Discussion
I live in a first floor flat. I was sitting at my desk this evening watching Top Gear and I suddenly felt like I needed to turn around. I did and there was a mouse sitting on the floor by the door. I obviously freaked out and it ran away.
Somewhere in my flat is a mouse. The flat is clean and tidy. It's not unhygienic and food is packed away and stored properly. When we moved in the place was empty and there weren't any obvious holes or entrances for a mouse to get in. We've also decorated since we moved in and had everything away from the walls and we filled any gaps or holes or imperfections and then painted over them.
How does a mouse climb stairs and enter our flat?
Is there anything I can do to draw it out and get rid of it? I have no idea where it came from or where it's been hiding but I don't like knowing its in the flat somewhere.
Somewhere in my flat is a mouse. The flat is clean and tidy. It's not unhygienic and food is packed away and stored properly. When we moved in the place was empty and there weren't any obvious holes or entrances for a mouse to get in. We've also decorated since we moved in and had everything away from the walls and we filled any gaps or holes or imperfections and then painted over them.
How does a mouse climb stairs and enter our flat?
Is there anything I can do to draw it out and get rid of it? I have no idea where it came from or where it's been hiding but I don't like knowing its in the flat somewhere.
Mice climb really well - getting upstairs is a breeze for them. They can get into a house or flat through tiny holes, for pipes etc., there are myriad ways one can get in. Leaving food out will encourage mice to move in, but House mice are endemic in many urban areas - with the mice moving between houses.
It is important to catch it since they do pose a bit of a health hazard in my view. The way I catch them is to bait a trap with Nutella. I have found that they can't resist it - whereas they don't seem to be very interested in cheese for example.
There are two kinds of traps - the 'Humane' type which captures them live and allows you to release the mouse somewhere - and the type which kills the mouse. The latter type is either the old fashioned splatter variety, or more modern electronic traps which electrocute the mouse. Both are effective; the electronic type are much neater.
The humane traps also work well. I have used a tip trap to catch mice like this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nippon-Live-Capture-Mouse... and found it to be very effective when baited with Nutella - just remember to check the trap regularly, since the mouse will die of dehydration and exhaustion if you forget it, which is a horrible death for the little chap.
What kind of mouse was it? - A House mouse, or a Field mouse?
The variety does make a difference. House mice have a strong homing instinct and will find their way back to your house from a remarkable distance away - so if released less than half a mile (really!!) away, there is a reasonable chance the damn thing will come back after a few days. field mice are much less likely to return and can find their way back over a much shorter distance.
I had trouble with a House mouse returning to live in my garage a year or two back. It was definitely the same one (distinctive kink in its tail) - and it returned to the house three times. Each time I caught it in the tip trap, I released it further away from the house. The final time must have been at least thee quarters of a mile away. Still, it returned.
I decided the only way to deal with it was to kill it. I tried to catch it with a traditional mouse trap, but it was a cunning little thing and left it well alone. Finally, I bought an electronic mouse trap (actually the larger rat trap - they were virtually the same price and the rat trap received better reviews) like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pest-Stop-PSERK-Electroni... baited it with Nutella and caught the mouse the first night it was out. I left the trap out for a few days longer - but fortunately I only had one mouse.
david mcc said:
Probably got in under a door. They will squeeze through the tiniest spaces you can think of.
There's only one main door to my flat which is into a communual hallway shared with other flats. I bet it got in when I was cleaning out the utility cupboard in the shared hallway ready for tomorrow's inspection. 😭dbdb said:
Mice climb really well - getting upstairs is a breeze for them. They can get into a house or flat through tiny holes, for pipes etc., there are myriad ways one can get in. Leaving food out will encourage mice to move in, but House mice are endemic in many urban areas - with the mice moving between houses.
It is important to catch it since they do pose a bit of a health hazard in my view. The way I catch them is to bait a trap with Nutella. I have found that they can't resist it - whereas they don't seem to be very interested in cheese for example.
There are two kinds of traps - the 'Humane' type which captures them live and allows you to release the mouse somewhere - and the type which kills the mouse. The latter type is either the old fashioned splatter variety, or more modern electronic traps which electrocute the mouse. Both are effective; the electronic type are much neater.
The humane traps also work well. I have used a tip trap to catch mice like this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nippon-Live-Capture-Mouse... and found it to be very effective when baited with Nutella - just remember to check the trap regularly, since the mouse will die of dehydration and exhaustion if you forget it, which is a horrible death for the little chap.
What kind of mouse was it? - A House mouse, or a Field mouse?
The variety does make a difference. House mice have a strong homing instinct and will find their way back to your house from a remarkable distance away - so if released less than half a mile (really!!) away, there is a reasonable chance the damn thing will come back after a few days. field mice are much less likely to return and can find their way back over a much shorter distance.
I had trouble with a House mouse returning to live in my garage a year or two back. It was definitely the same one (distinctive kink in its tail) - and it returned to the house three times. Each time I caught it in the tip trap, I released it further away from the house. The final time must have been at least thee quarters of a mile away. Still, it returned.
I decided the only way to deal with it was to kill it. I tried to catch it with a traditional mouse trap, but it was a cunning little thing and left it well alone. Finally, I bought an electronic mouse trap (actually the larger rat trap - they were virtually the same price and the rat trap received better reviews) like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pest-Stop-PSERK-Electroni... baited it with Nutella and caught the mouse the first night it was out. I left the trap out for a few days longer - but fortunately I only had one mouse.
I only got a few seconds glimpse of it before it ran away. I think it was hiding behind the fridge that's in my office - sealed room with one doorway. The rest of the room has skirting that's 100% tight and secure. No holes or gaps or anything. It is important to catch it since they do pose a bit of a health hazard in my view. The way I catch them is to bait a trap with Nutella. I have found that they can't resist it - whereas they don't seem to be very interested in cheese for example.
There are two kinds of traps - the 'Humane' type which captures them live and allows you to release the mouse somewhere - and the type which kills the mouse. The latter type is either the old fashioned splatter variety, or more modern electronic traps which electrocute the mouse. Both are effective; the electronic type are much neater.
The humane traps also work well. I have used a tip trap to catch mice like this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nippon-Live-Capture-Mouse... and found it to be very effective when baited with Nutella - just remember to check the trap regularly, since the mouse will die of dehydration and exhaustion if you forget it, which is a horrible death for the little chap.
What kind of mouse was it? - A House mouse, or a Field mouse?
The variety does make a difference. House mice have a strong homing instinct and will find their way back to your house from a remarkable distance away - so if released less than half a mile (really!!) away, there is a reasonable chance the damn thing will come back after a few days. field mice are much less likely to return and can find their way back over a much shorter distance.
I had trouble with a House mouse returning to live in my garage a year or two back. It was definitely the same one (distinctive kink in its tail) - and it returned to the house three times. Each time I caught it in the tip trap, I released it further away from the house. The final time must have been at least thee quarters of a mile away. Still, it returned.
I decided the only way to deal with it was to kill it. I tried to catch it with a traditional mouse trap, but it was a cunning little thing and left it well alone. Finally, I bought an electronic mouse trap (actually the larger rat trap - they were virtually the same price and the rat trap received better reviews) like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pest-Stop-PSERK-Electroni... baited it with Nutella and caught the mouse the first night it was out. I left the trap out for a few days longer - but fortunately I only had one mouse.
I would say from the glimpse I got it was a field mouse. Perhaps 1.5 inches long with a little tail. Maybe an inch high. Dark fur. I only had a desk lamp and screen for light so could be wrong.
He must be a new tenant to my flat as we've been here 6 months and there's never been up until tonight any reason for us to believe we had any issues with mouse or anything like that.
The only thing that was different is some new people moved in across the hall yesterday. And today we had the front door open so we could clean out the cupboard with the electric and water meters in it which is in the hallway. Perhaps he was in there and ran inside our place as the door was open.
I'll look at getting some traps. For now I've left some Nesquick balls dotted around the house so I'll check those in the morning to see if any have moved or been eaten.
Do you think this is something I need to tell my landlord / management company about? I've only moved in 6 months ago and this is my first home that hasn't been with my parents.
Thanks for your links and advice.
These are the absolute Daddy. Pair them with some peanut butter, and you can't fail.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rentokil-Advanced-Mouse-T...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rentokil-Advanced-Mouse-T...
Where?
There!
A little mouse with clogs on going clip clipity hop on the stair
Well that's my ear worm for the day sorted!
Traps are the answer and keep any foods such as cerials in plastic containers.
They do get everywhere,I work in customers lofts quite a lot and there are a fair few where I have encountered trails of mouse poo.
There!
A little mouse with clogs on going clip clipity hop on the stair
Well that's my ear worm for the day sorted!
Traps are the answer and keep any foods such as cerials in plastic containers.
They do get everywhere,I work in customers lofts quite a lot and there are a fair few where I have encountered trails of mouse poo.
V8RX7 said:
As mentioned those white traps are the best IME.
They sell them in Tesco etc or online.
Unfortunately killing them is the only real option.
No need to tell anyone unless it's an ongoing problem.
My landlord called today to ask about the water meter. When asked how it was all going I told her about the mouse and she was shocked. She said she needs to tell the management people as she thinks there's probably a few more running around in the walls and stuff. She offered to lend me her cat for a few weeks to try and sniff it out but I'll do the traps and see if they catch anything...They sell them in Tesco etc or online.
Unfortunately killing them is the only real option.
No need to tell anyone unless it's an ongoing problem.
Traps are the answer - my fecking cat brings them in alive more often than not. Those and rabbits. I can catch them myself often, but when that fails (e.g.they get behind the kitchen cupboards)...
Traps. Don't bother with the humane ones. Waste of time. My other half insisted on humane traps until they summarily failed to work with the rodents taking the nutella and evading capture. Set a "non-humane" one and the mouse was an ex-mouse in less than an hour (nutella is a very good shout as bait).
These are the ones we use:
https://www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk/p/STV151/rat-mouse-ba...
(Didn't buy from there. but that's the weapon of choice in our house).
Traps. Don't bother with the humane ones. Waste of time. My other half insisted on humane traps until they summarily failed to work with the rodents taking the nutella and evading capture. Set a "non-humane" one and the mouse was an ex-mouse in less than an hour (nutella is a very good shout as bait).
These are the ones we use:
https://www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk/p/STV151/rat-mouse-ba...
(Didn't buy from there. but that's the weapon of choice in our house).
KTF said:
Humane traps are not so humane when you forget about checking them for a few days and discover that it actually worked a few days ago 
It was fine with the ones we tried (plenty of different styles - spent a bloody fortune on them) as the little f
kers simply walked out of them. Most inhumane thing was likely them thinking these were new feeding stations but not getting a new shot of nutella every day! They ate more of it than I did.
The wife didn't believe me that I saw a mouse. She made me put nesquik balls in each room and go to bed and then see if they were still there this morning.
They weren't, the wife still thought I'd eaten them after she went to bed. Now she believes me and I know I wasn't seeing things we'll buy some traps and see what happens.
They weren't, the wife still thought I'd eaten them after she went to bed. Now she believes me and I know I wasn't seeing things we'll buy some traps and see what happens.
Rosscow said:
These are the absolute Daddy. Pair them with some peanut butter, and you can't fail.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rentokil-Advanced-Mouse-T...
Yes, these are good,certainly the larger rat version is - and it's sensitive enough to catch the occasional mouse. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rentokil-Advanced-Mouse-T...
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