pest control

[t3rm3y]

hello, we found a mouse yesterday evening, scurrying around, and was a nightmare to catch. my partner was no use as she couldn't even stay in the same room.
Where we live is close to fields so i am concerned we are going to get more of these and want to stop them before they get in.
I don't want to entice them, so don't really want to put "bait" down, is there anything that i can use which doesn't invite them, but will catch or kill any?
i have small children, and dread the thought of a mouse biting them as they sleep. don't want poison or those spring traps unless have to use them.

Can mice climb through a window? as that's really the only thing left open, i would have thought its too slippery but last night saw the mouse climb the wall like spider-man (spider-mouse?)
but saying that, doors get left open for children to get in and out, so should we have something by the door that deters them - i see mention of peppermint oil, but is there anything that is permanent? i.e. like a scare crow for mice something that moves and scares them as i noticed that last nights mouse ran very fast in the opposite direction to where i was heading as soon as i moved my foot.

 

[Jackrae]

a cat perhaps

 

[t3rm3y]

a cat perhaps

forgot to add that bit - we dont want a cat.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You could try a Scarecat instead, that would keep the pesky vermin from nibbling on your children's ear lobes at night

 

[t3rm3y]

does that move? and is it goign to scare the mice away, or is it designed to deter other cats from enterign a garden? (i have seen people use them for this)

 

[Dave54]

I live "in the middle of a field" too, and we get the occasional rodent. They can get in through a gap that you'd have a job to get a pencil through, and climb seemingly smooth walls at high speed.
The one you had may just be one that's found it's way in when exploring.
First off. Don't leave food around, including bits dropped on the floor. That's what they're there for mainly.
If you think there are more of them, or if one is regular, try a trap. The metal traps work best in my experience, tiny piece of bacon for bait tied on with thread.
Couple of years ago I bought an ultrasonic rodent deterrent for the garage. Now some people say they don't work, and some swear by them. So far, no sign of rodent activity in the garage since it's been there, and strangely the rabbits who come in the drive haven't been leaving pellets right up to the door as they did, but you can actually discern a curve to the edge of the area they avoid.

 

[tomfe]

Second an ultrasonic mouse repeller, they can be had cheap so it's worth a go.
My parents have a bolt hold in the hill and swear by them.

 

[geraldthehamster]

a cat perhaps

forgot to add that bit - we dont want a cat.

A cat will bring every mouse from miles around and dump it in your house. Ours did.

cheers
Richard

 

[Dave54]

a cat perhaps

forgot to add that bit - we dont want a cat.

A cat will bring every mouse from miles around and dump it in your house. Ours did.

cheers
Richard

So did ours, but they were mostly deceased luckily. I used to forgive him though, because one fine Spring morning, he brought about four dead young rats back and laid them out on the path for us to see. He'd go off for ten minutes and come back with another one, and he finished off with the mother rat. They'd obviously got a nice nest down behind the outbuildings somewhere.

 

[geraldthehamster]

We had two cats. One would bring the mouse in alive, and sit and look at it. Either the other one would kill it and eat it, or it would escape and nest behind the fridge.

This is the only mouse trap that I've found to be consistently effective, instant and humane:

http://www.robertdyas.co.uk/stv-self-set-mouse-trap

Cheers
Richard

 

[Dave54]

We had two cats. One would bring the mouse in alive, and sit and look at it. Either the other one would kill it and eat it, or it would escape and nest behind the fridge.

This is the only mouse trap that I've found to be consistently effective, instant and humane:

http://www.robertdyas.co.uk/stv-self-set-mouse-trap

Cheers
Richard

We had two cats as well, and yes, similar would happen here.
Agree about the traps. They're the ones I use if I have to. The wooden ones don't work in my experience.
The other alternative is mouse poison in whatever commercially available form. I don't like it, but sometimes it's the only answer. You can get ready baited "stations" from Screwfix.

We keep hens, and we went to one place to get some rare breed hens we were looking for. The chap took us to a stone built outhouse, and showed us his poultry. The stone wall was alive with mice! I have never seen so many! I was talking to him and watching the mice!

 

[t3rm3y]

Thanks for all the replies, sorry been away for a bit, ill certainly look into the ultrasonic repellent and then move on to traps.

 

[aliferste]

Mice will get in no matter what you do - they can get in the tiniest of holes.

Clean up all crumbs and put down traps that KILL! Dont go all lovey dovey as wven if you take the live mouse 100m from your house to release it it will be back in your house before you are.

Put the traps down at night with some peanut butter on them and pick them up in the morning before the kids are around!