mice!

No children. Sweeping floor as we speak! Mouse trap and all went out in bin a minute after the thing. No way am I cleaning them out. They're 75 c to buy. I have three down and nothing last night. Puts you on edge. I was doing my hair and a bit went into my eye. I was convinced it was one!

Probably a stupid q but do they climb stairs? I have no attic so must have come in back door.

Also my neighbour is doing renovations.

They are probably cheaper in the Pound shop but I agree with you throwing the whole thing out. And yes they can climb. And jump, I watched one in the kitchen in a drawer cupboard, very hard to catch and know where they are going they are so fast. The will come in any tiny hole, it's not like they are going to ring the door bell for you to open the door !

it's time of year for them (usually earlier but we've had mild winter so far) to come indoors. Neighbor doing renovations may have unsettled them, but then again may not have.

They do put people on edge, no doubt about it. They will stay away from you as much as they can - fact one ran over your foot, it's probably a young one, with little or no exposure to humans. Keep checking the traps, don't leave the bait in there for too long (overnight only) and if nothing caught, then move the traps to another area and re-bait them. Keep outside doors closed as much as you can.

Yes, they can climb stairs.. but they are looking for a quiet area, with a food source. If you can't get rid of them yourself, or find it going on too long / end of your nerves, then you could get in a company like "rentokill" for example which will do the work.

Best of luck with things, but trust me, after you catch a few, it will get easier they are just vermin...

Great little climbers, they can run up surfaces you wouldn't realise. They are quite fun to watch in one way You can't think in terms of human or even dog or cat size. They are really tiny and can get in ways you wouldn't even consider. Neighbour doing renovations could well have disturbed them alright, but it wouldn't be unusual anyway to notice them this time of year.

You could be lucky - it could have been just the one. I'd keep the traps out and baited for a few weeks just in case!

I rang rentokill. The guy practically laughed at me and said sure it's only a mouse. Anyway his advice was to put down flour and check for prints. I am not quite sure what this will prove.

The guy from the local hardware shop took pity on me and said he'd come up later with electronic devices and take a look around. My dad is 78 so can't look round and my boyfriend wants to keep it (he had snakes all his life)

It's amazing how vulnerable it makes you feel. I tried telling myself that it was more afraid of me. I never thought i'd be in bed in my shoes!

I'm terrified of wasps having been stung three times in one day on my holy communion day but I didn't know I had the mouse fear. My mam is terrified of them and once vaulted a post office counter in her fifties to escape one. My dad is petrified of spiders and is convinced they will come up the toilet.

I'm trying to go with the thought that we're all God's creatures! Anyway very nice of the hardware man to offer. It does come with a proviso that I have to buy him a drink.

Turn off all noisy machines in the house and sit quietly late in the evening. If there are any mice about you'll soon hear them Don't worry too much about your shoes. And don't worry too much about the mice. They are far, far more likely to run away from you than anything else. The flour thing is quite straightforward. A dusting of anything (flour is handy) where you think they might be coming out and if they cross it they'll leave cute little floury footprints for you to clean up later. No footprints - (probably) no mice. Chances are there aren't too many and you will have disposed of them pretty quickly. They aren't as bright as rats and even if you don't move the traps around they'll come back the way they know, smell that chocolate and try themselves - despite previous losses!

No more mice after one week. Anyone want three traps and a load of chocolate!

No chocolate I'm on a pre Christmas diet. Have you stopped wearing your shoes to bed? It wasn't something I understood how that was helpful in catching the mouse? Or was it to make a quick getaway.

Actually wearing my shoes to bed was very comforting...if odd! Don't ask me why but meant couldn't get near me. It was the concept of noise if I went to the bathroom. Anyway I have now returned to normal night attire!

Wearing shoes to bed means you don't have to worry about an unpleasant squish in the morning if the mouse goes looking for a cosy place to make a nest, and chooses the toe of your shoe.

Great to hear and wonderful news. Now the cousins know the way in, you can expect plenty of visitors.

Thank you! I never thought about my shoes as being a hiding place...
I think I will keep traps down as precaution.
Maybe me and animals just not meant to be. During the summer two baby birds fluttered in and I got rid of one and assumed the other followed it out. There it was some hours later in the bath. Previously the neighbour cat used to come in and if I was watching tv I would see the tail going under my legs as I had my feet on the coffee table. But one night I was reading and half asleep and the cat must have gone in during the day...it jumped on my face. I was terrified as I didn't have my glasses on. It ran under the spare bed. Luckily I knew who owned it so got the neighbour. Who spoke no english. Cue mad woman at 11pm miming cat.....

We've got our annual invasion. Found a couple in traps I had put down last year and forgot about when they weren't set off at the time of setting. Kids really enjoyed themselves putting on disposable gloves to help me lay them (holding the torch etc). I put peanut butter on mine. I don't think it matters too much what food you put in the trap, they are fairly primitive animals, they will be attracted to whatever food is available. I use the old fashioned traps, much better than the rubbish being sold in Woodies etc. It usually takes a few days to clear the house of lot. Buy your traps in batches of 6/8s!

Steven
www.bluewaterfp.ie

The hardware guy recommended the cheapy ones...and chocolate or rashers.

I'm in my house 12 years so why this year? It's been colder!

He's right, the cheapy, wooden slat ones are great. The plasticy ones are only good for the mice, they're not sensitive enough so the mice can nibble on the food without setting off the trap.

Mice can move in for millions of reasons, not just the weather. We get them every year, a consequence of living somewhere with fields around us. I'm just happy their not rats. Have you seen the size of a rat trap?!

Had a chinese takeaway last night. Hadn't put out the bin. Was just about to do so when it moved and rustled. Bin and all went in outside bin.

Went into sitting room...big leak in ceiling. I am giving up!

noproblem said:

Now the cousins know the way in,

Click to expand...

So the cousins have moved in... Just put the traps down again, and leave them for 24 hours,nothing there,move them somewhere else in the area. They are just mice,you against them...it's a battle now!

Sorry to hear re leak... You know the source of the leak?

Dishwasher in apartment above. Guy who owns it is in South Africa working. Rented out but don't speak English. Leaked into mine a few years ago. Caretaker who bizarrely speaks portuguese coming tomorrow to interpret. I am not sure am setting traps correctly so will ask him to do so. My boyfriend still wants to keep them as pets.

Actually I might get rid of the boyfriend!

Guy who came to fix leak...helpfully had side line as mousetrap setter..he came at 2pm. All 3 traps went off within 30 minutes. These were teeny teeny things. I thought the first one was small but these were thumb size. I may require professional help!