Family terrorised by mice infestation at Dennistoun home

Abdullah Saleh says he has been living in fear with his wife and three children after rodents took over their property 12 weeks ago.

The 46-year-old claims access to the bathroom and kitchen had to be reduced after constantly spotting vermin in those areas.

Abdullah Saleh pictured with a mouse trap at home (Image: Newsquest)

Abdullah said: “Mice are in my property, the situation is making my family scared and worried.

“We are terrified to use the bathroom and kitchen because we keep seeing them everywhere.

“We first noticed the problem around three months ago, they come out mostly at night and they leave droppings.

“It can’t be healthy to have to live beside them, I have no idea how many there actually are.

“There is also exposed wall insulation at the property which I think the mice have been living in.”

The mice are living at the property (Image: Newsquest)

Abdullah claims he raised the alarm immediately but was left without help for three months.

The Glasgow Times contacted the family’s housing association, the Wheatley Group, who said they have now stepped in to tackle the mice infestation.

They added they had no record of the issue until October, and claimed it is normally a council issue but wanted to help the tenant as soon as possible.

However Glasgow City Council insisted that mice in a house is a property owner issue, and they can pick which ever pest control service they want to deal with the issue.

The council also offer a free pest control service however no one is obliged to use this service.

The mice have allegedly been living in loose wall insulation (Image: Newsquest)

The family believe exposed wall insulation is where the mice have been living, but the Wheatley Group can’t remove it until the all the rodents have been removed.

Mice living in a property can cause “serious harm” according to the British Pest Control Association.

They reported that rodents have been known to spread nasty diseases, such as Salmonella and Listeria, to humans through their urine, droppings and bedding.

The family have trying to get the mice out their home (Image: Sourced)

It comes as they must mark their territory with their urine and due to their sporadic eating habits, and build nests near food sources.

This puts anyone with an infestation at risk of food poisoning as they carry dirt and bacteria with them, transferring it to counter tops, cabinets, pantry and anywhere else they travel.

These nibbling nuisances can also cause a lot of property damage, due to their compulsive need to gnaw to maintain their teeth at a constant length.

Electric cables, water and gas pipes, packaging and woodwork may all be seriously damaged by mice - many instances of electrical fires and floods have been attributed to them.

A Wheatley Homes Glasgow spokesperson said: “We stepped in to help the tenant as soon as we heard about the mice infestation.

“Tenants can also contact the council’s pest control department, which is responsible for dealing with infestations.

“We wanted to help quickly so we arranged for a specialist pest control team to visit the home.

“We’ll keep in regular contact with our tenant to make sure the treatment has worked.”

A spokesman for the council said: “The householder at this address first requested assistance with a pest issue on May 9 and our team attended the following day to begin a pest control treatment.

“The householder subsequently requested a revisit in August, which was followed up on August 23, and we have received no further contact from the householder since then.

“Our pest control team can offer advice on how to prevent pests from entering a premises, but any repairs needed to pest proof a property can only be undertaken by the resident or the property owner.”