How to Get Rid of a Mouse Problem

The fall and winter months are a time when mice become indoor dwellers in order to find food and stay warm. The best solution is to prevent the problem but there are also ways to eliminate mice that have already entered a home.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• peppermint oil
• mouse trap
• steel wool

1. Before the cold months hit, use preventive measures to make it more difficult for mice to enter a house. This includes sealing holes of any size. Check for foundation cracks and gaps under doors. Stick pieces of steel wool in holes that lead into the house from outside or an attic or basement. Mice will not pass though or chew through steel wool. Keep basement doors and attic entrances sealed. Check cupboards for cracks or holes too.

2. Create an unfriendly environment with peppermint oil which is a natural deterrent to mice. Soak cotton balls in the peppermint oil and place them in the attic, basement, cupboards, garage, inside tile ceilings, along the wall, etc. Also, create a spray bottle two drops peppermint oil and two cups water and spray throughout the house. Repeat every few days in the colder months.

3. Place traps out for mice. There are humane traps available that will catch a mouse and then release it, however, if the mouse is not released far away from the home, it will make it's way back inside. Snap traps are also effective. Place a small drop of peanut butter as bait and place several snap traps throughout the home. Be careful to place them out of reach of children and pets. Check the traps and dispose of dead mice immediately while wearing gloves and washing hands right away after handing the trap.

4. Leave dead trees in the yard as they make good homes to barn owls which are natural mouse hunters. If the tree is in danger of falling, have it trimmed down to where it cannot fall on anything. Having a barn owl around will eliminate most mice around a home.

5. DO NOT put out poison to eliminate a mouse problem. A poisoned mouse does not dies right away and can die inside walls or floorboards. It could also get outdoors and poison a mouse predator such as an owl or cat. This will eliminate the natural mouse prevention outside the home. Definitely do not use mouse poison if you have indoor pets or children.

6. Clean. Clean. Clean. The less clutter and piles of junk inside and around a house the less likely a mouse will want to nest in a closet or cluttered space. Make the environnment unfriendly and do not provide a food source for mice and they will seek shelter elsewhere.

[amethystautumn]

on 12/9/2009 Nice article.