Removing mice

creedp

Hi

Not sure if on correct forum here but I'm looking for suggestions for the best way to get what I think is a mouse out of my house. I've heard scratching noises coming from behind the drylining on a couple of occassions over that last couple of nights and I want to deal with it asap. Its years since I came across this problem even though I live in a pre-1930's terraced house which was in my opinion very shabbily renovated by one of our Celtic Tiger entrepreneurs - low cost, high return chappie - It may be that he has got in through an external ground level vent and can crawl his way around behind the drylining plasterboard. Incidentially, on another forum here recently I came across a thread which was disbelieving that a builder could dryline a wall without placing insulation behind the plasterboard but I can confirm that this is exactly what my chappie did - no wonder the place is hard to heat!

Anyway I was going to get a traditional mouse trap or two and attempt to capture this guy before dealing with the damaged vent but was wondering if there are any more effective methods out there that people are aware of.


Thanks

Buford T Justice

Go with the trap method. Don't poison them. Poison thins their blood which kills them, and they will then most likely die in behind drywall somewhere and stink the house out. Catch them in a trap and they can be removed.

Have a look in the cupboard presses in the kitchen (low level) and a few other dark places that are warm and anywhere that there might be food for them. If you can see some droppings that's a sign they are there, and an ideal spot for putting in a trap

Macy0161

I'd agree with Fingers re: Traps over bait/ poison and for the same reasons. You don't want a dead mouse somewhere inaccessable.

btw, whatever about the rest of the job, mice only need a tiny gap/ hole to get through.

creedp

Thanks for the advice .. it seems the old ways are the best! Given that I haven't had a mouse in the house for the 7 previous years I have lived there, here's hoping it isnt a forewarning of what to expect as the winter approaches!

davmol

I called some pest control guys out as i had a rat in the house.He came and put traps where he thought they might me roaming.Weeks on there was never a rat caught.He advised me to seal up a hole in myback wall running in though the kitchen which i did and i havent heard anything since.
He advised that rats return thru the same route most times that they entered the house so by me sealing off the wall to the outside i may have prevented his access back into the house.
Cost me a hundred quid for the call out which wasnt worth it for a couple of traps but i may never have sealed off the wall and i havent had problems since.---touch wood!!

danjo

Bait the traps with chocolate. Mice are strongly attracted to it.

King Mallie

write the mice an e mail and ask them to leave........:rolleyes:

tricky D

+1 on snap traps, forget about anything else.

Another bait is peanut butter.

Unfortunately for you, they don't usually come in ones, so better to get a few traps. They're not expensive - 75c around here.

When setting them, position the bait end against the wall as they usually run next to walls and rarely across floors another surfaces.

Get the disinfectant out too, they pee everywhere.

RKQ

Use a wooden trap with a small piece of chocolate with caramel - mars bar or Aldi type are great. Put the trap close to the wall as they like to stay close to a wall, in a corner.

Make sure the trap is sensitive set, or they'll eat the bait without getting caught. Good luck.

creedp

+1 on the chocolate advice. I've just discovered my guy(s) have an afinity to purple snack bars as I found a half eaten one that had fallen down behind a shelf ... needless to say my wife is somewhat displeased about it all ......