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.

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.

Dead Mouse. Caught - 27th August 2010

Here is the latest dead mouse. Caught at midnight by the side of my fridge. Read my first mouse blog for more information.

Dead Mouse. Caught - 19th May 2010

To fair, regarding Whitefriars, I should point out that on one occasion in three years Whitefriars did arrange for council pest control to put down poisoned bait in all the homes.

MOUSE CONTROL - CASE STUDY

I wish to remain anonymous in these posts because I value my privacy. I also don't want to give my home a bad name because I enjoy living in my home despite the mouse infestation, so I will not specifically mention the exact location of my home. I live in a tower block in Coventry, West Midlands, UK. There are more than five floors in my home; the mice are throughout the building going up to the top floor. The infestation is widespread throughout the building. Thankfully I am only catching one mouse every three months approximately, so the issue is not too extreme in my home. I use traps instead of poison because I worry about inadvertent poisoning of pets or myself. Traps are also better for the environment because they are chemical-free. I should also add that poisoned mice can easily die in inaccessible areas (behind wall-cavities etc) thereby causing a smell of decay, whereas with traps the mouse always dies in the trap thus it is easy to remove the dead mouse.

The death of mice in these traps is very quick: when a trap catches a mouse the mouse is usually dead within 20 seconds. Last night (August 27th 2010) I heard a trap snap... I rushed to investigate and the mouse was already dead when I got to the trap. It was a young mouse so it seems they are breeding prolifically.

Here are some photos of a dead mouse caught on 19th May 2010: