So, mice. Not the pet kind.

[grumbledoak]

The O/H saw a mouse last night in the kitchen. A tiny wee thing that scarpered when it saw her, into a gap between the washing machine and the wall. We live in on the 4th floor of a modern apartment block, all concrete and plasterboard walls, though there is a narrow gap there into the wall cavity, and presumably from there into the various ducts that we no doubt have many of.

Now there is no way they can reach any food in here. At least, not unless they've invented jet-packs and can work the head-height cupboards and the can opener. We've never seen any mangled packets or droppings.

If they have been there for years then they've been very considerate neighbours and I'd be tempted to leave them alone! If they have just arrived and found no food, will they just bugger off again?

Any advice?

[Tycho]

[shirt]

squirt a bit of expanding foam in the hole. a mouse can get through any gap its head can fit through, so if you can get your finger through he's in. i had a mouse in my old flat and when being chased it could leap about 1.5m from the floor and land on the top of a cupboard door [!!] then slink down the slight gap and away.

[coolcatmaz]

I get them come inside in the winter (cottage up a farm track). They're on floor level and I keep all food in head height cupboards so there is no way they can get food.

I tried the humane traps last time but as good as they are at catching the mice, the little gits soon chew their way out again wrecking the traps in the process. I resorted to the not so nice method of normal mouse traps as where there is one mouse there as more and I was more concerned as to what they were chewing behind the units.

[ali_kat]

I've got news for you all, they can climb! :heeh:

They will also fit through holes the diameter of a biro :O

If you are not seeing droppings, you 'may' be ok, bu as Maz says, where there is one, there are more

I saw a mouse here recently, just there on the stairs

[coolcatmaz]

did it have clogs on

[Tycho]

ali_kat said:

I've got news for you all, they can climb! :heeh:

They will also fit through holes the diameter of a biro :O

If you are not seeing droppings, you 'may' be ok, bu as Maz says, where there is one, there are more

I saw a mouse here recently, just there on the stairs

Where on the stairs?

[oilandwater]

right there, well I declare, going clip clperty clop.

[grumbledoak]

ali_kat said:

I've got news for you all, they can climb! :heeh:

I don't doubt it. The only other way up would be in the lift and they'd need those jet-packs to press the buttons!

I like the sound of the foam, and someone else has mentioned wire wool as apparently they don't like it. It sounds like a more appropriate first go than intentionally encouraging them back to somewhere that otherwise has nothing they want, just to trap them. There are only two short gaps in the skirting, behind the fitted kitchen units, otherwise we're sealed...

Edited by grumbledoak on Friday 15th August 21:44

[oilandwater]

Tycho said:

a ball bearing mouse trap.

[Jasandjules]

Nah, that cat looks way too big to hide behind a mousetrap. But a cat MAY help (may is used because I have a friend with a cat that sits and watches mice go past - but the dog tries his best to catch them whilst the moggy disdainfully looks on!)

[Tycho]

My brother had rats in his flat. One day he noticed a funny smell when he was getting a shower.... He called environmental health and they came over and checked his water tank. They came down and said there was good news and bad news.

The good news was that there wasn't a rat in the tank, the bad news was that there was 4

[ali_kat]

Silicone sealant now comes in a can with an applicator built in and dries transparently


I've used it on the gaps under the radiators to stop the ants getting in

[spikeyhead]

grumbledoak said:

ali_kat said:

I've got news for you all, they can climb! :heeh:

I don't doubt it. The only other way up would be in the lift and they'd need those jet-packs to press the buttons!

Surely they just stand on Mungos nose

[ali_kat]

spikeyhead said:

grumbledoak said:

ali_kat said:

I've got news for you all, they can climb! :heeh:

I don't doubt it. The only other way up would be in the lift and they'd need those jet-packs to press the buttons!

Surely they just stand on Mungos nose

Didn't Mary press the butons?

[spikeyhead]

ali_kat said:

spikeyhead said:

grumbledoak said:

ali_kat said:

I've got news for you all, they can climb! :heeh:

I don't doubt it. The only other way up would be in the lift and they'd need those jet-packs to press the buttons!

Surely they just stand on Mungos nose

Didn't Mary press the butons?

Noooooo, midge stood on Mungos nose for that task

I think, its a long time ago and my memory isn't what it used to be

Yayyy, my memory is still ok, see at 4:32

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l_dGMw377I&fea...

[grumbledoak]

spikeyhead said:

Noooooo, midge stood on Mungos nose for that task

I don't think I've seen that before! Yes, I suppose they could have...

[Shaolin]

I use these things for rats and mice, we live in the country and they come in from the fields in the winter:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ELECTRONIC-RAT-KILLER-ZAPPER...

almost as good as my two Cairn Terriers, but more patient.

[grumbledoak]

Shaolin said:

Place bait, then murder the little fkers.

Dude, did you even read the thread?

[Shaolin]

grumbledoak said:

Dude, did you even read the thread?

er - yes, do you want rid of them or make them pets?