How to deal with Edinburgh’s mice infestation

Whether you live in Marchmont, New Town or Newington, you’re more than likely to be sharing your flat with at least one unwanted houseguest – the humble mouse.

Edinburgh’s old buildings are notorious as a breeding ground for rodents, with landlords often leaving the problem in the tenants hands.

So unless you think mice are better company than your flatmates, you will probably be searching for ways to get rid of them. After traipsing through the internet, here are some budget friendly solutions.

Option 1: The pied piper

Emily, a keen musician, decided luring mice away from her flat by playing her flute would be a wise idea. This it was not, and her flatmates ended up being the only things to leave the premises.

A medieval myth, with questionable results.

Rating: 0/10

Option 2: The hoover 

If you are not willing to spend money on pest control the hoover method may appear to be your answer.

Second year Matt decided to hoover up the mouse that was eating his tesco value cornflakes. Needless to say it didn’t happen and is still munching away.

Unless your mouse is deaf blind this method is unlikely to work.

Rating 2/10

Option 3: The good old mouse trap

Veterinary student Lucy is a fan of the mouse trap method. She likes to kill mice by squashing them in half, and justifies it by saying it is ‘kind’.

Apparently mice get spooked easily, so so-called ‘humane’ mouse traps are off the table, as the mice caught will probably die from stress.

A functional method, however no one wants to clear up a dead mouse so this method gets a not so perfect score.

Rating 7/10

Option 4: Get a cat

Tabby cat

Second years Hollie, Fletch and Kit decided to house a furry friend to control their mice problem. Following a sighting of a mouse in the kitchen Fletch immediately moved her cat Lily into the flat.

Lily has so far achieved full marks in protecting the flat from not only mice, but spiders too.

Rating 10/10