Eradication of Meeces

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

T'buggers have found a way in again   Three last night, two live and one copped it. 

Think I have found the hole as I could hear them grinding away at the mortar so there won't be any back tonight.

[microphonie]

The last few nights there's been a strange noise from either the cavity or possibly the loft space at the wall/roof junction, sort of a cross between a hum & a buzz, but not the scratching I'd expect from mice. Any chance that this is caused by mice? If not, any idea what it might be - any insects that might be active at night? I've only heard it at night but that'll be because I haven't monitored it during the day...

The cavity is insulated with rockwool & the loft is mostly boarded-out but with extra insulation laid on top so any scratching noises may be muffled. Had a cursory check in the loft & couldn't see anything but the space is a bit tight around where the noises are coming from. There's no sign of anything under the eaves on the outside during the day at least. Looks like I might be having a night-time trip to the loft...

EDIT: managed to get closer into the eaves in the loft & discovered a small wasps nest with a huge queen walking around it so I'm going to assume that's the culprit. Wouldn't have thought they'd be active as early as 01:30 (as last night) but it was a cool evening & they may have been generating a bit of warmth by buzzing away...

As said above you may well have a bumblebee nest buzzing noise - they certainly like buildings and holes. If so don't kill them as they don't do any harm and are much reduced in numbers. They are a key pollinator. Check the exterior - you will see what you have there.
If it is wasps get in there and squirt the buggers.

It's confirmed: loads of bumblebees swarming around the roof yesterday, so they'll be staying. The wasp nest in the loft will be monitored: there are a few old ones in there, none larger than the size of an orange, & have never been a problem so it'll probably stay too.

[nicknack]

Well, it's that time of year again. The local mouse population are fed up already with the cold and wet and are out looking for somewhere a bit more comfortable. Like chez nicknack. Whilst on the phone a few mins ago a little brown bundle of fur with a long tail was scampering about on the other side of the living room. It knows damn well I'm far to old and slow to catch the little bugger. Time to dig the traps out again.

[nicknack]

2 down.

[nicknack]

4 gone now.
Must be a family of the buggers.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Got 8 in 2 days.  The supply has dried up.  I use live traps, the French one is the current champion although it is much harder to set than the tippy-up ones. 

[Somnolent]

Blunt-force trauma works!
They seemed to be enjoying the poison wheat grains a bit too much but it slowed one fecker down enough for me to pounce armed with squeegee.
Not the most of effective of clubs but stilled the beggar in the end.

Word of non-humane end has obviously reached remainder of rodent population, who have been conspicuous by their absence for a few days now.

[Aunt Maud]

I find a "Little Nipper" or two and a juicy raisin does the trick. They never seem to come back after an encounter with the "Nipper", makes them go all stiff.

[nicknack]

I used the Nippers until one mouse managed to just get its head bashed a bit and wandered to the skirting board behind the cooker where it expired with its head stuck to the aforesaid board with blood. The 4 I've caught lately have been with the tippy-up plastic catch-em-live trap. Managed to get two at once a few nights ago.

[nicknack]

The current incumbent (there appears to be only one now) is now taking the piss. It completely ignores any form of trap, comes to have a look at us when we're just sitting in the living room and, last night, excelled itself. We have in our kitchen, sat on the worktop, a white toy stuffed mouse. I can't remember why. It usually sits upright but had fallen on its front yesterday. The real one managed to deposit a tiny present right in the middle of its back. Perhaps it got fed up trying to shag it.

[Poly Hive]

A quick reprise on mice and bees and wasps.

Bumbles and wasps are "simple social insects" which means they have the following life cycle. Queens are raised in late summer and mate. They then find a nook to over winter in. They then begin a nest and raise the first cycle by them selves. Then they have the support of the first generation to raise the 2nd and so on, bumbles get to a maz of some 500, wasps get a fair bit bigger. Honey bees are on the contrary advanced social insects so the queen has the benefit of some 20 to 25 thousand workers to support her and her colony will build to some 50 to 75 thousand. Bumbles do not swarm. Honey bees reproduce via the swarming method where the old queen leaves and takes the risks of setting up a new colony whilst the virgin who manages to kill her rivals is left with good back up to assist her success. 

Mice are deterred by holes of 8mm or less, greater and they can get their skulls through, especially slots, and then they can squeeze their ribs and get in.  Takes a lot to mouse proof a building. Best bait is smoked sausage. Top tip.

PH

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

I am not a pro pest person but through my beekepeing I have over the years destroyed many wasps nests ..

Do you always destroy wasps nests? 

I did one in this summer simply because Mrs A believes she is allergic to the stings and it was in the eaves.  Otherwise I tend to leave them be as they must contribute something to the food chain, being eaten by various creatures, including hornets which are similar in aggression to bumble bees.  Hornets eat all sorts of insect pests and are useful.  Over 3 summers I have had hornets nests in the garden and no inconvenience at all.  Their affect on beehives is said to be minimal or even beneficial as they eat moths.  In Germany hornets are a protected species!

[Poly Hive]

That statement was a tad misleading. I get many calls about "bees" and very often the caller is either talking bumbles, "are they round and fluffy" question or "are they wasp like" If the answer to the first is yes it is usually bumbles, if the answer to the 2nd question is yes it is usually wasps, though occasionally it is a swarm of bees which of course is what I want.

If it is wasps and they are bothering the caller I advise on how to destroy them, using a powder called Nippon sold as an ant killer. If I can I persuade them to leave well alone, both wasps and bumbles as both to a lot of good. Bumbles pollinate many species that the shorter honey bee cannot manage, and wasps hoover up loads of greenfly.

I spoke with a wasp expert and he astonished me by saying there are on average one colony per acre. As a beekeeper I run a wasp trap in my apiaries if they are being a pest which they are some seasons though this back end they were barely present at all. One of the advantages of my feeding regime now is I don't use syrup and it appears the wasps are not tempted by the smell of it. I now put on blocks of Bakers Fondant around now. Works a treat.

I hope that is a bit clearer.

PH

[Valiant]

So one of the others is complaining about a rat. Judging by the poo size he's probably right. How does one deal with a rat?

[Poly Hive]

Rat trap. Poison can lead to a very VERY nasty decomp situation under YOUR floorboards... been there.... Google responsible trapping as cats can get involved.

PH

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

So one of the others is complaining about a rat. Judging by the poo size he's probably right. How does one deal with a rat?

You need to fix that rat.

[Jaded]

Do you think that ibuprofen will kill mice?

For that is all they have eaten.

[Poly Hive]

Doubtful. Pity it wasn't paracetamol but then again that takes the situation back to decomposition. Not recommended.

PH