Help! Mice.....I think???

[Deleted User]

Hi, Just before xmas I woke up to hear some scurrying in what I thought was the wall space between my bedroom and the bathroom, heard it for a few nights in a row and thought it must be a mouse so we bought one of those plug in electro magnet things and plugged it in in our bedroom, didn't hear anything then for a few weeks and we have had no sign of any mice in the house anywhere, no droppings or sightings:eek: (thank god!) so thought the plug had worked....Anyway a few weeks back I heard it again one night and it sounded like it was actually in the ceiling space above our bedroom in the loft, my OH has been up and had a look and can't see anything, the loft is part converted with spaces under the "floor", one side hasn't been boarded up but there is plenty of insulation down that they could be making a bed in and tbh loads of spaces that they could be getting about in (we private rent the house and it had been half done before out landlord bought it)...we put down some poison which has been eaten and we put down a trap that catches them inside but that hasnt been touched.....we here the scurrying every few nights or so.....any advice on the best way to catch them and is it likely that it is mice or maybe rats??:( Can't see any access points from outside as we have decking right up to our exterior walls and door....

1984ReturnsForReal_2

It could be rats or mice or birds.

If its rats or mice you will see at least a slight fluffing up of the insulation in at least one small area. Just keep putting the poison down & then follow the smell in a few days. If they die up there and you are upstairs at the time you will know about it. It will be louder & more aggressive than the first load of pattering about you heard.

eyeinthesky

I had mice in my loft a couple of years or so ago, I didn't hear them, but had my head up through the hatch and saw eyes!! I bought some wooden traps and baited them with little bits of mars bar, then went looking for how they got in there. I also searched online for info. I found the entry point, a small piece of my soffit had rotted and broke away, leaving a small gap. I found online that mice can climb a vertical brick wall, and get through a gap of half an inch! They also live in family groups of 5 or 6, so you need to expect this many at least.

I checked the traps every day, and on the first day I had caught one. It may sound cruel, but I didn't want the uncertainty of poison, I wanted to see the bodies to be sure I was getting rid of them. On the second day, there were no mice in the traps, but the bait had gone! This made me even more determined to be rid of these little blighters, so I went looking for a better mouse trap. I found one in Wilkinson's, made by Rentokil I think, and it was called an "advanced mouse trap".
These have a little cup for the bait, and a platform with a hole which the mouse has to step onto to get near the bait. As soon as they do this, it springs the trap and kills the mouse. The mouse doesn't even get to touch the bait, and this, strangely, gave me some sort of evil satisfaction, lol. Anyway, I caught one mouse a day, for the next 4 days, and this was the end of my infestation. I still have a trap up there now, just in case, lol.

I also replaced a bit of my roofing felt under the tiles, which was torn, and replaced the rotted soffit. Have had no more mice since. I would recommend the advanced mouse trap, cost about £2.99.

You should check your loft carefully for items being chewed, and the extent of this might suggest whether it's mice or rats. They have to eat something, so there should be evidence there. Rentokil also do a similar trap for rats, but have you thought that it might be bats? If this is the case, you will have a whole new set of problems, because they are protected!!!

soupdragon10

I just rely on my cats to deter the little dears. I hate traps as I've seen some awful instances of mice which haven't been killed but just injured by the killing traps. If I do need to catch one I use humane traps and take and release them well away from the house.

SuzieSue

eyeinthesky wrote: »

I would recommend the advanced mouse trap, cost about £2.99.

Yes, I think it worth paying a bit extra for a sensitive mouse trap. We had mice at work a few years ago ans there was an ordinary wooden trap by my desk. I would see this tiny little mouse come up to the trap and nibble the chocolate but it was too light to set the trap off.

krycek985

I had a couple in my last flat.

Dont just place the bait on the trap. Tie it on with some thrad or string. This way you dont need suc a sensative trap and less likly to get sore fingers setting them.

Errata

If you use instant death traps, bait them but don't set them. The mice will get used to having a snack and after 3/4 days will be less cautious about where they put their feet. Set the trap on day 5 and bingo.