Mice

[Dirk]

I bet that's made you feel a whole lot better about about your mice removel plans

It don't bother me in the slightest to remove (kill) vermin.
What I find odd is the 'holier than thou' attitude of some people who think they are being humane by removing the critters to a distant place, when in fact that is killing them by other means - probably slower and more painful as well.

 

[jonny jeez]

Thanks all.

I take @Dirk s point so will abandon the idea of "relocation" and will lay down some pellets.I'm feeling guilty already.

 

[Dirk]

Thanks all.

I take @Dirk s point so will abandon the idea of "relocation" and will lay down some pellets.I'm feeling guilty already.

Best pellets I've used are 'Exact Diablos'......

 

[nickyboy]

Where they all almost certainly died due to predation because of unfamiliarity in a strange area.
They also probably had nests near your house. The baby mice have now died of starvation.
Unless the mice are causing damage, just leave them alone, they ain't hurting anyone.

With respect, when I've got a mouse running across the living room floor while we watch TV, it's time to get the traps out

 

[nickyboy]

Is that really viable though.

I understand they are incontinent and if they do find their way into, say, the bread bin, or wander across the washing up, over knives, forks, plates..etc...would that not be a health issue. I cant keep everything airtight...all of the time.
Plus, if left alone, would that not encourage more and.more untill I am flooded with mice?...is that how it works.
However, I would like to leave the mouse to its own devices if I could be assured that it wont harm me in any way or become a genuine pest.

That's the problem. Mice will get into anything and everything in search for food. Despite your best efforts you will leave crumbs out for them. They will leave poo and urine which I wasn't willing to countenance

I trapped them and released them a few hundred metres away on some rough ground with old buildings. Best I could do as there was no way I was going to give them free run of the house

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Thanks all.

I take @Dirk s point so will abandon the idea of "relocation" and will lay down some pellets.I'm feeling guilty already.

Laying down pellets is one of the mouse's favourite activities and I don't think they feel the slightest pang of remorse.

 

[swee'pea99]

people who catch and release things like mice, spiders etc. thinking they are being humane. They are not.

I have rescued many a spider, bee, and wriggly things various. I'm sure they are suitably grateful, and appreciative of my humanity.

 

[swee'pea99]

Incidentally, we successfully banned mice from our kitchen by blocking their entry point - the waste pipe hole for the washing machine. We used this...

...but - and here's the clever bit - only after blocking the hole with steel wool. Apparently the little critters can bite their way thru' the foam, no problem; or they can drag steel wool out of the way. But the combination defeats them. It worked for us. Haven't seen 'em since.

 

[Sharky]

Have you tried the electric, plug in, deterrents?

 

[nickyboy]

Incidentally, we successfully banned mice from our kitchen by blocking their entry point - the waste pipe hole for the washing machine. We used this...

View attachment 347170

...but - and here's the clever bit - only after blocking the hole with steel wool. Apparently the little critters can bite their way thru' the foam, no problem; or they can drag steel wool out of the way. But the combination defeats them. It worked for us. Haven't seen 'em since.

I used that to stop slugs getting in. They really can be a nightmare as they can squeeze through practically any gap and aren't so nice when you stand on them with bare feet in the morning

 

[Dan B]

Have you tried the electric, plug in, deterrents?

We tried them and found them worthless, but it probably depends on the kind of mouse or something. Traps and poison were what did for ours (apart from the one that fell in a bucket of water and drowned)

 

[TrishE]

A cat? Great pets, and will sort the problem. Lady cats are better mousers, but boy cats will do the job too.

My cat used to bring them IN horrid it was. I loved her dearly but when she died I didn't get another cat and only had a mouse once since that came with a trug of wood that had been in my brother's shed. I tried to get rid of it with humane and wooden traps for a week but then my neighbour filed the spike on the trap, it makes it shut quicker or something, used a piece of bread and caught it in minutes

 

[fossyant]

A cat? Great pets, and will sort the problem. Lady cats are better mousers, but boy cats will do the job too.

Can you tell that to our Tiggy. She's too chilled out to be bothering with that.

Winding dogs up is her job.

 

[Lee_M]

careful with pellets, as if they die under the floor boards the stink is horrendous (speaking from experience) and takes weeks to disperse

 

[Chris S]

Traps and poison. Mice spread virus and bacteria and having them in the house and kitchen aint good.

Somebody even found mouse droppings in their toaster's crumb tray.