Mice in the attic

[Nine of Hearts]

It is going to be very difficult to site a trap if they are in the roof space. Have you considered one of these ultrasonic gizmos - makes a very high pitched noise that drives them mad, allegedly causes them to pack up and leave quietly.

 

Over a week ago we spotted a mouse (my other half insists it was a chinchilla) scarpering across our living room. I subsequently picked up a trap, one of those plastic thingies that look like a small hole-punch, and set it up by the skirting board with a little dab of peanut butter as per the instructions. On two occasions now we have come downstairs to find the trap moved, with all the peanut butter licked off, and un-sprung. If you're going for traps, don't get one of those. Unless your aim is to get the mouse so fat, he won't fit in the roof space.

[haggis]

It is going to be very difficult to site a trap if they are in the roof space. Have you considered one of these ultrasonic gizmos - makes a very high pitched noise that drives them mad, allegedly causes them to pack up and leave quietly.

 

Iain bought one of these several years ago to get rid of moles form our lawn. You put batteries in it and stick it into the ground. It has been amazingly successful. It is still in its box in the garage without any batteries and we haven't seen a mole since

 

Haggis

[RLWP]

Iain bought one of these several years ago to get rid of moles form our lawn. You put batteries in it and stick it into the ground. It has been amazingly successful. It is still in its box in the garage without any batteries and we haven't seen a mole since

 

Haggis

 

I'll remember to walk about the boat talking very loudly about your ultrasonic device. Let's see if it will shift my mice as well.

 

Richard

 

I haven't found time to go trapping yet. What will the be eating??

[Liam]

WJM, they may be living/hiding in the roof space but they will need to come out now and again for food.

 

RLWP, They will pretty much eat anything.

 

I baited a trap with some chocolate biscuit... it was only a cheap trap which either stuck solid in the "open" position or you couldn't get it to set properly... with a bit of modifying you the person next door could have set it off just by breathing... I set it, returned to my computer and then half an hour later heard the loud snap. It worked a treat.

[Tim Lewis]

We moved Tawny Owl from Welsh Road to Hatton top lock yesterday, including a PB up Hatton of 2hrs 15min - Hurrah.

 

As I was opening up the boat I noticed a load of polystyrene beads on the sofa in the front cabin. These had cascaded down from the gap between the roof and wall lining (the capping is removed at the moment). This looks like shredded polystyrene sheet - our boat insulation.

 

When under way I could see more of these beads, just a few, around the secound mushroom vent from the front. My guess is some damn mouse has been in through the vent, crawled 15 feet to the front cabin then carved out a nest in our roof!

 

Any thoughts on catching it?

 

Richard

 

I wonder what it will think when it finds the world outside has changed completely?

 

There is a full two page article in today's Times about getting rid of mice.

 

Tim

[stewey]

There is a full two page article in today's Times about getting rid of mice.

 

Tim

See here:

 

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_an...icle5126021.ece

 

Good luck with getting rid of the little wretches!

 

Stewey

[Madmark62]

[

 

My sister has one of those. It isn't interested in mice, only swans. It also doesn't understand water. On one occasion it threw itself overboard making a direct line for a swan. Fortunately it didn't get far beacause if the lead tied to the cabin door.

 

Richard

 

Our Airedale Oscar is a dab hand at catching mice, so far this autumn he has had 11 of the little blighters. He does not seem to understand water tho` he has tried to run across the top of the water several times, its not easy trying to pull him out of the canal or river when he is wet through and he weighs a bloody ton !!!

Edited November 11, 2008 by Madmark62

[tillergirl]

One of our cats brought a live mouse in (shes good at that) and let it go in my daughters bedroom where it promptly ran into the airing cupboard!! So out came the mouse trap (inhumane one) with a piece of chocolate muffin on the business end. Next morning at about 5am "snap" - one dead mouse.

 

Had to do the same in the kitchen when she brought another live one in and it ran under the cooker. Chocolate worked that time too.

 

Good job we don't have the same problem with the other cat - mind you he's a little partial to bringing toads and wood pigeon home- not at the smae time I hasten to add. Can be a bit unnerving coming home to a dining room full of feathers

Edited November 11, 2008 by tillergirl

[kayDee]

Our mouse brought a cat in last week!

Kay

x

[RLWP]

The die is cast. Traps are set, the hunter waits. The game is afoot!

 

Richard

 

Cadbury's Chocolate buttons in snappy traps, Oh Shikari.

[US Marines]

Oh, just realised.....mice can smell chocolate from over a mile away......whatever you do, don't leave chocolate open to the air in a boat.....it will just attract loads of mice.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously now, Good Luck with it Richard - & let us know how you get on.....

[RLWP]

Seriously now, Good Luck with it Richard - & let us know how you get on.....

 

Shhh. I'm huntin...

 

Richard

[denboy]

best rodent catcher going we had a rat in the wheelie bin the other week it didnt last 2 seconds when i laid it on its side and let the dog in

[RLWP]

best rodent catcher going we had a rat in the wheelie bin the other week it didnt last 2 seconds when i laid it on its side and let the dog in

 

Trouble is, I would have a dead dog when I go to check progress next weekend.

 

Richard

[denboy]

Nah hes got mice and choclate to eat

[Malarky]

I was concerned about the time mice would take to die useing poison, and where they would do it. Consequently plastic bags were drawing pinned to the side of a couple of boxes and an old table top, cutlery knives was balanced on the sides, laced with chocolate, and suspended over the partially open bags. Two mice were caught in the bags allong with the fallling knives. Unpin bag with mouse inside, place on a brick, and smash another brick down upon the first. The resulting sandwich made for a quick humane kill!

They seemed fairly tripped out because of the poison, so I dont know if this would be as effective without. Later I found some dead babies in one of the boxes, with an adult mouse blocking a hole in the corner. Looked like it had died there to stop them getting out and to the poison!

Happy hunting!

 

If it's bats they will be flying out rather than in, and I somehow doubt they'd be so into your insulation, as they tend to just hang about rather than build nests.

[RLWP]

So, first round. Five traps untouched. The trap on the roof had gone off, but the bar had caught on the piece of wood I hid the trap under. No dead mice, one tripped trap, no bait taken.

 

Still the hunter waits...

 

Richard

 

Worth going though, I had left the central heating pump on....

[US Marines]

So, first round. Five traps untouched. The trap on the roof had gone off, but the bar had caught on the piece of wood I hid the trap under. No dead mice, one tripped trap, no bait taken.

 

Still the hunter waits...

 

Richard

 

Worth going though, I had left the central heating pump on....

Any signs of them still being around ?

 

poo...chewed bits of insulation....holes in cornflake packets....beautiful coats lying around with buttons and ribbons sewn on them....?

[kayDee]

I bet there was a little high pitched 'Phew!" when that trap got stuck on that piece of wood!

Kay

x

[US Marines]

followed by a snigger...

 

...and a tiny little voice saying:

 

"Daaad...have you got that heater working yet ? Mum says she's freezing coz there's none of that stuff left behind the roof lining since Uncle Harold and family moved in ...."

[RLWP]

Any signs of them still being around ?

 

poo...chewed bits of insulation....holes in cornflake packets....beautiful coats lying around with buttons and ribbons sewn on them....?

 

It was getting a bit dark so it wasn't easy to find other evidence. I hadn't swept up the chewed polystyrene but now I have. All readily chewable food has been removed.

 

Perhaps I should leave dressmaking materials about or unfinished pairs of shoes.

 

I didn't check for a small pool of mouse wee on the roof next to the trap.

 

Richard

 

So, they can turn the central heating pump on but they aren't clever enough to manage the gas tap yet!

[Jason Wilson and Family]

Good luck with the hunt, we've got mice in the house. Aside from the occasional success by the cat we haven't found much that works for them.

 

Saw one the other night. I was laying on the floor in the living room facing the doorway to the kitchen. I looked up just as he came out from the edge of the doorway. He stopped and looked into the kitchen to check for the cat. When he didn't see the cat he turned and started my way then realised he was face to face with my and I was looking right at him. Looked like he had a moment of thought then dove back for the safety of behind the fridge.

 

Can't help but think if I were a better mouser I'd have had him.

[RLWP]

For all you aficionados out there, the mice are gone. I checked the traps today and they were all still set. There were no new signs of mice so I think we may have left them on the bank at Welsh Road when we moved the boat.

 

Richard

 

Either that or Haggis' ultrasonic device is even more effective than we thought.

[Barry]

I have mice in my attic now - they arrived this past week - I'd like you to check the date of the original post

 

I can hear hear the little buggers chewing

 

What have you done to me?

[RLWP]

I have mice in my attic now - they arrived this past week - I'd like you to check the date of the original post

 

I can hear hear the little buggers chewing

 

What have you done to me?

 

I guess that when the boat sailed without them they would have to look for a new home. Wanna buy some mousetraps and half a packet of chocolate buttons?

 

Richard