Mouse In The House? Rodent Control Methods That Work
If you have noticed mouse droppings or an occasional critter scampering by during nighttime hours, you may be concerned about a lair of mice living within your walls. There are several ways to remove mice from the home and keep them out after the problem has been resolved. Here are some rodent control methods you can use in your own home.
Keep Things Clean
It is important to keep your living quarters free of crumbs and other debris. These things attract mice and they will stick around if there is always an available meal. When it gets tough to find a food supply, mice will vacate the area and move on to a new location.
Make sure to cover all leftovers and store them in the refrigerator so they cannot be smelled. Always clean your counter tops after cooking and remove any grease splatters immediately, as these are a mouse attraction.
Deter Mice
There are a few deterrents you can try using to help keep mice from wanting to come to your home. They do not like the smell of peppermint, so placing a peppermint plant in your home can help keep them from trying to come inside. They instinctively stay away from anywhere were there is a noticeable smell of a cat, as well.
Look Outdoors
Check the exterior of your home for any areas where mice can get inside. They are able to squeeze into small openings, including underneath doors. Place weather-stripping or a door broom under doors to help keep this from happening.
Outside, use caulking to plug up any areas that you may find to be a potential entryway. Move any wood piles or debris far from your home so that any mice that may be hiding in these items will not be close enough to be enticed to find a way inside.
Trap Mice
If you can't rid your home of mice by doing simple fixes, you may need to get aggressive by trapping them. Traps can be bought at a hardware or home goods store and are very successful in eliminating the mouse population.
If you do not want to kill mice with snapping traps, bait traps or glue traps, try using a humane trap. These are made from plastic and have a small swinging door that will only open in an inward direction. Place some peanut butter in the trap and put it in a spot along a wall or in a corner. Check the trap periodically to see if you had a taker and let it go outside somewhere far from your home.
If these methods don't work, you can contact a local rodent control company to take care of the problem.
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