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Mice!! please help

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  • 27-10-2010 3:16pm
    #1
    portgirl123
    Registered Users Posts: 657 ✭✭✭


    We moved here just before last winter. love the house, garden is ideal for my doggies, prob over 120ft long, totally sucure. Area is ideal, just out of town, surrounded by walks and fields but yet only a 3 min walk from town. The only down side is that in front of us in a lovely green area with a river runing through it. while it looks and is a lovely view the downside is mice. the one thing im absolutely terrified of, is mice.
    Last aut/winter we were plaqued with mice and looks like this yr is going to be the same. I hoover twice a day, kids aint allowed food upstairs. i have the plug in things, i have mouse traps, i have 3 cats amd still cant get rid.they seem to be mostly upstairs. can hear them running around when were down stairs and at night in bed can hear them as well. im sitting up reading all night terrified to sleep
    Please, please can anyone help. i would rather live in a house full of spiders, snakes u name it, anything bar mice and rats. That bad im thinking of moving


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    #2
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    What kind of dogs do you have? If you have, or can borrow, some terriers they should make short work of any mice they come across.


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    #3
    Shanao
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 919 ✭✭✭Shanao


    Get a ferret; the smell of ferrets will drive mice and rats away. If you cant get one, then find someone who has one and ask for either a short loan of some of their bedding or of the ferret itself. Since I got my boys, we haven't seen a single mouse anywhere in the vicinity of our place.


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    #4
    CarrickMcJoe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭CarrickMcJoe


    Don't feed the cats!


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    #5
    doctor evil
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,114 ✭✭✭doctor evil


    I understand your pain, we have mice trouble too. It sounds like they are having a merry time up in the attic, they can nest in the insulation.

    Perhaps putting some traps up in the attic space? Keep an eye out for electical fires caused by wiring nawed (sp?) through by mice. They will chew at anything!


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    #6
    jap gt
    Registered Users Posts: 1,896 ✭✭✭jap gt


    you mention the plug in things, the first thing i would do is get rid of them, they are worse than useless, i have seen mice sitting on top of these things, as said a ferret or even ferret bedding works great


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    #7
    User Friendly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,483 ✭✭✭User Friendly


    jap gt wrote: »
    you mention the plug in things, the first thing i would do is get rid of them, they are worse than useless, i have seen mice sitting on top of these things, as said a ferret or even ferret bedding works great
    You have 3 cats!! and you have mice:eek:

    right F--k that for a game of soliders! they have to go. and the answer to your problems is in this post above me...... A ferret or two.

    best of luck.


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    #8
    portgirl123
    Registered Users Posts: 657 ✭✭✭portgirl123


    who could lend me a ferret!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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    #9
    User Friendly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,483 ✭✭✭User Friendly


    portgirl123 wrote: »
    who could lend me a ferret!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    oh so you only want the mice to go away for a little while? is that it?:)

    its getting cold out there now Mam, and the mice dont come into your house because its dirty or clean,they come in there because its shelter for their little ones and its warm.

    Buy a ferret for 20 euro from a breeder.their great fun apparently.


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    #10
    jap gt
    Registered Users Posts: 1,896 ✭✭✭jap gt


    maybe post on the hunting section,, any people in your area with ferrets will be glad to do the job for you


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    #11
    brian ireland
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,647 ✭✭✭brian ireland


    Was sitting on the chair in the kitchen when i heard mice in the walls. Put down 4 traps last night with some rasher rind as bait. Caught 3 overnight. Laid 4 more traps just now with more bacon as bait... Its working for me. Same problem here, lots of fields around my house.


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    #12
    User Friendly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,483 ✭✭✭User Friendly


    brian ireland wrote: »
    Was sitting on the chair in the kitchen when i heard mice in the walls. Put down 4 traps last night with some rasher rind as bait. Caught 3 overnight. Laid 4 more traps just now with more bacon as bait... Its working for me. Same problem here, lots of fields around my house.
    Thats the job!

    even when you think they're gone keep putting down the traps, its frightening how quick the female breeds and how often.


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    #13
    TooManyDogs
    Registered Users Posts: 1,634 ✭✭✭TooManyDogs


    jap gt wrote: »
    you mention the plug in things, the first thing i would do is get rid of them, they are worse than useless, i have seen mice sitting on top of these things, as said a ferret or even ferret bedding works great

    The plug in things work great but not to get rid of mice currently in residence, they only work to prevent mice coming in.


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    #14
    brian ireland
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,647 ✭✭✭brian ireland


    TooManyDogs wrote: »
    The plug in things work great but not to get rid of mice currently in residence, they only work to prevent mice coming in.

    Don't agree with that! Have (sorry had, after today) two of them. If they work then I would not have mice!!


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    #15
    thesandeman
    Registered Users Posts: 9,965 ✭✭✭thesandeman


    Am I the only one thinking that a ferret will be a lot more fun for the dogs and cats to attack than the mice? Also if you are afraid of mice and rats I cant see you with a ferret around your neck. And if you get rid of the mice there is a very good chance that rats will set up home instead as they normally dont mix. I suggest leave the mice live happily in the attic. They are doing no harm (and were probably living there long before you arrived) and they will go on their merry way when warmer weather comes again. Im sorry about your phobia but its part of country living.


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    #16
    jap gt
    Registered Users Posts: 1,896 ✭✭✭jap gt


    thesandeman wrote: »
    Am I the only one thinking that a ferret will be a lot more fun for the dogs and cats to attack than the mice? Also if you are afraid of mice and rats I cant see you with a ferret around your neck. And if you get rid of the mice there is a very good chance that rats will set up home instead as they normally dont mix. I suggest leave the mice live happily in the attic. They are doing no harm (and were probably living there long before you arrived) and they will go on their merry way when warmer weather comes again. Im sorry about your phobia but its part of country living.

    no its not.. we have no sign of a mouse in our house, we trap and use ferret bedding, buying a ferret isnt a great idea but leaving one run up in the attic or get bedding is, the op can surely lock up the dogs for a bit, and im not sure what cats you have but any sensible cat wont go near a ferret.

    op ferrets are just one option there are plenty others. no one wants mice in their homes for the health risks alone


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    #17
    dobsdave
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,814 ✭✭✭dobsdave


    Can anyone recommend a decent pest control company that serves Kildare?
    Mouse in our kitchen extension, and I'm working away from home ,hysterical wife at home:( .

    Thanks.


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    #18
    Shanao
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 919 ✭✭✭Shanao


    thesandeman wrote: »
    Am I the only one thinking that a ferret will be a lot more fun for the dogs and cats to attack than the mice? Also if you are afraid of mice and rats I cant see you with a ferret around your neck. And if you get rid of the mice there is a very good chance that rats will set up home instead as they normally dont mix. I suggest leave the mice live happily in the attic. They are doing no harm (and were probably living there long before you arrived) and they will go on their merry way when warmer weather comes again. Im sorry about your phobia but its part of country living.

    Ferrets, cats and dogs can get along really well if you introduce them carefully. Very few cats will attack a ferret. I've got two ferrets and three cats, including a kitten and the lot all run around together happy out. When I introduced them first, the ferrets actually chased the cats around the house and these are not small cats, they're easily bigger than a jack russell but a ferret bite is a lot harder than a cat bite so the cats learned to run when the ferrets started playing too rough. Now they've all made peace and live together quite happily.

    Ferrets aren't rodents either so I dont really see how you can compare them to rats and mice; I know plenty of people with mouse phobias but I cant really imagine a ferret phobia. And the same applies for rats when it comes to ferrets and ferret smell anyway if the mice did leave.

    OP if traps and cats aren't working, I would go the ferret route next. Hopefully you should be able to get your hands on one or some bedding. Also if any of your cats do manage to get their paws on a mouse or two just be aware that mice can carry tapeworm so you'll need to watch out for that.


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    #19
    portgirl123
    Registered Users Posts: 657 ✭✭✭portgirl123


    thesandeman wrote: »
    Am I the only one thinking that a ferret will be a lot more fun for the dogs and cats to attack than the mice? Also if you are afraid of mice and rats I cant see you with a ferret around your neck. And if you get rid of the mice there is a very good chance that rats will set up home instead as they normally dont mix. I suggest leave the mice live happily in the attic. They are doing no harm (and were probably living there long before you arrived) and they will go on their merry way when warmer weather comes again. Im sorry about your phobia but its part of country living.
    the thing is if they were just in the attic it would be fine, there not they are in the bedrooms, and the last thing i want is 2 wake up with a mouse on my bed. which by the way has happened to a neighboutr of mine. Wasnt thinking of getting a ferret permantaly a lend of one or the beding would be good.
    they are doing harm when they are chewing stuff, kids toys, books etc. Also as another poster said they can create electrical fires.
    Also i have always lived in the country, was born and bred here. i said i only moved into this house last winter. Always had the odd mouse or 2 just never as many and as hard to catch.


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    #20
    toadfly
    Registered Users Posts: 3,412 ✭✭✭toadfly


    What about going down to your local petstore, buy your cat food there and ask for the used ferret bedding as well!


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    #21
    portgirl123
    Registered Users Posts: 657 ✭✭✭portgirl123


    TillyGirl wrote: »
    What about going down to your local petstore, buy your cat food there and ask for the used ferret bedding as well!
    thanks, great idea. on my way now.


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    #22
    solerina
    Registered Users Posts: 2,435 ✭✭✭solerina


    In my summer holidays during college I worked for a pest control company....so I have a little bit of advice.
    Firstly go to your local hardware shop (chadwicks etc) buy some mice bait, the pin head bait is the best for mice, not grain as the mainly eat the kernel and as the pin head stuff is smaller they have to eat it all. If you have toget the wax blocks, but you wuould need to watch this as if there are rats about they tend to take it away and stash it.
    For outside....get some pieces of wavin pipe (or similar), cut it into sections about 3 foot long and place them strategically around your garden, pace a heap of the pin head or 2 wax blocks into the middle of the pipe.
    For the house, you obviously have a proofing problem...this means gaps, maybe around pipes /doors whatever (kitchen sink is often the probl area)...do a detailed tour of the house and block up all the holes (if you have a semi D-- check your attic for gaps too).
    Place some of the pin head in the attic/hot press/under kitchen sink.....and beware of dad mouse smells !!!


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