How to get rid of mice? (Humanely)
As much as we don’t like to say it, mice are still animals trying to survive in a complex ecosystem. Unfortunately, human-mouse interaction is usually through poisoning, which can sometimes feel too extreme. Thankfully, this article is in your best interest in getting rid of mice in a humane manner.
While mice mean no harm to us, the mere presence of these unwanted visitors in your home can result in problems. What’s more, with the aim of trying to control them, we end up eradicating their population through killing them. To many, exterminating mice might sound like the only solution to get rid of them, but truth be told, it’s not. There are other effective, yet less extreme ways, in getting rid of mice.
Top 5 ways of humanly getting rid of mice:
Seal the entry points
The best and most effective way is sealing the entry points of these mice. That’s before the mice find this route and invade your home. This might prove to be challenging since mice can squeeze through any tight spot, but it’s not impossible.You can use a pencil to properly know if a space is ample enough for a mouse to squeeze through. The next step is to seal all cracks in the walls, including where the vents and utility pipes are. More importantly, you should avoid using rubber, plastic, or wood as sealants since these are products that mice can easily gnaw through.- Good Sanitation
Maintaining proper sanitation is also another effective way of trying to reduce the chances of an invasion of mice in your home. But that doesn’t mean maintaining cleanliness will scare them away. However, poor sanitation will most definitely attract mice to your home. Mice generally eat four grams of food daily. That means if you have a few scraps here and there, then that’s enough to feed a mouse in your home for days. If you vacuum your home, wipe down most of the counters, and eliminate food residues on the floor of your house, that will help tame the invasion of mice. - Using CatsThe legendary Tom and Jerry cartoon series is enough to teach you an effective way of dealing with mice. Simply put, all you have to do is adopt a cat in your home. Most cats love to hunt mice. That is the best way of dealing with your rodent problem without even lifting a finger. So, if you don’t have pets, then you should stop watching all the cat videos online and get one for yourself.
- Use Mice RepellantSeveral smells will completely scare away mice from your home. One of them is the smell of garlic, but the best option is peppermint. Mice have a sharp sense of smell. So, if you use these scents in your home, they will try to avoid your house.
- Use Aluminum foilUsing aluminum foil might sound like something out of the ordinary, but this is kryptonite to mice. There’s something about aluminum that really spooks mice, and they will stay away from any aluminum foil. Lay down the foil in areas you feel may have a high concentration of mice.
Seal the entry pointsIn Summary
Well, there you have it! It’s not always about killing mice. You can also find humane, yet effective ways, of dealing with your mouse problem without having to eliminate these species. All in all, if you have a really serious mouse problem, then it’s time to call a professional pest removal service.
How to keep mice from getting into your house?
A lot of people have experienced having repeated rodent infestations in their homes. Most think that there’s no other way to get rid of them unless you contact your local pest control every once in a while, and any solution other than that and you’ll find yourself trapped in an endless cycle of baiting and trapping rodents. There is one solution that people often overlook, even though it’s the best way to keep your house rodent-free for a long time, and that’s rodent proofing-your home.
Rodent proofing your home is the best way to not only get rid of existing mice but also prevent them from getting in again. Below are some tips to make your house rodent-free:
- Inspect your home. Observe your home and take note of any gaps in windows and ceilings, holes in floor and walls, and unsealed pipes. Mice are very creative, and they can get into unsealed drainage systems and crawl up entry holes in pipes and gas lines. You can use a UV flashlight to detect urine and locate areas where there might be rodent activity.
- Look outside. Tree branches should be kept trimmed at least 3 feet away from any exterior walls of your house to prevent them from using it as pathways. Pipes can also be used as pathways, and one way to prevent this is by painting your pipe bottoms using high gloss paint. Check your chimneys, vents, and pipes as well, and make sure they have a screen.
- Repair. Most homeowners underestimate mice and don’t seal holes because they think it’s too small for mice to fit in, but due to their body shape they can fit into holes that are much smaller than them. Be sure to seal any cracks and holes in your walls and floors that are more than ¼ of an inch to prevent mice from getting in through them. Similarly, seal any gaps around your doors and window frames that are more than ¼ of an inch.
- Replace. Replace worn-out weather stripping, broken windowpanes, and damaged insect screens as they can easily gnaw on these in order to get in. We also recommend installing a metal kick plate on your door, especially if there is previous gnawing damage, to prevent further damage to your doors.
- Remove. Remove anything that they might use as food and water sources. Seal your food in airtight containers to make it inaccessible to pests. Keep your pets on a feeding schedule to avoid leaving food out in the open for long periods of time. Fix pipe leaks to avoid making them water sources. Dispose of food waste as quickly as possible and be sure to put them in secure plastic bags.
Rodent infestations may be common, but it doesn’t mean that you have to live with it, nor do you need to spend hundreds of dollars every year just to keep them away. Be a smart homeowner and rodent-proof your home so that you never have to deal with mice getting in ever again.
How to get mice out of my house?
When dealing with rodents in the house, mice are one of the most common problems. A rodent is commonly described as fidgety and gluttonous. Most of the time, mice live in large families. This is because it would be easier for them to defend, build homes, grow offspring and even look around for food. Through this manner of living, they are able to survive throughout various seasons.
Although mice don’t mean too much harm, it can be a real bother having them around in your home especially when there’s no way to figure out where the rest of them are hiding. Depending on how bad the infestation is, it might be best to have a professional pest exterminator deal with the problem. However, there are also ways for you to get rid of them yourself.
The following will guide you on how to get rid of mice in your house:
- Locate and eliminate all the possible entry points.
Mice, like other rodents, enter your home from outside. While it’s best to rodent-proof your home before this situation occurs, there are different ways for mice to access the house. Look for possible holes and spaces wherein the mice would have likely entered from. These are usually small since mice have the ability to squeeze themselves through even a quarter-inch of a hole.Once you’ve found these places, make sure to seal them up. Mice are strong and can easily nibble their way back inside. The material you use to seal these places should be sturdy, unlike lighter materials such as plastic, rubber or wood.
- Make use of mouse traps, preferably different kinds.
Now that all the entrances are sealed, it’s time to deal with the mice that are already inside the home. Mouse traps are your first bet when it comes to exterminating them. Fortunately, there are many different kinds available. Some people assume there is only one mouse in their home, so one trap would be enough. However, mice usually come in big families which increases the chances that there are a lot more hiding elsewhere.Switch through different traps every now and then, and place them in different locations. There are instances wherein a trap that has caught one or two fails to catch again. To make sure your methods don’t go to waste, change the traps once in a while.
- Choose your bait for the traps.
Mice are attracted to a lot of food. Any of these that you’ve seen the mice close to would be enough to attract them to the trap. Although it’s just bait, and they’re just rodents, keeping the bait fresh will keep them wanting to come back to it. It’s important to make sure the bait is secured to the trap to avoid situations wherein they end up running off with the bait and successfully escaping the trap. - Place the mouse trap in the proper place.
One of the crucial parts of getting rid of mice is where you place your traps. Mice don’t go too far from their territories, nor from their food sources. Wherever there are repeated signs of mice, this is where you should place the trap. Take note of the direction in which the mice usually come from. This will make it easier for you to lure them into the trap. It’s best to leave the trap along the area they scurry, preferably against a wall. - Keep your house sanitized and organized as much as possible.
Although proper sanitation doesn’t get rid of mice, it will stop attracting them to your home. Eliminating their possible sources of food keeps them from coming back for more since there wouldn’t be anything left for them. - Exterminate the hiding spaces where mice can live in.
Look through your house as well. Mice may hide under debris, unless they have created burrows and nesting areas. Keep your space neat by moving away clutter and debris. This prevents mice from having safe places to hide in, which may potentially cause them to leave the property. - If you have cats, have them help out.
It’s no surprise that cats enjoy hunting mice. In farms, barn cats are usually in charge of controlling the mice population. You can try and get your cat to catch them for you. Although there’s a possibility they may or may not be interested, it would still be worth a try.
How to Get Mice Out of the Garden
Mice are a frustrating garden resident. They eat seeds and young plants, dig holes, and destroy a lot of your hard work. Getting rid of them takes some effort, however, it isn’t impossible.
Is it Mice in the Garden?
There are numerous garden pests, and each one leaves its own calling card. Mice love newly planted seeds, especially corn and sunflower seeds. They steal them from below, leaving no trace. They also create small tunnels and will eat small leafy greens. Visibly disturbed ground and large holes are not from mice, but another pest like groundhogs or crows. Look for signs of rice-sized black droppings.
Preventing Mice in the Garden
The best protection is prevention. Avoid using poisons or toxic chemicals, if at all possible. Poisons may kill household pets and other wildlife or accidentally get into the hands of small children.
Six Best Methods to Prevent Mice
Plant basil, sage, rosemary, or lavender around the garden. These strong smells naturally deter mice.
Clean up debris, specifically wood and leaf piles. Mice make their homes here. Removing ideal nest building material discourages them from staying.
Keep garbage bins tightly closed and the compost bin maintained and inaccessible.
Use 1/4” hardware cloth around planting areas and trees. Bury it at least 6”.
Do not scatter birdseed on the ground. Make attractive food sources inaccessible to mice.
Do not leave pet food outside where mice can access it.
Get an ultrasonic pest repellent device. Over time, mice adapt to the sound, so this is a short-term solution, to be combined with other methods in the initial expulsion phase.
How to keep mice from eating pet food or bird seeds?
We all know that mice are opportunists. That being the case, they’ll easily feed on pet food and bird seeds in a matter of minutes thanks to their hearty appetites. However, to most people, this can be quite a nuisance, especially if you are a pet owner or bird keeper. So how do we deal with these little pests? Stick around to find out how to keep mice from eating pet food or bird seeds.
Potential Problems of Mice
Whether we like to admit it or not, mice play a vital role in the ecosystem. Unluckily, that doesn’t mean that they are welcomed as visitors, especially to bird feeders and pet owners. Most mice will rarely become a threat to humans, but many people have a fear of mice. What’s more, mice can present a severe problem to homeowners. Some of the problems that are caused by mice include:
- Eating pet food
- Scaring off new bird species
- Destroying bird feeders to get to the seeds, and so much more The sad part is that mice have no problem sharing your house, mostly if they can eat your pet’s food or bird seeds. In just under a few months, you will have a severe rodent problem. So, how do you deal with mice? Well, keep on reading.
Tips on how to deal with mice feeding on bird seeds and pet food
The fact that you always have food lying around for your birds and pets makes it even harder to deal with the mice infestation. That’s because these little creatures are not afraid of helping themselves to any available food source. However, you can take a few precautions to make your home inhospitable to mice: Raise the bird’s feeders: Don’t let the phobia of mice fool you! They cannot fly. That said, when you hang the feeders high up using wires, mice will not be able to climb it.
- Cleanliness: Obviously, cleanliness will deter mice from your compound, but it’s not a guarantee. All the same, you should regularly clean your pet’s food dishes and bird feeders. Additionally, make sure to collect the bird seed and pet food debris that might have fallen on the ground.
- Use metal instead of plastic: Generally, mice can chew through anything except metal. Therefore, if you use bird feeders that are made out of metal, chances are, you might help curb the mouse problem. Always go for feeders that are squirrel resistant since that also means that they will likely be mice resistant.
- Eliminate odors: Another great way of dealing with your mice problem is by eliminating odors. Take your time to regularly clean the bird feeders and pet dishes since it helps to get rid of the odor.
- Natural predation: You can also let nature take its course. That’s by taking steps to attract birds that will feed on the mice. It sounds harsh but it’s quite effective.
In Summary
Mice will always visit bird feeders and pet owners; there’s no doubt about it! That means you need to figure out the best way to control them. That way, you will see fewer mice in your backyard, and at the same time, you don’t have to sacrifice the joy that comes from being a pet owner and feeding birds in your backyard.