Pest problem - is this really a mouse or something else? :|

LookingFor

Sorry if this is the wrong forum, I'm not sure really where to put this..

Basically there's something in the house, and we're not sure what.

Mid last week we were sitting down to dinner in the kitchen, and heard a distinct and fairly loud clattering and then scratching/knocking noises in the cupboard under the sink.

Went to look at what was there, didn't see anything. But the noises were enough to suspect a pest, so we took everything out of the cupboard, and laid mouse traps. The only food that was there was a packet of potatoes which were undisturbed. It struck us as unusual that if there was a mouse that it would come out during the day, and when people and noise was about in the kitchen. When we've had mice previously we never had sight nor sound of them, and I was under the impression they were very sensitive to and quite scared of noise.

Nothing further happened, then on Saturday my mother heard it again. Went and checked the cupboard, the traps were undisturbed and there was no sign of it.

On Sunday when I was on my own, I then heard it. I heard scratching and knocking sounds from the cupboard, quite loud and distinct. Putting my "it ought to be scared of noise" theory to the test I clapped my hands and stamped on the ground just outside the cupboard, yet the thing persisted! The noise only stopped about 10 seconds later.

Then for a few days there was nothing. On Wednesday my dad heard it again. Again, no change in the traps, and no signs (e.g. droppings).

Then this morning we heard it again. Checked the cupboard, and this time, one of the traps had sprung, but nothing was caught. The bait was undisturbed. Moreover, the traps had been pushed about, a stray piece of cardboard had been thrown in alongside the traps, and the newspaper on which all these things are was seriously shifted about!

Could a mouse really do all these things? Have the strength to shift newspaper around under its feet?

We're beginning to wonder and worry Is there anything more we should try and do? Should we be calling a professional pest control group..? Would they do anything other than lay some more traps and just check them for us?

Thanks for any advice.

Sleipnir

Maybe a rat?

LookingFor

Are rats insensitive to noise and 'time-of-day' emergence though? I'm fairly shocked at how 'brave' this thing is vs experience with mice before...I figured rats were the same from that point of view.

I'm puzzled why it keeps coming up into this cupboard. I mean there's no food asides from the bait there now. I guess better it goes to one place that roams around though...technically if it has access to that cupboard it could be getting to other places, but so far it seems to be localised to there.

Really don't wanna think it's a rat Ufff.

Sleipnir

LookingFor wrote: »

Are rats insensitive to noise and 'time-of-day' emergence though? I'm fairly shocked at how 'brave' this thing is vs experience with mice before...I figured rats were the same from that point of view.

I'm puzzled why it keeps coming up into this cupboard. I mean there's no food asides from the bait there now. I guess better it goes to one place that roams around though...technically if it has access to that cupboard it could be getting to other places, but so far it seems to be localised to there.

Really don't wanna think it's a rat Ufff.

Yeah I don't mind mice but I couldn't stand a rat in the house. They are a lot braver than a mouse.
I would be checking underneath the cupboard (i.e. behind the kickboards) to see if there's a hole or anything there.

Also, sprinkle a bit of flour in the cupboard and then you can see if there are any footprints.

peasant

We had a "house-mouse" last winter that would boldly walk and run around in the open, in full view, eyeing us up in the process.

The fact the three dogs were gunning to go after it didn't bother it in the slightest ...it had its tried and tested walkways and hidey holes where no-one could get at it

LookingFor

Hmm, that's interesting peasant. Our experience has been with very shy mice previously.

I'd love to think it's not a rat, but I think we're going to go look for a larger rat trap.

I think it's 'falling' into the cupboard sometimes from a hole in the upper cupboard it's split into two levels, with holes where some pipes go through, so I'm wondering if it's possible to get a trap to put under that hole, such that if something fell from there it would fall into the trap and not be able to get out...

Sigma Force

Could be a clever mouse (they tend to be loud sometimes eventhough they're small) or could be a rat in which case it might be harder to trap.

If you get a rat sized trap and see if that works there are other options some humane some not. The old fashioned wooden ones are the most humane if you plan on killing the rat or there's the humane traps but they can die from stress if stuck in them too long and then you have the issue of where to release it (needs to be miles away and not near any other homes).

LookingFor

Well, we finally realised we were pretty much at the end of the road in terms of what we could do on our own, so we called a pest control company.

They sent someone out pretty promptly. I was sceptical he'd do much more than lay some traps and just come back later, but in fairness, he spent well over an hour here trying to source where they were coming from. He pulled out all the kitchen appliances looking for tracks or droppings...found some OLD mouse droppings, but nothing that could be linked to this new visitor. He then went around outside, and did a really thorough check of various things, drains and piping and stuff, and even went up and down the road looking at stuff around our neighbours even. He came up with a list of stuff that our neighbours should do in terms of filling cracks and holes and things, and discovered the likely source of our problem: a disused toilet room at the side of the house that has external access only. I forgot all about this place to be honest, but anyway, the toilet had dried out and there are holes there that lead to the subfloor of the house. So he reckons things could be actually coming UP the toilet (since it is empty of water), and then out into the holes in the subfloor and then into the kitchen.

So he's used expanding foam to seal up all holes he could find, and we filled that toilet with water (temporarily..we'll probably fill it with cement or sand). And he laid large rat traps and some mouse traps in that cupboards under the sink.

So anyway...he did plenty of stuff we wouldn't think to do. Hopefully we'll be rid of it now, if it's even still around...(he says it's possible it was coming in and out of the house, in which case it may not be able to get back in now).

Mr. Presentable

Or out :eek::eek::eek:

LookingFor

nipplenuts wrote: »

Or out :eek::eek::eek:

*plugs ears* lalalalalalalalalalala

Seriously though...I just hope one of those beasts of a trap he put in there catches the thing if it's stuck here. Sorry fella, but we don't take free lodgers

stephenmarr

keep an eye on the expanding foam as they will get through that in seconds.
if you want to make sure the proofing is done 100% use cement with broken up glass mixed in as when rats or mice go to chew the glass cuts them and they will stop.
check behind the kickboard for foodstuffs make sure theres nothing there to attract them

yuloni

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pixbyjohn

Don't use poison inside the house. A mouse or rat trap with a bit of a rasher tied on with plenty of peanut butter will do the trick. Outside use the storm blocks or better still use the grain impregnated with red poison in pipes laid along suspected runs. Rats will take the blocks of poison and store it so break up the storm blocks before laying it in the pipes so as they eat it there and then. Plastic 2" pipe is suitable cut in 2 ft lenghts. I would advise having poison laid all year round. By the way mice can make more noise than a demolition crew.

yuloni

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Morganna

Bet its a rat please let us know when u find out

Steve30x

Condi wrote: »

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I bought one of those devices. It works but not very well. The pests will still be around but will stay clear of the wires by a few feet. That is a good thing though because it will stop them chewing through the wires and maybe cause a house fire. Im not sure of the ultrasonic part because I have it plugged into a socket in my kitchen and theres no rodent problem around there. Maye its just the device I have though because its the cheapest one I could get that uses the wires around the house @ 27 euro. I am going to buy an expensive one in a few weeks and see if its any better. I am going to get a socket installed in the areas where the rats are at mostly and get the industrial sonic devices also. I might (Post likely) Be wasting my money though.

My genius but very expensive Idea would be to lay sheets of metal against the insides iof the walls (or against the plasterboard inside it) and use an electric fence device for it. see the buggers get into the house then lol. I know my idea is out there and nobody would ever do it but it is out there.

LookingFor

stephenmarr wrote: »

keep an eye on the expanding foam as they will get through that in seconds.
if you want to make sure the proofing is done 100% use cement with broken up glass mixed in as when rats or mice go to chew the glass cuts them and they will stop.
check behind the kickboard for foodstuffs make sure theres nothing there to attract them

I'll do that, check the foam. We'll see about cement..

We didn't use any poison, precisely for fear of one dying somewhere and leaving a stink. I'm not sure about using it outside either..isn't it possible a neighbour's pet or even child (!) could find poison out and about?

Another guy came over today from the same company we called yesterday and installed something in the drain up the road that's meant to prevent rats and mice running up the drain...which I suppose is a good idea...

Nothing in the traps today, no sign of it (yet).

edit - oh, and we've had one of those electromagnetic/ultrasound device thingies for some time now, plugged in in the kitchen. Clearly it's not a 100% deterrant, but I can't say the situation wouldn't be worse without it. I don't know to be honest..

Steve30x

Im pretty sure a rat died in the wall of my bedroom because the stench in here is terrible. The smell isnt too bad around the rest of the house but its so strong I have to sleep in my sitting room.

yuloni

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tallus

Anything caught in the traps yet OP ?

I have a good pest deterrent here, ...two cats.

LookingFor

There was nothing as of yesterday. I haven't checked yet today, I hate hate HATE opening that cupboard now to check for anything

tallus

LookingFor wrote: »

There was nothing as of yesterday. I haven't checked yet today, I hate hate HATE opening that cupboard now to check for anything

Yeah I know the feeling, I had mice in the past and I trapped them with a humane trap, they were cheeky little gits too, no fear at all.

Hopefully the pest control people have sorted it for you.

LookingFor

Still no sign.

This is the longest it's gone since we started hearing them that there's been no sign.

Maybe we got lucky and it was just the one, that now can't get back into the house?

That seems a bit hopeful but maybe...

We'll be leaving the traps as is for the time being though just to be sure.

learnerplates

Similar problem here with noise every 3-4 days, it is mice in my case.
I'm catching 2 a week now.
Never any sign of them in the house but they come into the ceiling/upstairs floor and root around for a couple of days then the trap gets them, same routine every week. They don't seem to fear sound either. i also have a sound thingy plugged in, got it in Aldi I think, doesn't seem to deter them.

Mice are no harm of course but they also seem to wake me every morning they're here at the same time, around 3am.