Mice and plastic water pipes ? (2024 Update)

[robgraham]

I'm about to run a mains feed to my garden which because of the configurati on of everything will run extensively through the attic space (single store y cottage).

This looked like a good option in terms of cost and economics of labour. H owever I was researching something else in the pages here and came on a thr ead where there was a comment about mice eating plastic piping. Certainly they've had a good nibble at pipe insulation here, but are the pipes a real istic target too ?

OK I do need to set traps etc. each autumn - who doesn't in the country - a nd in general I'm not seeing any significant damage, but if there is any tr uth in this, then I will go back to using copper, and not take any risk.

Rob

[harryagain]

This looked like a good option in terms of cost and economics of labour. However I was researching something else in the pages here and came on a thread where there was a comment about mice eating plastic piping. Certainly they've had a good nibble at pipe insulation here, but are the pipes a realistic target too ?

OK I do need to set traps etc. each autumn - who doesn't in the country - and in general I'm not seeing any significant damage, but if there is any truth in this, then I will go back to using copper, and not take any risk.

Rob

Well they certainly gnaw plastic cable so I suppose pipe will also be a target.

[Martin Brown]

Not really. Their jaws don't quite open wide enough to do serious damage to tough plastic pipes of typical plumbing diameters.

OTOH Mains lighting cables are "just right" for a nibble.

Worth leaving some poison bait up there permanently as well. Come september there is always the odd one tries to take up residence.

Traps with bait tend to become less appitising after a year or so but the dry poison bait remains fully effective for several years.

[chris French]

It's seems to be one of those things which people will repeat on the internet, I don't remember seeing any evidence of it, and have never had problems with mice and plastic pipes (in the old house, or the current one, and we certainly have mice)

Never had that happen either, though I have see evidence of it. Maybe they prefer the PVC? as well as the size?

[Brian Gaff]

And then there are Squirrels. I know these destructive little darlings seem to chew through stuff for no good reason. Brian

[fred]

I wouldn't be keen on laying poison. We had one crawl off and die somewhere behind a cupboard in the bathroom and the pong was dreadful for a few weeks

[Vir Campestris]

You're not thatched are you?

If you are you have to put everything in steel pipes. Not even the flexible ones. (this is why we have exactly one wire in our loft, for the smoke detector)

Andy

[robgraham]

No thank goodness - I did wonder when we bought the place nearly 40 years ago if the very deep flanching on the chimneys (now gone) indicated thatch originally.

So the consensus is that mice eating plastic water pipes is urban myth - perhaps rats were the source of that.

Thanks guys Rob

[Jim]

I can 100percent tell u that mice enjoy nibbling plastic water pipes. I e has an infection and currently dealing with my third leak from mice gnawing. U can see the little teeth marks. Extremely frustrating!