So many mice . .

BlueVeranda

beckstar1975 said:

Sadly two of the kids are allergic else I'd definitely get one, as we're the only house in our block without cats I think the mice have sussed us!

When I lived in a terrace many years ago, the neighbours got a gorgeous young kitten. Shortly after that, we discovered we suddenly had mice. We were told they will avoid the smell of a cat where possible even if the cat itself is useless at catching them, the terrace being a terrace it was very easy for them to move along. We got someone out to put poison down that time, because we really couldn't tell how many we had or predict where they would turn up.

However, later when we had a cat of our own we had a spate of mice attempting to get at the dried food, so I'm not sure if the cat advice was really true or they were just very hungry in the later incident. Snap traps placed where the food had been stored seemed to do the trick there - we did remove the food, so the only thing left to eat was the bait.

Ganga

If you are going to use snap traps use chocolate as bait ,we found bits of Mars bar worked treat when we had mice in the garden shed ,caught about 16!

Eldi_Dos

Ganga said:

If you are going to use snap traps use chocolate as bait ,we found bits of Mars bar worked treat when we had mice in the garden shed ,caught about 16!

While I would have no qualms using traps in a house I think in a shed at the bottom of the garden I would be more inclined to live and let live.

danrv

I've used this type of trap successfully at my previous property.
https://www.pestcontroldirect.co.uk/shop/household-pests/rats-mice-squirrels/mice-rats-mice-squirrels/pest-stop-humane-trip-trap-mouse-trap/

Removed about forty mice over a period of time but then eventually got pest control to put trays of poison down.
No other option it seemed.
I used cheese as bait and sometimes chocolate. The trap would sometimes shut on it's own so weren't sure if one was caught. A rustling sound from inside when picked up soon confirmed.

Albermarle

Eldi_Dos said:

Ganga said:

If you are going to use snap traps use chocolate as bait ,we found bits of Mars bar worked treat when we had mice in the garden shed ,caught about 16!

While I would have no qualms using traps in a house I think in a shed at the bottom of the garden I would be more inclined to live and let live.

Unless you store food in there, but would not I suppose be that sensible to keep anything but tinned food in a shed. One year I left some fishing bait in with my fishing tackle over winter ( just hard pellets not anything organic) . The mice chewed right through a thick plastic box to get at it, and then ruined a few more things in the process. So my first angling trip of the Spring had to be cancelled !

Eldi_Dos

@Albermarle
Would the bait pellets have been fish based?

I remember a time in the early seventies when fish based feed was fed to pigs, the bacon from them had a very fishy smell when cooked a bit like Mackrel. It was strange and off putting walking past a cafe that had ended up with a batch.

Albermarle

Eldi_Dos said:

@Albermarle
Would the bait pellets have been fish based?

I remember a time in the early seventies when fish based feed was fed to pigs, the bacon from them had a very fishy smell when cooked a bit like Mackrel. It was strange and off putting walking past a cafe that had ended up with a batch.

I think these were based on fishmeal with a cereal type binder with some added attractant/smell. Clearly not just attractive to fish ! 

beckstar1975

Well the snap trap caught one in our room 5am this morning, we rolled over contentedly thinking finally in for some solid sleep, 5 minutes later scratching started up again Got pasta bait traps up too now

Ganga

Eldi_Dos said:

Ganga said:

If you are going to use snap traps use chocolate as bait ,we found bits of Mars bar worked treat when we had mice in the garden shed ,caught about 16!

While I would have no qualms using traps in a house I think in a shed at the bottom of the garden I would be more inclined to live and let live.

Except the shed was right next to the house ,the mice were trying to eat everything ,garden seats ,plant food even a jumbo roll of paper used to clean/dry hands when gardening / fixing the car.