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My OH was relaxing having lunch downstairs when a mouse ran across the floor! She wasn't too happy.
I've managed to trap and get rid of that one, but pretty sure we have more. Saw one at the side of the washing machine when i shone a torch down there, and caught one in a webcam last night.
We've ordered some mouse traps.
Next step i guess is sealing up holes between floor and wall behind kitchen cabinets. Been meaning to do this anyway as we can feel a draught in the winter - but what do use?
There's quite a big gap in places (too much for the squirty metal/silicone type rodent sealant).
Apparently expanding foam is no good? (But will that matter once we've got rid of the existing mice?? Presumably it will greatly reduce the smell of food etc which attracts them?)
It's a 1930's house, i'm not sure it's actually possible to seal up all holes greater than 5mm without rebuilding it!
Are you sure it wasn't a young rat? 😉
Saw wire wool recommended, but not sure I can put it in place without removing the kitchen, and how do you secure it there?
Fill the gaps with the corpses of squirrels.
It'll act as a warning to all rodent invaders*
*except Capybara. They are double-hard.
Home emergency cover on home insurance usually covers this if you have it. They've been really good about it too, for me. Quite happy to send someone out any time you have an issue.
I’ve heard wire in expanding foam is good but did this in gaps when we ripped out our kitchen and the fitters said it doesn’t tend to work.
Meeses skeletons are pretty flexible so they can squish through the smallest hole, even something you’d probably discount.
Have a look at WCA’s squirrel thread for inspiration!
Think i'll try the wire wool / expanding foam trick since it's the easiest option at the moment.
I pulled the plinth back from kitchen units and saw a few droppings under there, but not loads. Don't think it's a massive infestation (at the moment).
Our toddler thought it was great fun seeing a little mouse.
Damn those anthropomorphic childrens programs!
Damn those anthropomorphic childrens programs!
Did your partner hitch up loads of skirts and stand on a chair screaming 'THOMAAAAS!' ?
wire wool in the gaps you can get to. If you can shove a biro in it then it is big enough for a mouse. Lots of trap (I use the murderous plastic ones). Remove any source of food.
We came back from holiday - extended break - last autumn and definite traces of mouse droppings, took about a month before I was happy that had caught them all - reckoned had caught a decent number, then a little later revisit by their relatives.
Ours is a pretty old house, way too many gaps and draughty bits of skirting, just try and keep surfaces clean, leave out at least one trap, definitely come in waves (and with the weather / seasons).
I'd try sealing up the holes with a humane mouse trap.
Or a cat. Which is less humane.
One cat per hole?
Also they are incontinent and pee as they run so all surfaces will be splashed with it.
Clean well.
It’s their equivalent of weeing in shoes.
They don’t have bladders, wee just comes Out all the time like an old man
They can squeeze through a hole the width of a ball point pen.
Some local authorities still offer pest control for free.
I have had mice in my house but never at this time of year, normally october-march I see them
You won't come anywhere close to sealing up all holes and gaps that mice can get through, short of a complete rebuild in sealed concrete.
Clean out all the cupboards, hoover up any droppings and wipe all surfaces down with sterilising wipes. Traps along any obvious runs. You'll catch a fair few quite quickly and then it'll just go down to one every once in a while.
Traps along any obvious runs
+1
It won't take you long to work out where they like to go
Remove the attraction (food)
Traps that kill them jig time.
Stopping holes is a mugs game.
Brillo pads are good for stuffing up holes (wet them first). My mice were coming in from the washing machine outlet.
Edit: around the pipe I mean
Sealing up the holes will be a never ending game. Traps, poison or a large recipe book.
My wife used the recipe book technique when one appeared on the kitchen counter in our last house. When another appeared in the bathroom a few weeks later Delia Smith again achieved the required result.
Buy a cat, dog and canary.
Had this problem last year. And we have a cat! They were taking food from his bowl!
It's a process of elimination as they will find new ways of getting in. We had to block the following:
Behind kitchen appliances and cupboards.
Gaps in a dissused fireplace.
Gaps in under stair cupboard.
Broken vent brick outside.
Caught 3 with traps and not seen more since.
We had rats a couple of years ago, old house full of holes farm next door, so it’s going to happen. I went full on with plumbers wire wool and expanding foam after one ate through the water pipe, ate the plastic and then nicked the copper pipe inside, had to rip out a section of the wall to get at it. 🤨
It’s not neat but if it’s hidden I have found it’s really really effective. I packed it tight then foamed it in place.
I then got a Rat man in who wiped the Little gits out with “rat pasta” 😂!!
Caught five so far!
The bait is no longer touched, and webcam didn't pick up any.
I used these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aibeau-Reusable-Mousetraps-Instantly-Response/dp/B0822H812B
Caught one on the first day but the smaller ones were too small to set them off. Realised i was just feeding the mice!
Eventually i put four traps in row next to each other facing a wall so they'd have to climb over an empty trap to get to the middle ones with the bait in. Caught the last two like that!
Seemed to prefer fancy organic peanut butter. Didn't touch jam.
Now to seal up the gaps with copper mesh and foam....