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[Help] Mice



um bongo molongo

Well-known member
Jul 26, 2004
2,646
Battersea
I need the collective wisdom of NSC. I live in a terraced house and have recently renovated so everything is quite new and “clean”. However, in the storage under the eaves in the converted loft we have mice. We’ve only caught 2 (babies) in a month with 2 traps but having cleared it out at the weekend there were a lot of droppings. Based on where they are it looks like they’re running through the terrace near the front wall.

Mrs um bongo got a quote from Rentokil of £550 for 3 visits 1-2 weeks apart - with any proofing extra, which seems extortionate. We now have a local guy quoting us £75 for a call out and initial treatment at which he will assess and quote for any proofing needed (which would then be £75 call out again plus this quote). I’m tempted to have a go myself with some poison and some expandable foam stuff but the mrs is pregnant and wants “a professional”.

What should I do?
 




timbha

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
9,831
Sussex
I need the collective wisdom of NSC. I live in a terraced house and have recently renovated so everything is quite new and “clean”. However, in the storage under the eaves in the converted loft we have mice. We’ve only caught 2 (babies) in a month with 2 traps but having cleared it out at the weekend there were a lot of droppings. Based on where they are it looks like they’re running through the terrace near the front wall.

Mrs um bongo got a quote from Rentokil of £550 for 3 visits 1-2 weeks apart - with any proofing extra, which seems extortionate. We now have a local guy quoting us £75 for a call out and initial treatment at which he will assess and quote for any proofing needed (which would then be £75 call out again plus this quote). I’m tempted to have a go myself with some poison and some expandable foam stuff but the mrs is pregnant and wants “a professional”.

What should I do?

In her condition, whatever she says!!
 


spence

British and Proud
Oct 15, 2014
9,811
Crawley
Keep putting traps down. That's what my mum did and eventually she got the lot.
 


WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 10, 2003
25,651
Get one of these

591315421-gato-salvaje-bufar-amenazar-cabeza.jpg
 






Barham's tash

Well-known member
Jun 8, 2013
3,612
Rayners Lane
So if you’re using the expandable foam to plug any gaps eventually they’ll gnaw through it.

We recently had a juvenile rat (!) in our kitchen and it was getting in through a hole by the gas supply to an external wall for the boiler, then coming up the wall where the pipes connected to the boiler. It was also navigating through the external wall cavities and could be heard scurrying around.

I eventually put three layers of steel wool cut to size around the pipes to the boiler and the first night I heard it trying to eat through but it couldn’t, it’s the only stuff they can’t eat through so if you’ve got an obvious hole and it’s only mice stuff it with steel wool and seal it at the other end.

After two nights it gave up and ****ed off.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


Rogero

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2010
5,711
Shoreham
Put poison outside and traps inside . Talk to your neighbours as it turned out 4 of us had the problem with rats and mice. We all did the same and the problem went away.I found 14 mice in traps outside the back door.Poison does work but if they die they can smell.
 




AmexRuislip

Trainee Spy 🕵️‍♂️
Feb 2, 2014
33,727
Ruislip
I need the collective wisdom of NSC. I live in a terraced house and have recently renovated so everything is quite new and “clean”. However, in the storage under the eaves in the converted loft we have mice. We’ve only caught 2 (babies) in a month with 2 traps but having cleared it out at the weekend there were a lot of droppings. Based on where they are it looks like they’re running through the terrace near the front wall.

Mrs um bongo got a quote from Rentokil of £550 for 3 visits 1-2 weeks apart - with any proofing extra, which seems extortionate. We now have a local guy quoting us £75 for a call out and initial treatment at which he will assess and quote for any proofing needed (which would then be £75 call out again plus this quote). I’m tempted to have a go myself with some poison and some expandable foam stuff but the mrs is pregnant and wants “a professional”.

What should I do?

Keep persevering, if you're using the old fashioned trap method, you will get rid of them.
We had some in our shed, making their way, through the dry wall up into the loft.
They start off normal size, then get smaller, due to the fact the little ones are left to fend for themselves.
In total, we got rid of about 20-25.
 


Wardy's twin

Well-known member
Oct 21, 2014
8,402
I am sure Rentokill are good but I know someone who was quoted £300+ to sort out a wasp nest. A local guy came round in an hour and did it for £45 and was totally effective. So I would go local guy IF you have to have someone in who is a professional. I do think though you need to sort holes out if you don't want problem coming back.
 








um bongo molongo

Well-known member
Jul 26, 2004
2,646
Battersea
How does poison work with cats around? We don’t have one but a lot in the area and we already nearly killed one (a long story to do with a roof covering and a trespassing moggy). Ok inside but would probably preclude using any outside? If we poisoned it again we might have a major neighbour issue!
 


vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,866
This is what I did and got about seven of them in the end.
A nice bit of cheddar with a bit of peanut butter on in the trap works very well.
Peanut butter and a bit of a Jacobs Cracker is a winner too.
 




clapham_gull

Legacy Fan
Aug 20, 2003
25,175
Unfortunately the only way to rid them is to completely block any means they have of coming in. In the past, I've even witnessed them (over time) eat through skirting board.

As mentioned above steel wool works and also (oddly) in an emergency does "gaffer tape". For some reason they won't eat through it and even attempt to.

In the last year - I've had two. One definitely came from upstairs and probably came in under the door. Now I have a problem... The mouse was around for days and days - because it couldn't get out :)

Another probably came in through the back door when open.

Apparently in London they have built up a resistance to poison. It just never works.
 


Denis

Well-known member
Mar 25, 2013
543
Portslade
I phoned Brighton and Hove council when I had mice in the loft. It was about £53 (4 winters ago), that covered as many times as they had to come out, until the problem was eliminated. I thought it was very reasonable. I didn’t like having a Brighton and Hove van outside, though as I wondered what the neighbours must think.
 


mikeyjh

Well-known member
Dec 17, 2008
4,473
Llanymawddwy
How does poison work with cats around? We don’t have one but a lot in the area and we already nearly killed one (a long story to do with a roof covering and a trespassing moggy). Ok inside but would probably preclude using any outside? If we poisoned it again we might have a major neighbour issue!

You definitely shouldn't put poison outside, you need to put in the places that the mice will get to but other pets & wildlife won't. Poison is the correct approach as it's easy to refill and take out the infestation more quickly.
 


blue'n'white

Well-known member
Oct 5, 2005
3,080
2nd runway at Gatwick
I'd go with the council too - we had a problem with rats a few years ago and after the initial payment of (I think) £75 they came back as many times as was needed. Yes it is a bit embarrassing having a van with "Pest control" parked outside but if it works . . .
 






GOM

living vicariously
Aug 8, 2005
3,222
Leeds - but not the dirty bit
This is what I did and got about seven of them in the end.
A nice bit of cheddar with a bit of peanut butter on in the trap works very well.

The peanut butter works well, as does chocolate. Mice prefer other things than cheese !
 



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