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Mice
Jul 12, 2007 7:29:20 GMT -5
Post by Mrsdp on Jul 12, 2007 7:29:20 GMT -5
The mice have returned (well OK as mouse has). I think they are coming from the fireplace in our living room, we had one scarper out from there about 6 weeks ago, put down a trap and managed to kill it (no rants pls my sanity and fears are more important to me than a small rodents life). Last night another one appeared this time from the corner of the living room and then scarpered into the fireplace after much screaming from me...anyone know how I can block the back of the fireplace? It is not useable as there is a large bag blocking the shaft which I am guessing the old owners of the house put there but it is difficult to see where they might be getting in. We dont have any gaps in floorboards or skirting boards etc. Although we did hear some scurrying in the ceiling between the living room and our bedroom a few weeks ago but I am not sure how they would have got in there, and more importantly how the hell we get them out.
The house resembles a bit of a zoo at the moment, we have 3 foxes that live in the back garden, about 100 dead snails (not a v good zoo i know as most of my animals are dead) - we have an infestation of snails/slugs so i have been out with the blue pellets, i have never seen so many quite grim.
I know Plumstead Common is green but really I feel like I live on a farm...all I need is an Alpaca.
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fong
New Member
Posts: 15
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Mice
Jul 12, 2007 9:29:45 GMT -5
Post by fong on Jul 12, 2007 9:29:45 GMT -5
Call the council pest control. They charge £21 for three visits over 6 months to lay poison and keep them away. They can advise on where they are coming from too.
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Mice
Jul 13, 2007 7:06:29 GMT -5
Post by Mrsdp on Jul 13, 2007 7:06:29 GMT -5
well the good news is we have a dead mouse and have the husband calling the council as wondering if they will do foxes as well as mice.
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dimps
New Member
Posts: 24
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Mice
Jul 16, 2007 19:22:12 GMT -5
Post by dimps on Jul 16, 2007 19:22:12 GMT -5
The Council will probably/hopefully refer you to The Fox Project or Humane Urban Wildlife Deterrence about the foxes in your garden. However, I am a bit puzzled why you are worried by them. Presumably, you have a vixen and two cubs - who will be moving on shortly.
Concerning the mice - they can fit through extremely small holes. Make sure that you don't leave food out, and vaccuum after meals. I found that mine were coming in under the front doorstep (the decorative iron grill having rusted away in places). I replaced the grill and used a humane trap (they love sunflower seeds, I have discovered - but you need to be patient at first: once you have trapped a young naive mouse who will wee profusely, the rest will come thick and fast). Deposit them some distance from your home.
Slugs and snails. Hmmm! In the garden, the only solution that I have found is to grow plants they are not interested in as, ultimately, pellets, beer traps, etc. provide only temporary solutions. Copper strips around pots work well (these work like tinfoil against fillings - ouch!) - an expensive initial outlay, but you only have to pay the once. If you lay out some slates, or similar, in your flower beds, the slugs and snails will hide underneath during the day - turn them over and the blackbirds, etc, will do the dirty work for you. These suggestions won't solve your problems, but should hopefully reduce them substantially.
My own big problem is slugs indoors - I understand this is a fairly common problem in the Plumstead Common area.
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Mice
Jul 17, 2007 6:33:40 GMT -5
Post by Mrsdp on Jul 17, 2007 6:33:40 GMT -5
Thanks dimps = we have also had slugs indoors although rather bizarely this seems to have stopped over the last month or so and we have not done anything different...If you do find out how to get rid of them do let us know as I am sure ours will come back.
I dont like the foxes particularly as they come right up to the back door sometimes and I don't want them in the house with children (and am not keen on their fleas) but I quite like them at the bottom of the garden (shame I can't teach them to stay there).!
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Mice
Jul 17, 2007 6:43:42 GMT -5
Post by ebilpirate on Jul 17, 2007 6:43:42 GMT -5
You could try nematodes for the slugs but they only work for about six weeks. You can use the respite to get seedlings established.
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smith
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Mice
Jul 17, 2007 15:31:40 GMT -5
Post by smith on Jul 17, 2007 15:31:40 GMT -5
You can get infra-red sonic fox repellers, much like the cat ones. I bought an expensive cat scarer from Grovelands to protect my vegetable beds, because it had a 90 day money back guarantee. Money well spent. I always know when the battery has run out, because straightaway there are cat poos everywhere. I expect that the cheap ones work as well, but fox ones use a different frequency to the cat ones. As long as you position it carefully, testing out it's range, it will keep the foxes away from the house. See: www.grovelands.com/acatalog/concept-research-foxwatch-animal-deterrent.htmlwww.pesthelp.co.uk/weshop/Foxes___Rabbits.aspor try ebay. HTH PS I tried one of these things for mice years ago, and it was useless. The mice actually pooed on it. |
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