Slightly OT: mice

[lost]

This is only slightly OT but I'm trying to fix the problem my self.

Living partly in the country we have a number of field mice visitors.

Catching them is easy a piece of chocolate on a mouse trap and there almost always caught by the next day.

Stopping the mice getting in the issue. I thought I have stopped then this year by putting the ends of partly poppers with a (slightly enlarged hole) into all the air bricks. The party popper are round so there are 4 corners for air to get round and with the slightly larger hole in the centre of the party popper I don't think I have any ventilation problems.

Yesterday I still found on of them in the house, the traps will be out tonight to get rid of it, the question is how do they get in? The air vents appeared to be the only open points of entry to the house.

Any Ideas ??

Thanks

[Dave Fawthrop]

| This is only slightly OT but I'm trying to fix the problem my self. |=20 |=20 |=20 | Living partly in the country we have a number of field mice visitors. |=20 | Catching them is easy a piece of chocolate on a mouse trap and there = almost=20 | always caught by the next day. |=20 |=20 |=20 | Stopping the mice getting in the issue. I thought I have stopped then = this=20 | year by putting the ends of partly poppers with a (slightly enlarged = hole)=20 | into all the air bricks. The party popper are round so there are 4 = corners=20

Yum Yum love party poppers More please

| for air to get round and with the slightly larger hole in the centre of= the=20 | party popper I don't think I have any ventilation problems. |=20 | Yesterday I still found on of them in the house, the traps will be out=20 | tonight to get rid of it, the question is how do they get in? The air = vents=20 | appeared to be the only open points of entry to the house.

They walked in the door while you weren't looking?=20 Mice can get into any hole you can push a pencil through.=20 Bung up any hole bigger than that with steel wool/Brillo pads, followed with filler or mortar as appropriate.

--=20 Dave Fawthrop Some of my Hobbies: VDU Glasses=20

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[Nigel Molesworth]

Mice can get into any hole you can push TWO pencils through (they can go flat, but not that narrow).

[owdman]

I'd say one fattish pencil sideways. We've got them too. Trapped two immediately but next time both the traps disappeared somewhere under the floor - presumably dragged away by attached but still alive mice. Mysterioso

cheers

Jacob

[Dave Fawthrop]

| On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 17:29:43 +0000, Dave Fawthrop wrote: |=20 | >Mice can get into any hole you can push a pencil through.=20 |=20 | Mice can get into any hole you can push TWO pencils through (they can | go flat, but not that narrow).

Well I cannot get even *one* pencil through our Air bricks.

--=20 Dave Fawthrop Some of my Hobbies: VDU Glasses=20

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[Pete C]

Hi,

Try this:

For large areas a taped sheet of paper will also do.

cheers, Pete.

[lost]

I'll have a look for other holes, but I'm sure there aren't any, check many times, each of the 16 gaps in our air gaps has one snugly fitting modified neck (the thin bit only) of a party popper, and I'm sure there are no other gaps. I did recheck the air bricks today and all the party poppers are still present and correct, just incase the mice managed to pull one out or eat to its way though. I do live in a semi detached house, is there the possibilities of the mice getting in my neighbors half. I always assumed the party wall was started in the in the foundations (and way a double layer or bricks, therefore making it impossible for mice to get in from the neighbors side?

I do have to say the party poppers have helped; this is the first mouse this year.

The house looks well build and was built in the 1960's but mice coming in form the neighbors side is the only other option I can think of., except if mouse can climb up brick walls to the higher air bricks for the fridge etc??

| On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 17:29:43 +0000, Dave Fawthrop wrote: | | >Mice can get into any hole you can push a pencil through. | | Mice can get into any hole you can push TWO pencils through (they can | go flat, but not that narrow).

Well I cannot get even *one* pencil through our Air bricks.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , lost writes

Yummy. I have a jar of chocolate dream topping used for this job.

I found two mice in a *supposedly* vermin proof grain store this afternoon. They left by clambering down the flange of a steel stanchion. Presumably they had been arriving by the same route. While the same building was under construction I watched a Shrew fit himself through a

5/16th. inch clearance hole!

The mice (Wood mice) that like to over winter in our loft get in where the garage butts up to a timber building. The top of the cavity wall is not closed off and they can get along the soffit anyway. I suppose a more determined DIYer would collect some tuits and take down the soffit and.......

They will happily clamber along a vertical crack in a rendered wall. There will be a black trail of dried mouse pee if this is a regular route.

regards

[Dave Fawthrop]

| I'll have a look for other holes, but I'm sure there aren't any, check = many=20 | times, each of the 16 gaps in our air gaps has one snugly fitting = modified=20 | neck (the thin bit only) of a party popper, and I'm sure there are no = other=20 | gaps. I did recheck the air bricks today and all the party poppers are = still=20 | present and correct, just incase the mice managed to pull one out or = eat to=20 | its way though. I do live in a semi detached house, is there the=20 | possibilities of the mice getting in my neighbors half. I always = assumed the=20 | party wall was started in the in the foundations (and way a double = layer or=20 | bricks, therefore making it impossible for mice to get in from the = neighbors=20 | side?

Look in the loft, my house has big gaps under the roof, between the two houses. Bunging this up with glass wool should help. Look in the underdrawing for gaps round the joists.

| The house looks well build and was built in the 1960's but mice coming= in=20 | form the neighbors side is the only other option I can think of., = except if=20 | mouse can climb up brick walls to the higher air bricks for the fridge = etc??

Mice are *very* good climbers. They always get under our upstairs floor, so I have a floorboard which I can take up and permanently bait there.

--=20 Dave Fawthrop Some of my Hobbies: VDU Glasses=20

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[Pinot Grigio]

Through the roof? Then through the ceiling via a hole around a pipe or similar?

[Dave Fawthrop]

| The mice (Wood mice) that like to over winter in our loft get in where=20 | the garage butts up to a timber building. The top of the cavity wall is= =20 | not closed off and they can get along the soffit anyway. I suppose a=20 | more determined DIYer would collect some tuits and take down the soffit= =20 | and....... |=20 | They will happily clamber along a vertical crack in a rendered wall.=20 | There will be a black trail of dried mouse pee if this is a regular=20 | route.

Just had my soffits done and was impressed by the sealing of the gaps.

--=20 Dave Fawthrop Some of my Hobbies: VDU Glasses=20

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[Nigel Molesworth]

Of course they can, especially if you have ivy etc.

Just to clarify, air bricks are designed so mice *cannot* enter the holes. Look elsewhere for the problem.

[Peter Scott]

I have had a serious rat problem. Every couple of months rats invade one of three lofts. I leave bait there and they die, but they smell as they rot away.

In the biggest loft I fitted a Pestguard PST093 bought from

about a month ago. This transmits ultrasound and sends an oscillation through the house mains. So far it has worked wonders. There have been no rat noises in the loft. They have been heard in the unprotected lofts of course but didn't stay, presumably put off by the mains waves. I have now sent off for a second Pestguard. Total cost over 40 ukp for each, so not cheap. However, neither is rat bait.

It's worth a try. Only drawback is that they plug into a standard mains three pin socket so you'll have to find a way to feed power. I have added some 2amp sockets to the lighting circuits and use a flying lead from that. I use the others for aerial amps. Perhaps you can limit the use to living areas. There are smaller and cheaper models for that but I haven't tried these.

Good luck

Peter Scott

[Nigel Molesworth]

Doesn't everyone have power, on 3 circuits, in their loft?

Best DIY idea I ever had.

[Dave Fawthrop]

| On Fri, 30 Dec 2005 23:26:21 -0000, Peter Scott wrote: |=20 | >Only drawback is that they plug into a standard mains three pin socket= =20 |=20 | Doesn't everyone have power, on 3 circuits, in their loft?=20 |=20 | Best DIY idea I ever had.

I also have added power in the under drawing :-)

--=20 Dave Fawthrop Some of my Hobbies: VDU Glasses=20

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