Problems with rodent infestation: mouse/mice/rats/etc.

[jeffrey]

Anyway, wooden floors are wont to transmit noise unless very well underlaid- so take care.

[Rodent1]

Well, no...as that is something of a misnomer in itself!

Perhaps Rodent has a view on this He's been very quiet of late. Must be gnawing through some cables somewhere?

Cable gnawed. from the well loved rat

If mixing sawdust with with wood glue - use cascamite inserted with a syringe, and not pva glue.
Cascamite is boat glue - it has far better "filling" qualities unlike pva which is essentially a contact adhesive, also pva will breakdown if it gets wet for any length of time.

Bathroom/Kitchen - use anti slip (industrial grade-the stuff with iron filings in it) vinyl flooring, siliconed sealed to pvc skirtings to prevent:
1. Rodent entry
2. Water damage
3. Slipping hazards(compo claims)
It will last for many years (10-15+)


Laminate is tasteless,noisey(especially upstairs) and gets exceptionally dusty & dirty very quickly. I did fit several props out with the dreadful stuff, but have removed most if it now.

Standard issue for me is to tile ground floor from front to back with anti slip light terracotta/neutral colour, except for grd flr bedrooms which are carpeted.

I personally don't like stripped floorboards, but if you must do it, i would relay them to lose all the gaps, then buy some big rugs. Small gaps can be filled with papier mache, brown silicon or coloured filler (in a tube!)..... prob cheaper/quicker to carpet - and cleaner, warmer, quieter and more homely

Mouse problem needs sorting properly not "covering".

[akasha85]

Mice problem

Hello everyone,

I live in a rented flat, and I believe I have a mouse problem. Every night, around 5am I can hear scratching noise coming from the wall. It sounds like pieces of the wall are falling off. Like, something is chewing the wall, along with scratching it. At first, I thought I was going crazy, but when I spoke to my neighbors, they told me that they had seen mice in their flat. This makes me believe that I have mice as well, stuck in the wall. The noise is quite loud, so I don't know whether it is a rat or a mouse. I just dont believe that a tiny mouse can make so much noise.
I told my landlord, and he arranged for the pest control people to come and inspect. I was told that since there are no mice droppings, and the mice seem to be in the wall, then there's nothing that can be done, other than to put poison boxes on the floor. This however, doesn't make any difference to my situation, since the mouse or whatever animal it is is in the wall and it does not come out!

I am really getting annoyed with the noise every night. I cannot get proper sleep. And I wonder whether there really isn't anything that can be done?! I've read online that in many cases the pest control can make a hole in the wall and take the animal out. Why are they refusing to do it in my situation? Whatever the animal is, it probably has a whole family in there by now! I just can't take it anymore, and neither the landlord cares, nor does the pest control company.

I would really appreciate an opinion on what I can do about my situation.

Thanks!

[Terri]

A simple solution would be to buy a plug-in ultrasonic repellent - you just plug it into an electrical socket and they usually work. They aren't very expensive and I think quite humane as they make it uncomfortable for the mice to be around rather than killing them. My parents had a problem with mice in the party wall as their neighbour was not very clean and left food around etc... The devices don't always work brilliantly through walls so my parents put one in each room sharing the party wall and within a week or so the mice were gone.

[akasha85]

Hello,

I have a repellent. And i've had it for a while now. But it doesn't seem to work. The pest control people said that it doesn't work, and it seems to be the case.

[ildigv]

Hi,

I would not, under any circumstance, use poison in an enclosed space.
If the mice eat it and die, you will be left with a very bad smell for many weeks to come.
I suggest you use either glue boards or a trex trap. For bait use a mars bar and cereals, do not bother with peanut butter. If you live in a block of flats it is likely that other flats will be infested. I suggest you inform the management company of the problem and they should search the perimeter of the property to see if there are any holes where these mice get in. Put some glueboards or traps there and once you've caught the culprit / s seal the hole. Don't seal the hole before you've killed these pests and make sure non target species are not affected by any traps you use.

[Rodent1]

I have the same problem every year. The mice and rats are pretty easy to get rid of, but if like me your attic is a squirrel hotel then prepare for real and proper war, I have 6 cage traps up there and 2 neckbreakers* and a very nice air rifle with telescopic sights and a laser pointer, to shoot them as they attemt to exit the roofline.



* http://www.kania.net/

[EH11]

problem with Mice - help please

Hi,

Has anyone had any experience of dealing with a mice infestation? I am a private Landlord and have been notified today by my tenants that there is a problem with mice. The flat is in a communal block, my flat is the only privately owned property. The tenant also spoke to her neighbour who is blind and noted that she has mouse droppings throughout her property.

I tried the local council and was referred to the housing association who said they would get an inspector along to see the properties. I believe the problem may be the result of dog fouling in the communal area at the back of the flats. My questions are -

Short term, as a Landlord what are my obligations and how do I go about resolving? Is there any way I can stop the neighbours allowing their dog to stop fouling in the communal area? (the council have refused to cut the grass at the property before).

I see this as a communal problem, however as the only private owner, will I have to bare full costs for the problem? Not sure whether I should be using a private firm or going through the housing association?

Is there any action I can take myself, re trap or poison? Looking for someone who's been in a similar situation with suggestions on what I need to do to resolve the problem.

Thanks in advance.

[bagpuss]

You seem to be doing all the right things so far.

I'd buy some mouse traps for the tenant so they can see you are trying to help until the council send someone out.

I wouldn't put poison down as the mice hide away and die and that can cause problems with smells etc.

[Emma1973]

The dogs wont be causing the problem with mice, but the humans probably are. Mice like warm, dry places with plenty of food they really are not interested in poo, the whole place will have to have mice trap and the like put around. Not poison, most unpleasant when they die under the floor boards!
Lots of mice traps, and people being extra vigilant with their food stuffs, i.e cereal boxes left in cupboards mice can get into, food left out in the open, breadloafs left in an open breadbin, etc, but every one will have to do it or the mice will carry on moving from place to place.

[Mars Mug]

There are electric mouse repellers, they are used around my offices (outside version), but I don’t know how effective they are.

For example;

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=222555

[jeffrey]

I didn't even know that there were electric mice to repel. Whatever will they think of next!

[westminster]

I tried the local council and was referred to the housing association who said they would get an inspector along to see the properties. I believe the problem may be the result of dog fouling in the communal area at the back of the flats. My questions are -

Short term, as a Landlord what are my obligations and how do I go about resolving? Is there any way I can stop the neighbours allowing their dog to stop fouling in the communal area? (the council have refused to cut the grass at the property before).

I see this as a communal problem, however as the only private owner, will I have to bare full costs for the problem? Not sure whether I should be using a private firm or going through the housing association?

Is there any action I can take myself, re trap or poison?

It's a communal problem so freeholder/housing association should take action.
I would supply T with mousetraps and may as well try the electronic repeller too. Tell T to be scrupulous about not leaving crumbs/food around - mice are nocturnal so this is more important at night time. Another thing you could consider is getting someone in to stop up the mice's access holes into the rental property - it won't solve the problem, mice can get through tiny gaps, but it may help in terms of reducing numbers and making it more obvious where the access point are, and therefore better deployment of traps. Don't forget the front door- they may be coming in from the blind neighbour's via the communal hallway - don't know how you'd stop this up though? Perhaps a strip of wedge-shaped moulding under the door every night?
Trap bait - I've heard they like Nutella.

Are there actually floorboards or is it a concrete block? If the latter it should be easier to stop up access points.

[Telometer]

Best bait is chocolate. Melted so that they have to gnaw it off the spring-loaded bit. Guarantees (nearly) catching them.

Well placed traps - i.e. on the edges of walls - don't actually need baiting; mice will walk in.

alternatively, get T to have a cat.

[EH11]

thanks to all who have taken the time to post. The Housing Association were initially reluctant to get involved however given that it is a communal problem, they are going to send a property officer out to review.

The floor in the property is concrete. The mice are definitely coming in via the kitchen as it faces onto the communal back garden. Going to try mouse traps, the tenants also have a cat which thinks Christmas has come early!

Just hoping that this is a temporary problem and that they will return to wherever they came from and soon!