We have been invaded by mice! Hoping they're field mice and not house mice. They have taken up residence I think under the floorboards in our dining room, which gives them access to various areas (cupboard under the stairs, under kitchen cupbds etc).

Has anyone tried the electronic devices for keeping them away? I really really don't want to harm them, and any kind of baiting is in any case out of the question as I would not want bait even in the house with my dogs.

I know I can get humane traps, but does that ever really deal with the whole population?

Any ideas please.

Thanks
Kat

When we were on holiday in France one year we had rampant mice - the children would wake up to find mouse droppings on their pillows!

It was an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere so no surprise really.  The owner came with several of these sonic devices and it seemed to do the trick.  We were left with one persistant little blighter that made camp in the kitchen and refused to budge.  That one sadly met his end, after biting my OH, but the rest seemed to move out peaceably enough.

The French DIY shops have huge displays for pest control products with a wide range of options from the humane to the downright dangerous, and frankly disturbing.  Another reason why the kids have always thought French shops much more interesting than the museums and art galleries - torture and teabags in the same place!! :)

Good luck

Had this years ago! nightmare! Go round with a filler and fill all holes up, check skirting boards, fill any up with filler. Wash all round with "jeyes fluid" only thing that stops there scent. Put some poision in bottle tops under your kik board in the kichen also mouse traps.
It did work for us.
Best of luck!

Denese

when we lived at our last house the lady had loads of them electronic devices to stop rats, the house was overrun with them though as it was in the country so i'd say on that occasion no they didn't work, however i don't know if the devices have a life span as they looked quite old.

I have two electronic devices, one in my bedroom (far end of house) and one in the Hall (other end of house).. and yes they do work..

I get field mice coming into the house in winter every year.. even though I have two cats.. after 2 winters of 'invasions' I bought the two plugs ins and now I get 'the odd' mouse, but nowhere near the extremes of a couple of years ago.. :-)

My MiL has a plug-in device that's supposed to repel pests. I think I musy be one of her pests because I find the high-pitched noise it makes really irritating! Luckily for her she can't hear it - and neither can my OH, so when I mention it they both look at me really oddly ...

JG - Were you a rodent in a past life?!? :-D

I find that weird that you can hear them because I cant hear them and my mum has them all over her house! You must have really sensitive hearing!

Peppermint and cayanne pepper are supposed to be a deterrent, so we start sprinkling that round the house, as we usually get invaded by field mice as well.  We have humane traps and also had the plug in things, dunno where they've gone though because i unplugged them and lost em, LOL

The humane traps are good and the peppermint well i don't think it works but the house smells nice :-D  I'm undecided on the plug ins as we had old ones which seemed to do the trick but the little light on them stopped working, i replaced them with egg shaped things which i don't think are as good.

My eldest son can hear the cat deterent ones in the garden so we had to switch them off! (he is 24)

I've tried the electronic devices & it didn't work for me. Unfortunately I had to use mouse traps. Yes they do kill the poor things but it's quick! We live in the country & have a stables quite close, & there is a chicken pen quite near to the rear of our garden, I've recently seen HUGE rats! I've bought some humane rat traps but the rats are soooo clever & I haven't caught any yet... I really don't want to put rat poison down as we have wild rabbit's that live in the garden, so I think I may need to get a air rifle...

i was sceptical when i bough the plug in deviced but i have to say they definately have worked. they are great!

The fields behind our house are looking ready for harvest, just about, so we are expecting an influx of field mice in the next few weeks.

Can i be cheeky and ask what make they are or where you got them from? 
My OH is gearing up for them as he's petrified of them, so maybe some new plug ins would show i'm sympathetic, LOL

i got mine from b and q. i think it was 4 for £7

Thanks i shall have a look there and buy my oh some, LOL  He's already asking if we should get more humane traps so mouses have been on his mind :-D

> I know I can get humane traps, but does that ever really deal with the whole population?
>

we used these in our old (very very old....) house and they worked great. you must remember and take them really far though, at least a mile i think or they come abck.

Wow, thanks everyone. Good to see I'm not alone. They have overstepped the mark now, and are getting onto kitchen work surfaces, so something needs to be done.

Although we live in suburbia, we are in a very green area, and our wildlife is extensive, and frequently is found in the house (including toads, and a fox that had been hit by a car sitting in the dog basket in the dining room!)  I think part of the problem is that in the summer the door to the garden is open all day and all evening, so anything can come and go as it likes :)

I am going to get some humane traps and some electronic devices, so a two pronged attack. Can anyone tell me did the electronic devices appear to affect their dogs in any way? I would hate to make their lives hell (even though they are not helping by catching any) :)

Thanks
Kat

When we had our old plug ins the dogs weren't affected at all by them, i'm sure on the leaflet that came with them it said it was only rodents that they affected.  My dogs don't help at all with the mice either they just let them run round, they're hopeless.  Mind you touch wood up to now we haven't seen any for months.

We have stayed in a holiday cottage that used the electronic repellents. At the time I had 2 dogs and they didn't appear to be affected by them at all.

Ailsa

> My dogs don't help at all with the mice either they just let them run round, they're hopeless.

we had a particularly cheeky mouse that was giving my mastiff a full ear check up while he was sleeping one day, it was really funny to watch. the little thing was dangling off the fire hearth that Odin was snoozing in front off and was having a good shifty at him.

my dogs just look at any mice that happen to come , a few years ago one even nested behind the sofa and the dogs just watched as he went across the floor.
I think we could all do with the terrier of the rat pack (bbc 1) he is brill at catching and humanely dispatching rodents !

>Another reason why the kids have always thought French shops much more interesting than the museums and art >galleries - torture and teabags in the same place!!

ROFL :-D :-D

That brightened my day - I have a stinking cold and feel awful, but you got me laughing :-D

I tried the electronic ones and they didnt work.  the mice were going under the bonnet of my car.  I put the eletronic devices in the garage.  I also set traps, in the morning the mice were in the trap!