Getting rid of rats/mice (merged threads)

shoei

gardner1 wrote: »

at the end of the day they are VERMIN so dont feel sorry for them

I completly agree they are vermin and I also don't agree that humane traps work unless you release the mice miles away, they just come back. But I would hate to think of anything suffering, I just would rather a quick clean death! But I have never seen them so don't actually know what the bennefits are over other traps?

Shoei

noelphobic

shoei wrote: »

I completly agree they are vermin and I also don't agree that humane traps work unless you release the mice miles away, they just come back. But I would hate to think of anything suffering, I just would rather a quick clean death! But I have never seen them so don't actually know what the bennefits are over other traps?

Shoei

It could be argued that, depending on where you release them, they may well die of thirst or starvation so would suffer more.

noelphobic

Saturnalia wrote: »

Snap-traps and electrocutors kill instantly, they are the most humane ways to do it.

/
Not always, unfortunately. We have found mice still alive in snap traps several times. I have a severe phobia and can't cope with them alive or dead and definitely not inbetween. I can't even handle the traps when they are brand new. I find even reading/ writing in this thread extremely uncomfortable.

wrightk

noelphobic wrote: »

/
Not always, unfortunately. We have found mice still alive in snap traps several times. I have a severe phobia and can't cope with them alive or dead and definitely not inbetween. I can't even handle the traps when they are brand new. I find even reading/ writing in this thread extremely uncomfortable.

we caught one at work on a really hot day, went out and left the trap set, came back to find that it had caught its tail in the trap instead of its head and had dehydrated in the sun for hours and died that way. wasnt very nice

icom756pro

Im living in a static caravan on a farm plauged by rats and mice,the poison i put out is eaten every night and the mouse traps always catch the mice.I was worried sick they would enter my static caravan because there are plenty of holes,gaps and things to crawl up to get in (water pipes,refuge pipe,holes where gas supply comes in) I had been reading about how rats and mice hate the smell of peppermint,Apparently it makes them feel like throwing up and they find it repulsive,It also burns there nostrils so here is what you will need.

---

peppermint essential oil

cotton wool balls

---

It must be the peppermint oil, not extract or flavouring (IMPORTANT) or it will not work.

I sprinkled 5 to10 drops on each cotton ball and placed them in the bottom of cupboards,under the bed cuboard and in the sink cupboard,I replace the cotton wool and put fresh drops on every 2-3 weeks.

THE CARAVAN SMELLS GREAT AND IT IS MICE AND RAT FREE.

:money: :T :rotfl: :beer: :j

The problem is still bad on the farm with vermin but the peppermint is keeping them from entering my caravan...1 year and 2 months and not a single sign of vermin anywhere inside.

Hope this helps
James

noelphobic

icom756pro wrote: »

I had been reading about how rats and mice hate the smell of peppermint,Apparently it makes them feel like throwing up and they find it repulsive,It also burns there nostrils so here is what you will need.

---

peppermint essential oil

cotton wool balls

---

It must be the peppermint oil, not extract or flavouring (IMPORTANT) or it will not work.

I sprinkled 5 to10 drops on each cotton ball and placed them in the bottom of cupboards,under the bed cuboard and in the sink cupboard,I replace the cotton wool and put fresh drops on every 2-3 weeks.

THE CARAVAN SMELLS GREAT AND IT IS MICE AND RAT FREE.

:money: :T :rotfl: :beer: :j

The problem is still bad on the farm with vermin but the peppermint is keeping them from entering my caravan...1 year and 2 months and not a single sign of vermin anywhere inside.

Hope this helps
James

I tried this a while ago. I had trouble getting hold of the peppermint oil (woman in the pharmacy in Sainsburys told me they weren't allowed to sell it any more as a baby had died, don't know the details.) I assumed that you weren't able to buy it anywhere so I bought the stuff you use to flavour cakes. I put it on cotton wool balls and the mice must have LOVED it because it all disappeared. I am assuming they took it to feather the nests. Either that or they ate it :eek:

I have since got hold of the proper essential oil (from Boots) and put cotton wool balls down with that on and also burned it in a diffuser. It didn't see them off completely but the house did smell nice.

I still can't understand why the cotton wool with the flavouring on disappeared though. It's nowhere near as strong as the essential oil but it does still smell of peppermint.

bluesnake

icom756pro wrote: »

Im living in a static caravan on a farm plauged by rats and mice,the poison i put out is eaten every night and the mouse traps always catch the mice.I was worried sick they would enter my static caravan because there are plenty of holes,gaps and things to crawl up to get in (water pipes,refuge pipe,holes where gas supply comes in)...

The problem with conventional traps is that you have to set them every time, so the second mouse get the cheese.

Have yo tried these set against the wall, and add a bit of oil to the water if your bucket is shallow. Use salt water if you do not wish to empty it every day to stop them from smelling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frMewZl7DZU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OijRH-lduq4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV9woxUshuA&feature=related

morganlefay

In the hideous kitchen in our 'new' house (which we intend to gut and re-do when we have saved enough) I have just discovered a gap between the undersink cupboard and the wall, through which it would seem that a small army of tiny mice has been marching. The previously-clean cupboards are suddenly awash with mousepoo. There had been poly carrrier bags stuffed down there by previous owners - I thought to keep out the draughts - but now I know better: they were an ineffectual mouse-deterrent. We have now done a huge cleaning job and I have stuffed MUCH polystyrene packaging stuff down there - and completely wedged up the gap. Does anyone know if mice eat and/or like polystyrene ? Might it be poisonous for them ? or delicious
We had lots of polystyrene from a pack flat wardrobe we bought and I'd like to think I'm both recycling AND getting rid of the mice ! But if it doesn't stop them it's peppermint essential oil next !

hansi

I would suggest that you replace the polystyrene with steel wool. Mice do not like steel wool. If you refer to my earlier post, I still have my mouse and this morning I caught him eyeing me up in the corner by the microwave, but by the time I looked for something to bash him with, he was gone, and completely bypassed all the traps, gluepaper and poison I had set down. I have now bought an electronic relepper, see if that does the trick. Even got a neighbours cat in and he couldn't find him either. Good Luck

morganlefay

Thanks hansi, though in my previous house we only ever had mice, which came in through an airbrick, in the undersink cupboard where there were only cleaning materials and I could tell they'd been because they used to EAT my Brillo pads......:eek:

And you've just reminded me that I bought an electric repeller and it seemed to work, tho as we have just moved house I have no idea where it now is