How to get rid of household mice
Mice can prove to be pesky, irritating and unwanted household guests – fortunately there are a number of pest control methods to rid your home of mice infestations.
An infestation of mice can cause a number of problems in a domestic family environment. Not only might the scurrying of tiny feet between the walls keep you awake at night but you’ll find holes regularly appearing in furniture, wiring and food packaging, all of which will need to be repaired or replaced at a cost and inconvenience to you. And let’s not get started on the droppings. Plus, there is the risk that these creatures might carry and spread infections and disease among the family.
Getting rid of mice can take time and effort, but at their rate of reproduction (a single healthy couple are able to produce 100 offspring a year!) it is best to simultaneously clear the infestation and protect your home against a repeated invasion – the easiest and most humane way to do this is to hire a pest control specialist.
Looking for signs of mice in your home
Before you go about laying traps or hiring a pest control company, take the time to figure out exactly where the mice are nesting in your home. Generally the creatures don’t like to run about in the open but prefer scurrying next to walls – laying some talcum powder along the skirting boards and then checking for tracks should help you to locate their regular hideouts. Also keep a lookout for holes in the walls, plus dirt smudges, droppings and trails of urine. If you actually spot a mouse try to get a look at what variety you are dealing with, as different kinds will respond better to particular baits. While house mice are generally of a greyish colouring and have longer tails, field mice or wild mice tend to be of lighter shades with short tails, a large head, feet and ears and protruding eyes. While house mice will usually eat anything, field mice tend to be more fussy – which means using seeds or oats to lure them to traps rather than the popular cheese or peanut butter options. If your mice are anything longer than five or six inches, then they’re probably not mice at all - which means you need to start looking into getting rid of rats.
How to stop mice getting into your home
The most obvious method of preventing a mouse infestation is to maintain a clean and tidy home. Cut off food sources and nesting spots, by ensuring that food and waste is correctly stored and enclosed; throw away any contaminated items just to be on the safe side. If you have pets, use elevated food dishes and clean them straight away so mice aren’t attracted by the smell. Regularly dusting and vacuuming should also ensure any crumbs are removed. Unwanted clutter in spare rooms should also be cleared or tidied away, as this offers shelter and safety for mice. This goes for the garden too – messy compost heaps, high-growing weeds and an accumulation of rubbish are all likely to attract mice to your home. It is also important to check the exterior of your home for holes that mice can gain entry through – fully grown adult mice can squeeze through gaps as small as 6mm. Fill these holes with steel wool, cement or silicon caulking, or hire a pest control company to find and seal these holes for you.
Laying mouse traps
Conventional snap-traps are the most popular method for catching and killing your unwanted rodents. As long as they are placed in the right areas and you use the correct bait, you should find most mice are easily ensnared – just remember to wear gloves when disposing of their bodies. These traps are quick and hassle-free but don’t always kill the mouse straight away; sometimes you might have to finish the job yourself. The same goes for cats – although they don’t mind chasing mice every now and then, most well-fed felines won’t bother killing off an entire infestation. If you’re looking for something more effective, zapper-traps – which lure mice into cages and administer a small electric shock – might do the job better. These are usually more expensive though and require constant battery replacement.
Although laying down poison is also an option, this really should be considered as a last resort – not only can it be dangerous to humans and pets but they can also give off a strong, unpleasant odour. Once the mice are killed, there is also the trouble of finding their rotting corpses – never an enjoyable task. If you find the infestation is too much for you to handle, however, you should think about hiring an exterminator, which can cost as little as £50, depending on the scale of your problem.
Humane ways to deter mice
Most rodents have a natural aversion to mint, so growing some of the plants in your front or back gardens can deter mice from coming near the home. If you are sure of an infestation, covering some cotton balls in peppermint oil and placing them along the walls and in the corners of your home might also prove effective in encouraging mice to leave the area. If you are looking for a quicker way to clean out your home, catch-traps might be a better option. Just be sure to relocate the mouse at least a mile away from your home and preferably not on somebody else’s doorstep! A rural environment where they can obtain food from their surroundings is your best bet to making sure that’s where they stay, leaving your neighbourhood and home free from all the problems of a mouse infestation.
