Having a mouse in the house (MITH)

[Howyoudoin]

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.

All good advice, thanks. Unfortunately we're in a small 1 bed flat 30 feet from the ground so some of that does not apply.

Guess we should ask others in the block if they are having the same problem and also think about contacting the council? Happy to keep catching and releasing at the moment but would rather the problem is dealt with at source.


HYD

[Howyoudoin]

Just looked up the Kensington & Chelsea Council website for their pest control prices.

For mice:

£126
Three visits (two treatment visits and a final visit to remove baits and equipment) over an eight-week period. Up to five rooms. Additional rooms are charged at £10.50 per room. If more visits are required after the first three, these will cost £50 per visit.


That seems more than reasonable to me and a good backstop if my amateur attempts fail to fix the problem.

HYD

[TheMotorcycleBoy]

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

Yeah, you really don't want them in yer loft ruining pipe isolation. If you've recently moved in I'd recommend you check that all out TBH.

This March (beast of the east, innit?) we had 4 pipe freezes on the exposed North side of the house!!! Couldn't blame the mice this time.......the lazy b**tards who'd done the nearby bathroom and shower room work, probably back in the 90s hadn't bothered using any isolation. Fortunately and by good fortune, none transitioned to bursts.

re the mice, best thing is probably a combo of the ultrasonic scarers and traditional traps, which are very cheap. Since mice are very light and stealthy, I usually set them in pairs or threes such that the lil sod will be at least set off the one at his/her rear end, if eating the peanut butter on the dining area trap does not fire the first!

Matt

[Howard]

Mice can spoil your self-image.

We had mice in our detached garage which is impossible to seal completely.

One or more made a nest on top of Mrs H's car's engine. And then the ungrateful little beast(s) chewed through the high voltage leads to the diesel injection system. This was found at a routine service and gleefully recorded on video by the engineer and sent to me by email.

After that, every year, when I went into the snooty main dealers to arrange an annual service they looked me up on the system and then greeted me as "the man with the rodent damage".

yours ashamedly

Howard

PS I now have an electronic deterrent plugged in permanently and that seems to be effective.

[TheMotorcycleBoy]

Just looked up the Kensington & Chelsea Council website for their pest control prices.

For mice:

£126
Three visits (two treatment visits and a final visit to remove baits and equipment) over an eight-week period. Up to five rooms. Additional rooms are charged at £10.50 per room. If more visits are required after the first three, these will cost £50 per visit.


That seems more than reasonable to me and a good backstop if my amateur attempts fail to fix the problem.

HYD

The thing is they will be back! Especially in the colder times. A few of those ultrasonic devices (pestbye) I mentioned above and several classic traps using peanut butter will work. You, in my opinion, need to figure out you own method, else you may as well end up with a direct debit with the folks you mentioned above

Sometimes in the winter months I may catch 2 per day in the garage, using the scheme where I have 3 traps with their business ends all pointing to a square inch area in the center. Then I just award our cats with a breakfast freeby.

Our cats do kill and eat their mice. If you want cats to be good killers you have to get them as kittens and use all the cat toys and teasing to get them of the correct mindset. I think male cats will kill more, since female cats, by their instinct bring back live prey to give to their litter as "training material", and but a grey tabbie male can be a good mouser IME.

[sg31]

If you live in a flat the only thing you can do is make your flat mouse proof because you've no chance of mouse proofing the building.

I'd go round every room and ensure there are no access points from the wider building. Bedrooms shouldn't be much of a problem although I would check behind fitted wardrobes or ensure that there are no gaps for them to get into the room if they can access any space behind the units. There are often gaps round any boxing in or at the ends of plinths.

Living room should be ok ,just check where central heating pipes come into the room. (if heating is supplied by the building as it sometimes is.)

Kitchen and bathroom are the main problem areas, plumbers and kitchen fitters rarely make good where pipes come into the rooms so these need checking. There are usually holes behind units where old pipes have been removed. Basically it's a case of being thorough and knowing what is behind cupboards and fitted units.

[redsturgeon]

Mice can get through very small gaps!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_x7JH5ir3A

John

[Howyoudoin]

If you live in a flat the only thing you can do is make your flat mouse proof because you've no chance of mouse proofing the building.

Kitchen and bathroom are the main problem areas, plumbers and kitchen fitters rarely make good where pipes come into the rooms so these need checking. There are usually holes behind units where old pipes have been removed. Basically it's a case of being thorough and knowing what is behind cupboards and fitted units.

Caught another one this morning so that's three in three days now.

I think you're right about the kitchen, my guess is they are getting in behind the washing machine or the oven. I'll check both tonight - thanks.

HYD

[kiloran]

Caught another one this morning so that's three in three days now.

HYD

Or the same one three times
Are you releasing them/it far enough away?

--kiloran

[redsturgeon]

Caught another one this morning so that's three in three days now.

HYD

Or the same one three times
Are you releasing them/it far enough away?

--kiloran

Good point...how about a permanent marker dot on its back before you release the next one.

John

[Howyoudoin]

Caught another one this morning so that's three in three days now.

HYD

Or the same one three times
Are you releasing them/it far enough away?

--kiloran

Good point...how about a permanent marker dot on its back before you release the next one.

John

Ha ha ha. Good suggestion, I like it.

The first and third mice could possibly have been the same. Juveniles I think. Completely unperturbed by being caught. Second one was a bit bigger and spent hours trying to find a way out, biting/gnawing on the trap.

I've been releasing them on the opposite side of the building to where our windows face. Not sure what sort of 'homing' instincts mice have?

HYD

[kempiejon]

Good point...how about a permanent marker dot on its back before you release the next one.

John

In my undergrad days I used to trap and release small mammals for field study we had a marking system based upon trimming small patches of hair on the head, bacl and flanks. It wasn't unknown to catch the same animal twice or more times over the course of a week or two. Trap happy they were termed, it was safe, dry and there was food in there.

[sg31]

Mice often live in a property but forage outside. If you release them in the immediate environs of the property they will most certainly know exactly where they are and easily find there way back home.

I've no idea what a 'safe' distance is but I think 100m would be a safe bet. The further away the better.

Personally I'd make sure they don't return...permanently but I accept others have personal beliefs that wouldn't permit that.

[Howyoudoin]

Mice often live in a property but forage outside. If you release them in the immediate environs of the property they will most certainly know exactly where they are and easily find there way back home.

I've no idea what a 'safe' distance is but I think 100m would be a safe bet. The further away the better.

Personally I'd make sure they don't return...permanently but I accept others have personal beliefs that wouldn't permit that.

I am dropping them about 100m away but either that isn't enough or the problem is a lot worse than I thought.

Got home from work an hour ago and sitting here using this computer, I could hear 'eek eek eek!' coming from the kitchen, a right commotion going on. Went into the kitchen, noise was still going on but no sign . . . and all of a sudden two mice shot from underneath the fridge across the kitchen to underneath the washing machine. Sigh.

Sometimes you need to know when to give up and call in the experts and I think i'm about at that point.

Before I do, I've taken a photo of the balcony outside our kitchen which shows ventilation holes in the wall and beneath that another two holes far apart. Anyone know what they are for? https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5C4620A8

Thanks,


HYD

[dspp]

Before I do, I've taken a photo of the balcony outside our kitchen which shows ventilation holes in the wall and beneath that another two holes far apart. Anyone know what they are for?
HYD

Letting fresh air in for the mice to breathe.

My advice: use traps that kill them. Keep killing them until all gone. Then leave last trap down for another week. Classic wood & wire traps are just as good as the new plastic ones. Any bait will do.

It is easy.

regards, dspp

[Howyoudoin]

Before I do, I've taken a photo of the balcony outside our kitchen which shows ventilation holes in the wall and beneath that another two holes far apart. Anyone know what they are for?
HYD

Letting fresh air in for the mice to breathe.

My advice: use traps that kill them. Keep killing them until all gone. Then leave last trap down for another week. Classic wood & wire traps are just as good as the new plastic ones. Any bait will do.

It is easy.

regards, dspp

Ha ha ha. Thanks, I needed that laugh at the moment (about the fresh air).

We're going away for the weekend and keen not for this problem to carry on ad infinitum so have booked K&C Council to come three times over the next 3 months at a cost of £126 - starting this Monday.

Thanks again all for help and advice. I'll let you know how I (the Council) get on.

HYD

[sg31]

The two lower holes look like an older type of weep hole for a cavity tray. The upper hole(s) look like some form of airbrick or vent maybe to do with a gas appliance in the adjoining room. The appliance may no longer be installed.

Without knowing the building I could be wrong.

It seems the kitchen is where most of the activity is going on. As the visitors made a bolt for the washing machine I suspect their entrance/exit may be behind it. Pipes through the wall for water feed or waste pipe would be the first thing I'd look at. Just pull the washer out and have a look. It's quite likely there will be other holes around pipes in the kitchen near the sink.

If you can't manage to see behind any of the kitchen units you could try hiring an inspection camera...

https://www.google.co.uk/search?sourcei ... ion+camera

The above shows a few. You might be able to drill small holes in the back of kitchen units and thread the camera through to see what is behind. Other than that you should be able to remove the plinth below the front of any units to see how many droppings there are under the units.

I don't know how your kitchen is constructed but you might be able to remove a cabinet here or there to access the rear but that's not for the DIY challenged. If you supply a phote of the sink area I might be able to tell you what might be possible.

I'm sure you already know that removing any possible food source for the mice is paramount. If there's no food they won't visit. Even small crumbs can be a feast for a hungry mouse.

Until you can stop the mice getting in you could be wasting your money on a pest controller, They will poison the mice but if the building is infested the ones you kill will be replaced by others.

I hope this helps.

[Howyoudoin]

I'm sure you already know that removing any possible food source for the mice is paramount. If there's no food they won't visit. Even small crumbs can be a feast for a hungry mouse.

Until you can stop the mice getting in you could be wasting your money on a pest controller, They will poison the mice but if the building is infested the ones you kill will be replaced by others.

I hope this helps.

Your posts have been very helpful, sincere thanks.

HYD

[dspp]

I have lived in many places where mice are prevalent.

When I have owned them, the issue has been dealt with very quickly. The answer is very easy: 1) Kill them by trapping, 2) remove food sources by cleaning, 3) close ingress holes. The last one is optional as it basically affects the re-infestation rate.

When I have not owned the place then it depends on the attitude of the owner. If they don't do 1 & 2, then game over and hand the keys to the mice.

At my GF's the mice used to ingress and set up home about once per month ( we are talking huge pile in the countryside*). She did 1 well, 2 ish, and 3 not at all. Since I addressed 3 (and put measures in place to make 2 more likely) the rate has come down to once every six months or so.

If you do not do 1, repeatedly, you are blowing £100 notes out the window.

regards, dspp

* Crucially without vicious cat in attendance. Unvicious cats don't count.

[DiamondEcho]

Good luck with your 'kind trap and release policy'. If you have trapped one mouse, you have a broader problem. Perhaps that will dawn on you in due course....