How Do I Know If I Have A Mouse Infestation?

While mice are tiny creatures, the clues they leave behind tend to be noticeable. Look for these sure-fire signs of a rodent infestation:

• Chew-or scratch-marks on shelves and around food packaging. You may also notice telltale scratches on baseboards or around floor trim.
• Food crumbs or debris on shelves, in the pantry, or unusual places – like the middle of the floor.
• Mouse droppings, which look like small, oblong pellets. These are common in well-used mouse corridors, under sinks, in the backs of cabinets, or in the corners of rooms. Use a flashlight to spot droppings more easily.
• Nests made of fabrics, shredded paper, pet hair, string, or other soft, shredded material.
• Noises like scratching or squeaking in the walls at night.
• Odd pet behavior such as barking and scratching or pawing at or under appliances. This may indicate your pets are aware of a pest infestation.

7 Ways To Get Rid of Mice Naturally And Humanely

If you have a mouse infestation in your home, it is possible to eliminate the animals without killing them.

Here are a few humane, yet effective tips:

1. Remove all food sources

Mice only need small amounts of food each day. To get rid of them in your home, remove the things they like to eat. Store all grains, pet food, and other dry goods in glass or metal containers, which keep food secure since mice cannot chew through them.

To avoid attracting mice to your property, seal all potential food sources in tamper-proof bins, avoid leaving pet food out for long periods, and clean up all spills and messes promptly.

Pros: Affordable, humane

Cons: Labor-intensive, must be maintained continuously, not 100% effective

2. Get rid of nesting materials

Ensure mice won’t find soft nesting materials by storing all fabric, rugs, and blankets in heavy-duty plastic storage bins. Keep in mind that mice will also chew up cardboard, paper, or lightweight plastic to make nests, so it’s wise to dispose of your household’s recycling quickly.

Additionally, pay some attention to the outside of your home. Remove foliage and tree branches within three feet of your home’s foundation, and keep both the inside and outside of your home tidy and free of garbage.

Pros: Protects your textiles and fabric goods, easy

Cons: Time-consuming, inconvenient to have bedding and rugs in storage, will not get rid of existing mouse populations

3. Seal entry points

As the temperature dips, mice will try to make their way inside. Block their entry by using caulk or weather-stripping to seal tiny holes in your foundation, siding, and doorways. Poke steel wool into vent openings to dissuade entry without restricting airflow.

Pros: Effective, eco-friendly, humane, safe for kids and pets

Cons: Labor-intensive, must be maintained and checked regularly

4. Use natural mice repellent

Mice have a strong sense of smell, and you can use that to your advantage to get rid of them. Try these natural mice repellant options:

• Essential oils. Mice hate the aroma of peppermint oil, cayenne, pepper, and cloves. Purchase any of these essential oils at your local health food store, soak some cotton balls in them, and place them anywhere you’ve had problems with mice – like under appliances or in the backs of cabinets. Toothpaste, bleach, and vinegar will also work.
• Apple cider and water. Make a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. Put it in a spray bottle and spray it around the perimeter of your house, as well as in any indoor access points. Re-apply any natural deterrent you use at least once a month.
• Fabric softener sheets. Stuff these sheets into entry points to stop mouse traffic immediately.

Pros: Effective, affordable, humane, safe for kids and pets

Cons: Requires regular re-application, will not get rid of large existing mouse populations

5. Get a cat

Cats are some of the most effective mouse deterrents out there. If you can adopt a cat to help keep your mouse population down, do it. If you live in a place that doesn’t allow cats, find a friend that has one and place tubs of used kitty litter at the entrances to your home. Mice may vacate the premises upon smelling cat urine.

Alternately, go to the store and buy some pure ammonia. Ammonia smells like the urine of a predator and will deter mice. Leave ammonia-soaked cotton balls in places the mice like to frequent.

Pros: Effective way to get rid of mice

Cons: Not applicable to people who live in homes or apartments that do not allow animals

6. Try live traps

Live traps can get rid of mice without poison and without harming pets. These traps catch mice in a large box that allows them to get in but not out. Once you’ve caught a mouse, be sure to release it at least a mile from your home. Otherwise, it may come back again.

Pros: Effective, humane, can make quick work of existing mouse populations

Cons: Labor-intensive, must set, bait, check, and empty traps regularly 

7. Use sound

Ultrasonic units can be effective at keeping mice away. Plus, these deterrent devices are safe for kids, pets, and other animals. Find them at your local hardware store and place them anywhere you’ve noticed mouse activity in your home.

Pros: Effective, low-profile, low-maintenance

Cons: Requires altering the aesthetic of your home, ultrasonic devices must be checked and placed manually

3 Conventional Methods To Get Rid Of Mice

If you’d like to take a conventional approach to get rid of mice, these methods are an option:

1. Trapping

Trapping is the fastest way to get rid of mice. While live traps catch mice and allow you to release them, other traps kill the mice on contact, making quick work of mouse populations.

Classic wooden snap traps are adequate for light mouse infestations, while bait traps and multiple-capture traps are ideal for larger mouse populations. Traps can be baited with peanut butter, bacon, or dried fruit.

Pros: Effective, fast-acting

Cons: You may have to set multiple traps to catch just a few mice, you need to check traps and dispose of dead mice, glue traps are inhumane, baited traps may attract household pets and other animals, mice frightened by traps may spray urine, thereby spreading toxins and disease.

2. Baiting

Bait stations are sealed packets that contain poison meal or pellets meant to kill mice. These packets are sealed in plastic, paper, cellophane, or other material mice can chew through easily. When the mice eat this bait, they die.

Smith’s Pest Management does not use or condone bait stations. If you live in California and want to use bait stations, be sure you understand California’s laws surrounding the use of rodenticides.

Pros: Effective, fast-acting

Cons: Dangerous, expensive, inhumane, requires application only by a licensed professional, may harm kids, pets, and other wildlife, you must search the house to find dead mice who have consumed the poison, mice may spread or spit out poison in different areas of the home.

3. Repellants

While there is a selection of natural repellents available to deter mice, Smith’s Pest Management also uses professional repellants for severe infestations. We place these repellants strategically to get rid of rodents and help you reclaim your property.

Pros: Effective, humane, eco-friendly

Cons: Requires re-application, time-intensive