How To Get Rid Of Mice

Mice are pesty little rodents that can multiply rapidly. Hiring an exterminator is one way to deal with a mice problem. Another way is to bait and trap the mice yourself. Before you can set your plan in motion to catch the mice, you first have to determin if you have them. 

Signs Of Mice:

• Do you have small round holes in your food containers?
• Do you have small round holes in your walls?
• Do you hear the sound a little feet scampering in you walls, attic or basement?
• Do you have little black dropping that look like dark rice?

If you answered yes, then you probably have mice in your house. If you are not sure if you have mice, perform this simple test to find out. Sprinkle some white flour where you think you might have mice. Whait a few days and then check the flour to see if there are tiny mouse tracks on it. 

Warning: Never touch a dead mouse. Use rubber gloves and tongs. Place the dead mice in a bag and seal tightly to trap parasites.

Mice are smart. You don't want to leave a human smell on the trap or bait. Use rubber gloves when setting mouse traps and bait. Wash the gloves with soap and water and then rub a little vegetable oil on them.

Baiting and Trapping Mice

Mouse Traps

1. Set your traps where you find mice droppings. Set the mice traps about 6-10 few feet away from each other. Place the baited end of the mouse trap closest to wall or mouse hole.
2. Set the bait. You can use foods, such as cheeses, walnuts, breads, and dried fruits or use non-food items that mice collect, such as twine and string. Mice are smart and some know how to retrieve the bait without springing the trap, so be sure to secure your mice bait firmly on the trap.

Human Mouse Traps

1. Use a homemade mouse trap if you want to capture mice without harming or kiiling them.
2. To make a homemade mouse trap, place a deep stainless steel bowl on the ground. Rub butter or oil along the inside of the bowl. This will make the bowl too stippery for the mouse to escape from. Place some bait in the bowl, such as cheese or nuts. Add a wood ramp leading up to the bowl so that the mouse has a way of getting to the bait.  

Sticky Traps

1. Sticky traps are sticky paper like traps with glue on them. When a mouse walks on it, it gets stuck and can't escape. You just slip these traps right up underneath your cabinets.

Poisonous Traps

1. Poisonous mice traps are not recommend because they can cause harm to humans and house plants. You should not use poisonous traps if you have a baby in your home.
2. Another reason why you might not want to use poisonous traps is because it may take a day or two for the mouse to day. This would allow the mouse to crawl back in the hole, which means it will be harder for you to retrieve and dispose of the mouse.  

Natural Preditor Traps

1.  If you don't want to mice set traps then you can enlist the help of natural predators, such as cats. Sometimes the mere presence of cats is enough to scare the mice away.