Top tips

■ Where you see them or their droppings, their entry point isn’t far away

■ Plug small gaps or holes with plain steel wool

■ Screw small grade mesh, 5mm, on square entry points

■ Keep trees at least half a metre from the gutter edge

■ Less is more when baiting traps

■ Mice can squeeze into a gap the size of a pinky finger, while rats can jam into thumbsized spaces

■ Tidy up the garden and pick up fruit from the ground

■ Watch your compost – avoid putting dairy and meat in compost and keep contents moist

■ Don’t use wax bait to lure mice, use soft bait or a snap trap