[Merrie Dancer]

oh dear, we have mice in our kitchen for the first time. I think they are staying inside the back of the fridge and dashing behind the back of the built in cupboards. they are running over the worktops too so we need to do something!
we have an excellent hunting cat who seems oblivious to any mice in the kitchen though he catchs them outside - they have even run straight past him and he hasn't noticed - more interested in  cuddles on the couch.
our jack Russell is the same, no instinct to kill as he has been brought up to "leave" cats and other animals etc he thinks hes not allowed to even go near them.

im a bit worried about using poison incase our beloved pets get to it. or if the cat eats the poisoned mouse?
any advice? would putting poison down the back of the unit be pet-safe?
thanks

[Marches Farmer]

Mice generally run around the skirting board rather than across the room.  Can you bait behind a kitchen unit and keep pets out of the room until the mice have expired?  They may go for bait straight away or take a few days to get used to it.  Keep all other foodstuffs, including vegetables, in cupboards or the fridge and they'll take bait quicker.

[jaykay]

I'd use a trap. The trouble with poison is that if the mouse goes elsewhere and dies, it's possible that your cat may pick up up later.

Also, every time I put down rat poison, I would lose a chicken. I think now that they were eating poisoned mice.

Now I have barn cats - and a couple of house cats, and like you, I have mice in the house rather than many outside!

[cans]

Trap(s) set more than one and you will reduce the numbers quicker cos where you see one mouse in reality you have got lots more. Bait with skwished cheese pushed on to the bait part- harder to get off!

[Anke]

Traps with peanut butter work well. Strong smell as well to attract mouse, and probably not the cat so much. my dog would kill for a piece of cheese...

[mab]

trap - If you can see where they're running try to position the trap so they have to go over it.


I had a kitchen incursion in my last house and I put the trap in the corner of the fridge cubby (as that's where I'd seen them run away when I came into the room), and placed a bottle so they had to go over the trap and blocked the other side of the fridge - can't remember if /what I used for bait - cheese possibly or nothing - caught all (four) mice in about 18hrs - would go and reset every time I heard a comotion from the kitchen.

[Bionic]

Yep, traps. Behind the fridge and anywhere else you think they might be using as a run. Apparently the you like Mars bars to o if you can spare one.

[chrismahon]

in my experience it is the cats that bring the mice in to play with them. Get the cats out of the house first.


We had a big mouse problem here. They ate through the plasterboard to get into the pantry. I filled the hole and they ate through it before it had hardened. We set good quality traps along the wall baited with a chocolate and hazelnut paste (peanut butter is expensive here) which they absolutely loved -to death! We killed 12 in a week, then filled the hole with a filler loaded with short strands of polyprop string. They can't eat through that.


I wouldn't use poison under any circumstances -far too risky for any mouse predators including owls.

[Merrie Dancer]

thanks, I never thought of a trap   
we have had mice in the attic for a while but only this spring have we seen mice in the kitchen. we have however had about 5 dead mice in the kids rooms (no droppings found there) so I think the big kitten (hes 10mths) is bringing them in.
there are droppings in the kitchen cupboards and the mice we have seen look very fat and healthy 
are humane traps any good?

[NicandChic]

My parents used a humane trap for a couple of field mice they had nesting in their roof, used a bit of butter (they love butter/marg) caught 3 mice and were let free in the woods a good dog walk away! They never came back - no more nocturnal scurrying!

[Fleecewife]

I've got a mouse problem in my greenhouse - I've fallen in love with a little family of the cutest wood mice you could imagine     They need to be moved on now though as I really have to use my greenhouse for the job it's designed for and I don't want them eating my crops all summer.  Can't decide where or even how, to re-settle them.

For lesser mice we use traps - Mars bars are popular as bait.

[RUSTYME]

Mmmm ?
 Wood mouse on a stick ? A Roman kebab .
They don't like it up'm Mr Mainwearing , they don't like it up'm .

[Cactus Jack]

Humane traps are excellent, but do remember to look at them at least twice a day. Milk chocolate or butter is excellent for catching mice and rats. Pretty good for squirrels too

[Fleecewife]

Mmmm ?
 Wood mouse on a stick ? A Roman kebab .
They don't like it up'm Mr Mainwearing , they don't like it up'm .

No no no-o-o-o Rustyme    These are special mice which say hello every time I go into the greenhouse  .  The dogs could finish them off in seconds but I don't want to kill them.  I know I'm being the biggest sap ever and I could end up overrun with the little bu66£r$ but these ones stay - and their nest which always seems to be full of babies  .  I can't believe I'm saying this     It's my dotage wot's done it 

[RUSTYME]

Lol , i know the feeling . I can't zap bunnies now days . I just try to keep them out of the veg .
Mind you , i wouldn't object to someone else doing the deed .
 Rats i will quite happily zap anytime though .
Mice too , if they get in my space .
Wood mice are cute though .