HELP! Rat and mice problem in cage!

Pipandpopboris

Pipandpopboris

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So about a year ago I converted our wood shed into a large guineapig enclosure they absolutely love the extra space! There very spoiled! So I completely cleaned it out and painted it etc there is a 2 story cage in it and floor space beyond that. Recently I have noticed a large amount of mice dropping everywhere and seen them running out of my piggies bowls, Ik mice arnt a big problem as long as I keep cleaning but I’m worried rats will come next, the room in large and there are various crevices behind the cage and on the roof as it’s an old building, I don’t know where to start on how to rat proof the area! Please help!
 
I don't know how to rat proof it without being there, but mice and rats are both a big danger, mice can spread desease and rats will also definitely kill you're guinea pigs. Don't under estimate a gap a rat can get through ( I have pet ones) they have hynged rib cages and just flatten themselfes to get in. You must come up with something fast, maybe try youtube to see if there is anything.

You could try expanding foam for a start from a DIY shop, make sure you're pigs are not in the area until it's hardens, it can drip. I would only do this on the ceiling or roof part where the pigs can't chew it. Rats or mice will chew through it though eventually
 
Is it raw brick work that the gaps are in? I can't imagine what it looks like. If so cement the gaps up. I cant really say much more
 
Another concern would be neighbours putting poison down and mice then weeing in the pigs enclosure before they die which could contain traces of the poison. I don't know how likely that is but it would worry me. Perhaps start by not leaving pellets down all the time, they should have limited pellets anyway so putting them down for an hour or so before removing the bowls. Could that reduce the attraction to mice as they generally go where they can get food?
 
Lady Kelly said:
Another concern would be neighbours putting poison down and mice then weeing in the pigs enclosure before they die which could contain traces of the poison. I don't know how likely that is but it would worry me. Perhaps start by not leaving pellets down all the time, they should have limited pellets anyway so putting them down for an hour or so before removing the bowls. Could that reduce the attraction to mice as they generally go where they can get food?
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I know for sure that our neighbours don’t do that as we are in a very rural area not near other people so at least that isn’t a problem
 
Pipandpopboris said:
So about a year ago I converted our wood shed into a large guineapig enclosure they absolutely love the extra space! There very spoiled! So I completely cleaned it out and painted it etc there is a 2 story cage in it and floor space beyond that. Recently I have noticed a large amount of mice dropping everywhere and seen them running out of my piggies bowls, Ik mice arnt a big problem as long as I keep cleaning but I’m worried rats will come next, the room in large and there are various crevices behind the cage and on the roof as it’s an old building, I don’t know where to start on how to rat proof the area! Please help!
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Here’s the cage
 

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Yes they are from rats! One of my girls was attacked by them and barely survived. I bought her in after that and no more outside piggies for me :(
 
Sarahangel said:
Yes they are from rats! One of my girls was attacked by them and barely survived. I bought her in after that and no more outside piggies for me :(
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How did the rat get in? If I close my hutch at night will they be safe?
 
I’ve just read online that a mouse can get through a 6mm gap and a rat through a 20mm gap.
I can’t tell the size of the gap on the bars to your hutch (you’d have to measure) but it is probable that locking them in the hutch won’t necessarily help, as mice especially (as I say, you’d have to measure the gap between the hutch bars) would still get through. Rats can also chew to get in places, assuming there isn’t already a small hole in existence for them to get in.

Could you add some small gauge wire over the hutch bars to make the gaps smaller and add security?
 
So today as there was a mice infestation in my piggies shead I cleared out most of the areas either side of the hutch (but not the back) and used a Guianea pig friendly spray. I boxed up there nuggets hay and wood chippings in air tight boxes anddd made sure the whole alrea was de cluttered I put various herbs around that apparently deterur mice? And there nugget bowl will only be out for a few hours with there salad, one they are finished the nugget bowl will be packed away for the night along with any in eaten bits, they will be shut in there main part of the hatch and I hope this will do the trick. I’m also investing in some wiring to keep rats out and locks for there doors! Do you think thsi will be enough? E5BF0045-57FA-4C1C-AF5A-633C2B475A4E.webp
 
Yes these things will help.
You should also try to identify and block up the hole(s) in the building where they are getting in in the first place.

@Lady Kelly can you merge this with the other thread please
 
Are you able to grab some ready mix cement and add water, get even a wallpaper scraper, and fill in the holes, again, dont let the pigs access any wet cement. You don't even need to do a tidy job, you'll be stopping drafts aswell by doing this
 
Can you move the pigs somewhere inside/different for a week so you can go into the shed and do some proper rat proofing? They are very VERY good at getting in and will find a hole. They can chew through concrete eventually, but that's very good at stopping them. You could use a combination of concrete with very small chicken wire put into it
 
RoyalDuke said:
Can you move the pigs somewhere inside/different for a week so you can go into the shed and do some proper rat proofing? They are very VERY good at getting in and will find a hole. They can chew through concrete eventually, but that's very good at stopping them. You could use a combination of concrete with very small chicken wire put into it
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Thank you, it’s quite hard to fill in teh holes as it’s more of a building rather than a shead that’s over 200 years old, the holes in the wall have been filed but a corrugated roof that connects that room to another would be impossible to fill , well xo everything we can but that just wouldn’t be possible.
 
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UPDATE! This morning I put some food out and set up my camera to see what I was dealing with, then I took the food away ( I won’t put anything out again) and in all the footage I only saw 1 creature, is this a mouse or baby/ small rat
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
Still though, I would sort something out before rats do appear, can you move you're pigs indoors?
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Moving them inside isn’t a possibility but now no food will be left out except at feeding time for a few hours there should be no reason for rats to appear
 
Pipandpopboris said:
Moving them inside isn’t a possibility but now no food will be left out except at feeding time for a few hours there should be no reason for rats to appear
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Only thing is, rats are omnivore predators, so could seek out live food, guinea pigs won't have any defense other than to run. Hopefully no rats will come, you could get some traps for the outside of the area. I hate the idea, but they are vermin
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
Only thing is, rats are omnivore predators, so could seek out live food, guinea pigs won't have any defense other than to run. Hopefully no rats will come, you could get some traps for the outside of the area. I hate the idea, but they are vermin
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We’re ordering wire to go around the cage which will stop them coming in, we also have 4 dogs which roam around in the garden and outside the door where the pigs are at night so that should scare them away. And if I notice any signs of a rat I’ll have no choice but to put out traps but poison wouldn’t be an option as there are dogs cats and children all around
 
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