They seem to have come in via the mushroom vents.
I saw they'd been in one high-up cupboard that's against the ceiling. Unfortunately there was a gap in the wood and they scoffed sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and linseed - trust me to live off mouse food! But they don't appear to have got into the main living-space, thank goodness. Anyway, I've sealed up that gap and stored everything edible in mouse-proof containers but am loathe to block off their escape route before they've left the boat.
So, I'm looking at humane mouse-traps on the internet at the moment, with a view to releasing them onto Walthamstow marshes. Not that humane as I've seen a kestrel nearby, intent on its prey.
There seem to be high-tech ones....
and low-tech ones..
And being a cheapskate, I may have a go at how to Build your own mousetrap
One difficulty will be how to place a trap as I can't really get in that space between the ceiling and boat roof, though I guess I could suspend bottle traps below the mushroom vents if I remove the grills. It's a big faff, but I'd better get on with it because they keep me awake at night!
5 comments:
Definitely worth re-homing the mice - they can do so much damage to wiring etc (as I found when rats ate my car engine - honest!).
Dodging the kestrels will keep them fit :-)
Sue, nb Indigo Dream
Yuk, horrible. Poor you. hope you get rid of them soon.
Kath (nb Herbie)
It makes me remember when we had a cat hiding in our loft. Very distressing.
Couldn't you just do something to encourage them to leave of their own accord? e.g introduce a smell they don't like, or tempt them out with tasty offerings outside and then block off their retreat by making some sort of non return gubbins on the mushroom.
They must come out sometime I would have thought because they'll need a drink.
Neil
After thought.
It's a pity you're vegan otherwise you could have eaten them. We had a dyslexic cook at school who regularly served up savoury mice and dumplings.
Neil
Yes Sue, I AM worried about the wiring. You woudn't think there was any reason to chew up polystyrene but they've been doing that so wires are equally vulnerable I guess. Is that a fire risk, do you think?
Kath and Neil, I remember your cat-in-loft situation! I think if I had a cat (been thinking about that actually) it would drive the poor cat wild as it couldn't get at the mice in the roof, unless it nabbed them up by the mushroom vents maybe. Anyway, I've tried a home-made jar trap and then a £7 humane trap - not a sausage so far.
I'll give it a few more days, then I'll try putting the trap in the roofspace by taking out a light. Just worried it'll open a gap for them to come in the cabin space proper.
Carrie
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