How to Get Rid of Mice With Ammonia

Mice generally run away from ammonia.

An infestation of mice can be nerve-racking. They are universally detested, but many people still hesitate to kill the pesky intruders. There are natural alternatives to traps and poison you can try. Rather than killing the mice outright--and disposing of their bodies afterward--the use of ammonia wards off these creatures naturally to prevent them from entering your home.

Instructions

1. Look around the house and determine where mice could possibly enter or exit your home. Use your imagination; mice can enter through openings that are 3/8th of an inch in width. Do a thorough survey of the house, and pay particular attention to the utility lines and electric wires, drain pipes and vents located throughout your home. Seal any large holes that you find with steel wool, copper mesh stuffing, hardware cloth or mortar.

2. Fill several small bottle caps with ammonia. The smell of ammonia is said to resemble the smell of urine in many animals, including the urine of some predators. Mice have a highly developed sense of smell, and upon smelling this foul odor, they should be driven away for fear of stumbling across a stomping ground for hungry Calico cats.

3. Place the bottle caps of ammonia at all potential trouble spots and anywhere you find a surplus of possible entrances. At the same time, do your best to make sure that the placement of your ammonia doesn't repel humans more than mice. Avoid placing them directly into air vents or ducts where ventilation can funnel the foul smell throughout the home.

4. Follow up the ammonia with more standard precautions to help minimize the appeal of your home to wayward rodents. Store all dry food in closed metal containers, and securely store away all soft, fluffy material that could potentially be used as nesting material. Unprotected supplies of cardboard, paper and light plastic should also be kept at a minimum.

5. Monitor your local mice population to see if the ammonia has any effect. If your efforts come up short, or if the presence of mice becomes a (more) significant hazard to your health or well-being, pursue more traditional methods of pest control.

Tips & Warnings

• Exercise caution when working with ammonia. Ammonia is a strong, toxic chemical with vapor that can be dangerous in large concentrations.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish