Mice and ultra-sonic repellers.

dreamdaisy
dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
edited 29. May 2014, 12:29 in Community Chit-chat archive
You may recall that I posted a little while ago about noises in the roof space above our bedroom, hoping it was birds. It wasn't. We have three roof spaces in our long house and all were hosting mice, who were nesting in the very cosy loft insulation. :x A nice man from the council came round and is coming back today to clear the killing fields. I am now wondering what to do next.

I have read that peppermint oil is a good deterrent but there are two downsides of that: I will have to keep replacing the cotton wool balls up in the roof spaces and I can only reach one with ease (mind you that is the answer for that one, shape up Daisy). The other downside is that the house may end up smelling like a toothpaste factory. Ugh.

The other thought is investing in one or more of these ultra-sonic efforts. From what I have read they do not permeate solid obstacles but ceilings are not that solid, are they? I will ring the manufacturers for a natter but wondered if any of you have had experience of these things. I have been reading the reviews on Amazing :wink: trying to ignore the ones that say I plugged it in and thirty seconds later I saw a mouse, don't waste your money.

The problem has gone and I don't want it to return. I don't know how or where they are getting in to the house so it's time to take action; I would appreciate any thoughts, opinions or experiences from your good selves. DD
Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben

Comments

  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,280
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    DD we have the repellents ...we back onto fields and they just walk in..the mice still come in but don't stay that long and certainly don't breed this was the biggest prob..we have 2 upstairs and one down they weren't expensive...the trouble is my GC can hear them ,so lots of complaints
    Love
    Barbara
  • mig
    mig Member Posts: 7,154
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    We had repellents for spiders did they work ? Did they eck.Just got bigger spiders.! Mig
  • Slosh
    Slosh Member Posts: 3,194
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    No experience of ultra sonic devices to get rid of mice, but don't get a cat as a solution. I never had any problem with them until I got a cat. She was lovely in so many ways but did like to catch and bring in mice, however she wasn't as good at killing them. Mind you my daughter learnt to recognise several small garden birds from finding dead ones in the downstairs loo!
    He did not say you will not be storm tossed, you will not be sore distressed, you will not be work weary. He said you will not be overcome.
    Julian of Norwich
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank you for your input, everyone. A cat is not an option mainly because I am allergic to the little blighters and I am aware they bring you offerings; I prefer my mice alive and scampering rather than dead and left for me to clear up. I Dyson spiders (problem solved) but will get one or two of these ultra-sonic things just to keep the mice at bay. Ouor house is situated at the bottom of forty or so very large back gardens so it is a little like being in the countryside. I will go to a local hardware shop later and see what they have in stock and then reward myself with a look round their gorgeous kitchen shop - oh the paraphernalia they sell! :) DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • Numptydumpty
    Numptydumpty Member Posts: 6,417
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I'll be very interested to know how you get on with these devices. I can hear scuffling as I type! The noise seems to be coming from inside a wall, I haven't seen any signs of mice, but I'm guessing they're there :roll: I do have a cat, a very good mouser, but if they don't come out from the wall he can't really help.
    So please keep us posted DD :D
    Numpty

    PS looking at kitchen stuff is one of my favourite pass times 8)
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    My son and daughter-in-law tried with no success until they laid traps and poison. It may work as a deterrent, though, if you've already got rid of them.

    Numpty - you enjoy looking at kitchen things :? I'm looking at mine now with no enjoyment at all - washing up, a washer needing emptying, a stove needing cleaning. Nah, I'll stick with cricket. Less demanding :D
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Right, I bought three for 19.99 and they are all installed at our bedroom end of the house, two downstairs and one up. I haven't heard anything for around ten days or so, so I presume they are all dead (the lovely Clive is returning next Wednesday to clear the corpses). He swept up one area of droppings so the acid test will be if there are more next week. The idea behind the sonics is to stop them staying (or, even better, visiting in the first place). We'll see, I'll let you know how things progress.

    I don't mind having mice (remember Waldegrave? He was a sweetie of a field mouse) but having them in such numbers and nesting? Nuh-uh. Not in our house. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • Slosh
    Slosh Member Posts: 3,194
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Fingers crossed you have lost your unwanted lodgers
    He did not say you will not be storm tossed, you will not be sore distressed, you will not be work weary. He said you will not be overcome.
    Julian of Norwich
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Do they make them in a larger size for unwanted guests :P
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • Slosh
    Slosh Member Posts: 3,194
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Now there's a good idea. And one for telephone cold callers too
    He did not say you will not be storm tossed, you will not be sore distressed, you will not be work weary. He said you will not be overcome.
    Julian of Norwich
  • Bonnielinda
    Bonnielinda Member Posts: 37
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Uhhhhh mice ..., living in Edinburgh had taught me a few things about those little vile creatures!!

    You will never be able to get rid of them completely but these were some of the things I did to deter them. I made sure that any hole that did not serve a purpose was filled in or covered with a mesh screen. Especially around the dishwasher and wash machine outlets. I stuffed those holes with tinfoil and it really kept them out! Until they found a new way in!!

    Completely cleared and moved the flower beds/plants near the house to prevent mice having a place to hid too close to my house.

    You could set up glue traps but you will have to deal with a live mouse stuck to a piece of paper. It's not the best of experiences either.

    I guess just be vigilant and deal with any mice asap to prevent an infestation.

    Good luck!
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    So, there I was, topping up the husband's 'Ribena' :wink: when I spotted two mice hot-footing it across the drive. Oh bother.

    The repellers are still plugged in (and hopefully doing summat) but I reckon I need another three to cover the front end of the house. Our gaff is somewhat unusual in that it only has windows along one side, which overlook the garden; there is a gap of around six inches at its narrowest point between the back of the house and a fence (we don't know who owns it) but there is rampant Russian Vine and ivy crawling up the render. I'm too fat to get down there to clear, and my gardener Chris won't fare much better either, despite being a very slender 50 year old. l will top-up the sonic resources tomorrow.


    As for the bees . . . . .
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • mig
    mig Member Posts: 7,154
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    When I worked at the local primary school we had to have pest control in ( no not for the kids) and he said anywhere you can push a pencil a mouse can get through as they have collapsible rib cages. Mig
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well, so far so good. No signs of further activity (apart from mice crossing the drive from one neighbour's garden to another) so maybe these things are having an effect. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • dachshund
    dachshund Member Posts: 8,899
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello DD
    we have never had mice. we had rats we tried everything the sonic repellers did not work in the end the man from the council came he cut a tree away from our bungalow we have not seen any since.
    good luck joan xx
    take care
    joan xx
  • Boomer13
    Boomer13 Member Posts: 1,931
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Do they make them in a larger size for unwanted guests

    If you find some of these, I'll take several :D

    I'm watching your repeller experiment DD, I may get a couple of these but like you, wasn't sure if they worked or not.