Guest Posted January 18, 2006 Posted January 18, 2006 Hello there not sure if this is the right place to post in. This morning one of my Reception children found a live mouse in her tray . She had a bit of a shock but not much harm was done (we didn't catch the mouse). There was no food around but when I inspected the surrounding area I realised that nearly all the area around and all the children's trays contained a huge amount of mouse droppings. We have a spare classroom at school and the senior teacher (in heads absence) advised me for health and safety reasons to move in there with my class. We did and made the most of it. The head has called pest control person who will come tomorrow PM. She has told me that I am not allowed to clean the mouse droppings up as the pest control people need to see them. She has also told me that I am not allowed to use the spare classroom. When I discussed hygiene with her (so many of my little people suck fingers, thumbs) she told me that they were not to use their trays and felt I was going over the top!!!! Should I be worried about this, I thought perhaps I should clean/disinfect all of the area before the children come back in. I had a look in the health and safety policy but didn't really find any help on this. Any ideas please?
AnonyMouse_1027 Posted January 18, 2006 Posted January 18, 2006 we are in a hall and had a mouse problem in dec 2004 we had to close down till we got the mouse traos set and had disinfected every bit of equiptment
AnonyMouse_1490 Posted January 18, 2006 Posted January 18, 2006 Snap Hali and mine was the same time as yours (we had left some dried flowers in our cupboard.) The positive thing was that we had a chance to remove and clean all our equipment and cupboard. The droppings are obviously visible but apparantly I was told that mice urinate so much and it really smells so children shouldn't touch anything. Oh dear fairynough if you don't have a spare classroom all children may have to be sent home. There are always 2 mice and they breed every 3 weeks!!!!!!!
AnonyMouse_4177 Posted January 18, 2006 Posted January 18, 2006 Just very impressed you're still there. I am terrified of mice. When the gerbil escaped several years ago in the next door classroom I had to be coaxed back into the building! I wore fetching ties around my trouser bottoms till the thing was found (alive and thin a couple of days later) Barb
Guest Posted January 18, 2006 Posted January 18, 2006 Am a little scared of mice- more worried about the little people though. The thing is I have expressed my concern to my headteacher and she made me feel I was OTT. Tomorrow I am expected to go back into the classroom with the kids- the mose droppings are there and we actually do have a spare classroom. She made it clear I am not to use it (I think she's worried this will set the parents off). I have not made a fuss today just went on an adventure with my class and made the best of what we had. We even got some fantastic writing out of them- they made closed signs, and no mice allowed signs. Should I be doing anymore about this? If a child got ill or something would I be held responsible?- the mice have been in most cupboards as there are droppings everywhere.
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted January 18, 2006 Posted January 18, 2006 Had a quick look at rentokil website about mice....didnt realise they are carrier of Salmonella. We had to close too , the pest control we had in said they wee over everything as they walk too!! (we have just got rid of the rats but they were outside and did not come in!!) mice2 perhaps a little more research to have evidence of their carriying these diseases may help in persuading headteacher that is would be safer to move classromm than for a child to pick up salmonella. Inge
AnonyMouse_79 Posted January 18, 2006 Posted January 18, 2006 Sorry fairynough, dont have any answers. I have worked in a school that had a mouse problem and although we sometimes found them in the classroom I'm not aware of problems with droppings etc. I dont think you can be held responsible, ultimately your head has that, you could make a risk assessment though and vacate the classroom as much as possible---hopefully it will be mild again tomorrow could you go out? use the library? the hall? etc. Keep contact with drawers and cupboards restricted and do something different with the children? If you are really bothered seek union advice. Perhaps a stroppy parent will materilaise in the morning, its unlikely the mouse tale wont get home!
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted January 18, 2006 Posted January 18, 2006 (edited) just found this site too.....forgot about lyme disease peidpiper Inge sorry not out to scare you but just a few facts about mice..... Edited January 18, 2006 by Inge
Guest Posted January 18, 2006 Posted January 18, 2006 Thanks Susan I will fill in a risk assessment and use the outdoors and hall as much as possible. Am hopeful about an angry parent as children were running out the door shouting about mice and my TA insisted head sent a letter out. I also spoke to the mum of the little girl who found it as she was v. unsettled all day. Thanks Inge, little bit scared reading some of that but good to know- it' wasn't the mice that bothered me just the droppings- I didn't know about the urine or salmonella. Poor you with the rats - was there a cause? As always thanks for listening it is always great to let off steam.
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted January 18, 2006 Posted January 18, 2006 Yes, the rats came from the local park to eat from the rubbish the local residents did not put in dustbins, just bin bags. They also began to live behind the garages next to the hall ....caretaker spend days clearing out all the rubbish from behind them , they have also insisted that the residents must put the rubbish in bins. we called in a pest control company ourselves when the church we rent from could not find anyone for 3 weeks!! a little resaerch and lots of calls later we had someone that day and a lot cheaper too....the church paid the bill!! Luckily they stayed out of the hall ...parents were Ok about it, we kept them informed. Inge
Guest Posted January 18, 2006 Posted January 18, 2006 What a life we all have trying to teach. Mind you at least no two days are the same.
Guest Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 Hi Susan, I have had a tough day. I filled in a risk assessment which the head wouldn't sign (I think all staff think I have gone over the top). I photocopied it and went through it with my TA. We had a busy day and kept the children away from the main places we found the droppings. We were in the hall and outside lots. I also found the mice have been all over my cupboard which is full of stuff!!!!! The pest control man has been and layed poison. The childrens trays have been washed and also the surrounding areas. As for the rest of the clearing up I suppose I will have to do it myself I feel all containers and resources the mice have been in should be washed and disinfected and will obviously do this before the children use them. I just feel very sad about the whole thing. moan over, thanks for your advice yeseterday.
AnonyMouse_79 Posted January 19, 2006 Posted January 19, 2006 Sorry you found yourself in this position but you covered your own back as you felt appropriate. Hopefully the poison will do the trick and you can put it down to experience. Better to be safe than sorry. good luck.
AnonyMouse_3307 Posted January 20, 2006 Posted January 20, 2006 Ahh, the mouse! My last school (big and victorian) was riddled with them and we had pest control practically as a permanent fixture. Obviously we couldn't close a 350 pupil school everytime a mouse was evidenced so we had to learn to make sure that their favourite things were always out of their access. No foodstuffs of any sort, they can climb like mountain goats and jump like olympic challengers so just putting stuff up high was no good! Once they climbed up the fabric backing the wall and ate the sunflower seeds off the display!! They will get into drawers to eat things that are stored in them too, like plasticene etc. If a pencil can be pushed under a door the mouse can get under there so you might be able to block any obvious entrance points likearound pipes going into the ground? Anyway, we just kept the place as clear and as clean as possible, cleaned up where we had seen evidence of them and let mr rentokil do the rest. For a while you might start to find dead ones, they try to find warm places I think so under cupboards and near radiators - some response to the poison, so don't put your hands under things without checking first!! They'll go away. Cx
Guest Posted January 21, 2006 Posted January 21, 2006 Oh dear, What a couple of days you had. I think you were sensible to ensure you'd covered your own back and kept your children as safe as possible given the restrictions imposed! Never think your OTT if children are involved - they always manage to find the one thing you've missed otherwise Hope you don't have any more problems with mice Lu
Guest Posted January 22, 2006 Posted January 22, 2006 Thanks Catma and Princess Lu. I feel much calmer about the whole thing now. Thanks everyone for your advice and support with this. x
Guest Posted January 22, 2006 Posted January 22, 2006 My cat who catches a lot of mice - outside I must say - has to be wormed regularly because of the danger of being infected from the mice. Just another thing to watch. Mice can live off the crumbs on the floor.
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