Author Topic: Eradication of Meeces (Read 12598 times)

Ewan Houzami · « **on:** 24 January, 2012, 06:00:40 pm »

Does anybody know how long it takes mice to die after ingesting the normal OTC anticoagulants? I'm talking difenacoum and bromadiolone here. The little feckers have been happily gorging on the green wheaty stuff I've put in the cupboard for a week now and they aren't showing any signs of stopping. Internet searches indicate about 4-5 days, but I'm worried that there is a resistant strain out there. (It's doing my head in a bit now, and I don't really want to go in my kitchen when I know they're around.) I'm wondering if the mild weather has got something to do with this current mini-infestation, as I've seen no sign of mice over the last few cold winters.

They won't go near a trap either, and if this doesn't work it'll have to be alpha-chloralose (which isn't easy to get hold of).

citoyen · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 January, 2012, 06:07:06 pm »

4-5 days sounds about right. I would have said a week off the top of my head.

Interesting that they won't go near a trap. What are you baiting them with? The ones we get seem to find peanut butter pretty irresistible.

d.

Ewan Houzami · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 January, 2012, 06:25:43 pm »

TBH I only baited with the wheat grain. It was a half-hearted approach, as when I trapped a few some years ago some had ended up with their heads mashed in somewhat and were still alive. (Sorry if you're eating your tea, folks.) They're incredible animals mind and avoid going near anything new. I put the trap right next to the bait station for a day and they wouldn't go near it. Took the trap away, and within an hour, they (or particularly one fat mouse) emptied the bait tray. I linitially lured them to the bait trays with little balls of Nutella interspersed therein, but have since polished off the contents of the jar myself !! I guess I need to replenish my peanut butter/Nutella supplies, HTFU a bit, and bait the traps with it.

citoyen · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 January, 2012, 07:54:30 pm »

Most of the time, the old fashioned spring traps seem pretty effective at killing the mouse instantly IME, but I once had to put a mouse out of its misery that was stuck in a trap alive but with its head half mashed. On another occasion, I found a spare leg in the trap - presumably the mouse had "done an Aaron Ralston" to escape. Didn't learn his lesson though - we caught a three-legged mouse a few days later.

My concern with poison is what happens to the corpses. Don't really want to end up with hundreds of dessicated mice left for eternity behind my skirting boards.

d.

Ewan Houzami · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 January, 2012, 08:27:10 pm »

The spring traps ARE definately the way to go, but I've become squeamish in the last couple of years. (And I've used glue-boards previously but I hated seeing the mouse suffer.) I'd rather inflict out-of-sight-out-of-mind cruelty on them. But as I say, it's been almost a week now, and there's no sign of decreased activity - quite the opposite if anything. Re the decaying bodies - AFAIK the corpses stink for a bit, and then it's not a problem (or maybe you just used to it.)

A few years ago I had a neighbour who, as a licenced pest controller, had access to a whole manner of scarily potent rodenticides. He'd squirt a few of blobs of gel from a syringe around the floor, and the next morning there'd be spread-eagled mouse bodies around the flat. He's a chef and diving instructor in the Philippines now.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #5 on:** 25 January, 2012, 12:01:36 pm »

In my experience, the 'humane' traps, baited with raisins, work very well.

rower40 · « **Reply #6 on:** 25 January, 2012, 12:28:57 pm »

We've had very good (so far) results with an ultrasonic noise generator. Mice were eating anything and everything, such as a Brompton saddle (*) (**). Since installing this in the loft, we've had no signs of mice at all; all the conventional traps are still baited and primed, and none of the bait disturbed in any way. No mice droppings in the "warm and insulated" areas around the hot water tanks. And I've not been woken by the sounds of scrabbling tiny feet in the roof.

(*) CaptionIt #274 applied, but the server hosting the photo is no longer present. Diver300 to the customer helldesk phone please.

(**) A replacement saddle was found for the Brompton, just in time for the bike to be stolen.

Ewan Houzami · « **Reply #7 on:** 25 January, 2012, 06:33:09 pm »

I've had a ultrasonic/em generator for a few years, and stupidly unplugged for a few months (cos I didn't have mice

), so whether doing so made my gaff a nicer place for the mice to take up residence, is unknown. Once the mice have established themselves, the ultrasonic and e-m bursts are pretty useless as they just get used to the disturbance.

I'm hoping the big fat one(s) under the sink has finally died, or at least has made its way to the mouse graveyard in the wall to die. (Don't want to look - I never used to be this squeamish, but I'm fast becoming like the housekeeper in Tom and Jerry when it comes to these critters) Though now I can hear scrabbling under the boards beneath my hot-water tank (old-skool heating!), so I've just tipped a half a sachet of difenacoum wheat bait through the boards. Probably not very 'health and safety', but it seems to have shut them up. Hopefully they're feeding on it. Looks like I've got a bit of an infestation though. Bugger. I'd call the council PCOs out too, but having spoken to them it seems they won't use anything that isn't available to amateurs anyway, and they'd charge £85 for the privelege - so sod that!

Thanks for the advice all.

ferret · « **Reply #8 on:** 26 January, 2012, 09:18:30 am »

we always use the old fashion spring trap "little nipper" IIRC, bait it with bread,chocolate,peanut butter anything really, set the trap and leave it alone for a couple of days, let the mice get used to it, then once they have found it / got used to it bingo or SNAP you'll have them,
just check the bait once or twice a day just in case the buggers have sussed out how to take the bait without triggering the trap,
The only time we've used poison they died in the wall and the stench took 2 or 3 weeks to disappear

, 3 foot thick stone wall so not much we could do.

Ewan Houzami · « **Reply #9 on:** 27 January, 2012, 01:07:06 am »

Not heard a squeak or a scurry today, so assuming all mice have, or are on their way to slipping their mortal coils due to consumption of vast amounts of anticoagulants. There's quite a science around these which I feel I'm an expert on now, but don't worry - I won't bore you with it all. I've also set a couple of traps just in case (I know they work as I've used them before - just a bit squeamish about encountering a mashed mouse these days), but avoided buying Nutella as I'd end up eating the rest of the jar - so I've baited the traps with Green&Blacks cocoa powder mixed with butter so at least they'll die in style!

jellied · « **Reply #10 on:** 30 January, 2012, 02:41:18 pm »

Didn't think i'd need to follow this post, but there's at least one fellow living in the house.

in the past a trap with a tilting drawbridge affair has had 100% success rate but the buggers are not falling for it this time. Not a huge issue up until now one a little decided to have a mouse disco in my bedroom at 4:30 in the morning and one has gnawed some cycling clothes.

in terms of poison will this do the trick:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250953359339?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

if not i'll be keen to know what is.

Julian · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 January, 2012, 02:45:53 pm »

The only thing I've ever had success with meeces with was a French product called "Raticide," which not only kills them but then dessicates them so they don't smell. And even then, they came back. Living with mice was one of the more miserable experiences I've had, particularly when they were tap-dancing in the cupboards at 3am.

rafletcher · « **Reply #12 on:** 30 January, 2012, 03:10:57 pm »

I've had plenty of sucess (with mice) with humane traps, followed by a long walk to let them go. Baited with peanuts/chocolate.

They'll leave of their own accord when the weather warms up of course.

Jon P · « **Reply #13 on:** 30 January, 2012, 06:20:21 pm »

I once saw a mouse in my back yard, went and got my catty and a tiny 5mm nut, when it came back took a pot at it to see "how close I could get" at about 5 yards and it just keeled over and was dead with no sign of external injury while the well-aimed nut kerplunked into the pond. IMO they are so nervous they just die at the first sign of trouble. Catty not recommended for use inside the house though!

Valiant · « **Reply #14 on:** 31 January, 2012, 06:52:51 am »

How about getting a cat?

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #15 on:** 31 January, 2012, 07:53:45 am »

Quote from: Julian on 30 January, 2012, 02:45:53 pm

The only thing I've ever had success with meeces with was a French product called "Raticide," which not only kills them but then dessicates them so they don't smell. And even then, they came back. Living with mice was one of the more miserable experiences I've had, particularly when they were tap-dancing in the cupboards at 3am.

It's even worse when they decide to climb up the bed and shit on the pillows.

graculus · « **Reply #16 on:** 31 January, 2012, 09:32:33 am »

Quote from: Julian on 30 January, 2012, 02:45:53 pm

The only thing I've ever had success with meeces with was a French product called "Raticide," which not only kills them but then dessicates them so they don't smell. And even then, they came back.

Visions of zombie mice lurching round the house...

Ewan Houzami · « **Reply #17 on:** 03 February, 2012, 07:03:46 pm »

Quote from: Valiant on 31 January, 2012, 06:52:51 am

How about getting a cat?

I do like moggies, but being an irresponsible git at times and never sure where I'm going to be from one day to the next, it's a bit inconvenient. In my current circumstances I'd end up sounding like Mrs Slocombe - forever concerned about my pussy*. Besides, they have a habit of toying with mice or biting their heads off, and leaving pieces of meeces littering the gaff. Not for me!

Current update is that the activity has lessened, but they're still having the odd nibble. They've munched through 300g of difenacoum bait (enough to kill 60 mice) in 20 days, implying that there were rather more than a couple in the first place. It's just a matter of time..

*I'm a geezer btw, so don't start getting ideas!

Ewan Houzami · « **Reply #18 on:** 03 February, 2012, 07:43:58 pm »

Quote from: jellied on 30 January, 2012, 02:41:18 pm

in terms of poison will this do the trick:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250953359339?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

if not i'll be keen to know what is.

I tried to get hold of that stuff last week, but B&Q have stopped supplying it (though I could get it mail-order I suppose) It's a hypnotic - containing alpha-chloralose which sends the mice to sleep with the intention that they die of hypothermia. The problem is, is that most houses are too warm these days, so they 'wake up' making it fairly ineffective in the majority of cases! I have a feeling that its use and sale is being monitored, as the drug is open to abuse by humans. (A quick Google shows that a few 'heads' have given it a shot to see what effect it has).

Rather annoying though, considering that it looks like I'll have to turn off my CH tomorrow in order to drain it down. In which case the Rentokil product would have been ideal.

I've spent two weeks looking into how to effectively kill rodents - including trawling through a bunch of scientific studies about types of bait, their modes of action, effectiveness, and resistance- and having spoken to the 'Computer Says No' Pest Control Officers at the council, have come to the conclusion I'm a relative expert now.

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #19 on:** 03 February, 2012, 09:51:34 pm »

When I was badly plagued with the rodenty little fuckers, I went to speak to Environmental Health (who were two storeys up in the building I was working in at the time) and they said "well, we could come out, but we'd just put poison down and then come back to check the bait a week later and charge you £80 for it" but they did recommend buying Sorex Mouse Killer II as the best one that the public can buy.

Jakob · « **Reply #20 on:** 03 February, 2012, 09:59:56 pm »

Hmm, we had great success with using ultrasonic to get rid of mice at our last place in London. I did do a fair amount of research and ended up with a fairly expensive unit, but it worked like a charm.

Ewan Houzami · « **Reply #21 on:** 03 February, 2012, 10:29:44 pm »

Quote from: Kirst on 03 February, 2012, 09:51:34 pm

When I was badly plagued with the rodenty little fuckers, I went to speak to Environmental Health (who were two storeys up in the building I was working in at the time) and they said "well, we could come out, but we'd just put poison down and then come back to check the bait a week later and charge you £80 for it" but they did recommend buying Sorex Mouse Killer II as the best one that the public can buy.

The Council are, surprise, surprise, fucking useless, and I won't pay the £85 that Lewisham want (of course it used to be free) to do what anybody with less than half a brain is able to do themselves.. I called them ten years ago, and two blokes came round to put down a couple of cardboard humane traps, which were basically useless. (Council-run operations like this just strike me as job creation schemes - but that's another matter) The Sorexa they recommend is difenacoum bait at 0.005% which is what I've been using (but more expensive and under a different name and supposedly less palatable). I've spoken to them twice (Lewisham- not the mice) now, thinking that they'll provide me with specialist info that's not readily available, but the dim, possibly overpaid robots who inhabit that particular dept seem only able to give the same advice that two minutes of Googling can provide.

Diver300 · « **Reply #22 on:** 03 February, 2012, 11:06:10 pm »

Quote from: rower40 on 25 January, 2012, 12:28:57 pm

We've had very good (so far) results with an ultrasonic noise generator. Mice were eating anything and everything, such as a Brompton saddle (*)
(*) CaptionIt #274 applied, but the server hosting the photo is no longer present. Diver300 to the customer helldesk phone please.

Sorted.

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=25331.0

Kim · « **Reply #23 on:** 03 February, 2012, 11:11:56 pm »

Quote from: Valiant on 31 January, 2012, 06:52:51 am

How about getting a cat?

Cats are contrary fuckers and will more often than not go out and find new small rodents to bring home to play with, rather than kill the ones you've already got.

Ewan Houzami · « **Reply #24 on:** 03 February, 2012, 11:33:45 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 03 February, 2012, 11:11:56 pm

Quote from: Valiant on 31 January, 2012, 06:52:51 am
How about getting a cat?

Cats are contrary fuckers and will more often than not go out and find new small rodents to bring home to play with, rather than kill the ones you've already got.

You've summed up what I suspected. Though I'm a contrary fucker too, so cats and me might be an ideal match.

Author Topic: Eradication of Meeces (Read 12598 times)

Jakob