Dealing with dead mice - risk of disease?

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Profpointy

Legendary Member
Whilst rats and mice do spread disease, not just Weil's disease, surely there's no need to be paranoid; just follow basic hygiene when handling corpses or cleaning up rats' droppings.
 

Willd

Veteran
Location
Rugby
I know you've mentioned that it's rented, but the only real solution is to stop the little buggers getting in, in the first place. I must have caught 30+ in our loft until I had a light-bulb moment and worked out how they got there.
Some quick drying cement around a hole by the downstairs sink outlet cured the issue - they'd gone in there and then up amongst the cavity wall insulation. As they're not renowned for their flying skills, blocking up all ground-level holes / cracks is a good starting point. Bit trickier if the outside of the house has ivy etc. as a mouse-ladder.
 

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
The attic in the holiday cottage we're using as temporary accommodation is absolutely filthy with mouse droppings and stinks of mouse urine. Last night I set three traps up there and caught a large mouse, which I removed this morning. The piley jacket I wore stinks of mouse urine so I've washed it and my trousers and this morning I wore a mask, vinyl gloves and went up in an old T shirt and pants, which I'm also washing. Then I had a shower.

There are some nasty diseases you can get from mouse droppings and dead bodies - has anybody ever caught anything or known anybody who did? The rodent control guys didn't seem to be worried when they came.
Never noticed much smell from mice but are you sure it is not rats as they leave a very strong odour? When I dealt with barley storage I often had to grovel around where there were rat droppings but protective gear and washing afterwards was important as they can carry some nasty diseases.
 
I've done quite a lot of vermin control over the years as we've usually lived in small holdings and often next to farms hence mice, rats and worse are often not too far away. Never had an issue when it came to disease spread when collecting dead mice, rats etc and i can say that i've handled many hundreds over the years. Last infestation was in the barn where we live now and i bought 3 mechanical traps and gave one to each of my girls, the reward was €1 per mouse, No3 daughter managed 27 mice over a 2wk period and would check her trap several times per day, watching where her foe would hang out and repositioning it accordingly. Once ours were caught we gave them to our hens as we didn't like to see them wasted, they soon gobbled them up, dead or alive:ohmy:
 

BoldonLad

Not part of the Elite
Location
South Tyneside
....................... Last infestation was in the barn where we live now and i bought 3 mechanical traps and gave one to each of my girls, the reward was €1 per mouse, No3 daughter managed 27 mice over a 2wk period and would check her trap several times per day, watching where her foe would hang out and repositioning it accordingly. Once ours were caught we gave them to our hens as we didn't like to see them wasted, they soon gobbled them up, dead or alive:ohmy:

Very enterprising ! ;)
 

Eziemnaik

Über Member
The attic in the holiday cottage we're using as temporary accommodation is absolutely filthy with mouse droppings and stinks of mouse urine. Last night I set three traps up there and caught a large mouse, which I removed this morning. The piley jacket I wore stinks of mouse urine so I've washed it and my trousers and this morning I wore a mask, vinyl gloves and went up in an old T shirt and pants, which I'm also washing. Then I had a shower.

There are some nasty diseases you can get from mouse droppings and dead bodies - has anybody ever caught anything or known anybody who did? The rodent control guys didn't seem to be worried when they came.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180412141017.htm

Few precautions
Ventilate the area
Wear PPE
Keep away from droppings

Noroviruses are nasty and commonly associated with mice infestations
 
If your landlord has arranged a pest control visit, check it isn't just a one off visit. A substantial established infestation will need at least two follow up visits.
 
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