Help! Mice! (I think)

SmarterNotHarder

I went away for the weekend, and returned to find that *sonething* had chewed through the plastic tops of the vegetable oils and there were bits of lid all over the cupboard floor, in the oil and had stuck all over the door. There were olive oils in there with plastic tops but they were untouched. The sugar and the rice were also untouched (Everything else was either in metal or glass containers). There were what I think were droppings all over.

Here's the extra weird bit. It was the only cupboard/drawer combo with any evidence of interference and was along an inside wall.

I have cleaned with hot water, dish soap and bleach, including everthing in it. I have thrown away the oil and the rice (It hadn't been attacked but I found fragments of bottle top in it)

Is there anything else I need to do apart from bleach the kitchen floor and wipe down all the other cupboards?

I am very confused!

THIRZAH

Were the dropping small and black-about the size of a grain of rice? If so it sounds like mice . They will almost certainly come back .If you can keep everything in glass jars or metal containers.

Most supermarkets sell poison for rats and mice. You can get mouse traps from places like B&Q.

FrugalinShropshire

Do you know where they are coming in? Or have you had building work done at home or nearby. Our mice came in after we had plumbing done and after the neighbours had building work done. We put traps down, but thankfully never saw them again.

suki1964

You need to put mouse traps down - the snap ones not the sticky ones, then find out where they are getting in and sealing up the gap

When we had them they were following the pipes from the boiler in a detached garage, up to the hot press. We filled the gaps with wire wall before cementing over. You need the wire wall, they eat cement

helcat26

I thought we had mice and it turned out to be little grains of plastic that the place where my husband plays 5 a side put down on the pitch!:rotfl:

Nomoonatall

You could always get a Huntsman spider.

I'd sooner have mice! If you get a mouse trap that kills them...use kit kat instead of cheese...it works! Also, be prepared to feel guilty forever, when they get trapped.

There are sonic rodent repellents available, which might be a kinder option.

Good luck!

Just thought....leave cottonwool balls soaked with peppermint oil in the affected area. they hate the stuff!

Waffle_On

Sounds like mice to me. Be vigilant with keeping everything spotless - a crumb to you is like a big tasty cake to a mouse! Check the back of the cupboard - we had them at work once, and found that the back of the cupboard didn't go right to the top, and that's how they were getting in. They can also move around inside internal stud or dot and dab walls. They can get through spaces the width of a pencil.

Poison or traps are the answer - chocolate or peanut butter are meant to be good bait.

kboss2010

Can you borrow a cat or a dog? Mice hate the smell so if you can tempt a neighbour's cat in for half an hour or so a few days a week for a couple of weeks, they'll get the hint and skidaddle. They don't even have to catch anything, they'll smell a cat or dog and stay away. It's ALWAYS worked for me when my family had cats (and inbetween cats when we got mice returning) and, when we didn't, crazy cat lady moi would tempt in a neighbour's cat with treats and let it wander round the flat for a while every so often.

Gloomendoom

The cats work but the sonic things are a waste of money.

I use old fashioned Little Nipper traps in the attic baited with half a hazelnut smeared with Nutella. It's the most humane way I have found to kill them as they grab the nut in their teeth and give it a good yank. Clean kill every time and no maiming.

The sticky pads are only fit to be used by future serial killers, in my opinion, of course.

lessonlearned

Plug in Sonic rodent repellents. Cheap, efficient and a lot less gruesome than traps or poison.

Any DIY shed, or buy them online.

Money_saving_maniac

I currently have at least one mouse (again! They head inside to the warm this time of year...) and still not caught the blighter. I actually saw it yesterday but dog was snoozing, Mr Sherlock did not do his duty!