The best way to catch/kill mice?
Discussion
Not sure that a thread about killing mice belongs in 'All creatures great and small' but Mods feel free to move if needed.
Bloody mice! We have been away for a week and our sodding cat has obviously got bored/hungry and brought a mouse into the house. Each morning for the last 3 days there is mouse poo on the kitchen surfaces and a neat pile of whatever stuff it has managed to find and nibble. We have had to clean and sterilise the surfaces every morning.
We have a toddler and I'm not sure how harmful mouse poo and wee is to young children, but we absolutely need rid of it ASAP. It must be running everywhere during the night as I've found mouse droppings on my office desk, and in the living room, which is quite a distance from the kitchen.
We have tried an old humane trap that my wife bought years ago when she wouldn't let me kill them, but obviously it's rubbish and the mouse hasn't touched it, even with the proper food paste stuff that allegedly attracts mice. My wife now, surprise surprise, has decided that she doesn't care about the mouse being killed, and to use anything to get rid of it.
Short of having my house hit with an R-11 SCUD missile, what is the absolute nuclear option for mice? Poison? Traps? I notice B&Q has a massive selection of mouse-murdering stuff, but I don't know what is best.
All suggestions welcome for equipment, bait, locations, and anything else please!
On a side note, don't get a cat! In the 15 years we have had ours, he has been the ONLY source of mice and birds ending up in our house! We love him, but it is bloody annoying.
Bloody mice! We have been away for a week and our sodding cat has obviously got bored/hungry and brought a mouse into the house. Each morning for the last 3 days there is mouse poo on the kitchen surfaces and a neat pile of whatever stuff it has managed to find and nibble. We have had to clean and sterilise the surfaces every morning.
We have a toddler and I'm not sure how harmful mouse poo and wee is to young children, but we absolutely need rid of it ASAP. It must be running everywhere during the night as I've found mouse droppings on my office desk, and in the living room, which is quite a distance from the kitchen.
We have tried an old humane trap that my wife bought years ago when she wouldn't let me kill them, but obviously it's rubbish and the mouse hasn't touched it, even with the proper food paste stuff that allegedly attracts mice. My wife now, surprise surprise, has decided that she doesn't care about the mouse being killed, and to use anything to get rid of it.
Short of having my house hit with an R-11 SCUD missile, what is the absolute nuclear option for mice? Poison? Traps? I notice B&Q has a massive selection of mouse-murdering stuff, but I don't know what is best.
All suggestions welcome for equipment, bait, locations, and anything else please!
On a side note, don't get a cat! In the 15 years we have had ours, he has been the ONLY source of mice and birds ending up in our house! We love him, but it is bloody annoying.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
You've got the wrong type of cat. Get your kitten from a farm, semi ferel. OK, it's shred your curtains and send you to A&E with deep cuts and vicious bites, but it'll eat mice and leave no trace.
Oh I know, but too late now... The lazy b
d has lived with us for 16 years now and shows absolutely zero signs of his age, presumably because he's has such a cushy life!I never even wanted a cat. Just found him as a tiny kitten abandoned in a property at work, and none of the animal shelters would take him, so I just ended up taking him home, and he never left. I've moved house 3 times to try to shake him off, but that didn't work either!
We had a mouse who liked to frequent our kitchen. We got these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/B-Free-Outdoors-Release-C... and with a dap of peanut butter he was caught within 12 hours and released in a field a good enough distance from the house.
Le Gavroche said:
Oh I know, but too late now... The lazy bd has lived with us for 16 years now and shows absolutely zero signs of his age, presumably because he's has such a cushy life!
I never even wanted a cat. Just found him as a tiny kitten abandoned in a property at work, and none of the animal shelters would take him, so I just ended up taking him home, and he never left. I've moved house 3 times to try to shake him off, but that didn't work either!
You will always have a house full of mice then. Can't have it both ways.d has lived with us for 16 years now and shows absolutely zero signs of his age, presumably because he's has such a cushy life!I never even wanted a cat. Just found him as a tiny kitten abandoned in a property at work, and none of the animal shelters would take him, so I just ended up taking him home, and he never left. I've moved house 3 times to try to shake him off, but that didn't work either!
Well, the good thing is that you seem sure that the cat brought the mouse in. Finding their entry points is half the problem.
I can offer my learnings from when we had mice from around last November to march:
1. Find their entry points.
2. Block access to food sources. Even crumbs can sustain them for a while.
3. Humane traps work for the young and dumb ones, only. I have video evidence of the older mice in my loft scooting past them them, giving me the finger. OK, I jest, but they were more interested in sniffing the cameras and climbing over the trap rather than going in.
4. If you do catch some, take them a couple of miles away, preferably to a field or something down a country lane.
I ended up getting a pest controller in, they carry the licensed blue grain bait, which is single feed kill. 2 days of the feed placed around the house and mice no more. It is ultra deadly stuff though, so it has to be inaccessible to kids and pets.
One positive is that I ended up watching this YouTube channel loads - twin home experts - never seen guys so excited hunting rodents https://www.youtube.com/@TwinHomeExperts
I can offer my learnings from when we had mice from around last November to march:
1. Find their entry points.
2. Block access to food sources. Even crumbs can sustain them for a while.
3. Humane traps work for the young and dumb ones, only. I have video evidence of the older mice in my loft scooting past them them, giving me the finger. OK, I jest, but they were more interested in sniffing the cameras and climbing over the trap rather than going in.
4. If you do catch some, take them a couple of miles away, preferably to a field or something down a country lane.
I ended up getting a pest controller in, they carry the licensed blue grain bait, which is single feed kill. 2 days of the feed placed around the house and mice no more. It is ultra deadly stuff though, so it has to be inaccessible to kids and pets.
One positive is that I ended up watching this YouTube channel loads - twin home experts - never seen guys so excited hunting rodents https://www.youtube.com/@TwinHomeExperts
r3g said:
Get rid of the cat for starters, otherwise once you've disposed of the current mouse, he or she will just go out and bring you a fresh "gift".
That would be deeply unpopular with my wife, my 2.5 yr old, and as much as it pains me to say it, probably me as well. He has only done this as we were away for a week, and despite a friend feeding him every couple of days, he clearly wasn't getting his daily mountain of food, and got peckish and bored.
As he gets older the frequency of mice has hugely decreased, and this is the first one in 3 years.
r3g said:
You will always have a house full of mice then. Can't have it both ways.
Well, depends on your definition of 'a house full'. As said it's been 1 in 3 years. At our old house was probably the same. Every 3 years.Killing a family pet that is loved by our child just because it brought a mouse in seems a bit psychopathic. He's way less effort/trouble than a owning dog, for example.
Edited by Le Gavroche on Monday 29th July 09:39
devnull said:
Well, the good thing is that you seem sure that the cat brought the mouse in. Finding their entry points is half the problem.
I can offer my learnings from when we had mice from around last November to march:
1. Find their entry points.
2. Block access to food sources. Even crumbs can sustain them for a while.
3. Humane traps work for the young and dumb ones, only. I have video evidence of the older mice in my loft scooting past them them, giving me the finger. OK, I jest, but they were more interested in sniffing the cameras and climbing over the trap rather than going in.
4. If you do catch some, take them a couple of miles away, preferably to a field or something down a country lane.
I ended up getting a pest controller in, they carry the licensed blue grain bait, which is single feed kill. 2 days of the feed placed around the house and mice no more. It is ultra deadly stuff though, so it has to be inaccessible to kids and pets.
One positive is that I ended up watching this YouTube channel loads - twin home experts - never seen guys so excited hunting rodents https://www.youtube.com/@TwinHomeExperts
Thanks for the tips!I can offer my learnings from when we had mice from around last November to march:
1. Find their entry points.
2. Block access to food sources. Even crumbs can sustain them for a while.
3. Humane traps work for the young and dumb ones, only. I have video evidence of the older mice in my loft scooting past them them, giving me the finger. OK, I jest, but they were more interested in sniffing the cameras and climbing over the trap rather than going in.
4. If you do catch some, take them a couple of miles away, preferably to a field or something down a country lane.
I ended up getting a pest controller in, they carry the licensed blue grain bait, which is single feed kill. 2 days of the feed placed around the house and mice no more. It is ultra deadly stuff though, so it has to be inaccessible to kids and pets.
One positive is that I ended up watching this YouTube channel loads - twin home experts - never seen guys so excited hunting rodents https://www.youtube.com/@TwinHomeExperts
I obviously don't know 100%, but I'm pretty sure he brought it in. He has don't it before.
As for the house, it is a new one that that we built ourselves 3 years ago, and due to the regs on insulation and gaps/air movement, it is practically hermetically sealed... been air tested for any tiny gaps or leaks. I've personally been round the outside and silicone sealed any tiny gaps such as round doors and windows etc, and honestly, I cannot see anywhere it could have gotten in. There are only 3 doors to the outside, all of which tight fitting and multiple rubber seals, the house is rendered, so no gaps in brickwork, and there are no other holes.
I will check again, but I don't think the house is the issue.
I know they can squeeze through gaps as small as 10mm, but there genuinely isn't any gaps like that from the exterior to the interior anywhere.
Yep, you’re right about the gps and it sounds like you have that covered.
Pest controller showed me old telephone gesture - little finger is guidance for mouse gaps, thumb for rats.
Hilariously I’ve been on a WebEx with a work colleague and I could see their cat bring a gift in via the flap in the background and it running off into the house.
Pest controller showed me old telephone gesture - little finger is guidance for mouse gaps, thumb for rats.
Hilariously I’ve been on a WebEx with a work colleague and I could see their cat bring a gift in via the flap in the background and it running off into the house.
Le Gavroche said:
Well, depends on your definition of 'a house full'. As said it's been 1 in 3 years. At our old house was probably the same. Every 3 years.
Killing a family pet that is loved by our child just because it brought a mouse in seems a bit psychopathic. He's way less effort/trouble than a owning dog, for example.
Ironically a dog is what you need, I have one of these and I have not seen or heard any rodent of any tipo in my house in the time that I have been here. Killing a family pet that is loved by our child just because it brought a mouse in seems a bit psychopathic. He's way less effort/trouble than a owning dog, for example.
Edited by Le Gavroche on Monday 29th July 09:39
for bonus points, it will get rid of the cat.
Catching mice: easy.
Use mousetraps, baited with Nutella. Or peanut butter.
Place them where your cat won’t trigger them.
Lay down a few - 4 to 6 - because from what you say I would be amazed if you had just one mouse. And that means that unless your cat brought in a pregnant female, the cat’s not the culprit.
Crucially: seal up access to all other foodstuffs in the kitchen. You need to make the traps the most accessible source of food for the mice.
I’m sure mice aren’t clean, but relatively speaking I don’t think they are that dirty either. They’re really rather sweet if you catch a live one (not sweet enough to keep or release in the house though).
Use mousetraps, baited with Nutella. Or peanut butter.
Place them where your cat won’t trigger them.
Lay down a few - 4 to 6 - because from what you say I would be amazed if you had just one mouse. And that means that unless your cat brought in a pregnant female, the cat’s not the culprit.
Crucially: seal up access to all other foodstuffs in the kitchen. You need to make the traps the most accessible source of food for the mice.
I’m sure mice aren’t clean, but relatively speaking I don’t think they are that dirty either. They’re really rather sweet if you catch a live one (not sweet enough to keep or release in the house though).
Don't bother with humane traps, just go for the standard nipper type - these are two highest rated on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mouse-Trap-pack-of-4/dp/B...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Indoors-Outdoors-Reusable...
I tried humae traps but the mice just chewed their way out so I changed to lethal ones & cured the problem in a week. I used chocolate but ohers swear by peanut butter.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mouse-Trap-pack-of-4/dp/B...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Indoors-Outdoors-Reusable...
I tried humae traps but the mice just chewed their way out so I changed to lethal ones & cured the problem in a week. I used chocolate but ohers swear by peanut butter.
BlackTails said:
Catching mice: easy.
Use mousetraps, baited with Nutella. Or peanut butter.
Place them where your cat won’t trigger them.
I would be amazed if you had just one mouse. And that means that unless your cat brought in a pregnant female, the cat’s not the culprit.
This!Use mousetraps, baited with Nutella. Or peanut butter.
Place them where your cat won’t trigger them.
I would be amazed if you had just one mouse. And that means that unless your cat brought in a pregnant female, the cat’s not the culprit.
I had a mouse - and assumed it was a one off... so I bought a pair of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B093QFTD2Y/ref...
I caught six mice over maybe 3 days.... drove them a distance away to release them. Not seen any since.
The traps linked to are extremely good (and humane) peanut butter or chocolate hobnobs!
BlackTails said:
Catching mice: easy.
Crucially: seal up access to all other foodstuffs in the kitchen. You need to make the traps the most accessible source of food for the mice.
I’m sure mice aren’t clean, but relatively speaking I don’t think they are that dirty either. They’re really rather sweet if you catch a live one (not sweet enough .
This as well! I put all food that wasn't in tins or in the fridge in substantial plastic boxes, made sure crumbs were promptly disposed of, and allied to traps, job done.Crucially: seal up access to all other foodstuffs in the kitchen. You need to make the traps the most accessible source of food for the mice.
I’m sure mice aren’t clean, but relatively speaking I don’t think they are that dirty either. They’re really rather sweet if you catch a live one (not sweet enough .
In our case, the mice were mainly living in the warm area under the fridge. This gave them easy access to the cat's food which was put down next to it! So keeping food out of reach includes pet foods.
Just as a backup of get a farm cat. Yesterday whilst sat in the garden the farm cat from next popped into the garden and a few minutes later left with a mouse in it's mouth. About 15 mins later she came back with 3 kittens, and proceeded to catch another mouse and use it for teaching the 3 kittens to hunt. It was lovely to watch but not much fun for the mouse that kept escaping only to be caught again. She was caught 3 times overnight on the cameras each time with another mouse.
What with her and the sparrow hawk catching birds on the bird feeder, the wildlife is doomed in my garden.
What with her and the sparrow hawk catching birds on the bird feeder, the wildlife is doomed in my garden.
Back in the old house which had a stone floor in the kitchen, I'd shoot them with an air pistol. Obviously you need to be up and awake when the mice come out - usually after midnight, and you need some way of knowing there are there. A noisy crisp packet worked wonders. I would sit and watch TV in the other room, and when I heard the crisp packet being disturbed I'd sneak very quietly into the kitchen and see the mouse. Not ideal if there are children about as you need the gun to be loaded and ready to fire. You also need to be aware of potential ricochet, so wear safety glasses. Make sure you have enough ammo so that if you wound the mouse rather than killing it outright, then you can dispatch it quickly. You obviously need to be a decent shot. I used to do this 10-15 years ago, and probably killed about 10 mice over a period of a couple of years this way.
More recently in the new house, there has been rodent activity in the loft spaces. I've had a lot of luck using bags of rodent poison placed in a ceramic bowl and then placed in the corners. Got through a few bags of it before they stopped returning. The downside is that I never did find the bodies as the loft is fully boarded except for the edges under the eves. But the loft doesn't smell even in the summer heat, so I expect they got outside before they died.
Edit: I wouldn't try to use an air rifle in such close quarters. They are too powerful and the risk or ricochet is too great. And also, their sights tend to be mounted higher, meaning that your aim will be well off at such close range.
More recently in the new house, there has been rodent activity in the loft spaces. I've had a lot of luck using bags of rodent poison placed in a ceramic bowl and then placed in the corners. Got through a few bags of it before they stopped returning. The downside is that I never did find the bodies as the loft is fully boarded except for the edges under the eves. But the loft doesn't smell even in the summer heat, so I expect they got outside before they died.
Edit: I wouldn't try to use an air rifle in such close quarters. They are too powerful and the risk or ricochet is too great. And also, their sights tend to be mounted higher, meaning that your aim will be well off at such close range.
Edited by LunarOne on Monday 29th July 10:37
To share my 25-years experience of mice in my 300-year-old house.
I've never managed to work out where they get in. They first appear in the roof-space and will start exploring the house if not dealt with.
I don't use poison any more, I could never find the corpses (*) and other animals might eat them and suffer too.
I've stopped using snap-traps because they don't always kill cleanly and you find things you'd rather not.
I use a catch-release trap which works well if I:
- Bait it with a small piece of salami and put an additional tiny piece just outside the trap to give the mouse the idea.
- Be patient, some mice walk right in others take a few days to pluck up courage.
- Monitor it regularly to avoid a mouse dying inside.
- Take the mouse at least a mile away to release, preferably on the other side of a water course. Homing mice are a real thing.
- Remember that there is never only one mouse (maybe if the cat dragged it in, I have no cat).
I've never managed to work out where they get in. They first appear in the roof-space and will start exploring the house if not dealt with.
I don't use poison any more, I could never find the corpses (*) and other animals might eat them and suffer too.
I've stopped using snap-traps because they don't always kill cleanly and you find things you'd rather not.
I use a catch-release trap which works well if I:
- Bait it with a small piece of salami and put an additional tiny piece just outside the trap to give the mouse the idea.
- Be patient, some mice walk right in others take a few days to pluck up courage.
- Monitor it regularly to avoid a mouse dying inside.
- Take the mouse at least a mile away to release, preferably on the other side of a water course. Homing mice are a real thing.
- Remember that there is never only one mouse (maybe if the cat dragged it in, I have no cat).
- Except the one I found in my NAS the other day, mummified.
I had mice in the ceiling voids and rats in the roof several years ago. The house is old, millions of cavity voids and its part thatched so lots of dry seed heads to nibble on too. Thought we would never get rid of them.
Tried some traps with some sucess as well as bait outside (rodent accessable only so no children or pet poisoning) , having sealed up access points.
The best thing we did though was get 2 kittens, they were from a farm, living feral and found in a hedge. They are now lovely pets and very affectionate inside, but outside they are trained assassins. Frequently see them running about with a mouse or less frequently a rat in their mouth. They harrass the fields rabbit population too so really arent choosy. Luckily their hit rate with birds seems poor, it's really not their quarry of choice.
Haven't heard so much as a squeek or a scratching noise for 3 years now inside the house or any sign of intruders.
Tried some traps with some sucess as well as bait outside (rodent accessable only so no children or pet poisoning) , having sealed up access points.
The best thing we did though was get 2 kittens, they were from a farm, living feral and found in a hedge. They are now lovely pets and very affectionate inside, but outside they are trained assassins. Frequently see them running about with a mouse or less frequently a rat in their mouth. They harrass the fields rabbit population too so really arent choosy. Luckily their hit rate with birds seems poor, it's really not their quarry of choice.
Haven't heard so much as a squeek or a scratching noise for 3 years now inside the house or any sign of intruders.
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