Have you seen a little furry creature sneak out of the corner of your eye, or have you heard scratches coming from inside the walls when you try to fall asleep at night? Finding a mouse in the house is not uncommon, and there are many ways to solve this problem. Whichever method you choose, fight the infestation right away, or the mice will multiply before you know it.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Determine the Extent of Your Problem with Mice
Step 1. Watch out for sudden movements
Mice are intelligent creatures that are not easily seen during daylight hours. You may notice a small movement out of the corner of your eye and don't realize it was a mouse. The next time you notice movement, take it as a sign that you should investigate further.
Step 2. Look for scratching noises
It is easier to hear a rat at night when the house is quiet. You may hear small footsteps or scratches that appear to be coming from the walls.
- If you hear the footsteps of mice running along the walls, it means that you will have to deal with more than one creature.
- If you hear squeaks, you may be dealing with a rat hole full of puppies.
Step 3. Look for excrement
Mouse droppings are small, dark, and seed-shaped. The new droppings are moist and black, while the older ones will be dry and have a lighter gray color.
- Notice in which room you see the droppings. The presence of excrement in a room indicates that something in the room is attracting mice.
- The presence of droppings can also indicate that there is a crack or hole in the room for mice to enter.
Step 4. Look for the lair
You'll likely find one in the same place you found the droppings. The dens are usually built in the corners of cabinets or closets. Look for inconspicuous spots that aren't frequented often.
- Mice gnaw through cardboard boxes and clothing to obtain material to build their burrows. Look for small holes in the pile of clothes you left at the bottom of the closet.
- A stale smell indicates the presence of a rat den.
Method 2 of 3: Catching the Mice
Step 1. Try traps that catch live mice
Mice are lured into these plastic traps by the smell of the bait placed inside them, usually peanut butter or cheese. They enter a small hole and get trapped. Once the mouse has been caught, you can take the trap to a park or forest and free it.
- Place the traps in the room where you found the droppings or the lair. Traps that catch live mice are more expensive than others, so start by buying just one or two.
- If you have a more extensive infestation, it may not be practical to catch mice with these traps, as you would have to make a lot of trips to the woods to free them.
Step 2. Use sticky traps
These types of traps look like small cardboard houses. The bottom is covered in a goo that attracts mice, then traps their paws so they can't escape. The traps are then thrown into the trash together with the mouse.
- Purchase several sticky traps and place them in the room where you found the droppings or the lair. Don't forget to put some in the closet or closet.
- Larger sticky traps can trap more than one mouse at a time.
- Mice won't die in sticky traps right away, and unfortunately, you may be forced to hear their whining squeaks until you get rid of them. Keep this in mind when deciding which trap to buy.
Step 3. Consider traditional mouse traps
Mouse traps are accompanied by a peanut butter or cheese bait. When the mouse walks on the trap to eat the bait, its weight will cause the trap to snap and crush it.
- Snap traps are cheap, so you can buy many and place them where you think there might be mice. Place a sheet of newspaper under each trap to make cleaning easier.
- Snap traps eliminate mice instantly, so they are more "humane" than sticky ones. However, they can be less pleasant to clean. Be sure to throw them away as soon as they catch a mouse, and disinfect the area afterwards.
Step 4. Unleash a cat
Cats are natural predators of mice, and are as effective at catching mice as traps. Let your cat spend time in the room where the mice are present. It shouldn't take your cat long to deal with the problem.
- Some people borrow a friend's cat for this purpose.
- Getting a cat around your property is a great deterrent against mice, and may prevent them from occurring.
Method 3 of 3: Prevent the Mice from Returning
Step 1. Clean the house
Scrub any nooks and crannies to get rid of rat burrows and materials that can be used by mice to build them. Throw away old boxes, bags, books, magazines, and any other paper or cloth materials you have left lying around.
- Disinfect any areas where you have found excrement, a burrow or where you have caught a mouse.
- Don't store things in cardboard boxes to keep on the ground, because mice can gnaw them.
- Remove piles and piles, especially in corners of the house that are not used frequently.
Step 2. Remove the mouse food
You may not assume it is "their" food, but mice are attracted to all kinds of edible substances they can find on the floor, on counters and in cupboards.
- If your garden trees drop edible fruits and berries, be sure to harvest them on a regular basis.
- Remove bird food that comes out of a feeder a few times a week.
- Make sure the outer trash can has a tight lid, and always keep it covered.
- Do not leave dog and cat food out all day; remove it as soon as your pet has finished eating.
Step 3. Store food differently
Make sure all grains, nuts, and other dry foods are sealed in plastic, glass, or metal containers.
- Open boxes of food attract mice; store open foods in a sealed container and recycle the box.
- Don't leave bread or fruit on the kitchen counter for more than a day or two.
- Clean your pantry and cabinets often. Make sure you don't leave crumbs, juice stains and other bits of food on the kitchen floor.
Step 4. Seal the access points
Make sure the space under your door doesn't offer a convenient entry point for mice. You can purchase materials for sealing openings at a hardware store or home and garden supply store.
- Keep windows closed or with a net.
- Seal the cracks and holes you find in the walls, especially the external ones. Steel wool is a cheap material that you can tuck into cracks to keep mice away.
Step 5. Use mouse repellent
Place a substance that can keep them out of the way, in corners of the house and near doors, cracks, and other entry points for mice.
- Peppermint and plants from the mint family keep mice away. Sprinkle home peppermint oil, or peppermint plant near doors and windows.
- Bay leaves also keep mice away. Pest them and spread them around the house, or place whole leaves in the corners of pantries and cabinets.
- Mothballs and rat poison are effective repellents, but these substances are poisonous to humans and animals. If you use them, make sure children and pets stay away from them.
Advice
- Sprinkle talcum powder in areas where you suspect the presence of mice. If a mouse passes over it, you can follow its tracks to the lair.
- If you can't catch mice with your traps, try moving them to a new location after a few days.
