Mice - One for Mito?

[Alex88]

Currently dealing with a rodent issue. The little buggers are somehow in my extension's cavity wall. No idea how they got there! Pest control man can't find any access points and the drains are clear.

Might have to open up the wall a bit and chuck some poison in there. Right pain in the arse.

[Gavster]

Same here, also dealing with mice. Heard them moving around in a stud wall, so drilled a bunch of holes and emptied a load of expanding foam into that wall. The next day I found they'd gone to work on my bannetons in the kitchen. Have put down a load of traps, so fingers crossed.

[Alex88]

Indeed. Hopefully that'll do that trick.

I'm still unsure about dumping some poison in the wall as I don't really want a dead rat (which I think it is) stinking the place out if it dies in there.. tricky one.

[Nefarious]

Indeed. Hopefully that'll do that trick.

I'm still unsure about dumping some poison in the wall as I don't really want a dead rat (which I think it is) stinking the place out if it dies in there.. tricky one.

The *new* poisons are desiccating, so they dry the bodies out and (theoretically) don't stink

[Alex88]

Thanks. I think I'd read something similar.

That will probably be the route I take for now, and I'll then have to work out how they're gaining access to the cavity. Annoyingly, I think they're borrowing to it, but I do have a good idea of where they're coming in, so it will just be working out how I gain access to that area to block it in!

[Ascender]

With all the rain recently flooding fields, we've now got rats in the garden hanging around by the bird feeders. The grass is fenced off for the winter so the dogs aren't on it and our older cat who is a great rat-catcher (a few times we've been woken up by him eating a rat under our bed in the middle of the night...) is too old now. So I guess we need to look at some traps which are safe to use without chance of poisoning the cats.

[Swervin_Mervin]

I got home knackered from a day driving last Wed, and was told by the wife there was a dead squirrel hanging from one of our bird feeders. Oh good. So I went and took a look in the dark and yep - poor bugger had got it's hind quarters stuck in the bars of the squirrel-proof feeder. That took some extracting - convinced I was going to end up making a mess but a 10-minute struggle later saw it freed.

Anyway, thought whilst I was dealing with rodents I'd go and check the two humane traps I'd put down in the shed. Sure enough, 2 mice. Both very much ex-mice, however. Oh well. Will put the traps back down today and see if we catch any more.

[mik]

Yeah, you need to check them at least daily, or they become rather inhumane.

[Alex88]

I agree. I check my snap traps every day once set. The large and very small rodents can actually survive them and will have an awfully painful death (especially this time of year) unless they're put out of their misery.

On the humane-ness, I'm not really a fan of using poison unless there's no other option. It's a nasty death and there's a real risk of secondary poisoning to other animals. My neighbour believes his cat died via this method.

On my own rat issue, my extension is linked to my neighbours. He was also hearing the rats in the walls. He took his bath panel off and found a big hole.. they'd been pinching food from his kitchen and scurrying under the bath panel and into the cavity.

Hole concreted in and they went nuts all night trying to get out. The next morning, we found the escape holes. They'd burrowed out underground and also through an air vent. Both quicky filled in.

They're persistent little buggers, and also very smart. Makes them hard to deal with at times.

[jamcg]

If you ever see a flexible toilet pan connector looking like this then that’s rats eating their way out. Come across this a couple of times. Some new builds use them in lofts to connect internal soil pipes to external vents and they love to use them as a way in and out of your loft

[Ascender]

I've ordered a couple of snap traps w/plastic boxes. The few rats scavenging from the bird feeders numbered 10 this morning. They're not interested in getting closer to the house or setting up home here, but its getting ridiculous.

[Rich B]

I think we've got a little friend who's found his way into one of our cupboards!



I'm off to get some traps!

[Mito Man]

Must be the relatively mild winter we've had, I've never know it be this bad.

[mik]

I think we've got a little friend who's found his way into one of our cupboards!

[Rich B]

Let's hope it doesn't get to that...

[Ascender]

Day two... no rats in traps yet. Its been blowing a gale which means less rats (no idea why) and the ones that have been there are suspicious of the traps... So maybe that's progress in itself.

[nuttinnew]

Caught one Dropped it off in a field a couple of miles away, hopefully it'll settle in the long grass and hedgerow rather than making its way back here.

[nuttinnew]