Mother finds mice in two-year-old son's bed
A MOTHER of two young children says she is a "prisoner in her own home" after hordes of rats and mice took over her flat – even making themselves at home in her two-year-old son's bed.
Kayleigh McLaughlin has spoken about her horror at finding out she was sharing her home with vermin.
The teenage mum moved into a first-floor flat in Lower Addiscombe Road in July last year.
But, in just three months, her dream move turned into a "nightmare".
She said: "They are everywhere.
"I have seen them run across my living room floor, they have been in my children's beds, they have been in my food cupboards.
"I am living in hell and no one will help me.
"I am a prisoner in my own home at the moment, and there is nothing I can do about it."
Kayleigh, 19, who has a two-year-old son, Ashlea, and six-month-old daughter, Ella-Rose, moved down to Croydon from Warrington, near Manchester, to get away from an abusive ex-partner.
Croydon Council offered her the flat as temporary accommodation, saying a permanent home for her small family could take up to five years to find.
Talking of the infestation, she said: "I heard them in the walls one night and it really freaked me out.
"I could hear scratching and the screeching noise they make. They were in the walls and under the floorboards.
"I got on to the council but they said there is only so much they could do. It has gone on and on and it seems no-one can help me.
"A housing officer sent pest control in at the start of the year, but it has not helped. I counted nine of them last week. I can't live like this.
"It would be horrible even if it was just me living here, but I have my children to worry about – that is my main concern.
"My daughter hasn't started crawling yet because I will not let her on the floor – there are droppings everywhere.
"They both sleep in my bed with me because I have found rats in their beds. It is just a horrible way to live."
A spokesman for AmicusHorizon said the property was owned by a private landlord and managed by Avenue, AmicusHorizon's private sector leasing team.
She added that attempts had been made to get rid of the infestation and that it would continue to work with Kayleigh "until we solve the issue".
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by croydonhippo
Sunday, February 12 2012, 3:11PM
“I can sympathise with this having had a similar problem, although not quite on the same scale.
I live in a victorian house in addiscombe and had a problem with mice and the first thing that kayleigh needs to do is identify where they are comming in from.
check for any entry holes inside the property, insert poison into the holes, then block up the holes with wire wool, bits of old wood and expanding foam.
Next buy some traps both glue type and conventional, and most importantly make sure that all food is kept in containers e.g pasta, rice, etc.
All materials such as wire wool, traps and poison can be bought from one of the many home shops along the lower addiscombe road, i would reccomend addiscombe diy ( near corner of inglis road ) the owner of the shop (bippin) is very knowledgeable and helpful.
the use of wire wool in this is important because if mice and rats chew and digest this it will give them internal bleeding and so will the poison too thus resulting in speedy death...........happy hunting !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
by Ivor_Shed
Sunday, February 12 2012, 11:07AM
“Why is anyone who suggests killing mice being rated down?
have you never had expensive clothes chewed by mice, and bear in mind that mice are incontinent .
One day I wondered why the milk wouldn't come out of my carton so I gave it a bit of a squeeze and a drowned mouse squirted out through the hole - that's how small a hole they can get through.
Yes I did open a fresh carton of milk.”
by Ivor_Shed
Sunday, February 12 2012, 11:03AM
“OK - now it's over to all you cat people!”
by Ivor_Shed
Sunday, February 12 2012, 11:02AM
“We have an Airedale Terrier - fine for catching rats in a barn but she makes a hell of a mess scrabbling about on the kitchen worksurface.”
by roomster
Sunday, February 12 2012, 10:14AM
“It is really down to the landlord and his acting agents to resolve the problem, councils used to deal with infestations however they now point you to the private pest companies in many cases.”
by The_Third_Eye
Sunday, February 12 2012, 10:10AM
“Get yourself a Jack Russell, You will get a family dog that will thoroughly enjoy catching and killing rodents. Problem solved.........................”
by Ivor_Shed
Sunday, February 12 2012, 8:51AM
“I can thoroughly recommend the 'Little Nipper' - very cheap and effective, and if you are into gadgets then get a Rat-Zapper which electrocutes the little chaps but get a mains adaptor as otherwise you will need to lay in stocks of batteries.
yesterday evening my little nipper was baited with marzipan and the Rat-zapper baited with biscuit crumbs. Didn't catch any mice - just 2 x shrews.”
by DianaFrance
Sunday, February 12 2012, 8:14AM
“Don't tell Pest Control you have mice as they tend to respond more readily to rats, and then they don't ensure the problem is solved, treatment is rationed - or was when I last called them.
Rodents will get in through the narrowest cracks, particularly in cold weather. and it can be hard to find their points of entry. They run around edges of rooms, work surfaces etc so it can be easy to catch them. Don't waste your time with humane traps - kill them.”
by mikeyjf
Saturday, February 11 2012, 11:33AM
“appalled Crease2000, sorry this dam spell checker! lol”
by nickthompson
Saturday, February 11 2012, 11:24AM
“A spokesman for AmicusHorizon said the property was owned by a private landlord and managed by Avenue, AmicusHorizon's private sector leasing team.
SAYS IT ALL.”