Mice or Rats between floors !

jamescc

it's the long metal bit that holds the trap in place. above the picture of the mouse.
also someone else has suggested to me to use peanut butter. but i am up to at least 15 mice in the bin now. and that is outside do not know where they are coming from.

thanks for help

rubadub

jamescc wrote: »

it's the long metal bit that holds the trap in place. above the picture of the mouse.

Ah right. I had to adjust about half of mine out of the pack. Instead of altering that wire I usually bent the other bit that holds the bait, until I was able to get it on the verge of triggering, on one I just bent that long wire instead of cutting it, this in effect shortened it. When I put the cardboard on I had to bend the bait ends nearly all down so they would be fairly parallel with the floor.

unclebill98

Had a mouse problem before.

House mate wanted the nice way to get rid off them. Used friendly traps and the sonic stopper. Actually find an mouse sitting on top of it and the friendly traps I found where useless.

Poison, nope fully agree with what's been said.

In the end, 16 mouse traps and 16 dead mice. Chocolate was there food of choice, actually Turkish cause the sticky centre makes it easier to stick to trap and that little harder to pull off.

After that you gotta seal the house.

jamescc

I caught one in the hot press. It looked slightly bigger than the rest (mouse).
I used peanut butter this time I think it is the last or near last, I hope.
still have traps down I will check all again tomorrow. then fill the hole.

Patrick2010

jamescc wrote: »

just being reading the forum. some good advice and some not so good.
So far today I have caught 14 mice, now granted most of being of the back porch, where I have been catching them.
We do have some in the house.(defo mice not rats) I put two traps in the airing cupboard and they keep taking the food of the traps with out the traps going off.
I cut the ends of the long metal bit to shorten it .I do know where they are getting in. Does the expanding foam do the job or is there something else, that would work better.

Expanding foam when it dries is quite solid but it depends on the size of the hole. Had them years ago and found that exterior polyfilla around an external water pipe solved the problem.
Catching them was easy, a trap baited with a piece of rasher tied to the trap meant they had to tug at it and set it off. Also helps if you put the trap in a "tunnel" situation, i.e. force them to go straight onto the trap and not take the bait from the side. Maybe put the trap between a wall and a box.

jamescc

Patrick2010 wrote: »

Expanding foam when it dries is quite solid but it depends on the size of the hole. Had them years ago and found that exterior polyfilla around an external water pipe solved the problem.
Catching them was easy, a trap baited with a piece of rasher tied to the trap meant they had to tug at it and set it off. Also helps if you put the trap in a "tunnel" situation, i.e. force them to go straight onto the trap and not take the bait from the side. Maybe put the trap between a wall and a box.

so far I have been catching them all day mainly out in the back yard.
I have found peanut butter the best stopped using cheese as they were pulling it off. They all seemed like baby mice except one it looked allot bigger .

stcatherine

I just cannot find even the smallest hole around my house ( As I said its new build only pipes are all well sealed and feeding down into the ground except kitchen waste ) this just had me even more convinced they have come from next door ( not the cleanest of neighbours ! ) so I got back into the loft and scoured the place on hands and knees lifting up the insulation where the flooring ends. Finally I found it !! the most perfect little mouse hole, made me chuckle cos it looks just like one from a cartoon this perfect little semi circular hole up out of the insulation right next to a beam.

and then directly across from it on the other side of the room a larger Rat sized hole where insulation has been pushed upwards.

Now I have heard if you have one you dont have the other so perhaps thats just the mice too.

anyways I have now laid bait next to both holes safe in the knowledge that neither pets nor children can get to it .

Still feel sad but it has to be done .

Patrick2010

Have you sealed up the hole so no more can get in?

rubadub

If you have no foam stuff handy you can plug a hole with some old rags, though they might eat through it or use it to nest. They do not like chili so you could put some on the rag, or ammonia, they are meant to hate it.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4457403_rid-mice-ammonia.html

They can get in tiny holes, I read ones where a pencil would fit through.

skintiam

You can temporarily fill holes with steel wool until you get something more permanent to fill in with - apparently they can't chew through it.

stcatherine

nope still not found where they got into my house, the hole I found is in the actual fibreglass insulation stuff in the loft, so they have been nesting/running around 'under' all of that and this hole is where they come up from under it into the floored area.

kinda superflous to plug it as they can burrow up through it anywhere lol

little feckers !

jamescc

open door they could run in without you even noticing.
am up to 25 now caught and put in the bin.
what a stink.:(

rubadub

I threw mine in the garden, presuming a local cat or some animal would take them, although reading more now I think the cats just bring them to their owners house and dump them, not eating them. I also guessed it might repel other mice if it sensed them. If I had that many I would dig a hole and bury them.

if you had an old airtight container they could be put in it inside the bin, most sweets like celebrations are on offer now and in snap on plastic containers now.

jamescc

I would have done that but I did not know there was so going to be so many

ted1

Expanding foam is like popcorn to them. You need to get steel wool to plug the gaps, if you want then you can pollyfilla it in after the steel wool is in place. It's one material they can't chew through.

caddy2

we too have had the problem of mice, we have used those things that you plug in and they make a sound that only certain animlas hear. i reckon they work, we havent had anything in the house since, even though we have spotted them out in the yard all right. does anyone have an opinion about them?

kylith

caddy2 wrote: »

we too have had the problem of mice, we have used those things that you plug in and they make a sound that only certain animlas hear. i reckon they work, we havent had anything in the house since, even though we have spotted them out in the yard all right. does anyone have an opinion about them?

When I was using one I didn't have any mice. Whether it's coincidence or not I don't know. Other people have said that they made no differece.

If you decide to get one go for one that you can change the speed of the pulse on so that they don't get used to it.

Honey-ec

caddy2 wrote: »

we too have had the problem of mice, we have used those things that you plug in and they make a sound that only certain animlas hear. i reckon they work, we havent had anything in the house since, even though we have spotted them out in the yard all right. does anyone have an opinion about them?

They don't work, according to the Straight Dope.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/403/do-ultrasonic-bug-repellers-work

"Some ultrasound firms say their products will also repel mice, rats, roaches, bats, fleas, spiders, and the like. The evidence to date suggests these claims are greatly exaggerated. At best they work only when used in conjunction with a concerted anti-pest program involving traps, improved sanitation, elimination of entry points and nesting places, and so on. So don't throw away that flyswatter yet."

joseph brand

Hey,
Have a little bugger in my house now. Ran past me in behind my pc, then when I got the sweeping brush he darted into the sitting room. I pulled out the couches and sundries but couldn't see him. Then 20 mins later I see him in corner of my eye running to fireplace, then vanished again. A regular Houdini. This has re-affirmed my perception of the Tom n Jerry cartoons. Get him Tom, GET HIM!!!!

I have a mouse trap but he took the peanut butter off it. I have two boxes with that green stuff inside. Found poop in one, no dead mouse. They're so crafty.

Seriously thinking of getting a lend of my Ma's cat, Tracy. She might feel strange in a house 40 miles from home though. Let her stay overnight.

stcatherine

My little feckers are taking the poison no problem but still running around happy as larry up there while Im lay in bed listening to them doing what can only be described as the Olympics for mice !! ( long jump, Hurdles, javelin, shot put ) .... well it keeps my mind busy imagining them in their little leotards while I'm lay there in the dark not sleeping


anyways ... time to get serious, the traps are going up tomorrow laden with bacon rind !

Hank Scorpio

Killed 2 in the past 3 days with traps. Will re-set them tonight and see if anymore are around. Two of the traps they managed to get the bait without the trap going off! The lad i got today was tiny, felt sorry for the poor little guy but it looks like the trap killed him instantly.

He woke me up last night, its so weird how they wait for ages for you not to make any noise and then come out to run around. Will sleep better tonight though.

stcatherine

mine aren't taking the bait at all from the traps

I lay two traps next to where I had the bair trays, I used bacon rind and set them sunday morning and they havent touched them !!

I wonder if its because we also got up there with the hoover and hoovered up all the cluster flies ( we believe thats been their main food source ! ) .

One kept me awake all last night with what sounded like it trying to eat through the skirting board on my side of the bed !

CorkBabe33

I'm really sorry for this yuk question but what would rat / mouse poo look like??? I've never had any problem with them up to now but I've just found an unusual looking little brown thing on the floor. If there was a plant in the room I'd say it was a tiny twig had broken off but there isn't...
Its small, narrow and just one on its own
I haven't heard any scratching / scurrying around
I just googled it but all the pics (which was lovely viewing - not) do show 'bigger' ones than what I found.
My nerves - I'm having a mini breakdown in case I have "visitors" :eek::eek::eek:

stcatherine

Mouse poo is kind of like a narrow version of an apple pip, very dark brown and a little bit smaller than a dry grain of rice maybe, and one end usually has a tiny point to it ( not like I've investigated that closely lol but that's what it looks like to me ).

If its much bigger than a rice grain size its more than likely rat poo !

yel_cab

I have the same problem with the hole being above ground outside. Im planning to put a few traps around but where can i put them outside where the wind wont blow away?? And with the poison wont that not just kill them while they are in the nest and just rot away inside?? Please help

mcbobbyb

I caught 12 !!!! last year, I remember one came out from the cristmas tree. Chocolate is whats best for them. Something sticky so they cant swipe it. Rolos.And make sure there the little traps and are ready to snap as you put it down.

rubadub

yel_cab wrote: »

I have the same problem with the hole being above ground outside.

What is this hole? is it a pipe or something leading into the house.

You might be able to glue a metal mesh onto any holes or pipes, like the ones you get for the drain on showers. Holes could also possibly be stuffed with stainless steel scrubbing pads.

yel_cab

Its hard to explain the roof for the kitchen where it connects the wall has that gap seems to be a hole there if you know what i mean? And this is all above ground

kylith

Could you get a large box that you could put the trap in? Cut a hole in the box so that the rats can get in, and put a brick on top of it to stop it blowing away. A box will also help protect children and pets from the nastiness that is a rat trap.

yel_cab

kylith wrote: »

Could you get a large box that you could put the trap in? Cut a hole in the box so that the rats can get in, and put a brick on top of it to stop it blowing away. A box will also help protect children and pets from the nastiness that is a rat trap.

Yea i was thinking that too. Thanks everybody for the suggestions such a pain in the arse this is Oh and what you think is the best traps for the mice/rats??