Mice are mainly active at night and can be heard running about as they search for food. They can squeeze through cracks as small as 5mm, so it may be quite difficult to keep them out of your house particularly if you live in an older property.

There are three things you can do:

1. Reduce food sources - by keeping your house and particularly the kitchen clean and tidy. Regularly cleaning up any food debris and crumbs from behind and underneath kitchen work surfaces, cupboards and appliances.
2. Proofing - Fill in any gaps where mice may be getting in particularly around any pipework to the outside of the building and cover any ventilation grills or air-bricks with a fine metal mesh.
3. Control - A range of traps both humane and lethal and poison baits are available from garden centres, supermarkets and DIY stores. (If you are using such methods yourself you must be careful to follow all the safety instructions.)