A mouse needs a gap of only around a centimetre. In Hyson Green's terraces and post-war flats, the routes in are often pipes and cable gaps.
A house mouse can get its head through a very small opening and flatten the rest of its body to follow. A gap about the width of a pencil is enough, which is why door gaps, damaged airbricks and holes left round pipes are so often the way in. They also climb well, so a gap does not have to be at ground level.
Once inside, mice stay close to walls and nest in warm, quiet places such as behind kitchen units, in boxes of stored items and in loft insulation.
Hyson Green has a mix of Victorian terraces and post-war flats, and each gives mice different opportunities. In a terrace, the likely routes are gaps under floorboards, around old pipework, through crumbling mortar and from the rear yard. In a block of flats, mice can travel between homes through service risers, shared ducts and gaps round pipes behind kitchens and bathrooms.
This means a mouse in one flat may not have come from that flat at all. Treating only one home, without checking the shared routes, can leave the problem running.
Autumn is when mice are most often noticed. As the weather cools they look for warm places with food, and kitchens and airing cupboards fit the bill. If you find droppings in a bedroom or a cupboard you rarely open, check it again after a week. Fresh droppings tell you the mice are still active, whatever you have tried so far.
Treatment deals with the mice that are already inside. Proofing stops new ones arriving. Steel wool, fine mesh and suitable filler can close small holes, but only once you are sure no mouse is left inside the gap. Our free pest prevention survey looks at entry points and storage as well as the visible signs.
How quickly activity stops depends on how many mice are present and whether food is still easy to reach. Storing food in hard containers and keeping floors clear makes a visible difference. A final check is to look at the places you rarely see, such as the back of the cooker, the gap behind the washing machine and the space under the bath panel. Mice use them as quiet routes between rooms.
Call 0115 937 5117 to talk it through, and we will arrange a visit to suit you.
Roughly the width of a pencil. They can compress their bodies to pass through holes that look far too small, so check round pipes, door thresholds and airbricks.
Yes, through service ducts, risers and gaps round shared pipework. If you share a building, it helps to tell your landlord or neighbours so entry routes can be checked together.
Tell us what you have seen and where, and we will come back to you. Prices are fixed and there is no call-out charge.
