Conisbro’s “Hamelin” – Field Mice Move In the Oval

November 1950

South Yorkshire Times, November 4, 1950

Conisbro’s “Hamelin”

Field Mice Move In the Oval

A Paradise for Cats

But a Pied Piper Seems to be Only Remedy

” Pre-Fab ” dwellers at Conisbrough are wanting a Pied Piper. There seems to be no other way in which they can rid themselves of a plague of tiny field-mice and, more recently, rats, infesting The Oval.

Scars on the Ceilings

Nearly all the 45 houses in this Hamelin Town ” have been affected. The mice have been “in possession” for well over a year. The rats have just started coming, although as yet, none has gained entry.

The mice, most of them only an inch long, appear to come from beneath the foundations of the houses. They generally climb into the fuse cupboard run up into the ceiling and start their operations from high level. Dozens of ceilings bear scars and tiny holes made by the rodent’ teeth. Many suites of ‘ furniture show even more damage

Mrs. Ada McDonald told a reporter she heard them at night, running across her fireplace, up and down the fuse cupboard, over her bed, and on to her arms. A settee and two easy chairs have been ripped to shreds, and are now boarded up. She has seen mice run out from drawers, and she once stood screaming on the table when two scuttled out from the fireplace and toured the room. She dare not leave poison out for them because of danger to children

Borrowed a Cat

Mr. Owen Gledhill has only one mouse. He has been “laying” for it for weeks, but it has always been one step ahead of him. “It’s a cheeky little thing”, he said, “bobbing up and down” He has had traps set in various places with no effect. He followed it about the house, saw it run into drawers, beneath his feet, under the ovens and sink, and climb up the settee.

Finally, this week, he borrowed a cat. The cat stayed in all night, and the mouse stayed out. When the cat was let out in the morning., the mouse came back.

Mr Horace Fisher had only two visitors. Traps disposed of them, he thinks, after they had chipped holes in his ceilings. He has not had any more mice since then.

Another way of removing the pests is claimed by one of the housewives. When she saw her lights suddenly go out she investigated—and found that a mouse had fused it and had been electrocuted.

“Small Army” Sighted

more recently, however things have been reaching their pitch with the arrival of rats stop so far, they have been content to stay outside, but the women are fearing for their children. One says that she saw a “small army” or them leaving the Urban Council yard and entering The Oval. Not long ago Mrs Buckley saw one round her coal  place. Several neighbours had lovely time smoking it out.

Anyone with a set of pipes?