under the floorboards beneath the bath.
I don't know why it's there - there's no boiler or anything in the room, so would it cause any problems if I sealed it from outside, and what should I use to do it with? I realise it might give me a bit more condensation if there's less airflow but as the room gets very draughty in winter at the mo, I can live with opening the window more often if I have to.)

And as far as my little mousy friends go, they're completely ignoring my traps regardless of what I put in them, and I don't want to put poison down and have them decomposing under the floor. Any other ideas?- I've tried cheese, peanut butter, snickers bar, peanuts, rabbit food, chocolate spread and oxo cubes.

macman

Blocking the airbrick will prevent proper ventilation under the suspended floor and could lead to rot in the joists and floorboards eventually. It's there for a purpose.
I doubt if there's a property in the UK that doesn't have the odd dead mouse under the floorboards.

pineapple

Can I recommend those plug ins which send pulses through the walls and wiring?
I've not had a problem since I used those. I have one upstairs and one down. I tend to just switch them on at dusk and switch off the bedroom one when I go to bed (just in case I'm being zapped along with the mice!).
PS if you live in a terrace it is also possible they can get in further along the row from adjoining roof spaces etc. I read somewhere it only needs a pencil sized gap.

bobthedambuilder

Poisoned mice don't decompose, they dessicate, i.e. dry out and eventually turn to dust.

What do you think happens to the mice you don't poison? They die as well. Better you poison them and at least they won't be having babies.

Sally,_London

It's not the most pleasant solution but the best I've had and I've got a Victorian terrace like Swiss cheese. Old fashioned moth balls from a pound shop. Pop a few in disposable plastic bowls in the area. Mice can barely see hence running along skirting to protect at least one side from potential attackers. Not aware hearing is great, but their sense of smell is. Moth balls are pretty pungent efor humans but it will drive the mice away rather than inviting them in with choc and cheese. Rentokil man told me they like Madeira cake best if you're using traps. Rentokil charged me about £300 - £350 for full inspection and 5 x visits. Solved it for a fair while until the cold weather came back. The plug-in sonic repellers I got from B & Q were rubbish. Mice crapped right in front of them. Good luck.

Yolina

Mice can squeeze through tiny gaps - I think it's something along the lines of "if you can stick a pencil in the gap, mice can get through" so they could be coming in from pretty much anywhere. It might even be that they're not coming in from outside! Can't offer much advice other than that because I've got cats and have never had any evidence of mice in my place

wellused

I was plagued by mice in my house and tried everything to get rid of them including traps, plug ins, mothballs, you name it nothing worked until the bloke next door got rid of his avery and we paid for a pest controller to put poison down.

pineapple

Not all sonic repellers are created equal. There are different makes of sonic repellers which can also work slightly differently. I was hearing late night noises in the party wall till I got one of those.
You can also spray areas with a mix of peppermint oil and water as they hate that smell.
Humane traps do work but I think you are supposed to wash them out between uses - they get the smell of fear on them. I have found a bit of meat fat to be the best bait ever.
Even those traditional traps are not guaranteed. In a former property, I heard the trap spring but found only a trace of blood. I then followed a clicking sound to the curtain rail where a terrified mouse was sitting with its teeth chattering and blood on its nose. This idiot shone a light in it's eyes to immobilise it and transported it to the bathroom where she put Savlon on it's nose before freeing it in the field.

noelphobic

pineapple wrote: »

You can also spray areas with a mix of peppermint oil and water as they hate that smell.

When I had my previous infestation I had trouble getting peppermint oil so I got peppermint essence (the sort you use in cooking). I soaked cotton wool balls in this and left them in the areas where I thought the mice were coming out. When I came home all the cotton wool balls had disappeared - presumably either eaten or taken to their nest.

So much for them not liking peppermint!