Scooby Dooby Blue

Or if yo don't fancy the humane traps, take yourself along to church tomorrow. There are usually plenty beartrap style contraptions kicking about in the dark dingy corners. Pop a couple of Milkyway Stars on them and WHAP...scrape what's left of the mouse off your floor. Job done

[Edited to say this is purely an alternative and I in no way condone cruelty to the smaller beasties on this earth ]

[Edited by Scooby Dooby Blue - 5/4/2002 10:00:14 AM]

dsmith

Seeing as we've done, Dogs, Cats, Squirrels etc how about Mice ?

Have just moved to a new house in the country and have had suspicions there were mice about. Had it confirmed this morning - opened the airing cupboard and something dissappeared into a hole.

Already taken the basic steps of ensuring no easily accessible food in the kitchen. Found some droppings in the bedroom for the first time today aswell - so does that mean they're having to go further to find food ? - or just getting used to us being here.

What steps can I take to persuade them to leave ?. Rather not poison them and leave dead mice under the floorboards.

And before the pro-mice lobby gives me stick - if they start contributing towards the mortgage they can stay - otherwise I want them out

Deano

Neil Smalley

Get a cat?

Alternatively call the council, they should have a pest control department.

You can always buy mouse friendly mouse traps, that catch but don't kill the mice.

Tiggs

deano,

if they are going to the bedroom they are probably going there at night in search of food. they will react to the human body when it is still as a food source and start with small things that are easy to nibble like ears and lips- i suggest you get some ear muffs and goggles to wear until you are sure they have gone.

Tiggs

Andy W

I bought Ready baited traps to solve a mouse prob a couple of years ago...... no joy!
Followed advice I found here on scoobynet and put peanut butter on it an laid it along the skirting board beside fridge, Mickey the mouse was Dead the next morning!

Andy

dsmith

Thanks for the pointers

Bought one of the humane traps this morning (but not got any peanut butter yet) I'll try that for a few days and see how it goes - otherwise I'll try the knock them on the head style.

Tiggs - As ever, You and "useful post" remain stangers

Deano

Tiggs

deano,

when you wake up with half your ear missing dont say i didnt warn you.

Tiggs

ps- you see a mouse get down to "stuck in the middle with you" and you better get those muffs on your head!

CharlesW

I had a mouse problem a couple of months ago. It seems to happen from time to time. Anyway while I was away offshore my better half informed me that she suspected we had mice. She had heard something behind the skirting board in the living room. Also the dog was well interested and gave it a good sniff.
When I got home a few days later I went to the wine store under the stairs as you do. The little blighters had chewed the foil off the bottom row of bottles trying to get at the contents - big mistake.
So I baited 2 traps with pieces cut from a Mars bar - top bait for mice. By midnight I'd caught 4 of them! 3 more the next day.
Apart from the hygiene implications of mice they can also wreak havoc on the insulation of mains wiring in a house, thus causing a fire. Best get rid of them.
What are you going to do with the mice that you catch in the humane traps? Where ever you take them you are going to cause a problem for someone else.

dsmith

Cheeky little blighters.

I'm using laptop in the Lounge and the damn thing is under one of the armchairs. Heard scratching, thought I was getting paranoid, but he just popped his head out for a look around.

Maybe he wants to watch the Cup Final ?

Anyone want to bring their cat round for a visit ? now how to cath the damn thing. If I do catch it alive I've got the entire suffolk countryside to let it out somewhere. Let Nature takes it course

Deano

Scooby Dooby Blue

Maybe it's rats !

Apparently, no matter where you stand in mainland Britain, you're never more that 11feet from a rat. Not a pleasant thought.

Paul

Tiggs

what if you step back a foot?

Scooby Dooby Blue

...then you're 12foot from the rat in front of you but there's one 10foot behind you

Tiggs

or feet even

dsmith

I dont know you turn to scoobynet to help with these little problems and look what happens

I have the chair corralled with scaffold boards. And I've just seen him running round inside. Humane trap is also in the corral. Maybe I should go and get the Air Rifle

Just glad the wife is out !

Tiggs

*****- just stamp on it!

but watch out for the rat 11 feet away- he may defend his vermin buddy!

BOB.T

we found a mouse at work, it was stuck in the bin, which was handy

I fed it some milk and a biscuit then let him go! Put him in a hole next to the pond.... which floods when it rains his furniture will be ruined

Bob

PS, I know it was a he cos he's called mr Jingles

dsmith

Its under the chair - how am I supposed to stamp on it ?

More updates soon....

Tiggs

leave a small gap for it to escape, as it runs for cover shout "CHEEEEEEESE" ,as it turns to see where the cheese is- STAMP!

Andrewza

Funny you should say that tiggs, had a mouse slow enough in our house before for me to stand on it.

AndiThompson

make it a little tunnel with the scaffolding boards, across the room, out the door, along the road and up to next door

skiddusmarkus

I've deployed the following methods:1-hammer,result loud squeek and flat mouse.2-aerosol flamethrower,result mouse with a bald ****.3-wooden spoon,result mouse laughed at me and called me a poof.
A milk bottle set at an angle with some choccy in it is a humane way of catching them as they can get in but not out.As much as I dislike cats,they're the best defence against mice.Also,make sur eyou don't leave any food lying around as if there's a supply of grub they'll keep breeding and coming back for more.

cement man

Is it still under the chair?If it is its been there nearly 12hrs

Updates seem a bit slow.

dsmith

LOL

Had to go out shopping - got back and there was no sign - There was a hole in the bottom of the chair so assumed it had attempted to escape inside the chair. Took the bottom off but no sign. Left the boards and trap all night but nothing. It appears it comprehensively outsmarted me (not hard ).

Currently running in some cables around the house and keep finding more mouse evidence so it may take a while to get rid of them

On the plus side I've taken down some ivy which went right up to the eaves. There were a couple of the little grills covering the ventilation holes which had been dislodged. Hopefully thats how they got in so once this lot are out, they wont be able to come back.

Deano

Dave T-S

Deano

I've also had mice climb up plants into the roof. A trap soon sorted it out though (the break your back sort - sorry, cunry boy me, and no escape for mice) - as said earlier Mars bar is the best trap bait (NOT cheese!).

Having a spot of mole trouble at the moment (not in the roof LOL) - have found the best way is to stick a hose down the newest molehill, leave it for a couple of hours to flood out its home, then when it swims out catch it in a bucket, take it a couple of miles down the road and let it out in a field (or the front lawn of one of your unpleasant neighbours ).

Have caught two this way now. Rumour has it remaining moles are queuing up for swimming lessons........

dsmith

Dave - I'm obviously far too squeamish. Just dont fancy cleaning up a mouse which has been parted from its head (nothing really against it losing its head - if someone else will clean it up).

Saw it in the Airing cupboard again earlier - actually better go and check the trap again.

Deano

[Edited by dsmith - 5/5/2002 6:56:55 PM]

Mr.Manchester

deano, i used to be a pest control technician.

Try getting hold of some A4 sized very sticky sheets or get a peice of chip board A4 size and cover it in very stick tape or something, that worked for me all the time.
My grandad had a mouse and i gave him a sticky sheet out of my van so he could put it where he saw the mouse, the next day he came in and the mouse had stuck to it and hopped along on it about 2 feet from where he left the sheet, he then took it outside and hit it with a shovel

Worth a try!

dsmith

Round 2 to Me

Set trap last night. This morning released one mouse into a field several miles down the road. Seemed to like the Choc chip cookie

How many mice can I expect ? They're not like pigeons are they ? Hes not goinig to turn up in a few days having hiked back

Deano

Ratman

TRUE story: just last night at dinner the waitress was telling us
that her landlord had a mouse in his flat, and wanting to be able to remove it alive, the waitress had bought some glue traps.

I said, "No, they are the worst kind of traps! You'll never get the mouse off alive!"

She said, "I thought I could put oil on it."

I said, "You can't oil a mouse! Then it won't squeak any more!"

(pause for hysterical laughter to subside)


Ratman,
MY98 Wagon

dsmith

Very Very Poor

Ratman

I've used humane traps for mice and released them into the local countryside. I think I was catching the same ones over and again though.

I've used the large stick and cat carrier cage method to catch a rather angry wild rat and released it 5 miles away into a work colleague's garden.

But the best method to date has been to search out every hole /gap in the house, nail wire meshing over it and fill with that aerosol hardening foam. There have been no more invasions since I did this about 18 months ago.

Hope this helps.

Ratman
MY98 Wagon