How to stop mice in the roof while waiting for traps
Mice in a roof space can leave you feeling helpless while waiting for traps and proofing to arrive in the post. People try temporary DIY experiments to deter nesting and drive them away in the meantime, while dealing with the heavy stress of a new home.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 39.6× more often in r/Pestcontrol than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
How to stop mice in the roof while waiting for traps
- 1waiting for proofing and traps to arrive in the postDid this help you?
- 2using makeshift experiments like playing randomized animal noises via a Raspberry PiDid this help you?
- 3following established mouse control methodsDid this help you?
- 4relying on cats to catch miceDid this help you?
- 5using no-kill trapsDid this help you?
- 6cleaning and keeping food in airtight containersDid this help you?
- 7Using glue traps and snap trapsDid this help you?
- 8Plugging holes temporarily with sheet metal and duct tapeDid this help you?
- 9Awaiting permanent kits with steel wool and spray foamDid this help you?
- 10Consulting AI for trapping and sealing strategiesDid this help you?
- 11putting out humane mice trapsDid this help you?
- 12putting a few drops of peppermint oil on cotton balls and tossing them around the atticDid this help you?
- 13Putting down poison trays near the loft hatchDid this help you?
- 14Stuffing wire or iron wool into accessible brick ventsDid this help you?
- 15Getting a drain survey to find the entry pointDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I have three cats and never see mice in my living space, however after hearing something in the attic, I put out some humane mice traps and have caught dozens. I've gotten rid of them for a few months but they're back again.”source ↗
“I have no idea what their food source is, or how they're getting in.”source ↗
“How the heck do I stop them?”source ↗
“I was having some trouble lately with mice getting into a roof space, I felt a bit useless waiting on the proofing and traps to arrive in the post so whilst I waited I conjured up an experiment to piss them off and hopefully stop them nesting.”source ↗
“I just moved into a basement in the country (southern Ontario, Canada). The fall season is approaching and it’s becoming chilly outside, and my cats caught 2 mice early this morning, and I found a third around noon!”source ↗
“I feel like I can not properly clean this place and my contamination OCD is getting to me.”source ↗
“I’m at a loss because we just moved in 2.5 weeks ago. I feel as if I am cleaning the past tenants mess, on top of the mice.”source ↗
“I feel really upset as this is my first apartment with my boyfriend. We have dealt with cockroaches in his first place, bed bugs in the next, and now mice.”source ↗
“We paid pest control around £400 in total. They essentially put poison down and advised us to stuff wire/“iron wool” into any accessible brick vents.”source ↗
“Is it actually realistic to find and block whatever route they’re using to get into the loft, or is that basically impossible in a mid-terrace?”source ↗
“Has anyone successfully dealt with this long-term without repeatedly paying hundreds for pest control?”source ↗
“I have had a couple of rides in my house that I've been catching with traps with the help of AI the AI is beginning to confuse me.”source ↗
“It's been two nights and I haven't caught any rats but I noticed that the rat chewed through some more drywall last night.”source ↗
“These areas have all been fenced off but it's been stressful at having to deal with it wow protecting my family.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3How to clean a mouse nest out of car vents
- 3Why won't the mice in my townhome go away?
- 6How to stop animals from digging trenches around house foundations
- 4How to catch a rat in a small room yourself
- 8How to stop mice and bugs from coming through attic ceiling vents
- 13Wasps coming out of outdoor water heater cover