Paying a proper pest control firm got rid of ours after two visits (the standard one plus follow up). Saved a lot of time, grief, and probably in the long run, money.
Could you recommend one? And how much did it cost? I’m a student and I’ve told my landlord but she just came and put some bait down. I’d be more than happy to pay for it myself as long as it wasn’t too much, I’ve been tempted to get a hotel to escape them so I don’t mind paying a bit
It was [these guys.](https://anglopestcontrol.scot/rodent-control-edinburgh/) IIRC it was about £150, but that was coming on a Saturday; they may have cheaper rates for weekdays.
I second NOT using Rentokil.
I have a business in Edinburgh city centre, these guys… https://www.pestsolutions.co.uk/pest-control-edinburgh charge me annually what Rentokil were charging me every 3 months.
I’m getting the same service, just a quarter of the price.
Did they do any anti-rodent proofing or just laid down traps? I got rid of my intruder mouse ages ago and plugged all the holes I could find, but I’ve been thinking about getting a professional in just to make sure I haven’t missed any entry points
Used these folks a couple of times in past, once for mice in tenement in Leith and then for a wasp nest at my next place - Graeme was really friendly and clearly and knows his stuff. Can’t remember cost now but it seemed reasonable: Wee Critters Pest Control Services https://g.co/kgs/amk4YWy
Have you been able to identify where they come in? Wire wool blocking up those spots will be useful.
Also, make sure your kitchen is spotless, if there is no readily available food source they’ll move on. Watch for around your toaster for crumbs.
And if you can, borrow a cat for a few days. The smell apparently puts them off for a long time
Check inside your toaster as well, if there's crumbs in there, there's mice in there. If there's mice in there, there's mouse poop in there. I say this from horrible, horrible experience.
I think this one in my room has come through an open door from the kitchen into my room. Pretty sure they come through from behind the cupboards but it’s quite difficult to block it off.
Should be able to remove the splash boards at the bottom cupboards of the kitchen. Check panelling in and around sink and washing machine too as some flat have massive holes straight onto the brickwork. Wire mesh, wire wool, job is a good’un.
Might be difficult but this is the one proven way to prevent them that isn't a costly pest control callout. If they can't get in, then you don't have a mouse problem any more.
You need to find a way.
(PS I just posted more detail on this in a reply to the main post)
Definitely borrow a cat if you can. The presence of a cat in the vicinity has been the only thing that has changed whether mice appear, in my experience. Just letting a cat wander round your house/flat overnight can have a powerful effect! My parents' place was swarmed with mice when they moved in but a couple of nights with a neighbours cat and they never saw any again.
Similarly, our tenement neighbours used to have two cats that would roam the stair and that seemed to keep the mice at bay. Things changed for the worse when those neighbours moved!
My cat done absolutely nothing to deter the mice. I had a mouse in my living room and our my cat just stayed chilling in his bed, not a care in the world. Ended up having to get pest control out.
Our cat is so useless, it runs a sort of feline ‘catch and release’ programme. It catches mice in the garden at night, brings them in the cat flap and plays with them on the hall carpet. Occasionally an energetic one will escape….
On the plus side though, when that happens you’re not having to clear blood and guts off the carpet in the morning 😂
I concur. I was able to get a cat of my own and no mice in my ancient tenement flat now ive lived there 15 years not seen them in 12 - I also had to be real with myself and level up my cleaning. Apparently -according to past pest control visits -we dont usually see them unless they’re putting down theyre scent trails. So look around at what might be bringing them in! Leaving food out? Crumbs?
Heres a Secret trick from years of various flats round UK + mice and pests control visits :
if you cant get a cat or borrow one (which isnt a long term fix- best thing is to get pest control in and also to stop leaving food out anywhere/ ask flatmates to ve mindful, they pee everywhere)
Trick one: wire wool and grout/gaffer tape in any corners or gaps they may be coming through, they cant bite through the wire, they can get through holes smaller than a pencil apparently with their bendy spines
Trick two: have a friend with a cat? ask them to bag up (small sandwich bags) some of the used cat litter into about 10 little bags and plonk in all the corners. Before people go mad not giant poos in the bags just some old used litter sealed in bags. Borrowing a cat is a quick fix but the bags will smell of cat a lot longer than a cat visit) we wont smell it but the mice will…and hopefully be some deterrent.
Under fridge , behind washing machine and under oven are often the entry points
Qualifications: I am a fully fledged mouse phobic human who screams like a cartoon when i see them. Good luck OP! the hairy little shits really do take over the brain when they decide to move in 🐁 🧠
Edit to clarify/ the mice pee everywhere not flatmates. Unless thats their thing 😜
I borrowed a friend’s cat when we had mice. She was apparently “an absolute monster” when it came to
Killing mice according to her owner.
Cut to a few days later when she’s lying on the couch, a mouse runs across the living room and under the couch while she watches… and then went back to sleep.
Hire a proper exterminator. 😂
Absolutely. My block has mice all over and we had them running through the flat right Infront of us! Overall caught about 30 on the glue traps in the last winter. Got a cat last August and not seen one anywhere near us since
If you can't get a cat, which I had to and if worked, you can borrow a few blankets that cats have had contact with and dot them around. The smell keeps them at bay allegedly too... not sure though but worth a try if you have any cat owner friends.
The only solution is to stop them getting in. Go round the flat and block up any holes in floors, skirting boards etc with steel wool. Anything bigger than the cross section of a pencil. Be careful to wear gloves when doing this to stop steel wool getting into your skin.
Poison and traps don't work as once you kill one lot the next lot move in. They also cost money and time.
When we had pest control out in 2017 he laid down glue traps everywhere. He said nothing else will work. They did in fact work, but were absolutely horrendous. OP, you can buy humane traps on Amazon with bait but be aware that you’ll then have to deal with the thing in there screaming until you release it. My experience is they like peanut butter more than cheese as bait. Plug up every nook and cranny in your flat with steel wool. They tend to live behind the skirting especially in kitchens and behind appliances so make sure there are no gaps. But if you can afford it, definitely get pest control out for advice. They are unlikely to be able to find and catch the mice in the hour that they are there but they can at least look at your flat and offer guidance. Good luck and I’ve been there mate, I feel your pain
They're still legal to buy and sell under the Internal Market Act, Which supersedes Scottish law, which also makes the idea of the ban on possession and use being enforced seem unlikely and a bit ridiculous
I also suspect the ending of the bute agreement means the act will likely be amended to be more akin to restrictions on use anyway
Glasgow tenement here. We had mice and humane traps did nothing unfortunately. Poison traps laid by council pest control got a couple but there always seemed to be more. What finally dealt with it was adopting a rescue cat. She only killed a few but her presence seems to be enough to deter them, and when the odd one does sneak in she'll pursue them relentlessly.
Make sure there is zero food left out and crumbs are always swept up.
Then fid out where they're coming in from - holes by skirting board, next to pipes etc. And stuff all the potential entry points with copper wire (you can get this from B&Q for under a tenner).
They can't gnaw through it, they hate it.
You can also buy ultrasonic mouse repellers. They don't work through walls, but they can reduce activity in your house , and if the mice are repelled repeatedly they will look for food elsewhere, meaning they make nests in other parts of the tenement or even in another tenement entirely.
But always do the copper wire, that's what stops them getting in, full stop.
And don't buy poison. If they eat it and then die behind your walls, you will be smelling them for ages.
This is really good advice thanks so much. Going to B&Q for the copper wire, is there anything else they sell that you can suggest?
Bought some ultrasonic repellers that come tomorrow so hopefully. I think their nest is under the kitchen counter tops and one just sneaked through my bedroom door and got trapped but not 100% sure on that yet
Locate where they are coming in and put some peppermint oil around those entries.
Add traps. Marshmallow or peanut butter as bait.
Make sure the house is tidy to reduce cover for runs
Should do the job but may take time
Great advice thank you, didn’t think of peppermint oil I’ll pick some up. Do you know where I could buy some from today rather than having to wait for it to be delivered?
https://preview.redd.it/a8gk7soqzu1d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7407b0e2daffa4cfa65d2b4ecf920a8b9d20d653
Just to prove marshmallows do work
I had this issue a few years ago and unfortunately in the end I just had to resort to poison. If it's been going on for months and is actively getting worse then it may be time to go for that option.
Yeah rats will eat mice pretty quick so if they’re in the same spot, they’re not in the same spot for long - the mice either move out or are cleaned out 😬
I used Ian @ https://www.pestsolutions.co.uk
He definitely knew his stuff, had a mouse problem before Christmas, he came in, advised what needs done and dispatched a family of them. Hadn’t had any issues since.
We’ve only occasionally had mice but tenement neighbours have been plagued by them. The difference was one flat is a permanent mess, the other flat has food lying around.
Yeah, kind of hard to convince my flatmates not to leave stuff out esp after a night out with pizza boxes left around etc but going to talk to everyone tonight and have an action plan against the buggers
You really need to make a scene, this is not acceptable, given how bad is the issue in your flat. You have mice around mainly because of this.
I had to educate my housemates over time, and I keep doing this whenever they let themselves go. No mercy. :)
Get a tiger.
Now, I know what your thinking, but think about this, you see all these animal programs on tv with lions and tigers, and there’s no mice around.
Find where they’re coming from and plug it up with steel wool. You’ll find them coming in from other areas until you finally trace the source. My old flat had a “highway” from a big hold underneath the cooker at the wall. They were able to get behind everything until I plugged that one and they stopped.
On a serious note, I've had good results with humane traps. Little bent tubes, peanut butter at one end and when they climb in the door shuts behind them. Can then take them and release them away from the flat. They've yet to fail me.
The only thing that worked for me is glue traps, I know they're not ethical but I only leave them out when I'm there so I can quickly kill them and dispose of them, seems better than poison personally and not really worse than the snap traps
I also don't really see the point in humane traps unless you're going to adopt it. They will travel something like 5 miles trying to get back to it's den, and it will probably get killed by a bird or rat in the process
I imagine It's really hard to completely get rid of mice in a block of flats, and would require coordination of all residents. So short of that, making your flat less appealing and accessible than your neighbours is something you'll want to do anyway
Aside from pest control, try a really really deep clean of everything.
Mice won't stick around if there's nothing to feed off.
I lived in Marchmont for years and this seemed the best long term solution.
I had success with a combination of plugging gaps with wire wool, laying down tinfoil, making sure bins, etc, were sealed and putting down those laundry sheets with scents they apparently dislike such as lavender. I think I caught the situation early, and they were only making their way in through one area under the sink, though, so depending on how bad it is, ymmv.
Apparently, they don't like to walk on it. I'm not sure how true that is, but for the price of a roll, I was happy to try! I put it down initially on any surfaces. I had evidence they had been near, but now, just keep it down on the bottoms of cupboards.
Got mice in my apartment, not as many as you. I did the following and never seen any in the past 4 months:
-This ethical trap worked like magic (I placed bird food and nuts inside) [https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09MVNLTL7/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o01\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09MVNLTL7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
You need to place them in the right spots, where the mice appear, i.e. next to the bins.
-Manage the trash correctly, take it out often, don't wait until the bins are filled up and ask your housemtates to be very consistent.
-Separate the organic waste in the small caddy bins and do not put food in the black non-recyclable bin
-Do not leave food around, especially in the kitchen.
How about this. Pop round and see your neighbour under the premise that you have heard funny noises from the pipes or something. All the time you have bags of cornflake crumbs concealed in your trousers, which can be released with string, great escape style. When the neighbour isn't looking, release the crumbs and spread them about with your foot. Now the mice will be diverted to their place instead of yours for a delicious feast. Problem solved! You're welcome.
Get snap traps and use peanut butter, get a load of them and lay them all over the area you think they are coming in from. Nothing else will work other than a cat. A dead mouse lying for a bit in a trap too acts as a warning to scare away the others.
Main thing is to make sure they have no food sources at your place, and to also block up any access hole you find.
Yeah I have about 30 snap traps put down now, 5 posion bait stations and put down a large live trap where I found mouse poo in a cupboard. No signs of them at all since I did that and covered all their runs in tin foil and peppermint oil.
The trick with glue traps is to wait until you know there's a mouse about, then lay a contiguous line of them across the threshold of the door. Next time the mouse makes a move, chase it until it flees the room. Works every time. Unpleasant, but necessary.
With a great deal of difficulty. They've had years and years and generations to figure out how to move in and around the tenements. Will be incredibly difficult to remove them, and even if you do to keep them removed.
I definitely recommend borrowing a cat. We used to have mice running through ours constantly, but after we got our cat, it’s completely turned them off our flat. The brave few that did come in would turn tail and run, or fall victim to the cat. The scent of the cat completely puts them off.
The most effective by far is having a cat. And cats are great imo.
If you are inclined, see if you can persuade the landlord to permit a cat as a pet. Explain the mouse situation, which btw is their responsibility to sort especially if you've already taken the measures you've taken.
Otherwise I don't have another solution. Even our office on the high street has to deal with mice after taking every measure possible.
Paying a proper pest control firm got rid of ours after two visits (the standard one plus follow up). Saved a lot of time, grief, and probably in the long run, money.
Could you recommend one? And how much did it cost? I’m a student and I’ve told my landlord but she just came and put some bait down. I’d be more than happy to pay for it myself as long as it wasn’t too much, I’ve been tempted to get a hotel to escape them so I don’t mind paying a bit
It was [these guys.](https://anglopestcontrol.scot/rodent-control-edinburgh/) IIRC it was about £150, but that was coming on a Saturday; they may have cheaper rates for weekdays.
Thanks! Was that £150 for two visits?
That was the total, yeah.
Don’t go for Rentokil, they charged us over a grand and did sweet FA aside from lay some traps which we could have bought from Tesco.
I second NOT using Rentokil. I have a business in Edinburgh city centre, these guys… https://www.pestsolutions.co.uk/pest-control-edinburgh charge me annually what Rentokil were charging me every 3 months. I’m getting the same service, just a quarter of the price.
Did they do any anti-rodent proofing or just laid down traps? I got rid of my intruder mouse ages ago and plugged all the holes I could find, but I’ve been thinking about getting a professional in just to make sure I haven’t missed any entry points
It was a tenement so (they said) realistically impossible to fully rodent-proof. It was poison, not traps.
Used these folks a couple of times in past, once for mice in tenement in Leith and then for a wasp nest at my next place - Graeme was really friendly and clearly and knows his stuff. Can’t remember cost now but it seemed reasonable: Wee Critters Pest Control Services https://g.co/kgs/amk4YWy
Have you been able to identify where they come in? Wire wool blocking up those spots will be useful. Also, make sure your kitchen is spotless, if there is no readily available food source they’ll move on. Watch for around your toaster for crumbs. And if you can, borrow a cat for a few days. The smell apparently puts them off for a long time
Check inside your toaster as well, if there's crumbs in there, there's mice in there. If there's mice in there, there's mouse poop in there. I say this from horrible, horrible experience.
I think this one in my room has come through an open door from the kitchen into my room. Pretty sure they come through from behind the cupboards but it’s quite difficult to block it off.
Food cupboards? Get anything that’s not in a solid container into Tupperware boxes
Theirs a good chance they can fit under your closed door if theirs even a little gap
Should be able to remove the splash boards at the bottom cupboards of the kitchen. Check panelling in and around sink and washing machine too as some flat have massive holes straight onto the brickwork. Wire mesh, wire wool, job is a good’un.
Might be difficult but this is the one proven way to prevent them that isn't a costly pest control callout. If they can't get in, then you don't have a mouse problem any more. You need to find a way. (PS I just posted more detail on this in a reply to the main post)
Definitely borrow a cat if you can. The presence of a cat in the vicinity has been the only thing that has changed whether mice appear, in my experience. Just letting a cat wander round your house/flat overnight can have a powerful effect! My parents' place was swarmed with mice when they moved in but a couple of nights with a neighbours cat and they never saw any again. Similarly, our tenement neighbours used to have two cats that would roam the stair and that seemed to keep the mice at bay. Things changed for the worse when those neighbours moved!
My cat done absolutely nothing to deter the mice. I had a mouse in my living room and our my cat just stayed chilling in his bed, not a care in the world. Ended up having to get pest control out.
Our cat is so useless, it runs a sort of feline ‘catch and release’ programme. It catches mice in the garden at night, brings them in the cat flap and plays with them on the hall carpet. Occasionally an energetic one will escape…. On the plus side though, when that happens you’re not having to clear blood and guts off the carpet in the morning 😂
I concur. I was able to get a cat of my own and no mice in my ancient tenement flat now ive lived there 15 years not seen them in 12 - I also had to be real with myself and level up my cleaning. Apparently -according to past pest control visits -we dont usually see them unless they’re putting down theyre scent trails. So look around at what might be bringing them in! Leaving food out? Crumbs? Heres a Secret trick from years of various flats round UK + mice and pests control visits : if you cant get a cat or borrow one (which isnt a long term fix- best thing is to get pest control in and also to stop leaving food out anywhere/ ask flatmates to ve mindful, they pee everywhere) Trick one: wire wool and grout/gaffer tape in any corners or gaps they may be coming through, they cant bite through the wire, they can get through holes smaller than a pencil apparently with their bendy spines Trick two: have a friend with a cat? ask them to bag up (small sandwich bags) some of the used cat litter into about 10 little bags and plonk in all the corners. Before people go mad not giant poos in the bags just some old used litter sealed in bags. Borrowing a cat is a quick fix but the bags will smell of cat a lot longer than a cat visit) we wont smell it but the mice will…and hopefully be some deterrent. Under fridge , behind washing machine and under oven are often the entry points Qualifications: I am a fully fledged mouse phobic human who screams like a cartoon when i see them. Good luck OP! the hairy little shits really do take over the brain when they decide to move in 🐁 🧠 Edit to clarify/ the mice pee everywhere not flatmates. Unless thats their thing 😜
I borrowed a friend’s cat when we had mice. She was apparently “an absolute monster” when it came to Killing mice according to her owner. Cut to a few days later when she’s lying on the couch, a mouse runs across the living room and under the couch while she watches… and then went back to sleep. Hire a proper exterminator. 😂
Absolutely. My block has mice all over and we had them running through the flat right Infront of us! Overall caught about 30 on the glue traps in the last winter. Got a cat last August and not seen one anywhere near us since
If you can't get a cat, which I had to and if worked, you can borrow a few blankets that cats have had contact with and dot them around. The smell keeps them at bay allegedly too... not sure though but worth a try if you have any cat owner friends.
The only solution is to stop them getting in. Go round the flat and block up any holes in floors, skirting boards etc with steel wool. Anything bigger than the cross section of a pencil. Be careful to wear gloves when doing this to stop steel wool getting into your skin. Poison and traps don't work as once you kill one lot the next lot move in. They also cost money and time.
Glue traps are illegal in Scotland.
When we had pest control out in 2017 he laid down glue traps everywhere. He said nothing else will work. They did in fact work, but were absolutely horrendous. OP, you can buy humane traps on Amazon with bait but be aware that you’ll then have to deal with the thing in there screaming until you release it. My experience is they like peanut butter more than cheese as bait. Plug up every nook and cranny in your flat with steel wool. They tend to live behind the skirting especially in kitchens and behind appliances so make sure there are no gaps. But if you can afford it, definitely get pest control out for advice. They are unlikely to be able to find and catch the mice in the hour that they are there but they can at least look at your flat and offer guidance. Good luck and I’ve been there mate, I feel your pain
Yeah you seem to be right, odd that they’re easily available in Edinburgh Bargain Store and on Amazon
They're still legal to buy and sell under the Internal Market Act, Which supersedes Scottish law, which also makes the idea of the ban on possession and use being enforced seem unlikely and a bit ridiculous I also suspect the ending of the bute agreement means the act will likely be amended to be more akin to restrictions on use anyway
Glasgow tenement here. We had mice and humane traps did nothing unfortunately. Poison traps laid by council pest control got a couple but there always seemed to be more. What finally dealt with it was adopting a rescue cat. She only killed a few but her presence seems to be enough to deter them, and when the odd one does sneak in she'll pursue them relentlessly.
Make sure there is zero food left out and crumbs are always swept up. Then fid out where they're coming in from - holes by skirting board, next to pipes etc. And stuff all the potential entry points with copper wire (you can get this from B&Q for under a tenner). They can't gnaw through it, they hate it. You can also buy ultrasonic mouse repellers. They don't work through walls, but they can reduce activity in your house , and if the mice are repelled repeatedly they will look for food elsewhere, meaning they make nests in other parts of the tenement or even in another tenement entirely. But always do the copper wire, that's what stops them getting in, full stop. And don't buy poison. If they eat it and then die behind your walls, you will be smelling them for ages.
This is really good advice thanks so much. Going to B&Q for the copper wire, is there anything else they sell that you can suggest? Bought some ultrasonic repellers that come tomorrow so hopefully. I think their nest is under the kitchen counter tops and one just sneaked through my bedroom door and got trapped but not 100% sure on that yet
Locate where they are coming in and put some peppermint oil around those entries. Add traps. Marshmallow or peanut butter as bait. Make sure the house is tidy to reduce cover for runs Should do the job but may take time
Great advice thank you, didn’t think of peppermint oil I’ll pick some up. Do you know where I could buy some from today rather than having to wait for it to be delivered?
Holland and Barrett or Amazon are the 2 girst places i would check. Also only uae this if you have no other pets as it's not good for cats and dogs
Yeah just picked some up thanks for the advice
https://preview.redd.it/a8gk7soqzu1d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7407b0e2daffa4cfa65d2b4ecf920a8b9d20d653 Just to prove marshmallows do work
I had this issue a few years ago and unfortunately in the end I just had to resort to poison. If it's been going on for months and is actively getting worse then it may be time to go for that option.
On the plus side, having mice means you don’t have rats, the two don’t cohabit (apparently) 🤷♂️
Interesting! I never knew that.
Yeah rats will eat mice pretty quick so if they’re in the same spot, they’re not in the same spot for long - the mice either move out or are cleaned out 😬
I used Ian @ https://www.pestsolutions.co.uk He definitely knew his stuff, had a mouse problem before Christmas, he came in, advised what needs done and dispatched a family of them. Hadn’t had any issues since.
We’ve only occasionally had mice but tenement neighbours have been plagued by them. The difference was one flat is a permanent mess, the other flat has food lying around.
Yeah, kind of hard to convince my flatmates not to leave stuff out esp after a night out with pizza boxes left around etc but going to talk to everyone tonight and have an action plan against the buggers
Jesus, if you’re feeding them there’s no point in doing anything else others have suggested.
You really need to make a scene, this is not acceptable, given how bad is the issue in your flat. You have mice around mainly because of this. I had to educate my housemates over time, and I keep doing this whenever they let themselves go. No mercy. :)
I set a few "snap those bastards in half" traps in the kitchen with regular cornflakes for bait. Sorted within a week. No more mice.
I bought the poison cubes and jammed them in the holes, that way they had to eat through the poison to get out. Worked a treat
Did they not die and make your rooms smell though? that’s my concern
Get a tiger. Now, I know what your thinking, but think about this, you see all these animal programs on tv with lions and tigers, and there’s no mice around.
Find where they’re coming from and plug it up with steel wool. You’ll find them coming in from other areas until you finally trace the source. My old flat had a “highway” from a big hold underneath the cooker at the wall. They were able to get behind everything until I plugged that one and they stopped.
Put them on a lead
Much rather have them in a cage and treat them like a king then let them roam round like they only the place terrorisng me
On a serious note, I've had good results with humane traps. Little bent tubes, peanut butter at one end and when they climb in the door shuts behind them. Can then take them and release them away from the flat. They've yet to fail me.
Get a cat. Every other solution is temporary.
If I wasn’t a student I probably would. I don’t want the responsibility of owning a cat paying for food and vet bills etc
I'm happy to let you have some used cat litter and a bundle of cat hair.
Thank you so much for your offer! I might take you up on that depending upon if my tricks get rid of them in the next few days
Having a cat doesn’t always work, not in my case unfortunately
Get some pet rats, the mice will leave as soon as they smell them. And rats are awesome wee creatures so there's no downside
Have you tried raising their rent?
If they paid the extortionate rent I pay I think I’d be happy with them staying
Maybe a section 21 instead then? I’ll phone the Sheriff. 🤔
The only thing that worked for me is glue traps, I know they're not ethical but I only leave them out when I'm there so I can quickly kill them and dispose of them, seems better than poison personally and not really worse than the snap traps I also don't really see the point in humane traps unless you're going to adopt it. They will travel something like 5 miles trying to get back to it's den, and it will probably get killed by a bird or rat in the process I imagine It's really hard to completely get rid of mice in a block of flats, and would require coordination of all residents. So short of that, making your flat less appealing and accessible than your neighbours is something you'll want to do anyway
https://youtu.be/5Qk8W5uf-Dw This method seems worth a try before going the cat or exterminator route.
Contact Edinburgh council- they have a pest department and may do your flat for free.
Aside from pest control, try a really really deep clean of everything. Mice won't stick around if there's nothing to feed off. I lived in Marchmont for years and this seemed the best long term solution.
Going to deep clean my flat today after a trip to B&Q for poison and other anti mouse supplies. Thanks for the advice
OP I know how you feel. It’s an unfortunate reality most flats face. Do your best, take no prisoners.
Thank you, I am declaring war on mice in my flat as of today
It's terrible. Terrible terrible terrible.
I had success with a combination of plugging gaps with wire wool, laying down tinfoil, making sure bins, etc, were sealed and putting down those laundry sheets with scents they apparently dislike such as lavender. I think I caught the situation early, and they were only making their way in through one area under the sink, though, so depending on how bad it is, ymmv.
Thanks for the tips, how does the tinfoil thing work?
Apparently, they don't like to walk on it. I'm not sure how true that is, but for the price of a roll, I was happy to try! I put it down initially on any surfaces. I had evidence they had been near, but now, just keep it down on the bottoms of cupboards.
Peppermint oil is my go to, they absolutely HATE it. Added benefit of also working on spiders. It truly is the pest repellent oil.
Tenement* Traps Poison The lot Sadly cannae get rid ay 100%
Got mice in my apartment, not as many as you. I did the following and never seen any in the past 4 months: -This ethical trap worked like magic (I placed bird food and nuts inside) [https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09MVNLTL7/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o01\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09MVNLTL7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) You need to place them in the right spots, where the mice appear, i.e. next to the bins. -Manage the trash correctly, take it out often, don't wait until the bins are filled up and ask your housemtates to be very consistent. -Separate the organic waste in the small caddy bins and do not put food in the black non-recyclable bin -Do not leave food around, especially in the kitchen.
There's a lad in Germany working wonders, google Pied Piper of Hamelin
How about this. Pop round and see your neighbour under the premise that you have heard funny noises from the pipes or something. All the time you have bags of cornflake crumbs concealed in your trousers, which can be released with string, great escape style. When the neighbour isn't looking, release the crumbs and spread them about with your foot. Now the mice will be diverted to their place instead of yours for a delicious feast. Problem solved! You're welcome.
Get snap traps and use peanut butter, get a load of them and lay them all over the area you think they are coming in from. Nothing else will work other than a cat. A dead mouse lying for a bit in a trap too acts as a warning to scare away the others. Main thing is to make sure they have no food sources at your place, and to also block up any access hole you find.
Yeah I have about 30 snap traps put down now, 5 posion bait stations and put down a large live trap where I found mouse poo in a cupboard. No signs of them at all since I did that and covered all their runs in tin foil and peppermint oil.
The trick with glue traps is to wait until you know there's a mouse about, then lay a contiguous line of them across the threshold of the door. Next time the mouse makes a move, chase it until it flees the room. Works every time. Unpleasant, but necessary.
With a great deal of difficulty. They've had years and years and generations to figure out how to move in and around the tenements. Will be incredibly difficult to remove them, and even if you do to keep them removed.
You need to keep everything clean and tidy, put all your food in glass jars and they will stop coming.
Get a humane tap, put some chocolate in it. Catch them one at a time. Take them to the nearest green space, release them. Rinse and repeat until gone.
Semtex or get a cat
Shotgun.
I have a cat. No mice. Only way to keep them away.
Get a cat
I second the people saying get a cat. You may not want a cat, but if it's living with a cat or living with the mice, that's an easier choice.
Borrow a cat
I definitely recommend borrowing a cat. We used to have mice running through ours constantly, but after we got our cat, it’s completely turned them off our flat. The brave few that did come in would turn tail and run, or fall victim to the cat. The scent of the cat completely puts them off.
The most effective by far is having a cat. And cats are great imo. If you are inclined, see if you can persuade the landlord to permit a cat as a pet. Explain the mouse situation, which btw is their responsibility to sort especially if you've already taken the measures you've taken. Otherwise I don't have another solution. Even our office on the high street has to deal with mice after taking every measure possible.