Portsmouth mum glad for council's help after finding mice in her sofa
A WOMAN has thanked the city council for its help despite lockdown, after experiencing a ‘major’ mouse infestation in her home that included finding baby mice living in her sofa.
Buckland mum-of-three Lauren Clark was left 'horrified' when she discovered 10 infant rodents in the back of her sofa in her two-bedroom maisonette.
The shock came as part of an infestation that started in March - just as the coronavirus pandemic was starting to affect daily life in Portsmouth - including 'non-essential' council services.
Lauren, 28, said: 'It was just a nightmare. They were chewing through everything. You could see big holes in the ceilings and floors where they were coming though.
'I tried to block up what I could. Pest control came out when I first saw a mouse. But then the coronavirus lockdown happened so I could only ask for help over the phone.
'It was causing health problems for me and my children because of the stress of it.'
Lauren laid down poison and used steel wool to block some of the gaps used by the mice.
This week council pest control services arrived to assess the problem.
She added: 'Someone came from the council in PPE and kept their distance to lay down some poison and to record everything to then see how things progress.
'I'm so grateful that they could do that at the moment. It will make such a difference to me and my children.
'We live in a block of eight maisonettes so I was worried that this could be a problem across the whole building but now I’m relieved it’s being taken care of.’
A spokeswoman for Portsmouth City Council said there was no fixed date for routine pest control services to re-start following the lockdown, but that ‘emergency’ situations are still being assisted.
Help has also been available over the phone during the lockdown.
Advice on what to do if you think you have a pest problem can be found on the council website at portsmouth.gov.uk/ext/environmental-health/pests/pest-control.