Are mice in London common?

Truth be told, yes, they are quite common in London. Actually, mice are common in many cities around the world; London is not an exception whatsoever. With that being said, there are many preventative methods that will keep mice away from your home.

How to prevent mouse from coming into your home

The field mouse can occasionally seek shelter in our homes toward the winter, but the house mouse is the most common mouse type in London throughout the year. If so, you should contract a nearby pest control company at the earliest opportunity.

Mus musculus is the most common mice species in London, and are very easy to recognise:

• Total length: 169 mm
• Tail: 93 mm
• Hind foot: 18 mm
• Weight of adults: 17–25 g

Taking into account their size, the easiest way to get rid of them is, firstly, to deplete the stock of mice in the home, and secondly, mouse proof the house. According to Daniel Neves, Inoculand Ltd. Head Biologist, the best approach to mouse proof a house with a guarantee is to block any access points/gaps bigger than 0.5 mm throughout the property.

Inoculand Ltd.’s mouse proofing strategy has been in place since 2008 with excellent results.

Why are mice in London so prominent?

The housing stock and the way we build our homes offered to mice in London the ideal living conditions for them to thrive.

Mice in London homes can spread like wildfire as they can travel easily and freely within the void space and by following the pipework and electrical cables. Mice in London flats have it especially good because they can also enjoy the benefits of having an abundance of food at hand.

Mice travel 10–12 metres around the nest. Therefore, they potentially have an easy access to more than one kitchen. Also, flat-sharing often means that the amount of staple food available is directly proportional to the number of individual tenants: an individual tenant may have only one bag of flour, whereas three flatmates may have three bags of flour, and so on.

The unkempt or unclean room of only a single tenant can increase the opportunities for mice.

Mice in London are particularly associated with terrace houses, Victorian conversion flats and purpose-built flats. A main reason for this is because the workmanship could have been better; a common feature in most mice-infested properties is the lack of sealing around the pipework as it crosses the floors and walls.

Another key contributing factor was converting our housing stock to central heating systems. On most occasions, the floorboards were cut to allow the copper pipes through, but in general, the holes were left as they are. And yet another contributing factor is the detrimental habit of removing the skirting boards to install a fitted kitchen; this creates an opening at floor level that runs all along the wall at the back of the kitchen units. The result is that mice can then take advantage of the gaps below the dishwasher door or at the kitchen unit corners.

Where are mice hidden in my house?

Mice are much more clever than you may expect for a mammal its size. They travel from one house to another using the pipework and can easily nest underneath the floorboard and in the walls.

If you are hearing noises in the ceiling or walls in the middle of the night, mice are likely using your home as a shelter. As we said above, this is very common and not cause for overconcern. First of all, ensure that your home is clean and tidy: do not become the official mouse food supplier. Secondly, contact a professional pest controller to put in place a mouse treatment that will deplete the population. Finally, carry out an effective proofing that will keep rodents outside your home.

To sum up, although mice are very common in London, remember that there are many solutions that will bring you peace of mind. If you have further questions or would like a helping hand, do not hesitate to contact Inoculand Ltd.