On Turdsday night a rodent eating insulation foam made a pinhole in one
of the polypipes in the loft leading to the UFH. It soaked the
insulation and eventually started to drip through the vapour barrier
and T&G ceiling.

Fixed leak, dried everything - no long term consequence, except...

I am now waging war on the little furry chaps. The simple old
wooden trap is proving the best mouse killer. The special expensive
metal trap is too insensitive and bait is eaten without it going off.

The sensitive-creatures in my household are ag'in me killing them,
however, and truth be told, I'm not so keen myself. Living in the
country next to a water course we inevitably will have rodent problems.

I've tried 'Humane' traps in the past and found them 'Inhumane' as the
trapped mouse dies in great distress unless you can service them once
an hour throughout the night. I find this distressing, and can never
be convinced that it is the right approach.

Now I see Ultrasonic Mouse Deterrents that just plug into a nearby
socket (I have several in the loft) and claim to affect a large area.

E.G: http://bit.ly/v404u

the question is: Do they work? £25 is a lot for a mousetrap, but if it
saves the polypipe....

Any experience? Suggestions?

TIA
R.

On 13 Sep, 08:55, TheOldFellow wrote:
On Turdsday night a rodent eating insulation foam made a pinhole in one
of the polypipes in the loft leading to the UFH. *It soaked the
insulation and eventually started to drip through the vapour barrier
and T&G ceiling.

Fixed leak, dried everything - no long term consequence, except...

I am now waging war on the little furry chaps. *The simple old
wooden trap is proving the best mouse killer. *The special expensive
metal trap is too insensitive and bait is eaten without it going off.

The sensitive-creatures in my household are ag'in me killing them,
however, and truth be told, I'm not so keen myself. *Living in the
country next to a water course we inevitably will have rodent problems.

I've tried 'Humane' traps in the past and found them 'Inhumane' as the
trapped mouse dies in great distress unless you can service them once
an hour throughout the night. *I find this distressing, and can never
be convinced that it is the right approach.

Now I see Ultrasonic Mouse Deterrents that just plug into a nearby
socket (I have several in the loft) and claim to affect a large area.

E.G:http://bit.ly/v404u

the question is: Do they work? £25 is a lot for a mousetrap, but if it
saves the polypipe....

Any experience? *Suggestions?

TIA
R.

My experience of mouse wars is pretty much as you describe. The humane
traps are a waste of time, as are the ultrasonic repellers. You can
leave them plugged in to console the sensitive souls while you quietly
murder the little buggers with the trusty wooden traps. Peanut butter
and raisins are good baits as I recall. Since we've had a cat the mice
stay away.

Plan B: replumb in copper.

Cheers!

Martin

On Sun, 13 Sep 2009 02:15:03 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

You can leave them plugged in to console the sensitive souls ...

I wonder if putting the thing on a time switch such that it's on for
"a while" and off for "a while" would improve the lack of
effectiveness of one that is always on. With one that is on they
could just get used to it where as one that goes on and off would be
far more irritating, especially if it wasn't a regular cycle.

I'm not sure what time period "a while" would be. As I said earlier
they do give a start when it comes on so that happening every couple
of minutes would be pretty irritating. Think of some one giving a
blast on a pneumatic drill every few minutes would be like, maybe
with some longer on periods so they can work out where it's coming
from and move away (or chew through the wires...). B-)

Peanut butter and raisins are good baits as I recall.

Peanut butter goes rancid, Nutella doesn't (it doesn't even go
mouldy!...) Raisins are good for sticking on the prongs of a back
breaker type trap.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sun, 13 Sep 2009 02:15:03 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

You can leave them plugged in to console the sensitive souls ...

I wonder if putting the thing on a time switch such that it's on for
"a while" and off for "a while" would improve the lack of
effectiveness of one that is always on. With one that is on they
could just get used to it where as one that goes on and off would be
far more irritating, especially if it wasn't a regular cycle.

I'm not sure what time period "a while" would be. As I said earlier
they do give a start when it comes on so that happening every couple
of minutes would be pretty irritating. Think of some one giving a
blast on a pneumatic drill every few minutes would be like, maybe
with some longer on periods so they can work out where it's coming
from and move away (or chew through the wires...). B-)

Peanut butter and raisins are good baits as I recall.

Peanut butter goes rancid, Nutella doesn't (it doesn't even go
mouldy!...) Raisins are good for sticking on the prongs of a back
breaker type trap.

We've had good luck with small chunks of dark chocolate.

In article ,
S Viemeister wrote:
Dave Liquorice wrote:

Peanut butter and raisins are good baits as I recall.

Peanut butter goes rancid, Nutella doesn't (it doesn't even go
mouldy!...) Raisins are good for sticking on the prongs of a back
breaker type trap.

We've had good luck with small chunks of dark chocolate.

The "trick" I found is that you've got to wire it on - especially with
the cheap wooden & metal traps - otherwise they will take the bait and get
away wit it ... Sweet things seem to work - rasins, dates (most dried
fruit) and chocolate... I've never actualy tried cheese! But whatever
works for you, wire it on. Instant death via broken neck. Very humane.

What is in Nutella that it never goes off...? Glad I don't eat it!!!

Gordon

Gordon Henderson wrote:
In article ,
S Viemeister wrote:
Dave Liquorice wrote:

Peanut butter and raisins are good baits as I recall.
Peanut butter goes rancid, Nutella doesn't (it doesn't even go
mouldy!...) Raisins are good for sticking on the prongs of a back
breaker type trap.

We've had good luck with small chunks of dark chocolate.

The "trick" I found is that you've got to wire it on - especially with
the cheap wooden & metal traps - otherwise they will take the bait and get
away wit it ... Sweet things seem to work - rasins, dates (most dried
fruit) and chocolate... I've never actualy tried cheese! But whatever
works for you, wire it on. Instant death via broken neck. Very humane.


Not as instant as you might think.

And often traps another part of te biody.

Still harden your heart: its a lot better to die with a boot on the back
of the neck than of old age and disease, or being ripped to shreds by
and owl, polecat, weasel, fox, etc etc.

Unlike other animals, we don't like to see other animals suffer. No
other predator gives a damn. Nor does disease.


What is in Nutella that it never goes off...? Glad I don't eat it!!!

sulphur dioxide?

Gordon

On Sun, 13 Sep 2009 02:15:03 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:


Now I see Ultrasonic Mouse Deterrents that just plug into a nearby
socket (I have several in the loft) and claim to affect a large area.

E.G:http://bit.ly/v404u

the question is: Do they work?

Noooooooooo.

£25 is a lot for a mousetrap, but if it
saves the polypipe....

Any experience? *Suggestions?

TIA
R.

My experience of mouse wars is pretty much as you describe. The humane
traps are a waste of time, as are the ultrasonic repellers. You can
leave them plugged in to console the sensitive souls while you quietly
murder the little buggers with the trusty wooden traps. Peanut butter
and raisins are good baits as I recall. Since we've had a cat the mice
stay away.


We found the best solution was the pre-baited disposable ones (traps
not cats) that come in a bag of a dozen from B&Q. they are small like
miniature "Little Nippers" and don't have any visible bait but seemed
to be soaked in orange oil.

"When they see them coming the meeces all try an-hide,

But they still fall for mousetraps when coa-ted with cyan-hide ! "

A close second comes the standard format, standard size mousetrap
baited with a piece of Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate.

Derek

On Sun, 13 Sep 2009 08:55:25 +0100, TheOldFellow wrote:

Now I see Ultrasonic Mouse Deterrents that just plug into a nearby
socket (I have several in the loft) and claim to affect a large area.

E.G: http://bit.ly/v404u

the question is: Do they work?

IMHO no.

We used to get mice in every autumn when it started to get cold
outside. We would live trap(*) and put them down the bottom of the
paddock. For the transportation down there we put them in a small
mouse cage. As an experiment I tried switching one one of these
ultrasonic scarer things whilst observing the mouse. They can
certainly hear the noise as they make a little start when you turn it
on but other than that they behave as normal and I can't say I
noticed any difference in the numbers of mice we caught with/without
the device.

Deportation to the bottom of the paddock didn't work, having caught
the same mouse (it had a nick out of one ear) several times over
several days I reckon they were getting back to the house before us.
What did reduce the number of mice coming in was deportation several
miles away to bit a of forested fell side, also miles (literally)
from any habitation. Note release of vermin is technically illegal.
We now have a cat, we don't have mice coming in and any we do see (a
couple/year) are in the form of a light snack for said cat.

(*) Rentokil square plastic tipping tube type baited with Nuttella
worked well.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Now I see Ultrasonic Mouse Deterrents that just plug into a nearby
socket (I have several in the loft) and claim to affect a large area.

Use correctly ultrasonic repellers do work. I had a severe problem in
lofts in a rural area. Rats were coming in and nesting. I could kill
them with poison but then they died up there and stank.

About four years ago I fitted a Lentek PR12 device in one loft and the
problem ceased. I occasionally get a footfall but it soon goes and
doesn't come back. I have now fitted them to all roof areas and have had
no further problem. The Lenteks also send a signal through the mains
wiring. I wondered if this would interfere with equipment but it doesn't.

The key seems to be placement. Put them high up at one end so they flood
the whole volume. Make sure there is nothing producing a shadow. They
even effective through glass-fibre insulation. I have about 20 cm.

Peter Scott

"Peter Scott" wrote in message
...


Now I see Ultrasonic Mouse Deterrents that just plug into a nearby
socket (I have several in the loft) and claim to affect a large area.

Use correctly ultrasonic repellers do work.

i keep pet rats, and had a friend who swore by those ultrasonic repellers,

so i got him to bring one of them round to our house one day, and he pluged
it in to the socket oposite the rats cage,

2 of the rattiew were asleep, other 2 had been playing in the bottom, when
the devise was turned on, the sleeping ratties stayed sleeping, the ones who
were playing stopped playing and rose up on their haunches, swiveling their
ears around, they pinpointed the devise and came to the cage bars to
investigate,

i opened the cage door, and they both climbed out and walked over to the
devise to sniff at it, it in no way bothered them, they were deffinately
hearing something from it, but it deffinately did not produce the result my
friend was expecting,

My dog came in later on whilst it was still operating, she sniffed it as she
would a new thing in the house, but showed even less interest in it than the
ratties,

we got the bat detector out, and it does indeed produce an ultrasonic noise,
but pet rats at least arent bothered by the noise it produces.

In message , gazz
writes
"Peter Scott" wrote in message
...
we got the bat detector out, and it does indeed produce an ultrasonic
noise, but pet rats at least arent bothered by the noise it produces.
The other thing to be aware of with these devices is that just because
they are out of your hearing range does not mean the sound pressure
isn't capable of damaging your hearing.
--
Clint Sharp

In article , Peter Scott
writes

The key seems to be placement.

Agreed. They are very directional, so I found fitting them at right
angles to each other worked well. And don't buy cheapo crap.

--
Fred Bloggs

Get a cat.

The message
from TheOldFellow contains these words:

On Turdsday night a rodent eating insulation foam made a pinhole in one
of the polypipes in the loft leading to the UFH. It soaked the
insulation and eventually started to drip through the vapour barrier
and T&G ceiling.

Fixed leak, dried everything - no long term consequence, except...

I am now waging war on the little furry chaps. The simple old
wooden trap is proving the best mouse killer. The special expensive
metal trap is too insensitive and bait is eaten without it going off.

The sensitive-creatures in my household are ag'in me killing them,
however, and truth be told, I'm not so keen myself. Living in the
country next to a water course we inevitably will have rodent problems.

I've tried 'Humane' traps in the past and found them 'Inhumane' as the
trapped mouse dies in great distress unless you can service them once
an hour throughout the night. I find this distressing, and can never
be convinced that it is the right approach.

Now I see Ultrasonic Mouse Deterrents that just plug into a nearby
socket (I have several in the loft) and claim to affect a large area.

E.G: http://bit.ly/v404u

the question is: Do they work? £25 is a lot for a mousetrap, but if it
saves the polypipe....

Any experience? Suggestions?

In descending order of usefulness

1. Cat. Rodents detect the smell of the cat and stay away

2. Traps. Some of the modern plastic ones are brilliant. Work
reliably and no danger of trapping fingers.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/The-New-T-REX-...d=p3286.c0.m14

3. Cheap ultrasonic scarers are useless. Very expensive professional
models do work in open spaces