Of all the household pests, mice are the most common, the smartest, and the most difficult to get rid of. After all, they can squeeze through a ¼ inch space.
Nonetheless, it’s crucial to address their presence, because they may carry diseases and have a penchant for chewing electric wires so well, they can spark a fire within the home.
Not only that, but mice have so many babies that in short order, less than a year, mom, dad, grandparents, great grandparents and more can comfortably be living the life in your home, not to mention your head!
So how does one get rid of these pesky critters?
To begin, start with a true crime investigation. Look for the crime scene, follow the trail of droppings, they look like little black grains of rice. Then figure out what they are eating and what their range of activity is.
Identify Your Adorable Foe
First, meet the house mouse, characterized by its grey or brown fur, this mouse is capable of living its entire life within an eight-foot radius, provided there’s enough food around. Common hideouts include beneath the refrigerator, stove, or in the pantry. The key to discouraging their residency is to store food in sturdy plastic containers.
Second is the deer mouse. These mice are explorers and adventurers with a domain range of over an acre. Your home might serve as their summer getaway, winter refuge, or merely a temporary bed and breakfast depending on what kind of food you are serving. Deer mice are easy to ID, they are bigger than house mice with tan backs and white bellies.
Get the holes
It may be hard to plug every hole as small as a ¼ inch at ground level but it can stop the small thieves. For bigger holes use caulk and thin metal mesh.
Here’s something you probably didn’t know, if you leave your doors open and/or don’t have weather stripping at the bottom of them, mice will walk right in and join you for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Without a food source there are no mice so cleaning up after eating is a must, including pet food bowls, a mice delicacy.
Follow the trail
Droppings are not the only tell-tail sign (pun intended). Their pee has a distinct ammonia aroma. If what you smell is more like mold and rotted meat, its likely a mouse has passed away and is interred in you walls or ceiling. So, if you hear scurrying throughout your walls and ceilings, put your nose and ears to the wall and track down that little devil.
Your dog may help too, after all, they don’t bark at nothing. However, you can forget the fat house cat as a solution, they kill for entertainment not food. Mice quickly become aware of their presence and develop workarounds to avoid becoming a trophy.
Traps, Techniques, and Sonic Repellants
Wooden snap traps are unbeatable, instant death. On the other hand, glue traps and poison are ineffective torture chambers. When they do work you still have to find the body. They don’t work and they are just mean, so forget about it!
Trap and release is also ineffective; a deer mouse will definitely come back and a house mouse, which cannot survive outside, will just die a slow hard death. Many states won’t let you do this anyway, after all, it shouldn’t become your neighbor’s problem.
Meanwhile, sonic repellents, sound smart but don’t work. Their inefficiency has lead to a number of lawsuits. While people have invented many traps, including comedic attempts like the Three Stooges use of a cannon, nothing works as well as the snap trap, circa 1894.
Get the traps close to the action
Follow the droppings, the smells, and the sounds. Occasionally, their fur might leave behind grease skids from the oil on their bodies as the squeeze through holes.
It isn’t just about the floor either, cabinets and exposed pipes are also good places to leave traps. Don’t skimp on the traps either, use a lot!
Only cartoon mice love cheese. Chicken, peanut butter and almond butter are better. DO NOT use a lot since that is simply a smorgasbord for the little invaders. And even if the trap goes off, the weight of the bait may prevent a clean kill.
Finally
If you have waged a solid 1-to-2-week assault and have failed to stem the tide, call a professional.
