Having a mouse in the house (MITH)

[Howyoudoin]

Short Version:

Suddenly became obvs last week that we had a MITH.

Friday: Bought a 'humane' mouse trap and set it in Kitchen when we went to bed. Conclusion: Bait taken, trap not triggered. Bugger.

Saturday: Double dose of peanut butter bait left. Both on the trap door and just beyond it. Conclusion: Bait on trap door taken, trap not triggered. Bait beyond trap door ignored, seemingly not needed. Bugger.

Sunday Daytime: Added weight to trap door as I suspect mouse too small to trigger. Bait added. 5pm conclusion: Nothing to see here

Sunday Nighttime: Left trap out as above. Went to bed 11pm. 11.15pm heard noise that sounded like trap going off. Rushed to Kitchen doorway and without putting light on, heard mouse desperately trying to get out of trap. Got ya!!! Went back to bedroom and proudly exclaimed to GF that mouse is caught and will now go and release elsewhere. Went back to Kitchen, turned light on. No mouse, trap not triggered. Can only presume that mouse was in humane tube trap when I came before and then somehow got out again without triggering. Bugger.

Monday 10.30pm: Mouse runs along living room in front of me and GF sitting on sofa, seemingly doing a lap of honour.

Sigh.

HYD

[Howyoudoin]

4-1: https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5C4FA0EB

Just need to find out if there are any more where he came from now.


HYD

[redsturgeon]

4-1: https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5C4FA0EB

Just need to find out if there are any more where he came from now.


HYD

What do you intend doing with the little fellow?

John

[Howyoudoin]

4-1: https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5C4FA0EB

Just need to find out if there are any more where he came from now.


HYD

What do you intend doing with the little fellow?

John

Took him outside and released him*. Was surprised that he wasn't the slightest bit perturbed by my presence.

HYD

* Already been berated by family who think that I should either have 'little nipper'ed him or driven him 8 miles away before releasing lest he returns

[redsturgeon]

4-1: https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5C4FA0EB

Just need to find out if there are any more where he came from now.


HYD

What do you intend doing with the little fellow?

John

Took him outside and released him*. Was surprised that he wasn't the slightest bit perturbed by my presence.

HYD

* Already been berated by family who think that I should either have 'little nipper'ed him or driven him 8 miles away before releasing lest he returns

I think it is highly likely he will return. Unless your house is very well sealed

John

[Howyoudoin]

What do you intend doing with the little fellow?

John

Took him outside and released him*. Was surprised that he wasn't the slightest bit perturbed by my presence.

HYD

* Already been berated by family who think that I should either have 'little nipper'ed him or driven him 8 miles away before releasing lest he returns

I think it is highly likely he will return. Unless your house is very well sealed

John

We live in a first floor flat so I'm guessing he came in through the window either because of the recent cold snap or the smell of food.

HYD

[Dod101]

That would suggest that you will have others nesting nearby (within the structure) and you will have hardly have solved the problem I am sorry to say. I live in single level house (not a bungalow in the usual meaning) and at the this time of year I need to be alert to ingress, but attention to properly sealing any holes usually solves the issue.

More difficult with a multi occupancy property.

Dod

[Howyoudoin]

That would suggest that you will have others nesting nearby (within the structure) and you will have hardly have solved the problem I am sorry to say.
Dod

Not saying you are wrong but I don't know how you can come that conclusion based on what I've said on this thread.

I lived in a top floor maisonette before and literally watched one come in the window. Chased it off and never saw it again.

Hoping it's the same with this little blighter but if not . . . .

https://media0.giphy.com/media/1bcRFNym ... 3473d6d675


HYD

[StepOne]

We had one in our old flat a couple of years ago, also on the top floor. We heard scuffling noises in the eaves, and wondered if it might be my daughter's hamster which had gone missing a few weeks earlier. Spent a couple of weeks leaving food and drink out for it before we caught a glimpse of something that definitely wasn't a hamster! Humane trap worked a treat. The trap was much smaller than the one in your photo - barely bigger than the mouse (although we had been fattening it up on hamster food!).

We released it in fields half a mile or so away, but continued to set the trap in the same place and caught 3 more over the next week or two. After that nothing. So it might be worth leaving the trap out for a while.

StepOne

[Howyoudoin]

We had one in our old flat a couple of years ago, also on the top floor. We heard scuffling noises in the eaves, and wondered if it might be my daughter's hamster which had gone missing a few weeks earlier. Spent a couple of weeks leaving food and drink out for it before we caught a glimpse of something that definitely wasn't a hamster! Humane trap worked a treat. The trap was much smaller than the one in your photo - barely bigger than the mouse (although we had been fattening it up on hamster food!).

We released it in fields half a mile or so away, but continued to set the trap in the same place and caught 3 more over the next week or two. After that nothing. So it might be worth leaving the trap out for a while.

StepOne

Ha ha.

Yep, will definitely keep leaving the trap for a week or two. Other half is completely terrified of them, surprised she didn't faint when it ran out in front of her last night.


HYD

[Dod101]

That would suggest that you will have others nesting nearby (within the structure) and you will have hardly have solved the problem I am sorry to say.
Dod

Not saying you are wrong but I don't know how you can come that conclusion based on what I've said on this thread.

I lived in a top floor maisonette before and literally watched one come in the window. Chased it off and never saw it again.

Hoping it's the same with this little blighter but if not . . . .

https://media0.giphy.com/media/1bcRFNym ... 3473d6d675

Simply based on my (limited) experience but that was in an old flat with wooden floors and they were able to make themselves comfortable in inaccessible places. I hope you have solved the issue.

Dod

[Rhyd6]

The cats bring us a regular supply, nearly all of them alive. Ikeep an old pair of leather gauntlets to hand and hope that I get to them before the dog. I have no compunction in killing rats but have a certain sympathy for mice. Luckily they don't often get beyond the utility room where the cat flap is and where the cat beds are.

R6

[Howyoudoin]

That would suggest that you will have others nesting nearby (within the structure) and you will have hardly have solved the problem I am sorry to say.
Dod

Not saying you are wrong but I don't know how you can come that conclusion based on what I've said on this thread.

I lived in a top floor maisonette before and literally watched one come in the window. Chased it off and never saw it again.

Hoping it's the same with this little blighter but if not . . . .

https://media0.giphy.com/media/1bcRFNym ... 3473d6d675

Simply based on my (limited) experience but that was in an old flat with wooden floors and they were able to make themselves comfortable in inaccessible places. I hope you have solved the issue.

Dod

Thanks, me too.

We have wooden floors too and we also have a loft, so there are plenty of places where they could nest if they wanted to.

I just really hope they haven't! :/

HYD

[UncleEbenezer]

Possibly what you need here is a kid of maybe about 8 years old.

I recollect improvising a humane trap that worked the first night it was set. Using just string and (big heavy) clear plastic food container: the latter dropped over the mouse to trap it.

Nowadays as a useless old git - or probably even just a few years on - I'd never build anything so effective!

[didds]

We live in a first floor flat so I'm guessing he came in through the window either because of the recent cold snap or the smell of food.

HYD

more likely the various conduits and gaps etc in the building's fabric?

ah...

and literally watched one come in the window

missed that bit

didds

[sg31]

Mice usually come in 3's unless you have an infestation in which case the sky's the limit.

In a normal property I can give you a very good check list for the entry points and if you check round the property carefully it should be possible to stop them. Be aware that the mice often live in the house but feed outside (unless it's very cold) so if you block their access you are likely to see more activity in the short term.

In flats you are unlikely to be able to stop mice because you can't block the holes, even if you find them (unlikely you will find them all).

Mice tend to use the cavity between the walls to get around and will then access a particular room when they want to. Unfortunately builders are very lax at sealing access too and from the cavity around floor joists or where pipes go through walls, hence kitchens and bathrooms are common areas of activity. It's quite possible for them to appear several stories up in a block.

Personally I don't waste my time with humane traps for vermin. I use a trap that will kill. It's totally pointless catching a mouse alive and releasing it outside the property, it will most likely be back in the building before you are.

Mice can get through a hole of about 6mm square. If you can insert a pencil into a hole a mouse can squeeze through.

[nimnarb]

HYD....Rats in toilet, mice in house?

http://www.freakingnews.com/funny-pictu ... ctures.asp

[TheMotorcycleBoy]

We have lots of mice causing nuisance for us, living in a battered property in the Fens.

Solution:

1. at least two cats are permanent family members
2. ultra sonic pest deterrent (google "Pest bye") we have at least 6 of these
3. standard mouse traps probably 5 in the house and 5 in the garage the best bait by far is peanut butter.

This has to be done. When we bought the house basically all the water pipe insulation had been eaten (they use it for nests). And in my garage-cum-workshop they gnaw the sound-proofing for the air compressor or any mopping up rags or even rope.

Note: rodent in house issues only really occur in colder seasons (i.e. now through to spring) - they come into nest. When it's warm, they don't like our buildings since the surrounding fields are a much better place, buzzards and cats excepting.

By the way, we are not complete butchering heathens. But the way I see it is we need to live in the house and the inflow of rodents is detrimental to that goal. If we want to be complete hippies, we'd not have the house, since trees and burrows, and things, obviously had to be removed, destroyed in order for it's placement; we'd probably just have a wigwam, or a yurt or something. But alas rodent relocation is ongoing, and unfortunately they have to be relocated in heaven.

Matt

[Howyoudoin]

By the way, we are not complete butchering heathens.

I doubt anyone sees you as such, given your particular circumstances, but if they do, sod 'em.

It's not them that has to put up with it.


HYD

PS Caught another one last night so I was wrong to be optimistic and everyone else was right

[sg31]

If you are in a detached property check the outside for any mortar joints that have perished and have small holes in them.

Check beneath door cills, builders are very lax about filling beneath them, same goes for windows.

If there are plants such as ivy or wisteria remove them from the walls, ok I know they can look nice but rats and mice climb them.

Take a close look at any pipework that goes through wall, very often they aren't sealed, pay particular attention to any bits under the pipe that isn't easily visible. have a really good look and fill any holes.

Airbricks can be like a front door for mice, buy some of these

http://www.mousemesh.co.uk/

there are various makes so take your pick.

If you have an attached garage mice can get under the door easily. get a length of 50x50 timber and glue it directly behind the door so it is almost touching when the door is closed. Also have a look at where the sides of the door rest, there should be a 'rubber' strip as a seal, make sure it's in good condition.

That should be a good start to stopping them entering. It's all about searching out those tiny little holes and filling them.

Once you stop them coming in traps and poison will kill any inside. Most cats are useless. They will catch mice but they don't kill all of them so the mice continue to breed.