How to Mouse-Proof a House

Cute but unsanitary.

As cute as the little rascals look behind the glass in the pet store, they are rarely welcomed into a home to run free. Wild mice carry a number of diseases and their eating and nesting habits can wreak havoc on a home’s wiring and ducting systems. In addition, a single mouse can remove a good chunk of padding from an upholstered chair or sofa before you notice. Since preventing mice is easier and cleaner than getting rid of them, try some techniques before the squeaking starts.

Things You'll Need

• Steel wool
• Mortar (for masonry)
• Silicon caulking
• Flashlight
• Mouse traps
• Cat

Instructions

1. Make a thorough investigation of your home, looking for places a mouse could enter from the outside. Mice are stealthy creatures and if there is a small space, they’ll find a way to get in. Use the flashlight and look under eaves, in crawl spaces, where plumbing enters and leaves your home and where your heat and air conditioning hoses are located. A space no bigger than ½-inch is sufficient for a mouse to enter.

2. Use steel wool to plug up the holes. The reason it works is because a mouse can't chew through it. If you stuff rags into the holes, you’re just providing nesting material in a convenient place.

3. Use traps for mice that are already in your house. You can choose traditional traps, or if you’re squeamish, try humane traps that catch a mouse without killing it. Mouse poison works but the mice may crawl into a wall and die, making your house smell for a week or so.

4. Apply silicon caulking around plastic and PVC plumbing to seal gaps. Another substance impervious to mice, silicon provides a complete seal that will last for years.

5. Check under your sink and around the venting pipes of your stove. Of all the places a mouse could go, they like the kitchen the best for obvious reasons. There’s an endless supply of cookies, bread and leftovers. Mice travel along your drainpipes and come right up under your sink.

6. Get a cat. This is an old standby but it really works. The cat will catch the mice already present in the house and scare away ones in the yard. If you currently have a mouse problem, put your cat in the kitchen at night and open the cabinet doors before going to bed. When the lights go down, the mice will come out and (hopefully) your cat will catch them.

Tips & Warnings

• Mice carry Hantavirus and other diseases. It’s important to rid your house of mice and take steps to keep it mouse-free.