| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
baba78
Starting Member
2 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Oct 2007 : 10:31:48
|
Hi all,
I was wondering if somebody could help really urgently.
I�ve lived in a flat in London now for over a year and I�ve a really stubborn mouse problem. Repeatedly over the last year I have seen mice in my flat, I know this is typical of London but it still doesn�t make it any easier to live with. It happened occasionally over the year, so I pestered my agency into taking action and they came in � only on my insistence � several times to proof as many gaps as they could and as many as I could find. The main problem I think was in the kitchen where there were loads of gaps between skirting boards etc. The flat is only a small one-bedroomed place so there can�t be that many access points. The agency were crap and applied polyfilla where they could etc but I am adamant I wanted something humane doing. Anyway, I continued to see mice on a few occasions over the last six months so I bought one of those humane traps. This has sat in a hundred different places in the flat with peanut butter in, cheese in, nuts in, and I�ve never so much as seen one sniff at it. So that was a waste of money. Then, we�d go for a month or so at a time without seeing or hearing one, but now for the last two weeks, there�s been one (or more than one?) evident every night. They never used to come into the bedroom, but every night recently I�ve been woken by them rustling and their claws on the carpet. I keep the flat clean and tidy, I store all food away, but they seem intent on rummaging around.
I�m at my wits end, I really am. It�s not just the hygiene etc, it�s that I�m losing sleep now because it�s impossible to sleep with them scuttling around.
Can anybody advise me of a reliable and humane method of dealing with it? People told me about these humane traps but it doesn�t seem to have worked in the slightest. Someone told me about these repellent things you plug in, but I don�t want to shell out �20 � 30 on another gimmicky thing that won�t do anything and I read on a pest control website that it often takes months to take effect and often doesn�t work at all. I don�t want to be ripped off again. I�d like to get something today and deal with it now.
PLEASE HELP!!
|
|
|
Iain
Moderator
United Kingdom
446 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2007 : 12:09:11
|
I see you're after the pest control 'magic wand' that we've all been searching for since before the Pied Piper of Hamelin...!
So first of all - come back to reality.
There is nothing that you can buy today that will immediately see off the mice that are plaguing you.
The "reliable and humane method" of solving your problem is to call out a professional pest controller who not only has all the necessary tools, but the training and experience to use them properly.
Even so - they won't be able to solve your problem at a stroke. It will almost certainly involve several visits to your property over several weeks and will probably cost you a great deal more than the �20 - �30 you didn't want to spend on a repeller (though you are correct in deciding that that would be money wasted as such devices don't work - in my opinion).
You insisted on 'humane' treatments from your housing association, but just what exactly do you believe to be 'humane'?
The methods pest controllers use have to be 'humane' by Law. That will include the break back traps and poisons that are used effectively - and humanely - every day.
If, however, you feel that these methods are not humane - then you'd better get used to the mice sharing your living space. The chances are that your problem will only be solved by the use of poisons, backed up by properly placed and baited traps.
You say that you keep your flat clean and tidy and store food away. Good, that's a start. You've had some attempts at proofing, but not surprisingly, that hasn't been entirely successful. If you've got any gaps that you can get a pencil into - the mice can come in.
What about your neighbours? Are any of them suffering too? The mice have got to be coming from somewhere. The chances are that, even if you can control the ones that come into your flat, new ones will be coming in from 'next door' on an ongoing basis. You may need to have a 'block treatment'.
My suggestion is for you to contact the Environmental Health Department of your local Council, who may be able to put pressure on your landlord to do more.
Not the answer you were looking I fear, but a realistic one.
|
 |
|
|
baba78
Starting Member
2 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2007 : 13:03:33
|
Well that was rather sobering.
Thanks for the advice. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
MICE!! HELP!!
