Getting Rid of House Mice

Mice can carry diseases and infect your home if you do not get rid of them quickly.

Having a mouse in your house causes many problems. Mice are nocturnal animals and their gnawing and scurrying around can be disturbing to light sleepers. They can gnaw on electrical cords, causing wiring to fail and potentially starting a fire. Mice, which can carry diseases, seek out food, contaminating cupboards, shelves and counters with their droppings. Mice are much smaller than rats, only around 1-2 inches in length. They procreate quickly so it's important to take action as soon as you realize you have a mouse problem.

Things You'll Need

• Cleaning products
• Expanding foam or caulk
• Wooden snap traps
• Cheese or peanut butter
• Rubber gloves
• Bleach

Instructions

1. Clean the house. Because rodents and insects are attracted to food, it's important to do a thorough cleaning, especially in the kitchen. Move the stove and refrigerator away from the wall and clean behind them. Wipe down counters, clean around the garbage areas and scrub the floors. Invest in a closed garbage can with a lid to reduce garbage odor.

2. Seal up cracks around pipes and under the sink using expanding foam, boards or caulk. Look for any hole or other point of egress that mice can use to get into your home. Look around doorways, windows and near baseboards, as well.

3. Set traps. Purchase basic wooden mouse traps from the local hardware store. Set the trap by pulling the metal bar backward and securing it with the pin. Place a desirable treat on the metal tab on the opposite end of the trap. Crunchy peanut butter or a strong smelling cheese will work nicely. Be careful to hold the bar in place while applying the bait or the trap will snap on you.

4. Place the traps away from where pets and children can access them. Place them at right angles near the wall in places where you've seen evidence of mice, about 6 to 10 feet apart.

5. Check traps daily. If you've caught a mouse, dispose of the body in a double plastic bag and put it in an outdoor garbage can. Reset the traps with fresh bait until all of the mice are caught. Use gloves when handling mice or mouse feces. When you are ready to stop using traps, disinfect the area with a mixture of bleach and water.

Tips & Warnings

• Store grains, rice and cereals in plastic containers to prevent mice from smelling them.

• Using poison to kill mice can cause them to die in hard to reach places, like in your walls. You may not realize this until the smell becomes a problem.

References

• New York State Department of Health: Mouse Control
• Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides: A Mouse- and Pesticide-Free House