Dealing with mice

[UncleEbenezer]

I have a rodent problem. They appear to live in the wall, and get into my kitchen.

I've tried humane traps, they ignore them. I've tried backbreakers, they took the bait but didn't spring.

In the past few days I've caught two by hand, but that's the exception: they're usually faster than me. And unlike any mice I've encountered before, these ones both drew blood when they bit me - which turned the encounter from one of getting them into a jar I could take out into the woods to one ending in the mouse's rapid demise.

Any suggestions that actually work?

[richfool]

There are some nasty poisons about, but if they were in my house, then I would take strong measures. What about traps where the bait is within in a cage?

I don't suppose you have a cat?

[kiloran]

We had a few mice in the house about 10 years ago. Caught them very quickly with these humane traps https://tinyurl.com/y2tlvyw4

I think the trick is to use the right bait..... we used peanut butter. Perhaps wear gloves so there is none of your scent on the traps, though I didn't bother.
Also need to place the trap in the right place. I think mice tend to run next to a wall.

--kiloran

[sg31]

I would first look carefully to find out how they got into the premises. If you are detached you know there must be a breach in your defences.

Not much point in killing or removing the little pests if you just get another infestation. I did do a post some time ago explaining the most likely access points. I detest having mice in the house and have generally been successful in stopping them. The last 2 properties I've had showed plenty of signs of mouse prescence but I managed to stop their access and kill them.

Traps should always be next to a wall. I have no use for humane traps, they can gnaw through the platic ones. I have no qualms about using poison.

They really like peanut butter.

[bungeejumper]

Nutella. Or own-brand cheapo equivalent. A mouse bait to die for. Well, that's what they'd say if they ever got the chance. Works every time for us.

The question of setting humane traps seems to come up every year, and indeed, we've tried a few of them over the years at Bungee Towers. But no matter how often we let the little barstewards go, they seem to keep on coming back indoors. (They are reputed to be able to find their way back home from a mile away.)

Then again, maybe we ought to stop baiting the humane traps with nutella?

Ob top tip. Fine-tune the setting of the mouse traps as close to the tripping point as you can. You'll snap your fingers a couple of times while you're getting the knack, but it'll be worth the pain. And don't buy cheap mousetraps. The Little Nipper is still the best.

BJ

[Itsallaguess]

We had a couple of small rats hanging around outside last year, and wanted to be rid of them, and had very good success with a couple of these, armed with some cheapo peanut-butter -



£4 for two from Wilko's if there's one local, or about £7 for two delivered from Amazon -

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/the-big-cheese-2-pack-ultra-power-ready-to-use-baited-mouse-traps/p/0313556

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Cheese-Ultra-Power-Baited/dp/B005838M7W

They come pre-baited, but I covered the original bait with a smear of peanut-butter just to make sure.

They're much better than any wire-trap that I've ever used, and within two weeks both the rats were killed..

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[Mike88]

My mouse problem ended when I telephoned my local council for advice and to my amazement found they had a free of charge pest controller.

[PhaseThree]

We had a couple of small rats hanging around outside last year, and wanted to be rid of them, and had very good success with a couple of these, armed with some cheapo peanut-butter -



£4 for two from Wilko's if there's one local, or about £7 for two delivered from Amazon -

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/the-big-cheese-2-pack-ultra-power-ready-to-use-baited-mouse-traps/p/0313556

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Cheese-Ultra-Power-Baited/dp/B005838M7W

They come pre-baited, but I covered the original bait with a smear of peanut-butter just to make sure.

They're much better than any wire-trap that I've ever used, and within two weeks both the rats were killed..

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

We used these last year following a plague of mice in the local fields - very effective.
Recommended.

[AsleepInYorkshire]

Try one of these



AiY

[scrumpyjack]

Try sonic mouse repellers. They don't like high pitched sound, inaudible to humans, and hopefully will then go elsewhere.

I use these in our garages and have even put one in the car as we've had trouble with mice chewing the wiring (very expensive to repair!)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=sonic+mous ... s-a-p_3_11

[Laughton]

As many have already said - peanut butter is best. Smear it onto the trap so they have to press down on the trigger to get it.

Poison definitely not recommended for mice living in the walls - they go there and die and the smell is not pleasant at all and can last a while.

I'm afraid that unless "the woods" are a long way away they are likely to decide that your walls are a much nicer home and find their way back.

You definitely want to get rid of them and spend some time working out how they got in - they breed like, well, mice.

[DrFfybes]

We have had the same problem, and obviously the previous owners of the current place have had similar.

We have wooden traps and those red and white plastic traps. The red/white ones are a LOT more finger friendly. Peanut butter or nutella is easy to apply, smells well, and stays on the trap. Mice and rats tend to run around the edges avoiding crossing open spaces - we placed one each side of the garage just inside the door as that is where we thought they got in, and in the corners of the room and the airing cupboard.

In the new place the loft and garage is littered with jars and tins containing poison - probably about 30. I didn't realise the blue poison could actually go mouldy. The poison/bait is in narrow tins/jars on their side - think pesto or Sutherlands sandwich spread - presumably as they also had a small dog (obviously not much of a mouser).

I would suggest a mixed approach. Put some traps out which should get the foraging adults. Once they stop catching then put some poison bait out as well. Alternatively leave the box of poison on the floor in the lean-to and a couple of days later you'll find they have eaten their way into it from the outside!

This has just given me an idea - if they could make insulating pipe wrap that was poisonous to mice then they would become self regulating.

Paul

[88V8]

Mice love thatched houses.
So we have or had an intermittent mousse problem.
Sometimes two a day in the snap trap in the attic.
Then we got a cat. A female cat. The female is the deadlier of the species.

V8

[UncleEbenezer]

Try one of these
AiY

Alas, the location is unsuitable. Lacks outdoor space a moggie could access without crossing the all-too-main road.

I've heard quite a lot of owls around here of late. Maybe I should find a way of inviting them to dinner? Though in practice I expect they'd be no more capable of catching mice in an indoor environment than I am.

[UncleEbenezer]

As many have already said - peanut butter is best. Smear it onto the trap so they have to press down on the trigger to get it.

Poison definitely not recommended for mice living in the walls - they go there and die and the smell is not pleasant at all and can last a while.

Agreed on both counts. Now if only I could find a trap that works. I made one as a young child (worked well) in my first encounter with mice, and bought one (also worked) in my second encounter in the 1990s.

I'm afraid that unless "the woods" are a long way away they are likely to decide that your walls are a much nicer home and find their way back.

First time (my age about 8), taking them to the garden was almost certainly ineffective. Second time (age thirtysomething), those caught alive were released successfully in the woods some miles from home. That would be the plan (somewhere around here) this time if I catch any alive.

You definitely want to get rid of them and spend some time working out how they got in - they breed like, well, mice.

Mostly I want my new kitchen, whose design will replace the problem wall and tile the floor, and will leave the wall open so any entry points aren't inaccessible to me at the back of a lot of builtin cupboards and plumbing. But that's not a DIY job: I don't want to be without a kitchen for months while working on it, so it relies on finding a team who have the time for it.

[SteelCamel]

I'd agree with the plastic traps mentioned above - only thing that got the mice in my house, they were too fast for the "little nipper" traps and wouldn't touch poison. Sticky bait is essential, or they will sneak it out of the trap. A couple of other tips - put the trap against the wall, with the business end against the skirting. Mice don't like being out in the open. If they're getting inside cupboards, put the trap in the cupboard (business end against the side or back), but don't forget to check them frequently. If they're under the cupboards, pull off the plinth and put the trap there (and leave the plinth off so you can check the trap). Also get rid of anything else they can eat, so they're forced to take the bait.

Resist the temptation to fiddle with the traps or move them around - mice are suspicious of new things, leave the traps in the same place for a week or so and they will get used to them. Also if you've got lots of mice, set more traps - I had four set in the kitchen at one point - as each trap will only catch one mouse until you reset it. Mice can out-breed a single trap! I also found that young mice were too light to trigger the traps - but that actually helped as they learned that the traps were harmless, until one day they were heavy enough to trigger it.

[88V8]

I also found that young mice were too light to trigger the traps - but that actually helped as they learned that the traps were harmless, until one day they were heavy enough to trigger it.

Feed them heavy bait.
My wife's dumplings would do the job.

V8 (luckily she is not on the forum)

[AWOL]

Don't use bigger rat sized traps. If you find they are licking the peanut butter or nutella without standing on the trap (some of them are very smart) then use sultanas/raisins stuffed into the bait tray. My bait tray is small enough that they cannot get raisins out easily encouraging a trip onto the trigger plate. Always put the traps with the business end facing the wall (this greatly improves efficacy and protects toes).

Remember they like to run around the perimeter not across the middle of a room/attic.

Buying a cat with a decent predatory instinct can work wonders too. I don't do cats myself.

[richlist]

I've always found poison does the trick. The poison dehydrates the mouse so when it dies there is very little moisture in its body and it ends up like a dried crisp.....i.e.no smell.