Mice in the loft

[Jupiter01]

I think I may have mice in the loft as I’ve heard the occasional scratching. I have a whole bunch of stuff in the loft that these rascals could damage.

My loft is very shallow and difficult to get around.

I could just chuck poison around it but concerned that this will leave me with dead mouse around the loft and since I can’t get to all the nooks and crannies, they will just rot and smell. Equally, I don’t want to go up there to empty a rat trap for each one at a time…

How do i confirm if I have an issue and if there is a rat issue, solve this in the loft? Thanks in advance.

 

[Wayners]

Put peanut butter in a small tube. If it's eaten it's a mouse as small. Rat won't get in.

Buy an electric mouse trap. If that catches a mouse you know again you have mice. Rat won't get in.

There is a YouTube channel testing different traps. Surprising how many that are sold which are useless..

 

[Jupiter01]

Buy an electric mouse trap

Is there one that you can recommend? Also, is it worth getting one that kills multiple mice? My loft isn't the easiest to get up to and I was thinking that I could check every few days and maximize the catches each time.

 

[Wayners]

Something like

He also tested the live traps which didn't work.
The walk the plank traps catch them live, but take some effort in setting up.

I have the cheap single kill trap

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Preferable to have mice in the loft than bats in the belfry!

 

[Brigadier]

As you are not sure that you actually have mice in your loft, you may not have mice in your loft.

I live in a dormer bungalow, and hear the pigeons and whatnot scratching around and wandering over the roof.
This could be what you're hearing.

Just a thought.

 

[Jupiter01]

As you are not sure that you actually have mice in your loft, you may not have mice in your loft.

I live in a dormer bungalow, and hear the pigeons and whatnot scratching around and wandering over the roof.
This could be what you're hearing.

Just a thought.

It's wholly possible - especially as I have a shallow loft - but as a precautionary measure, it's probably worth putting a electronic trap and seeing what turns up. I am weighing up whether I should buy the multi-kill or single-kill device. I can use this elsewhere in the future I suppose. I back on to some fields and I've had a few issues elsewhere in the house, over the years.

 

[Jupiter01]

I have the cheap single kill trap

Excuse my ignorance, but doe sit matter where I place this in the loft?
It would be easiest to place it just by the loft hatch so I don't have to go crawling to the back of the loft. However, I don't know where the mice run is or where they are situated...

 

[Wayners]

Mice run along edges.
I made a sided track with boxes so they hit the trap correctly. They tend not to run out in the open.

 

[Justin Passing]

I doubt you'd hear a mouse, other than by tiny rustling, and you'd see the frass.
Squirrels, you hear. Live trap required.

More likely a small bird I expect. They scratch about, find nothing to eat so usually get out.
Unlesss it's a Jackdaw

 

[Wayners]

Good grief. Our mice wake us up scratching and running around. Under loft conversion so I drllled holes in floor and dropped poison down. Not happy about that.

I've seen them climbing brick walls and going horizontal.
They eat off neighbours bird table we think

 

[Justin Passing]

Good grief. Our mice wake us up scratching and running around. Under loft conversion

On bare plasterboard?
Loft would be insulated.

I've sat and watched mice running around in the workshop/garden shed. Very very quiet. These are southern mice though, they don't wear clogs like Yorkshire.

 

[Brigadier]

Excuse my ignorance, but doe sit matter where I place this in the loft?
It would be easiest to place it just by the loft hatch so I don't have to go crawling to the back of the loft. However, I don't know where the mice run is or where they are situated...

Screw (or otherwise affix) it to a strip of wood, and place it towards an edge on that.
Saves the clambering.

 

[Mottie]

Preferable to have mice in the loft than bats in the belfry!

Or even worse…..

 

[opps]

Mice run along edges.

I have previously been told by pest control that it is rats, rather than mice, that run along edges. A mouse will run in any direction it sees fit to.