Co-habiting with animals (rodents)

a strange question, but does anyone know the diameter hole a long tailed field mouse can get through?

We have a mouse problem in our garage. Been there for a while, to be honest. During the winter, we didn't begrudge them a little space, warmth, and the odd bit of stolen food. But it's May, nearly summer, and the raiding parties are getting more and more ambitious. Within the last few days we've had semolina, split peas, pasta, christmas pudding and pistachios eaten...

I'm about to learn a new skill, bricklaying, as I seal up the tumble-drier air vents on the outside. I will check all around the outside wall to see if there are any other holes, but it would be good to know what size to look for. (ID of Longtailed field mouse is from an extended sighting a couple of nights ago...)

In a similar vein, we have some clog-wearing "guests" in our attic. They like to be active at night.... Does anyone know if it is common to have rats in an attic? Am I correct in thinking they are more likely to go down than up? (Cellar has more in the way of hibernating frogs and toads). I am about to send hubby up to investigate. He's not too fond of rats. I was thinking possibly dormice, or squirrels?

 

Not sure about field mice, but I've heard it said that if a hole is big enough to get a biro in, it's big enough for a mouse.

 

Agree with Freddy about mouse holes but are you sure you don't leave the door open while you're in there or when you're going in and out for other reasons?

Re the attic, yes could be anything and sounds are amplified. Some friends had bats at one time and you would have thought they'd been issued with hobnailed boots.

 

Freddy is completely right a mouse can get through a whole the size of a pencil

its why if you own them as a pet you have to have the plastic cages for them and not ones with bars :-)

 

We have holes in the garage walls for two tumble driers, but no tumble driers. Therefore these holes just go through the breeze block wall, and brick skin... Hubby is currently at the local DIY store getting proper mortar, and possibly a vent cover, so we can block the holes off. We are in the habit of keeping the connecting door between the garage and the house closed and locked. This is because the draft caused by leaving the door open used to turn the old CH boiler off!!

I'm sure that whatever is in the attic can't be as big as it sounds. Just don't like the sound of "chewing" as I am afraid they are chewing the tile batons. We have an old-fashioned Belgian red tile roof - each tile is very thick and very heavy, as I found when re-tiling the garden shed....

 

Air bricks around the house are another easy access Sian. Longtails are common in lofts. In a previous house they used to visit us spring and autumn for about three weeks, then disappear again leaving no trace. It would be wise to check though, it could be squirrels.

 

Air bricks? Oh yes, I remember them from the UK....

Not seen any houses here in Belgium with air bricks. One had big slats, but that was about all. This could explain why most houses here have a problem with damp!

We have blocked the totally round part of the holes with large pots, that fit fairly snugly. Then put a metal plate across the outside, which is sitting very snugly. Hubby did hear a rustling behind the freezer last night though, and this morning I found more mouse droppings on the shelves, and they have broken into the bag of dried chillies. Not sure if they will be back for those?!

Today we plan to clear and check all the shelves for possible nests, with the assistance of my faithful mouser, Izzy. I have to say, I'm getting fed up of vacuuming mouse poo!! (I try to do this each day, so I can see where the activity has been).

 

Did hear somewhere that if you have mice you wont have rats maybe a wife's tale

 

Well, I used to run a dog training school, where we did have mice (destroyed 100s of euros worth of stock, pesky blighters!), and rats (ate through the rubber seal of the fridge, in case we'd left something interesting behind...). So I know to check the size of droppings. I also have a keen mouser, aka Weimaraner, who hunts in a very different fashion for mice and rats. Definitely no rats present, so far!! Phew!!

 

And out of interest, the way to tell a mouse/rat dropping from a bat dropping is to squeeze a dry one between thumb and forefinger and roll it. If it' very hard and totally unyielding it's mouse/rat, if it crumbles to dust it's from a bat. Their droppings are almost entirely made from the exoskeletons of the insects they eat.

 

Have you tried one of those sound emitters that fit into a plug,these are good but take a few days to work.If it's mice in the loft could you try a couple of traps,if these don't work and you still get noises etc can you get some poison just to try as a back up.

 

A quick update...

All known holes into the garage are now blocked. But we can easily see light coming through under our up-and-over garage door, so I suspect they are getting under the main door. The only remaining accessible food in the garage now is dried chillies, which the mouse / mice are going for every night!!

We have checked the attic, or at least half of it. A few mouse droppings, but fairly empty, apart from an old wasp nest. However, the chimney stack and original wall from the old house remains in the attic (although the wall has been removed at 1st floor level?), so we cannot get to the slightly higher attic level, over our bedroom, which is the 30 year old extension. Last night the party to celebrate this fact seemed to go on for hours - seemed to be everything but the brass band up there!!

 

It sounds like you're going to need some professional help with the attic situation Sian. I wonder if fumigation is available for rodents?

 

Well, amazingly, after 5 "hits" with the mouse traps, all is peaceful again.

Not only are bags safe again in the garage (although we are taking sensible precautions), the parties in the attic space over our bedroom, and over the one-storey lounge extension, have stopped.

Thinking back to the noises over the sofas during one week, I think I know where Harley's missing Turkey and rice kibble is... In a neat row at the bottom of the sloping roof!!

 

Peace and harmony restored then Sian, let's hope it stays that way.