How to get rid of mice in the walls?

konstruktsiya

Not exactly DIY but its the closest category can find.... How to get rid of mice in the walls of my house without calling pest control? They live in the walls, scrabbling around all night, and come into a press in the kitchen (leaving their lovely droppings everywhere). We've sealed up all the food securely and laid down traps and bait, but no dead mousies yet. I can't see the hole where they're coming through the wall into the press, otherwise I'd block it. Any failsafe tips?

listermint

Machine Gun

But on a more serious note.

Insure Properly that all other food sources are removed - REALLY sealed.

Once done - place peanut butter on the mouse traps. They love this stuff really go for it.

Place it in the path of the 'runs' that the would follow. (generally around the walls under presseses etc) and wait. give it time 2 weeks should see some good results.

finnegan2010

same as the chap above only the peanut butter didnt work for me. they seemed to love cheese so i melted some nice smelly cheese on a spoon over a boiling kettle liquifying the cheese, poured a smidgeon on the trap. It goes hard and is almost welded to the trap. Worked a treat, Caught four of the lilttle guys in 20 hour period. Never came back
PS i find the old style traditional Hard to set traps the best
Got some of those easy set ones in woodies COMPLETELY USELESS

aujopimur

Do not use poison, the mice will die and decay and you'll never get rid of the stink.

Buford T Justice

Bit of a mars bar is good imo

Darando

rind from an uncooked rasher. you can loop it around the bait hook on the mousetrap - no taking the bait without getting caught!

Max Moment

It's probably just the mother that goes into your Kitchen press and the noise you can hear in the wall is where the nest is located. How long can you hear them? The mother will leave the nest to search for food for the babies (whilst they remain in the nest) and you have probably just been unlucky not to catch her. I bet the press where you have found their droppings is not too far from where you can hear them in the walls? Mice tend not to venture too far from the nest.

When the babies get a few weeks old they will leave the nest and this is when you can catch them. Since you know they have been in the press, I would fill this with plenty of traps (particularly as said already along the sides of the press and Door where the mice will run) - you are bound to catch them then.

Also, I would look at where they have gotten in in the first place. Considering that you have noticed evidence of them in the Kitchen, a good place to look would be where the waste pipe from you sink exits the house. A small gap around this would be a perfect entry point and should be filled.

Good Luck!

J.Ball

They love rashers and rarely eat cheese. I always found the traps that dont kill the little critters catch em easier. There not dumb animals by any stretch so sometimes can figure out the lethal traps and just set them off....... I've seen this with my own eyes more then once

antoinolachtnai

You have to fill the gaps as stated. One suggestion I have heard (and put into practice) is to pack the gaps firmly with steel wool. Few rats or mice are tough enough to nibble through steel wool.

konstruktsiya

Thanks for all the suggestions, very helpful. I agree the old school traps are the way to go, and I had my first catch tnite using one baited with melted cheese as suggested above. Probably is the mother I got and the babies are still in the nest in the wall (which is an upstairs wall, but directly above the part of the kitchen the press is in so they're obviously high-rise mice). I'm leaving the traps out for a while to catch any foraging young ones.
Has anyone used those high-pitched sonar things to keep away mice long term? I've heard they're quite effective. I can't see any gaps around the pipes or drains that I could block, but its a semi-d so maybe they get in through the neighbour's wall or something. They can get in bloody everywhere!

finnegan2010

konstruktsiya wrote: »

Thanks for all the suggestions, very helpful. I agree the old school traps are the way to go, and I had my first catch tnite using one baited with melted cheese as suggested above. Probably is the mother I got and the babies are still in the nest in the wall (which is an upstairs wall, but directly above the part of the kitchen the press is in so they're obviously high-rise mice). I'm leaving the traps out for a while to catch any foraging young ones.
Has anyone used those high-pitched sonar things to keep away mice long term? I've heard they're quite effective. I can't see any gaps around the pipes or drains that I could block, but its a semi-d so maybe they get in through the neighbour's wall or something. They can get in bloody everywhere!

Glad to hear they enjoyed the melted cheese ha ha ha ! Heard mainly negative reviews about the plug in sonar things. Sister used them, no effect. Maybe they get used to the effect, no idea. You cant beat a good neck snapping though its fun too. Especially when you turn the light off and next minute SNAP caught you mofo !

irish_goat

aujopimur wrote: »

Do not use poison, the mice will die and decay and you'll never get rid of the stink.

Is there not a poison available that makes them really thirsty so that they rush outside to try and find water (and thus flush the poison through their bodies even quicker)?

Honey-ec

finnegan2010 wrote: »

You cant beat a good neck snapping though its fun too.

Charming.

The ultrasonic "deterrants" don't work - in the US both the EPA and the postal service have prosecuted manufacturers for making unsupported claims about them.

We get mice in the house every winter, it's part & parcel of living in the sticks. Absolutely saturating the house with spring traps is the only thing that has worked for us; there's no point in only having one or two traps lying around.

One other thing - make sure you get traps with a really, really strong spring that will kill the mouse instantly. OH had to finish one off with the business end of a Maglite before as a cheapy trap didn't do the job in one go. With the possible exception of our erstwhile correspondant above, I don't know anyone who wants to inflict unneccesary suffering on them.

common sense brigade

Get a cat. seriously . the mice will vacat pretty quickly

bbam

aujopimur wrote: »

Do not use poison, the mice will die and decay and you'll never get rid of the stink.

You will, my mother got fed up and laid poison. the smell lasted about a week/10 days from first quiff.. I wouldn't recommend it though..

Traps and lots of traps, ensure you set them in the attic also... I'd also set one or two outside against the house wall and cover them to make a tunnel...

Keep at it and keep trying different food in the traps..

If you've killed the mother and the young die in the nest a smell may well be likely...

We had problems with mice in the garage and fitted a sonic repeller and havn't had a mouse since... maybe the mice believe the propaganda too :rolleyes:

mikehunts

I will vouch for the ultrasonic deterrent that you plug in. The parents had rats in the their kitchen and got one of these they cleared out fairly fast and have not been back.

Sue Doherty

Does anyone know of a good but reasonable pest control company that I could use to get rid of mice. Rentokil charge an arm and a leg - any idea of prices etc

Sue D

Safehands

common sense brigade wrote: »

Get a cat. seriously . the mice will vacat pretty quickly

That is exactly what my father did. It took about two weeks but it sure did work, and he was badly infested with them. Not a mouse within 100mt of his house now!