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Child Item

Getting Rid Of Mice

crosstownk

Right.

I've got mice under the upstairs floorboards:eek: . I've tried traps and glue pads. These mice have had third level education. They have nibbled the bait on the trap without setting off the trap! They were the prebaited traps and I reckon they're a load of crap. I caught 2 mice on a glue pad but I can here more of then scurrying about. I've laid regular wooden traps.

Has anyone got any better suggestions. I need to get rid of this little pests - FOR GOOD!!:mad:

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KoNiT

Get new traps & ensure they are fine tuned

Use different savory foods each time you reset trap

Chocolate
Peatnutbutter
Butter
Rasher rind

For intellegent mice

Create canyons with washign powder & fire lighter boxes (or whatever) so they have to walk into the trap & in the direction you want them to.
Put one trap directly behind another after they start jumping the first trap (usually after one is caught!)

Hope this helps

Litcagral

crosstownk wrote:

Right.

I've got mice under the upstairs floorboards:eek: . I've tried traps and glue pads. These mice have had third level education. They have nibbled the bait on the trap without setting off the trap! They were the prebaited traps and I reckon they're a load of crap. I caught 2 mice on a glue pad but I can here more of then scurrying about. I've laid regular wooden traps.

Has anyone got any better suggestions. I need to get rid of this little pests - FOR GOOD!!:mad:

I find metal traps are more effective than the wooden ones. (can't remember where I got them though).

Use rasher rind as bait as the mice have to tug at it. They can lick some bait types without activating trap.

crosstownk

I'll make the canyons out of their sh1te!! There's loads of it.

But seriously, thanks for the advice..............I'll try it and let you know.

crosstownk

I had those plastic prebaited traps - rubbish. Is there any electocution device available cos I'm getting nasty with the little fcukers now.

What about thos ultrasonice jobbies - I've heard mixed reports about them.

I'll look out for those metal ones - ty

mobby

Plastic traps worked fine for me. Just use you own bait I used a small bit of chocolate and got over half a dozen over a 3 month period had none since T.G.
Also had one of those ultrasonic devices, not worth a feck to be honest.

crosstownk

Yeah, I put my own bait on the plastic traps but the little fcukers got it too. It seems like I'm feeding them...!!!

Litcagral

Ultrasonic devices are utterly useless in my experience.

redman

Humane Traps worked very well for me:)

craggel

The biggest problem to overcome is blocking their access. It doesn't matter how many you kill unless you stop the rest of them coming in. I had a serious infestation of rats and mice late last year and caught about 6 rats and 12 mice. Only when I found how they were getting in and blocking it off did I eventually start to win the 'war'.
I eventually went with rat traps (plastic with metal bar) and loads of them baited with chocolate muffins, peanut butter and banana bread (wife went cooking crazy there for while! Thank God that stopped!:D ). I also put down some poison. Poison obviously not the best way to go because there is the possibilty of them dying under floor boards and giving off a bad smell(which did actually happen in our case!), however weighing it up against having those dirty little disease carriers running freely about my house with young kids I was happy to take that chance and at least the smell goes after a week or so. Obviously with poison, it's best to put it well out of reach of kids and pets. It took a while to get rid of them and I did use an ultra sonic device in the last week or two. Don't know how much of an effect that had but either way it is still plugged in just in case.
On another note always ensure all other food sources are stored away and ensure all your food preparation surfaces are cleaned regularly. We found they were getting into the garage and eating the dogs dry food.
After all that good luck, you are going to need it. It is frustrating as hell but stick at it and you shall overcome.

Just another note. when setting the traps always move the trigger until it is just about to go so that the slightest touch will set it off. Often times when the trap is set the mouse would have time eat the whole bait before the trap is triggered.

Litcagral

craggel wrote:

The biggest problem to overcome is blocking their access. It doesn't matter how many you kill unless you stop the rest of them coming in. I had a serious infestation of rats and mice late last year and caught about 6 rats and 12 mice. Only when I found how they were getting in and blocking it off did I eventually start to win the 'war'.
I eventually went with rat traps (plastic with metal bar) and loads of them baited with chocolate muffins, peanut butter and banana bread (wife went cooking crazy there for while! Thank God that stopped!:D ). I also put down some poison. Poison obviously not the best way to go because there is the possibilty of them dying under floor boards and giving off a bad smell(which did actually happen in our case!), however weighing it up against having those dirty little disease carriers running freely about my house with young kids I was happy to take that chance and at least the smell goes after a week or so. Obviously with poison, it's best to put it well out of reach of kids and pets. It took a while to get rid of them and I did use an ultra sonic device in the last week or two. Don't know how much of an effect that had but either way it is still plugged in just in case.
On another note always ensure all other food sources are stored away and ensure all your food preparation surfaces are cleaned regularly. We found they were getting into the garage and eating the dogs dry food.
After all that good luck, you are going to need it. It is frustrating as hell but stick at it and you shall overcome.

It's quite unusual to get mice and rats together as the rats will generally eat the mice!

crosstownk

Thanks for that craggel.

I've no idea how they're getting into the house. I moved in 6 months ago and the house had been unoccupied for a few months prior to that. Also, once I moved in I had the house rewired and the electrician used leave the hall door wide open all day so maybe thats how they got in. I've lots of bushes and plants at the front of the house so I'll have to search behind them for possible access points. Exactly what size is the smallest gap that a mouse could realistically crawl through?

craggel

All you need is a gap that a pen or pencil will fit through! Thats for a mouse. Rats obviously are a little bigger and I think something in the region of half an inch is all they need. That is why I said "good luck".
I had two problems. Firstly the builder who put our extension on made the 'small'
mistake of leaving the old sewer pipe open under the extension:mad: . Secondly where the old gas and water pipes came in under the foundations was where the mice were making there way in. I was very lucky in that these pipes were in the only area downstairs in the house that I could gain access under the floor without ripping up all the solid wood flooring that had just gone down.
Try and follow their poop as far as you can and concentrate around there. Another tip I heard was to sprinkle flour or talc around where you suspect their run is and this may lead you to where they are coming from. Don't know how well it works but I guess you'll try anything to get them!
Generally they tend to travel by walls as they are virtually blind (allegedly) so the best place to put the traps is by the walls.
If your house is old and has wood floors on joists(downstairs) there are usually vents in the exterior wall under the floor level. Try the gaps with a pen to see if they are big enough for a mouse to fit in and if they are buy some new plastic covers and fit them over them. Old pipes and cable entries into the house are also to be checked if they are wider than needed. Plus don't just limit your search to floor level, the little b'stards can climb as far as they want to get in.
Thats all I can think of now. Happy hunting!

Litcagral re. Rats eating mice - yeh I heard that at the time and I would like to thank the Rats for getting rid of any mice that came their way.;) But I can safely say that I would not rule out rats and mice being in the same house.

crosstownk

Yeah - I think the vents are the problem! I'm in work at the moment but from memory they are the old style vents (house is 44 years old). Sh1t man, this task is getting harder by the day! I'll put a fine wire mesh over the vents. Now that you mention it, I've been renovating a bit lately and I notice that the previous owner had all the vents upstairs blocked so I'm beginning to wonder how long mice have been about in the house. There is absolutely loads of mouse crap under the floor boards between certain joists - the gaps between other joists are spotless. I'll hoover the mouse crap once I'm satisfied I've erradicated them and no more are getting in. I can hear them above the ceiling when I'm in the front room downstairs but thats the only place I hear them. My wife and I are quite dilligent about cleaning any crumbs so they have no food source. Obviously they must be able to get in and out otherwise they would die of starvation but then again they are so small they probably need very little to survive.

I think it's gonna be war!!!!!

And, oh yeah, I have a cat who is pure useless so that blows all my faith in the cat v mouse theory!!!!

lyencoli

The first thing you need to do is close off all small gaps around the house, i found mice getting up a blank, plastered wall to a height of 14 feet to get in a hole around a vent, also check around doors and windows for small holes.
Rentokil make a black plastic trap that i found to be excellent, got it in Atlantic Homecare. Plastic prebaited ones are useless.
Read on a few sites in the states that Rats and mice wont be found in the same place.
Rats and mice are supposed to detest the smell of mint. Mint will grow like a weed and i have it planted all around the house and in pots inside the house. Planted these last year and haven't had a problem since - this may be just luck but thats what happened.
You can buy mint in any garden shop and i've seen potted version in tesco and superquinn

Lindaloo

Was just about to post about the mint.

You could burn mint oil in the house too to try and get shut of them, not too sure how effective it is though but worth a shot.

crosstownk

I never heard of the mint 'method' before - but I'll give it a go. Anything at this stage!

Lindaloo

Was told this by aromatheraphy teacher when we were having mice/rat/stoat - still no idea what it was - issues in our house.

crosstownk

I just checked 2 of the 6 traps I laid on Monday night. BA$TARDS have taken the bait:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: . I reckon either a-the traps are crap or b-I may not have set them sensitive enough. The traps are 'Snapper' traps that I bought in Woodies - are they any good (wooden spring type). I've set them again so as the metal rod barely holds the hook on the bait wotsit. Is this right or to I have it all arseways?

morgana

There is one other option you could try there is a non-poisonous mice killer available called eradimouse (or eradirat for rats) which kills the feckers by dehydrating them. Basically their blood thickens, they get lethargic and die. The good thing is when they die, they don't smell as their body is mummified (it works, we had a few rats and they died (well they're gone) and no smell :-).
I recently saw something similar in B&Q, working on the same or similar principle (the pack didn't specify the actual action).
Otherwise, I had to get the rat stuff from England, trapman.co.uk, paid a ****load for p&p but with 2 cats in the house (chased the fecker but couldn't get to it, traps didn't work) this was the only option left.
Now no rodent signs for 4 weeks :-) and counting

netwhizkid

morgana wrote:

There is one other option you could try there is a non-poisonous mice killer available called eradimouse (or eradirat for rats) which kills the feckers by dehydrating them. Basically their blood thickens, they get lethargic and die. The good thing is when they die, they don't smell as their body is mummified (it works, we had a few rats and they died (well they're gone) and no smell :-).
I recently saw something similar in B&Q, working on the same or similar principle (the pack didn't specify the actual action).
Otherwise, I had to get the rat stuff from England, trapman.co.uk, paid a ****load for p&p but with 2 cats in the house (chased the fecker but couldn't get to it, traps didn't work) this was the only option left.
Now no rodent signs for 4 weeks :-) and counting

Don't go near poison, a) if you have pets b) they will die in all sorts of places and stink up the whole place.

Okay you are obviously facing Nazi Mice who are very intelligent. I think your options are, to either get a good cat or use a Live mouse trap, that way they will get caught and you can decide what you want to do with them like releasing them or posting them in an enemies letterbox etc. As for the Ultra-Sonic gadgets, I have one and have had one invasion of mice since getting it last summer. Rats invaded my Garage and I managed to drive them out with my terrier and a rattrap. I caught several in the trap and my dog killed a few too. I would rumble them usually at around midnight and turn on all the lights and have my Hurley ready and they would start hopping out of all sorts of places, into my path and into the terriers. Killed 3 this way, I did a Sean Og on one f*cker and belted him straight into a wall and dead! The ultra sonic devices seem to work on rats but not mice! Never got a rat since.

is_that_so

Litcagral wrote:

Ultrasonic devices are utterly useless in my experience.

My mother and brother swear by them. No mice to be seen next nor near their houses since they got them in.

morgana

netwhizkid wrote:

Don't go near poison, a) if you have pets b) they will die in all sorts of places and stink up the whole place.

Thats what I mean - that stuff is NOT a poison, it is actually made from maize and works by "drying out" the rodent. It is completely harmless for other animals, pets, hey even kids - so no danger of secondary poisoning. And no smell as the animal is more or less mummified. Just to clarify. I would not advocate the use of poison

crosstownk

Cheers Morgana - I'll try that stuff - sounds like the way to go. I've set the traps so sensitive that the slightest touch sets them off but somehow these little fcukers are able to dodge them. I can hear the little w*nkers scurrying about the place now as I type this post - It's really p*ssing me off now. BIG TIME. Time for jihad with them.

And thanks Netwhiz - you gave me a good laugh!!! These little fcukers are under my upstairs floorboards so unfortunately I can't get out the hurley - much as I'd love too!! I've a cat but he got milled out of it by a car 2 years back and has one eye and is the picture of laziness - he legs it when he sees a magpie - so if I put him under the floorboards the mice would probably scare him to death!!

I may have lost the first few battles but I WILL win the war.......someday!

batroc

A lot of the traps sold lately are crap! The "snapper" brand are pretty rubbish. The prebaited ones, ( Snapper have a "peanut flavor" one) , don't work. the wooden type have a poor release mech., bad slope and ridges that let the buggers eat and leave.

If you buy the snapper wooden traps, here's hpw tho make them work.

Bait: Peanut butter, fill the trip part with it, the mouse will make every effort to get it

The release arm : Get a pliers, and angle the tip to about 40 degrees from it's norm, then get a fine file, and remove the ridges from the end. When set it should let the activation plate "just" be at the end, breath and it will go off, ( mind your fingers!).

I have done this and caught 3 mices in one 3 hour period.

If you need more advice, let me know.

Best of luck

batroc

By the by, dehydration poison, a.k.a., Warfarin, is a crock! Used by the Rentokil peeps, the rodent bleeds to death, leaving the corspe, or more, and if centrally heated house, stinks like mad. Also, poisons leave disease. :eek: . We got mice because of landscaping work behind our house. Check with your local authority. They sometimes are responsible for rodent eradication, so get them to do it for you.

Traps are better then poison, cleaner , and less smell, and believe me, if you get a smell like that, :mad:

crosstownk

Tired and weary at this stage. Got fed up with the traps so I called in pest control. They put down that warfarin stuff. I'm aware of the smell that may arise if they die under the floorboards but it will only be temporary and at least I'll know they're dead. Anyway, the poison was put down 2 weeks ago and after 3 or 4 days the noises in the stooped upstairs and all has been quiet for 10 days - until last night. I heard them again, and again this morning. I've gone right around the perimeter of th house looking for access points and rectified any possible 'entrances'. I'm beginning to want to violently rip up all the floorboards, catch these ba$tards and then burn them alive. Its annoying me so much now that I think I will finally flip and burn. AAARRRRGGGGHHH. Will call pest control as the company I got guarantee they will erradicate the pests - time to see how good that guarantee is.

crosstownk

batroc wrote:

A lot of the traps sold lately are crap! The "snapper" brand are pretty rubbish. The prebaited ones, ( Snapper have a "peanut flavor" one) , don't work. the wooden type have a poor release mech., bad slope and ridges that let the buggers eat and leave.

I agree those Snapper traps are all pure useless. Even the metal ones. Keep away from them unless you want to use them as a feeding station!!!:D

netwhizkid

I think you need to see the movie Mousehunt damn is it funny and offers practical advice too*.

*Could lead to destruction of house if everything in it is followed!

redman

Watch Episode 4 of Escape to River Cottage for your answer.

vallo

I find that chocolate bait in the normal wooden traps works a treat - and, given that their necks are about to be snapped anyway, dying with a mouthful of chocolate isn't such a bad way to go for the little critters.
I had the experience of the mice making off with the chocolate without the trap firing a few times till I started melting the chocolate into the trap - I've had 100% success with that.