Did you ever see such a thing in your life?

[fluffymark]

I win! This kitten can catch mice! Yay! 3 mice all expunged from house! Hooray! :)

So lets start at the beginning. Late wednesday evening, my housemates spotted a mouse in the house. Definate mouse sightings and all that. snow_leopard was terrifed and couldn't sleep after spotting a mouse in her room. Soon after, I spotted a mouse crawling under the door of my bedroom - I didn't know they could squeeze through such small gaps! *terror* Scared and firghtened that the mouse could roam freely we worked ourselved into a hysteria. The mouse would eat us alive!

Sleep was impossible to even think about. We needed mousetraps. So, despite it being 2AM, we set out shopping to buy mousetraps. The huge 24 hour tesco was a disappointment (although in future I know that 2AM is an excellent time to shop - no other shoppers there to be scared of but all the shelves are full. Wooo!!). The odd 24 hour shop next to Leytonstone station claimed they had mouse traps, but couldn't find them. Waaaaaaaaaah! Nowhere else open. Nothing to do but face the mouse. Braved going back to bed, and fortunately the mouse didn't appear again Wednesday night. But was very scary.

Yesterday went shopping for mousetraps. Mouse friendly ones, that don't kill mouseies, just trap them. Bought 2 mousetraps. Baited them with peanut butter (which mice like, for some inexpicable reason). Set them in rooms. Ultrasonic repellers set up elsewhere in the house appear to work, in sending any mice to my room! My room was under seige from mouse attack last night. At first, every 5 minutes I was woken by scratching and sniffling noises of mouse. After noticing my chocolate advent calender was getting most of the attention and was the center of the attack (damn them) I moved it, put it safely face down, and moved the mousetrap to where the calender had previously been. 30 minutes later I was woken by more sratching noises, but they sounded different. Couldn't spot the mouse for ages, until suddenly I noticed.....the trap had been sprung. Picked up the trap and something was inside. Yaaaay! I'D CAUGHT A MOUSE! Now I needed to release the mosue outdoors. So at 3:30AM last night I put my coat on over my pajamas, and set off down the road, to release the mouse near the tube station (because mice like tube stations, we know that already!). I must have been a real sight, but fortunately nobody else was about at that time. After releasing the mouse, returned to my room, set the trap up again, and returned to bed.

10 minutes later, more scratching noises woke me, and I found that the trap had been sprung again. ANOTHER MOUSE! Yaaay! So, coat on again, and released another mouse near Leytonstone tube station, scurrying off into the darkness. And then back to sleep.

2 hours later, the trap sprung again - A THIRD MOUSE CAUGHT! By now I decided I'd leave it until getting up in the morning before releasing the mouse. By the time I did, it was raining and cold outside, and the poor little mousie emerged very unlike the others - all cold and shivery and rather than zooming off it shyly crawled into some nearby leaves to hide. I hope it's ok, poor thing. *worriednoises*

Three mice less in the house. I feel much safer now, and no scratching noises and the terror of mice has been defeated. Sadly I found a casualty this morning - as I'm not going to be around over the next few weeks, I finished off all the chocolates in my advent calender this morning (early, bad me!) and found to my horror that 3 chocolates behind closed doors were missing! Eaten by mice! *eeeeeep!* Noooooooooooooooo. Mice have had their revenge. Grrrrrrrrrrr.

Anyone have experince with dealing with mice invasions? *hopefulsmile*

Today has been very good. Christmas lunch yummy, unexpected large christmas bonus and I'm off home up north this evening. Yaaaaaaaay! Everything is very very sparkly, and I'm very happy! :)

Trying not to, but missing someone horribly. 3 weeks until I see her again. Waaaaaaaaah! If you see me go a bit nuts, this may explain it...

Comments

[elettaria.livejournal.com]

Well done for catching them, I almost never do. (Pretty much every building in Edinburgh has mice, although my current flat hopefully doesn't.) A mouse can get through a hole the width of a pencil, and I am not joking. If you can access the mouse holes, block them up with wire wool. I've heard the ultrasonic repellent thingies are quite good, which sort do you have?

[fluffymark]

I've been informed that there are more mice in London than people. Having now lived in London for more than 5 years without having a mouse invasion before this week, I feel like it's been long overdue and I've been lucky until now. I can't see any mouseholes, the house was newly refurbished just before we moved in. They seem to be crawling under the doors - problem being if it's big enough for an ethernet cable (which trail under our doors), it's big enough for a mouse. Not sure on the make of the ultrasonic repellers - snow_leopard bought them online.

[elettaria.livejournal.com]

There are two types. One only works in a single room, it bounces the ultrasonic thing around the room and can't go through walls. Usually about £20. The other is twice the price and goes through all the wiring, so it does the entire building.

[fluffymark]

These are the £20 single room things. Whice were placed elsewhere around the house, resulting in the mouse invasion of my room on Thursday night. The more expensive ones do sound more useful, therefore...

[snow-leopard.livejournal.com]

We now have many MANY ultrasonic mouse repellers (found them £30 for 4) so there is one in your room and two in my room and one in kitchen and one in front room and one to go somewhere else (will see if Michael wants it when he gets back).
Though you still really REALLY need to clean out under your bed as the mice have been under there and any left over droppings will attract other mice.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

There weren't any...little bits of chocolate, were there?

[fluffymark]

The meanies had eaten the chocolates and left nothing. Waaaaaah!

[the-lady-lily.livejournal.com]

Poor traumatised Mark! And the Amazing Squeezing Mice of Doom!

Congratulations on your Pied Piper-esque skills.

[deborah_c]

... and mistaking Leytonstone tube station for the River Weser is quite understandable :-)

[fluffymark]

Now that would be something! *grins*

[fluffymark]

It was very scary on Wednesday night - was all terrified. Felt better after catching 3 mice, now they don't seem quite so omnipotent and omnipresent. And of course, I'm only staying there 1 night in the next couple of weeks, so it's quite off my mind right now. Hopefully by the time I return from Moscow the house will be mouse-free, and Leytonstone tube station will be crawling with the cute little meanies.

[hairyears.livejournal.com]

Yes, I had experiences of meeces when I was living Oop North.

Day 1
Noticed frayed wrapping and bite marks on my Mars Bar, went apeshit. Later that very night, heard noises in the kitchen and chased a mouse around the kitchen with a broom, barefoot and furious: the very image of Man The Hunter and you won't believe the speed a mouse can travel.

Day 2
Purchased humane mousetrap, £14.99. Baited with Mars Bar fragment, placed in corner behind the bin in the kitchen.

Day 3
AM: Trap triggered but empty. Reset Trap.
PM: Trap triggered but empty. Reset Trap. Observed toothmarks at the bait end.

Day 4
AM: Trap chewed through. Empty of mice. Empty of Bait, too. The little bastard!
Purchased two 'Tom & Jerry' spring traps from Wilco, 99p the pair.
PM: set first trap behind the bin.

Day 5
AM: Trap 1 contains snapped mouse. Mice are cute: I felt like a murderer. Then remembered my Mars Bar and recovered my ruthless resolve to rid the property of chocaholic rodents. Sprayed area to kill fleas, Dustpan-and brushed trap & cadaver into bin. Set Trap 2.
PM: Trap 2 is empty.

Day 6
AM: Trap 2 contains snapped mouse. Spray area and retreat. Return when fumes dissipate, lever out the cargo (and yes, they really are adorable: cute brown fur on top, cute cream fur below. Cute whiskers). I begin to question whether the loss of a Mars Bar justifies this carnage. Reset trap.
PM: Trap Empty, bait untouched.

No further evidence of rodents reported after Day 6.

[fluffymark]

Bastards! My sympathy for them rapidly diminished after discovering what they'd done to my poor adcent calender. Am glad I ate the rest on Friday, if I'd been good and left the lot for my return, I suspect there would be none left. Our humane mouse traps (not too expensive at £5, I don't know where you got your diamond studded one from...) are now being baited with chocolate sprinklies by snow_leopard - their chocophilia will be their downfall! *evilsmile*

[inskauldrak.livejournal.com]

well done! sorry for being p***ed as a fart last night and therefore of "no help to man nor beast" (tm)

My room is now certified mouse free (including cheking all drawers and suchlike and no further incursions as yet. We will remain vigilant!

[fluffymark]

Don't worry, we appear to be coping admirable with the mice invasion.

Did you like your present? :) :) :)

[inskauldrak.livejournal.com]

yes, it's really lovely and you and Catt are great! : ) : ) : ) : )

I've checked Hanbury's room (with his permission) and there are no signs of mice residence (I even checked bags and things) and on Tuesday he's having a clear out. Meantime, I intend toi do a second sweep tomorrow then seal his room off until he gets back.

Have a great holiday and will be great to get to give you your pressie when I get back... think of it as me extending christmas for you ; )

[fluffymark]

All sounds good. Am looking forward to present!!! :) Should be back very late on January 3rd, if all goes to plan. *fingerscrossed*

[mooism.livejournal.com]

All food you have that mice might be interested, you have to keep safe. I started keeping my chocolate in a tupperware box.

You need to clean often (vacuum, clean worksurfaces and tables, mop floors) so there are no crumbs for the mice to eat. If they can’t find *any* food, they will go away.

[fluffymark]

All opened chocolate is now in the fridge. That is most certainly mouseproof.

Strange thing is, the flat was totallly cleaned and tidied last Sunday after doseybat's party. No crumbs or anything else anywhere in the flat since then. The only reason for them to invade the flat is the chocolate advent calender (which is now all eaten!).

[fluffy-angel.livejournal.com]

um - all I can remember is that mice like dog biscuits so they probably like people's biscuits too.

[fluffymark]

Mice will eat anything sweet. Particularly if it smells nice too.

Bacon

[angryangeltoo.livejournal.com]

They can't resist bacon, well done you for getting humane traps, make sure you release them far away from home as if you stick them in the back garden they will just get in again. You need to keep laying the traps for two weeks as there may be babies and young ones running around

[elettaria.livejournal.com]

Also, you need to check the traps very often, as otherwise you will open a trap to find that the mouse has died of shock. This happened with me a few years ago. I wasn't at all keen on killing them, but hoped to trap them and release them alive. We'd been chasing them around the kitchen with strips of card with peppermint oil on the ends (mice USUALLY loathe peppermint) for ages, including little races under the microwave which no doubt the mice at least enjoyed.

There were discussions with my my-flatmate, P, and my ex-partner, J, about where they should be released. P was worried that they would come back if released near to home. (We were on the second floor.) So the discussion turned to taking them to the science campus, which was a good half-hour walk away. J suggested letting them loose in lectures. I was busy pointing out that any mice who could find their way home would be homing mice and probably worth showing off and making money out of.

If you're in flats you will probably either have to block up all the holes (not always possible, sometimes you'd have to rip out the kitchen to get at them) or have a look at the fancier ultrasonic repellents which do the entire building. Otherwise your neighbour's mice will get in. I'm worried about the second scenario happening here, this building is 130 years old and bound to be riddled with mice, but at least all the holes were blocked up when I refurbished the flat, in fact the old kitchen is now the bathroom so the holes are tiled up.

If there are mice who can chew through tiles, I'm fleeing.

[fluffymark]

Has so far always been obvious when they've been caught - they rattle the trap trying to escape making quite a noise in the process, so no risk of leaving them in there accidentally. I'll have to remember about the peppermint thing - that could be very useful in keeping them away from places. :) :) :) Thank you! You've been most helpful. :)

Re: Bacon

[fluffymark]

Ooooh! I have SO MUCH BACON in the freezer it defies belief (total miscalculation and misunderstanding about after-party breakfasts last weekend) and it needs to be eaten. Currently they are being baited with chocolate sprinklies, but it seems such a waste - now I know they like bacon I can put it to good use!

[alektoeumenides.livejournal.com]

We used to have mice at the British Museum and basically, yes, they LOVE chocolate. We'd find whole large bars just demolished by the little buggers.

Sorry you'll be missing someone for so long :( But I'll do my best to keep you entertained here. We have a tree now! A real one! Went out and got it this morning!

[fluffymark]

TREE!!!!! A Real Tree! Oh wow! *veryexcited* Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay! Am so looking forward to visiting you even more now. That will undoubtedly keep me happy. :)

[alektoeumenides.livejournal.com]

Indeed - it's a very cool tree, even got sweets hanging off it :) It'll be great to have you here...can't wait :)

[fluffymark]

The tree has sweeties??!?! Yaaaaaaaaay! :) And you're not allowed to eat them until the 25th. And then they are *all* mine. :) :) :)

All going to plan. Will give you a call on Thursday afternoon, to arrange meeting up plans at the airport. I assume you'll catch me in the big mob of people by the arrivals gate, yes?

Send me a text, so I know for sure I have your correct mobile number! Just in case, you know. :)

[alektoeumenides.livejournal.com]

They're not great sweets - we ate all of those. However, please eat all the sweets you can, cos that means I won't get at them and someone really needs to lose weight right now (and it isn't you).

Yes, I'll find you at the gate.

I sent you a text. Clearly you didn't get it. I'll use my UK mob on Friday and then we can sit and twiddle with it all and see what happens :)

Just to let you know: snow here is minimal (just cos you wanted to see some, of course it bloody thaws out). It's getting a little chilly once more (about -5) but no where near as cold as it ought to be. It's an ice-rink out there right now I must warn you. Learn to shuffle, it's the only thing that'll save you. Weather reports say -5 on Friday (-8 tomorrow!) but then it zooms up to +1 during the weekend.

Crazy flippin' weather.

[cassielalone.livejournal.com]

Evil mice eating your chocolates! Well done on the mouse catching! ^_^ (And you're just so cute and kind to the mice. *squeaky noises*)

Though you should be glad it was just little mice, it could have been RATS! Rats eat anything and can be pretty viscious. We have rats in our house on Oland every winter and they've been known to eat pillows, clothes, bits of wood and books that I've been foolish enough to forget there.
Mice are pretty amazing with squeezing through things. I think I read somewhere that they can fold their skeleton together to make them really flat. (I was really impressed by that.)

[fluffymark]

Bad evil rats eating your books. Thats wrong in too many different ways. *traumatised*. Mice are cute as long as they don't eat my chocolate. Waaaaah.

I just thought of a new word - squeekigami. The art of mouse folding. My brain is odd.

Was delighted by your call the other evening. *happysmile* How is Sweden - is there SNOW? I saw lots of Snow on the hills over the last 2 days! But I couldn't stop and play with it, sadly. Grrrrr.