Forum Topic

As we appear to be having a mice/rat population explosion

..... the following could help to keep the situation under control.'Householders and landlords are responsible for providing their own dustbins and rubbish sacks.  Dustbins manufactured to British Standards specification with properly fitting lids are ideal for rubbish storage. Heavy lids prevent animals getting at edible waste and overturning your bin!  Residents are advised against purchasing wheelie bin receptacles as the collection vehicles are not designed to lift or empty these type of bins.'

Dee Cook ● 5722d22 Comments

Evidence for "explosion"?Just Roger in Milton Road so farthough of course London is full of rats and mice - not sure what if anything has changed recently.Camden have had a problem - the council had to turn out their pest people and do a whole series of blocks. Not heard the same round here though

Sara Nathan ● 5722d

Poor little things, they're probably freeeeezing cold.

Fred Bray ● 5722d

The weather has turned warm, and no doubt thoughts are tending towards procreation amongst the rodent population following the cold spell.    Caught 2 in 2 weeks in my traps.  Some people are just not aware of them I'm afraid.Ask 5 people and they wouldn't know a mouse dropping if they saw it!

Dee Cook ● 5722d

Everyone I speak to has a mouse problem at the moment. I'd call it an explosion. We'd put it down to the tram depot being pulled down, it seems any sort of demolition excavation etc brings with it a flood of rodents. I'd caught 5 in as many weeks and can only fill so many holes with a cellar, air bricks and wood floors there are too many ways for them to get around. In desperation I bought 2 Riddex plug in repellants and since then nothing. No scratching, droppings or catches, so fingers crossed. I noticed a pest control van on the road earlier too so we're definitely not alone.

Milena Vincic ● 5722d

Was just about to start a new thread on this.  We live on Bollo Bridge Road close to the new developments.  Since they started the new buildings we have had a huge increase in mice.  We live in a Victorian converted house which has 6 flats and upstairs and downstairs have had mice.  I find their droppings all over.  We have used the services over the past year of a professional company and paid about 1k and still get them.  Ealing council did not want to help as this is not a council property and we even wrote to local councillor for help but have not gotten very far.  It has gotten a lot worse since the building work across the park started.  I have a toddler in the house so not ideal with traps and mice droppings around.  I vacuum about everyday and am getting pretty fed up now.  We are animal lovers but you need to draw the line when you have children in the house and they eat through your carpets and all food has to be in high cupboards,they also wee all over the place.If anyone has any advice on what we could try it would be very much appreciated as it seems like the council are not really interested in helping.

Dani Smith ● 5722d

Best advice is, block all points of entry.Many years ago,I went around my home, closing various nooks and crannies where cold draughts were coming through.A few years later, when all my neighbours had to call Rentokil after mice invaded their homes,  . . . I was the only one unaffected.They only found mouse poo poo after they checked behind the bath panel.I still hear mice occasionally, but they can't get in.Try, wire wool, pieces of wood, shaped to block holes, etc.I bought some cork expansion strips, brilliant for filling gaps under skirting boards.Your home will be warmer as well.

Fred Bray ● 5722d

Mice are curious and rats are cautious. Easier to catch mice than rats. For mice,traps combined with separate poison bait is the best solution. Mice find their water in the food they eat but rats need separate water supply so poison bait with water nearby seems to work. The sticky bait works well but you then have to dispose of live trapped rodents.In my experience you either have rats or mice, not both at the same time.

Patrick OBrien ● 5720d

We have the same problem as Danita.  Toddlers in the house make conventional traps and poison a bad option.We have used sealed traps, electrical traps and electrical repellant.Does anybody have any other suggestions?  Somebody at work suggested looking after a jack russel or similar terrier type dog for a weekend. Do you think this would make any difference.The sticky stuff that traps them might work.  I thought it was illegal as it was too cruel.Any suggestions appreciated.

Andy Magee ● 5651d

yes, its hard with little kids leaving food everywhere. Best suggestion is to close their way in, my friend who is a builder squirted an expanding foam in every tiny hole we spotted in the kitchen as we realised thats their way in. They mostly stay in the kitchens as thats where is their food source so I recommend the cheapest solution is getting an expanding foam from a DIY shops.

Veki Pavlova ● 5651d

We had mice for years, thought it was because we're near the train tracks.. but they've totally gone now that the rats have moved into our garden.. eeek!  Think they're coming up the drain and living in our log pile in wooden shed. Getting rid of shed and covering drain with meshing asap!!

Lucy Wills ● 5651d

It's breeding time for rats/mice - time now to be vigilent ---- have you thought of asking Network Rail if they are prepared to bait the rats along the railway lines.  They must be a hazard for their staff working on the lines.

Dee Cook ● 5651d

If the rats are coming in from the drain it may be that you need an interceptor cap.  If you can lift up the manhole cover and look down the drain gulley there should be an expanding type cap covering the upper hole. It there is no cap and the hole is open then you will have rats coming in that way. Cover the hole and that should stop them.For your log pile you can put down poison. To stop dogs and cats accessing the poison you can put it in a sardine tin and slide it down an old plastic drain pipe - it will allow the rats to access it but not anything bigger. Also good to put water or milk in another tin near it as rats need liquid as well as food/poison.Now is the time to do this as Spring / Summer will bring a lot more once the weather gets warmer.

Patrick OBrien ● 5651d

We have a cat that seems to be a good mouser.  He caught one in the house and one in the garden.  I wonder if he would be happy if I lent him out?

Kim Bobsin ● 5650d

Kim,I would love to borrow him but I understand cats get stressed if you take them out of their territory.

Andy Magee ● 5650d

We could always give it a go for an afternoon or so.  Will PM you.

Kim Bobsin ● 5650d

Andy - tried PM-ing by the system doesn't seem to allow me.  Would you like to give me a try.  The cat have very few social engagements so free most days.

Kim Bobsin ● 5650d

Just make sure that you haven't put poison down or you might find that the cat may suffer too.

Dave Hughes ● 5649d

No poison.  Just bait and electric repelants

Andy Magee ● 5649d

Kim,It looks like that feature has been disabled.Perhaps the editor could advise.a

Andy Magee ● 5648d

My Jack Russell excelled herself when she caught a rat last night. I opened the back door to let her out and Mr Rattypoo was sitting there. I have never seen a dog move so fast but have to admit that it wasn't a pretty sight to witness ( i won't go into the gory details ) . I'm just glad that this happened outside and not inside the house.Somehow, in the process she had either been bitten by the rat or clawed, as a cut to her nose which woulden't stop bleeding, neccessitated a call to the emergency vet.Our house does back onto a railway embankment so it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Ellie Rose ● 5647d

more moggies!!!!!

Ireen Esmann ● 5647d