Last Updated on October, 2024
Are you struggling with those pesky mice invading your space? Well, you’re not alone!
Dealing with mice can be a nuisance, but you don’t have to worry anymore.
In this article, I’ll provide some simple and effective methods and prevention tips to get rid of those unwanted guests once and for all.
Are you ready to reclaim your territory from those furry intruders? If YES, let’s begin.
Quick Summary
- There are multiple ways to get rid of mice including sealing entry points, using mouse traps, eliminating food sources, and using chemical or natural repellents.
- It is important to take action as soon as possible to prevent diseases and a severe infestation.
- There are certain signs to look out for that indicate a mouse infestation, such as droppings, nests, chew marks, and unusual pet behavior. Additionally, taking preventative measures such as sealing cracks, storing food properly, and keeping a clean home can help avoid infestations in the first place.
How to Get Rid of Mice? Some Simple Methods
Are you wondering how to get rid of mice in your home? Let’s discuss some of the most effective ways.
Close the Entry Points
Mice are tiny creatures, about 2-3 inches long. Hence, they can squeeze and enter your house through small holes and cracks. Even one-quarter of an inch is enough for mice to enter. If you can put a pencil into a hole, a mouse can enter through it.
Inspect your house thoroughly and identify the entry points. Pipes, sinks, basements, attics, and cracks around windows and doors are possible entry points for mice.
If there are any such entry points, seal them with duct tape or stuff steel wool into them. Steel wool is unpleasant for mice to chew. Don’t use plastic, rubber, and wood-like items as sealants. Mice can easily gnaw the above items. Seal the window and door gaps with weather stripping.
Set Up Mouse Traps
Trapping is an effective way to get rid of mice in your house. Mice are mostly active at night. They come out of their hiding places, searching for food at night. You can place traps with their favourite food items and lure them.
There are different types of mouse traps on the market. Below are some of them.
- Snap traps: Snap traps are the most common type of mouse traps. They have a spring system that snaps shut when the mouse tries to eat the food. Snap traps kill mice instantly without much suffering.
- Humane traps: Humane traps, also called live traps, capture the mouse and keep it alive. You can release the mouse later.
If you have a soft spot for rodents, use live traps. Ensure you release them at least a mile from your home and in an uninhabited area. Remember, there’s still a chance that the mice may return to your home through cracks.
So, it’s better to avoid live traps. Furthermore, the house mouse is not used to outdoor conditions. Hence, it may die after releasing it outdoors even if you don’t kill it.
- Electric traps: Electric traps use electric shocks to kill mice quickly. They are battery-powered, and the battery can run out quickly, hence, electric traps are more expensive than others.
Some electric traps light up when a mouse is trapped, making the disposal easy. Electric traps are designed in such a way that they won’t shock pets or humans. So you can use it without fear.
- Glue traps: A glue trap contains a sticky substance coated onto a flat surface. When a mouse steps onto this surface, its feet stick to it, and makes escape impossible.
Using a glue trap is an inhumane and less effective method. Hence, it’s not recommended. The bait and placement are important for the mouse trap to work effectively.
What type of bait can you use?
Peanut butter is one of the most commonly used bait, but you can also use cheese, chocolate, buttered popcorn, bird nuts, etc. Replace the bait with fresh food every few days. If the food items are not working, keep nesting materials such as cotton balls or feathers.
Where do you place mouse traps?
Identify the areas where the mice move at night. Look for mouse droppings, remains of chews, etc. Place the mousetrap in those places and change the location every two days. Place the mousetrap perpendicular to the walls. Ensure the trigger section is towards the baseboard.
Mice usually scurry along the wall. Hence, the above placement ensures the mouse comes directly towards the bait. Don’t touch the mouse directly while discarding it. Wear gloves to prevent any risk of disease.
Clean Out Any Food Sources
Sometimes, mice come to your home to eat leftover food. For example, you may have food remains in your garbage can, or excess pet food in your pet’s cage. Eliminating such food sources is an efficient way to get rid of pesky mice and other rodents.
Keep bins outdoors, away from your home, or empty the garbage bin every day. If there are any food crumbs, clean them out to keep your home clean.
Use a Chemical or Natural Repellent
Natural and chemical repellents will keep mice away from your home and prevent mice infestation. Essential oils such as peppermint oil and clove oil repel mice naturally. Peppermint emits a strong unpleasant smell to mice.
Soak cotton balls with peppermint oil and place them in different places in your home where you suspect mice visit. You can also keep them at the door and window cracks.
Peppermint oil will dry out after a few days. Hence, resoak the cotton puffs a couple of times within a week. You can crush peppers and sprinkle them in areas where you see mice droppings or any other signs of mice visiting.
Vinegar is another natural repellent. You can soak cotton puffs in vinegar and place them in different areas of your home. The smell of dish soap repels mice. Mix dish soap in water bowls and keep them around your house.
Another way to repel mice is by placing mothballs in and around the house. However, this only works 65% of the time though. Remember, mothballs are toxic to pets and humans. Therefore, ensure your pets or children don’t eat them. Mothballs must be kept in well-ventilated areas.
Most chemical repellents are poisonous to children and pets. Therefore, if you’re using any chemical repellent, be cautious and follow the instructions on the label carefully.
Attention: Using bait stations to get rid of mice
Bait stations or rodenticides are meals or pellets with poison. When mice eat the poison, they die. However, bait stations are not recommended due to accidental poisoning of children or other pets.
Get a Cat
If you like to have a pet, then consider getting a cat. Research suggests that a combination of cats and dogs effectively scares off rodents.
The smell of cat urine also scares off mice. Therefore, instead of a cat, you can buy cat litter and spread it in areas where mice visit. Keep the cat litter away from children. If you are getting a cat, ensure no family member is allergic to it, and you can afford the cost of food and other needs.
Call a Professional Pest Control Company
Mice carry diseases. Hence, tackling the mouse problem as soon as possible is crucial. Call us for professional pest control service if any of the above methods are not working.
We will inspect the severity of the mouse infestation, entry points, etc., and suggest the most effective method to eliminate the rodent problem. The cost of professional pest control may vary depending on your location, the size of your house, and the severity of the mice infestation.
Signs of a Mouse Infestation
How do you know there’s a mouse infestation in your house? Below are some signs.
- Mice droppings: Mice droppings appear as dark grains about a quarter inch long. They are a sure sign of mice visits.
- Mice nests: Mice build nests with soft materials like paper. If you find any such nests inside the cupboard, behind the sink, etc., it indicates a mouse infestation.
- Chew marks: Food sources attract mice. Hence, your kitchen is a hotspot for these pets. Check if there are any chew marks on your kitchen wires, food containers, pantry, etc.
- Food crumbs or debris: Did you see any food crumbs or debris in the middle of the kitchen or room that was not there the previous night? It might be the work of mice.
- Musty odour: Mice infestations emit a musty smell in confined spaces.
- Sounds: If you hear scratching and scurrying at night, it indicates mouse infestations.
- Strange pet behaviours: Pets can detect pests. If your pet behaves oddly, for example, scratching and barking at appliances, it may be due to an infestation.
If the infestation has become severe, you may see live mice moving inside your house.
Alert: Mice droppings, urine, bites, and contact can cause diseases like plague, pox, typhoid, salmonellosis, and leptospirosis. Therefore, when you spot any sign of mice infestations, you must act quickly to remove them from your home.
Tips to Prevent Mice Infestations
Preventing mice infestations in the first place would save you from loads of trouble. How can you do that? Here are some simple tips.
- Mice can enter your house through tiny openings. Inspect and seal cracks with mouse-proof materials.
- A food source can be a major attraction for mice – store food in airtight containers so that they can’t chew through them.
- Sweep and vacuum clean your house to get rid of food crumbs.
- Some mice come to eat pet food. Empty your pet’s food bowl each night.
- Fallen fruit or unpicked vegetables in your garden are a food source for mice. So, remove any fallen fruit and keep your yard clean.
- Tree branches and shrubs invite mice and other pests into your house. Trim the shrubs and keep tree branches 18 inches from the roof.
- Mice look for warm places to live. Clean up cardboard and paper piles in your storeroom.
- Trash cans attract mice and rodents. Use bins with tight lids or close them with rubber cords. Clean in and out of the bin regularly.
- The smell of some essential oils repel mice. Keep these essential oils in entryways, cabinets, etc.
Note: You must clean up after mice infestations to prevent future infestations and diseases. Use a mix of water and bleach, or a disinfectant like Lysol to clean up.
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Get Rid of the Mouse Problem Effectively
There are different ways to get rid of mice in your home. Some of these include closing the cracks and holes, placing mouse traps, using natural or chemical repellents, and removing food sources.
If you can’t handle the situation, call us at 783 030 4098. Clean your home after an infestation and follow preventive measures to avoid future rodent problems.
