How to Get Rid of Mice in Your House

Your home is meant to be your sanctuary. A place where you can relax and feel at peace. When mice infiltrate this sanctuary, it can turn your life upside down. Not only can it be disturbing to hear them scurrying around, but they can also cause property damage and may pose a health risk. Due to this, you probably want to get rid of these pests as quickly as possible. Luckily, we’re here to tell you the best ways to go about this. 

Signs of Mice in Your Home

Before you begin pest control efforts, it is important to be sure that there are mice in your home. There are some tell tale signs you can use to be certain it is mice you’re dealing with. 

Mice droppings are the first sign most people see in their home.  Mice poop is dark brown to black in color and varies in size.  The droppings are shaped like a piece of rice and pointed at both ends.  Over time, droppings will fade to a brown, tan, or lighter color.  Droppings that are bright blue or green are from mice that have eaten bait in a wax matrix of the same color.

Physical evidence of mice may include gnaw marks or rub marks.  Mice gnaw for many reasons, including to gather nesting material or make openings larger.  Rub marks, also known as sebum stains, are brown marks left from grease (sebum) on the rodents fur as they repeatedly run the same path.  Mice are curious and like to explore new things.  Once they are familiar with an area, they will run the same traffic patterns repeatedly.

You should pay attention to any new scents in your home. Mice often cause an ammonia-like and musky odor in the places they hide and urinate. You are more likely to notice these odors in dark, enclosed spaces, such as a cupboard or crawlspace.

One of the most obvious signs that you have mice is the noises they make. If your house has been invaded, you may hear scratching or scurrying sounds coming from inside walls, ceilings, or floors. You may never hear any noise, because noises from mice are not very loud.  Mice are nocturnal, and activity will peak at dawn and dusk.

If there are mice in your home, don’t feel embarrassed. According to the United States Census Bureau, 14.8 million people reported seeing rodents in their home in the past year, so it is quite common. 

Health Risks of Mice in Homes

Mice can present health risks in three primary ways.  The first is from contamination of food or food storage and preparation areas. Mice droppings or the micro-droplets of urine they secrete can make people sick if accidentally consumed. The second is by carrying contaminants on their bodies from nesting sites or trash sites they visit to food storage and preparation areas, which will also cause sickness. The third major health risk is from handling dead and decomposing mice. Obviously, you don’t want to leave dead mice in your home, but extreme care must be taken when removing them, as they can carry disease.  Never vacuum dead mice or mouse droppings – wet the area to be cleaned to keep dust down and use a rag or paper towels to remove them.  Viruses attached to droppings or carcasses can become airborne and be ingested if vacuuming or sweeping aggressively.

How to Get Rid of Mice

Luckily, getting rid of mice usually isn’t too difficult. Of course, this depends on just how severe the infestation is. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective ways of getting rid of mice.

Sealing Entry Points

Your first order of business should be making sure that mice can no longer enter your home. It is pointless to get rid of the mice you already have if more can move right in. You will need to seal all entry points that mice can get through. This means blocking all holes as small as a quarter-inch around foundations, utility lines, pipes, vents, windows, and doors. You should block them using stainless steel wool, rust-resistant metal mesh like copper, caulking, or cement. You can coat larger openings filled with a rust-free metal with expanding foam. Some people try to just use expanding foam or caulk, skipping the first step. On larger openings, this is a mistake as mice can chew through caulk or foam.

Traps and Baits

To eliminate the mice in your home, traps and baits are your best option. You should place traps along areas where mice travel, such as along walls and under furniture. If you have located where the mice are nesting, you should place traps in the vicinity. Be sure to bait the traps so that the mice are lured to them. Remember, there are likely more than one or two mice, so be sure to reset all traps after they have caught a mouse.  Reuse mouse traps by removing the mice carcasses from the traps using gloves.  A trap that caught a mouse smells ‘mousy’ and is much more likely to catch another.

Most traps and baits have instructions and label directions which must be followed.  Use more devices than you think to be successful at trapping and baiting.

Warm Areas and Heat

Mice shed heat quickly.  When using traps or baits inside your home place them in warm areas.  A utility closet with a water heater or under a dishwasher are some great locations for traps and baits.  Mice also like to find harborage and prefer to be under or behind stored items and in corners.  Placing traps or baits under and behind stored items and in corners is very effective.  

Containing Food Sources

Mice are not usually attracted to your home due to food.  Even though they need it to survive rest assured, the natural environment has plenty of food for mice.  However, to minimize damage to your food you should place all food in secure, airtight containers. You should also make sure all trash cans are sealed tight. Finally, clean up any food spillage immediately. If you can remove alternative food sources, it will go a long way in ridding your home of mice.

Natural Repellents

You cannot use natural substances to deter mice from certain areas or to prevent them from entering your home. Such substances include: 

• Peppermint oil
• Clove oil
• Eucalyptus oil
• Cayenne pepper
• Cinnamon sticks
• Crushed garlic or onions

Placing these substances in an area will NOT cause mice to avoid it. When you are looking for alternatives to traps and mice, make sure to look for university research that supports any claims.

When to Call Pest Control

It is important to know when to call in professional mice control. Generally, if you’re noticing signs of mice multiple times a day, the infestation has evolved past what a DIY approach can handle. It is time to call in the pros. Remember, the peace of mind that comes with knowing your house is completely free of mice is well worth it.