Final mouse blog post. Mouse problem solved.

Hello.

This is my final mouse post. I am frankly worn out by the whole saga and I want to put these issues behind me. The last communication from my Landlord stated structural repairs may need to be undertaken in my Flat if the mouse problem persisted, which was alarming because there is nothing to repair in my Flat. My Flat is not on the ground floor (I am over six floors above the ground floor). I can't imagine what structural repairs would remedy the problem because the mice are not entering the building via my Flat, furthermore all visible holes into my Flat are blocked up, very competently, thus there is no obvious point where mice are entering my Flat. The only structural repairs I can imagine would be to rip out the heating system and rip out the kitchen sink, which seems more disruptive than the actual mice.

Thankfully the mouse problem is completely cured in my Flat and I assume there are no mice in other parts of the building. If there are mice elsewhere in the building they are definitely not entering my Flat. It seems the most recent bout of mouse poisoning was completely successful, so I must take this opportunity to kindly thank my Landlord for doing such an excellent job. Bravo!

I will nevertheless always keep my traps set due to the astronomical off-chance that a mouse somehow strays into my Flat. I realise it is absolutely ludicrous to keep the traps set when there is absolutely no problem, but I'm a firm believer in the maxim that nothing should be left to chance - all possible pitfalls should be proactively covered to ensure a pleasant home.

I did intend to post some of the emails I exchanged with Coventry Council Pest Control and my Landlord but considering the problem with mice is now completely cured I see little point in posting those emails.

Due to the total lack of mice entering my Flat I have no final dead-mouse-picture to post, so I quickly created created a mouse sculpture. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks once again dear Landlord for doing such an excellent job. The mice never enter my Flat these days and I'm sure there are no mice anywhere in the building but if mice are elsewhere in the building they are definitely not entering my Flat.

I cannot thank you enough for the invaluable help you gave to solve this problem.

STATUS: PROBLEM SOLVED

Landlord Threats:

Here is a copy of an email I am about to send to my Landlord:

Dear **** ****

Today (7th December 2010) I received your hand-delivered letter (dated 6th December) regarding a request to enter my Flat regarding mice problems. This is the first letter I have received from you regarding access to my Flat in relation to the mouse problem.

Previously I have complained about the incompetence of Whitefriars regarding your inability to deal with the mouse problem. See Ombudsman complaint ref ********** regarding a letter, which ******** ****** sent to me dated 14th October, in which she acknowledges how I am already effectively dealing with the mouse problem in my own Flat.

The problem is regarding other Flats, which ******** ****** acknowledges in her letter. As a result of my complaint I assume this is the reason why you are now wanting to treat over 50 Flats in **********. My Flat however continues to be mouse-free because I effectively trap the mice using mouse-traps.

I am more than willing you allow Whitefiars employees access to my property if you give prior notice, but it's worrying that your previous attempts to give notice have not been received and you are now threatening legal action to gain entry.

I suggest that rather than having letters hand-delivered you should use Royal Mail and then you can be sure your letter has actually been delivered. I suspect what has happened in this case is that the ******** **** have not delivered previous letters (about mice inspections) because they know I am already effectively dealing with the mouse problem. Whenever I catch a mouse I contact the ******** **** and ask them to log (in the log book) the dead mouse and they then remove the dead mouse.

I need no help treating mice in my Flat but you are welcome to inspect my Flat on the date you suggest (*****************). Sometimes I do not hear people knocking at my door so please knock loudly if I fail to answer. Please do not attempt to break my door down.

Please also refrain from making threats about taking legal action to enter my property or threats about being charged with court costs. Your threats are very distressing indeed, and I do want to receive such threatening letters again. You state you have sent me two letters within the last month but I assure you these letters have not been delivered into my letterbox. When making threats you should ensure your facts are correct. I am perfectly willing to allow you access to my Flat therefore there is no need to make threats. Your threats have a negative impact upon my health due to the stress your threats induce.

You may also find my blog interesting regarding the mouse problem. On the blog you will see the dead mice I have caught. I will also post to my blog an edited version of this email.

http://mouse-mice-infestation-whitefriars.blogspot.com/

Regards

*UPDATE*

My landlord has stated the delivery of the letter demanding access was a mistake and the other two letters, which I never replied to, were never actually delivered. My landlord has however stated access may be required in the future regarding the mice, which is mystifying because I cannot understand how my landlord can improve upon my already excellent mouse-elimination-skills.

Mouse Caught, DEAD, 25th November 2010

Latest images of a dead mouse.

I modified the contrast and brightness of these pictures to hopefully produce a more graphic effect. Regarding email discussions I had with Coventry Council and my Landlord in September; Coventry Council and my Landlord were useless at trying to tackle this problem, they kept insisting on putting poison down in my Flat but I refused the poison because it is pointless to treat only my Flat when there are many other Flats surrounding my Flat. My Flat is NOT the source of the mice, furthermore for health and environmental reasons I much prefer mouse-traps to using poison.

I eventually complained to the Housing Ombudsman about my landlord's inability to deal with the problem. My landlord finally wrote me a letter dated 14th October, prompted by my Ombudsman complaint, about the mouse problem, in which my landlord acknowledged I can deal effectively with the mouse problem in my Flat but that other Flats will be contacted to see if they need help addressing issues with mice. Other tenants were requested to contact the Landlord by 22nd October so that appropriate action could be taken.

Honestly I can easily deal with mice when they come into my Flat. I always trap them and they never eat my food, the problem is that other Flats cannot deal with the mice therefore occasionally when the mice breed in large numbers they stray into my Flat. Perhaps I will post on this blog at a later date some of the emails I sent to my Landlord and the Council in September trying to make them see sense. It is a useless situation trying to get my Landlord or the Council to deal with this mouse problem. Thankfully I can trap the mice competently so I suppose things aren't too bad, but it's a bit of a hassle always needing to have traps set and then disposing of dead mice when I catch them.       

DESPAIR

My landlord informed me this afternoon they've raised a Pest Control order to bait ONLY my Flat.

Truly this is exceptionally futile and exceedingly ironic. Out of all the Flats my Flat is the one least needing pest control. I can control mice extremely competently in my Flat. The problem regarding pest control relates to other Flats beyond my control. If there's one Flat NOT requiring Pest Control then it's my Flat. Out of all the Flats in the building my Flat is probably the one most free from mice because I trap the mice.

I'm living in a farce, perhaps Monty Python, where I try to explain the essence of the problem but people ignore my explanations. This situation is absolutely ridiculous. 3 years! This mouse problem has been ongoing for 3 years! My Flat is the least problematic regarding the infestation of mice. My Flat is very clean and definitely NOT conducive to vermin. 3 years! I finally reached the end of my tether and decided write this blog but it seems we are destined for a long haul regarding the resolution of this mouse problem.

I CAN CONTROL MICE IN MY FLAT... I can easily trap mice in my Flat, which is proved via the photos of dead mice I've uploaded to this blog. Look at the photos and you will see dead mice I've trapped. I can control mice in my Flat. I don't require any help from Pest Control regarding my Flat, it is the other Flats that are the problem.

MICE CANNOT TELEPORT

I live reasonably far above the ground floor therefore the mice are travelling up through a number of floors to reach my Flat, furthermore there are various Flats surrounding my Flat. It's ridiculous to think the mice are only causing a problem in my Flat... the mice are not teleporting into my Flat and the mice don't have a vendetta against only my Flat. You'll probably find the mice are a bigger problem in the Flats where tenants haven't complained. The mice are obviously present throughout the whole building. If there is any place within the building where mice are actually being controlled then the control is happening in my Flat because I am frequently killing the buggers via my traps.

At this point it's pertinent to quote John Cleese who says in the Dead Parrot sketch: "If you want to get anything done is this country you've got to complain until you are blue in the mouth." My despair is total. From previous experience with my landlord regarding this mouse issue I knew there would be problems so I thought writing this blog could possibly help but alas it hasn't helped. Perhaps I'm from am different planet using a strange gobbledygook language. It really wears me out. I truly feel I'm banging my head against a wall. There's not much more to write on this matter. I shall continue posting updates whenever I trap a mouse. Perhaps the issue will be resolved in the year 2013 although I am not hopeful.

450g Claw Hammer Execution

Last night (5th September) a mouse I caught in a trap did not die immediately therefore I was compelled to execute it quickly with my claw hammer. My hammer is 450g. This is a reasonably heavy hammer thereby ensuring instant death for any mice not killed by the traps.

Dead Mouse. Caught 5th September 2010

At approximately 10.30pm I heard a trap snap. I immediately knew the mouse had not been killed quickly due to its intense squeaking, so before rushing to the trap I rushed to get my big (450g) hammer. The mouse had somehow trapped the lower part of its body instead of the usual neck-breaking or brain-crushing head-blow. With one firm whack to the wriggling mouse I quickly killed it with my hammer. It was very distressing for me to kill the mouse in this manner, but trapping continues to be vastly more humane than poisoning. Poisoning always entails a long-drawn-out-death. The mouse I killed was alive in the trap for no more than 30 seconds. I am always at home in the evening when mice are active therefore I will always be available to quickly kill any mice which are not instantly killed in the traps.

It is only slightly over one week since I caught the previous mouse therefore their numbers are definitely increasing. I recently emailed Coventry Council to inquire about what legal action can be taken against Whitefriars; I shall keep you updated. Hopefully we can resolve this matter soon.

The bait I used to trap this mouse was a combination of mayonnaise and breakfast cereal.

New Traps and Landord Action

I've purchased 4 additional traps (I now have 8 traps). I prefer the "Sentry" branded traps but the "Big Cheese" brand are effective. Including postage and packing these traps (pictured below) from Amazon.co.uk cost me 50p each. Read my first mouse blog for more information about my mouse problem.

● Dead Smelly Mice

Traps are vastly superior to poison because poisoned mice can easily die in inaccessible areas (behind walls, pipework, or inside air-ducts) therefore decaying bodies of poisoned mice can smell very unpleasant. When traps are utilised it is always possible and very easy to dispose of the dead mice. The body of a mouse killed in a trap is always accessible.

● Landlord Action

My landlord has informed me they will be installing poisoned bait in all Flats, although I am not hopeful the baiting will be a success because previous baiting was unsuccessful. My landlord's recent desire to take action could be a response to this blog or it could be coincidental. I have not been given a date regarding the proposed baiting but via email my landlord stated they are aware of the problem and have set up a contract with Coventry Council Pest Control to bait the building.

I shall continue with my mouse-blogging and hopefully the issue will soon be resolved. If I post no additional updates you can assume I've caught no mice and the situation is resolved.