SOMETHING under the floor

[Paul-man]

Our dog has recently become obsessed with sniffing the floor near one of our radiator pipes. I lifted the carpet, underlay and a small board this morning to see what the fuss was about.

The pictures below show a pile of wood shavings, a chewed up poly bag and evidence (under the shavings) of some droppings.

I am strongly suspecting mice now, but not sure what I should be doing about it. We don't keep our house particularly warm, but we do have a large vent the other side of this room where they could easily get it. (We can't block it as we were advised by rentokil when we bought the house that we needed to INCREASE ventilation to the underfloor area in this room to prevent dry-rot from forming.

I saw via another forum this product:

http://www.primrose-london.co.uk/mouse-repeller-whole-house-p-36.html?cPath=24_25

Has anyone any experience of using it? Any electricians able to gice an opinion on whether it should work? It seems strange that mice would like to eat cables if they don't like the sound of electricity flowing through them. Would it damage any computer equipment or interfere with WiFi?

Paul View media item 18593 View media item 18594 View media item 18595

 

[Burnerman]

Cover your vent with stainless steel wire mesh to stop them getting in. This won't interfere with airflow.
Put a couple of traps near the nest to get Mr. Mouse.
John

 

[Paul-man]

Thanks John,

I've read that mice can get intrough a 6mm hole. It'll have to be some pretty fine mesh!

I've taken some other photos under the floor and i'm hoping this is a pretty isolated case.

Do you reckon those shavings (were!) his nest? I can't find any eaten wood!

 

[Burnerman]

Yep thats his nest ok, nicely warmed by that copper pipe.
You need to trap him before he moves the wife and bairns in.
Getting through a 6mm hole is a little extreme but put mesh over his front door as soon as you can...you don't wan't him to peg out under there either!
John

 

[foxhole]

Mice have flexible backbone and need about the diameter of a pencil to gain acess, you could flood the immediate area with expanding foam.

 

[Thermo]

we have sucessfully used a humane mouse trap on several occasions (theyre about 3-4 quid). good to put dairylee in them as they seem to like that. If you use one and catch it you need to let it out a fair distance from the house. On a happy note we have a pest guy we use and his opinion is they dont do much damage or cause much in the way of a problem, so dont lose too much sleep!

 

[joinerjohn]

I don't think that these electronic pest device work really. My brother has one, supposed to deter mice, spiders, beetles, insects etc etc. His cat's ofetn lie curled up right next to the unit while it's plugged in and switched on. When he first got it , within a week there was a spiders web right next to it.
Anyway, liking wildlife the way I do I wouldn't bother too much about the wee fellow. I used to live in a house that had mice during the winter months. Used to lie awake in bed at night watching one come up on to a set of drawers near the bed. Ahhhhhh bless.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Get rid of the things asap, they are little breeders. So mesh the vent as Burnerman has mentioned, CSA of a pencil is right, they carry diseases and chew electric cables.
Also mesh or bloke any other potential get in point.
Then removes it's nest.

 

[Nige F]

Our dog has recently become obsessed room to prevent dry-rot from forming.

opinion on whether it should work? It seems strange that mice would like to eat cables if they don't like the sound of electricity flowing through them. Would it damage any computer equipment or interfere with WiFi?

]

Damn - I thought I was the only one who could hear the juice flowing in the cables...I`ll have to tell the man in the TV