Whether you think mice are adorable, or whether they totally freak you out, you probably don’t want mice running around your house. They leave their droppings all over the place, they can damage and burrow in different places in your house, eat your food, and they multiply like crazy!
As soon as you see signs of a mouse in your home, take action and contact the pest control services before things get out of hand. Below are nine steps on how to get rid of mice in the house:
1. Keep it clean
A preventative measure when it comes to mice is to keep things clean in the first place. This means both inside and outside of the home. Inside, it means keeping food sealed up tight, taking out garbage regularly, and making sure pet food is not left around where mice can easily find it.
Outside, it means cleaning away debris, trimming bushes and grass shorter, and getting any extra stuff away from the house. Mice like to hide in and under things, especially in the fall and winter when it starts to get cold.
2. Seal it up
If you see a mouse in your home, that means they have found a way to get in, and it probably wasn’t through the front door. You’ll first want to find where it is that they are entering from, and seal it up. The best materials to use for sealing up the entryway is caulk and steel wool.
Mice cannot easily chew through these materials as they can with other materials like rubber or wood. This can also be used as a preventative measure for how to get rid of mice in the house. If you do not have mice, but the cold weather is coming, take a good hard look around your house and see if there are any possible entry points that need to be taken care of.
3. Snap traps
The classic snap trap still works. While there are some fancier versions now, any version of this trap can do the trick. Bait the trap with a food mice like. If mice have already gotten into some of your food, bait the trap with that because that is what they are looking for. A good tip for these traps is to secure the bait with either fishing line tied to the trap or glue. This gives the trap time to snap before the mice have a chance to steal the food.
4. Glue traps
These traps have sticky surfaces that the mouse sticks to when it runs over the trap, trapping it there until somebody finds it. These traps can be used with bait, but don’t need to be. Some people do not like this option because the traps don’t kill the mouse quickly or humanely.
5. Electric traps
Although a slightly more expensive option, electric traps are used with bait to attract mice to it, and then use a high-voltage electric shock to kill the mouse instantly. Some electric traps can only kill one mouse at a time, but others can trap and kill up to 10.
6. Bait stations
Bait stations are small packets of pellets that mice will be attracted to. The pellets are poison, and the mice will eat them and die. This option is slightly problematic because there is no control over where the mouse will die, exactly, so it must later be found and disposed of. As well, it is not a great option if there are pets or children around who could find and get into the packets. It is recommended that this method be used only by professionals.
7. Cats or dogs
Maybe it’s a little stereotypical, but cats and dogs are natural hunters. Some – not all – cats and dogs may enjoy taking out some mice. This method probably shouldn’t be your first line of action in the case of mouse invasion, though. Cats and dogs have minds of their own, meaning they may simply decide not to chase those pesky mice. Also, there’s no telling what they’ll do with them once they catch them and kill them.
8. Several methods
The best way to rid yourself of a mouse problem is to use several different methods. Some mice are smarter than others, some are attracted to different things than others. Use different baits, different types of traps, and different methods to catch the mice. They may look small and dumb, but mice can be incredibly cunning – it’s up to you to outsmart them.
9. Call an exterminator
You may do well to just call an exterminator right of the bat. If the mouse problem gets out of hand it’s going to cause you massive headaches, lots of time, and more money. As well, the mouse droppings and urine spread germs that can cause serious illnesses for you and your family. Exterminators know the best methods to make sure your home becomes rodent free A.S.A.P.
