Mice are small agile creatures known to create their homes in the wild, but they can be found everywhere, from grasslands and forests to urban and suburban neighborhoods. Even though they look cute and harmless, they can cause significant damage once they find their way into your home. Many people have mice in their households, yet they don’t know.
They can contaminate food and spread certain diseases, thereby posing a danger to our health and well-being. They can chew walls and wires, which will cause expensive damage repairs and reduce the value of your home. That’s why you must get rid of them when you notice a sign of them. You don’t have to wait until you see them with your eyes; you need to watch out for their signs and take the right action.
You don’t need to hire rodent control services if you want to get rid of mice in your house; you can use simple measures that effectively eliminate mice and prevent them from entering your home. This article will outline the signs of mice in your home, what attracts them, and effective solutions that will help you eliminate them effortlessly.
Why Do Mice Get Into Your Home?
Food
Most of the rodents and insects in your home are in search of food, which is one of the reasons why you see them uninvited in your home. Mice and other rodents will create a permanent shelter in your home once they have enough food to sustain themselves. The more they can access food, the more they’ll stay and reproduce. Food is the leading factor that drives rodents in your home because no living creature can survive without food.
Conducive Environment
If mice find a conducive shelter in your home, they will stay for as long as possible. With enough food and shelter, they will continue to stay until you chase them away. Mice make their way into homes when the weather cools down, they enter homes to seek warmth, and that’s why you find them during winter.
Nesting Materials
They need to create nests to rear their little babies; If they can find nesting materials around your home, they will create nests and set up a large family that can be difficult to control. Mice need soft materials such as cotton, shredded paper, grass, and other vegetation types. They can use whatever soft material is available to create a warm and comfortable nest to live their life.
What Are The Signs Of Mice Infestation In Your Home?
You should always look out for their signs in your home and take the appropriate action. By the time they’re visible to you, they’re already many, and you might not be able to get rid of them unless you hire rodent control services. Here are the top signs that show that indicate that you have mice and other rodents in the house;
- Food crumbs; the appearance of food crumbs in the pantry, on shelves, on the floor, and in other places is a sign of mice.
- Nests; they create nests from shredded paper, fabrics, string, pet hair, and other soft materials.
- Scratch or Chew marks; Lookout for marks on food packaging, on shelves, around the floor trim, or on baseboards.
- Mouse droppings; their droppings look like tiny oblong pellets. You should look out for droppings in room corners, corridors, and back of cabinets, and corridors. You should use a flashlight in every corner of the house to check for mice droppings.
- Noise; you’ll notice unusual noises at night, such as wall scratching and squeaking.
- Odd behavior; these include scratching or barking on your appliances.
How To Get Rid Of Mice Naturally Without Harming Them
If you’re the type that wants to get rid of mice without killing or harming them, you can get rid of them safely from your home. Let’s take a look at natural ways of dealing with them.
All Food Sources Should Be Inaccessible To Them
You must hide all food sources in your home so that any rodent or insect cannot access them. All grains, pet food and other dry food, should be stored in metal or glass containers. Mice will not be able to chew metal or glass, so your storage container should be made with these materials. Food spills and leftovers shouldn’t be left on the floor; pet food should also not be left for a long period of time. Make sure to seal all food sources so that no animal can have access. They will make their way out of your home when you hide food from them.
Remove Their Nests
Remove their nests, and don’t allow them to access any nesting material they use to create their shelter. You have to dispose of or hide paper, cardboard, lightweight plastic, and other soft material they’re using to create the nest. If you have trees with branches around your home, you should also check to clear any nests and garbage found.
Entry Points Should Be Sealed
You should check for exits and holes in your home premises and seal them to prevent them from entering your home. You can use caulk or weather stripping to seal holes in doorways, siding, and foundation. You can poke steel wool to block entry without restricting airflow for vent openings. Mice can’t chew steel wool and hence will repel them from your home.
Use Natural Repellents
Since their sense of smell is strong, you can use it against them by using natural repellents that will keep them away from your home. One of the best natural repellents you can use is apple cider; mix it with water and spray it around your house. You should also spray indoors or in any area where you notice their sign. The next repellent you can try is Hot Pepper Solution: you should mix Sliced Habaneros Peppers, Chili Flakes, Dish Soap, and Water. This spicy pepper solution will repel mice from your home without needing any expensive repellant product.
Get A Cat
Most rodents are scared of cats and will vacate a home if they notice a sign of it. A cat is an effective deterrent for mice; even their urine is enough to scare them. It’s time to start breeding a cat if you want to get rid of mice. However, the cat will hunt them and might even eat them. Some of the mice will end up getting killed, but most of them will just run away without coming back.
Use Live Traps
You can use live traps to capture mice alive and release them into the forest; Live traps aren’t expensive, and using them is simple. You need to use bait such as popcorn, peanut, cheese, or butter. Once you catch them, you should release them into the forest or at least one mile from your home, so they’re gone forever.
Use Sound
Ultrasonic units are also effective at repelling mice away from your home. They’re safe for your kids, pets, and other animals as well. You should buy an ultrasonic unit from any hardware store in your area. Then you place them at various locations where you notice mice in your home.
Essential Oils
Essential oils like clove oil and peppermint are effective repellents for mice. You just need to soak cotton in one of the essential oils and throw it at different locations where you believe there are mice activities. You can place them under sinks, cupboards, and drawers. You should expect immediate results with this method, it will take time, and you must soak and spread the cotton for several days or weeks before you start seeing results.
Conventional Methods Of Removing Mice From Your House
Baiting
Sealed packets containing poison are used to kill the mice; this is a quick way to get rid of mice if you don’t have a problem with killing them. However, the downside is that the mice can die in a corner and will start rotting before you spot it. If they find their way into the ceiling and die, you’ll have difficulty removing the rotten body. But some baits kill instantly, that’s what you should use to get rid of the body when they die on the spot. Bait packets are sealed in a paper, plastic, cellophane, and other materials that will attract mice. Once they eat, they will die immediately.
Trapping
With the live traps we previously talked about, you will catch mice alive and release them. While using other traps will kill them instantly on contact. There are different traps out there; some are designed to capture multiple mice at once. The traps will also be baited with bacon, butter, or dried fruit. If you have a lot of mice in the house, you should use multiple capture traps to capture as many as you can at once.
Repellants
We discussed natural repellants in the previous section, but professional repellents are used specifically for severe infestations. They’re used strategically to get rid of rodents in any home. You should buy a professional repellent designed to keep mice away from your home.
Tips For Keeping Mice Away From Your Home
- Food items should be stored in metal or glass; food items like seeds, grains, beans, or flour should be stored in enclosed metal or glass where rodents cannot chew or reach.
- All cooking surfaces should be cleaned; at the end of the day, you want to ensure all cooking surfaces are wiped out. You should always clear leftovers on plates, floor, under furniture, and on any appliances. Vacuum any food spills on the floor and other surfaces.
- The pet bowl should be removed after a meal; You should seal pet food and clear leftovers as well.
- Use a mouse-proof barrier; When you notice access points, you have to seal them with metal sheeting, steel wool or materials that mice cannot chew. Combining steel wool and caulk can also work.
- Replace worn-out weatherstripping immediately; mice will find their way into your home if you have worn-out weatherstripping. You have to replace loose weather stripping around doors, windows, and basement foundation.
- Use Dehumidifier; You can make your home less appealing to mice with dehumidifiers. Keep your crawl, attics, basements and spaces dry and ventilated by adding a dehumidifier.
- Exterior doors should always remain closed; this will block their entry into your house. You can also add a screen door to block mice and other pests into the house.
- Check the items you bring into the house; you should inspect every item before bringing it into the house.
- Eat at the table; eating anywhere in the house will invite mice. Eating on the table will allow you to clean all spilt food, and this way, it’s out of reach for the mice. They will eventually move out if there is nothing for them to eat.
- Landscaping should be kept away; You should store firewood 20 feet away from the house. Keep trees and shrubs back from the foundation and siding.
FAQs
Can Mice Leave On Their Own?
No, you have to prevent them from getting access to your food and clear their shelter if you want them to leave. You should also use repellants in addition to that if you want to chase them away from your house.
How Do I Know The Number Of Mice In My House?
You can’t precisely know the number. However, if you see one, you should expect 5 or 6 to be present in the house. You will not see all of them at once.
Do Lights Keep Mice Away?
Yes, they hate bright light, and they don’t like noises. They will always look for dark areas to hide, such as ceilings, attics, inside the walls, and crawl spaces. They can even hide under the furniture.
Can You Get Sick Because Of The Presence Of Mice In Your House?
Some species of mice and rats are known to carry diseases like Leptospirosis, HPS, Typhus, Plague, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis. For this reason, you should take all the precautions that will prevent mice and other rodents from entering your house.
Where Do Mice Go During The Day?
You will find them in their shelters and nests if they’re not wandering in your house premises. They love hiding in dark and cool places such as the back of pantries, spaces between walls, crawl spaces, old boxes, and in stacks of paper. They want to hide in places that will protect them from predators.
Can You Get Rid Of Mice Completely?
Yes, you can get rid of them for good if the right method is used and you’re consistent. Sometimes you will have to use multiple methods to remove them from your house. If you have a lot of mice in your house, you should expect to eliminate them at once since they’re hiding in different locations. However, if you want to get rid of them at once, you might have to hire rodent control professionals to handle them for you.
How Do You Know If You Have Removed Mice From Your Home?
The disappearance of their activities is a sign that they’re gone, there will be no sign of their droppings, and you won’t hear their crawling and sound movements.
What Food Do Mice Eat?
They will eat everything in the house that’s available to them. However, food items like grains, cereals, and nuts attract them the most. Their teeth are strong enough to chew rubber and plastic materials to chew sealed containers made from rubber and plastic.
What Scares Mice Away?
Cats scare mice away! You can also use Ammonia which acts as a repellent. You can also use Cloves, Cayenne Pepper, and Peppermint oil.
How Do I Get Rid Of Mice Overnight?
Bring a cat into your home, and it will chase them overnight.
Why Do I Have Mice Suddenly In My House?
Food and shelter attract mice quickly into any home. If you’re leaving your home untidy, you should expect the sudden appearance of mice. There shouldn’t be food on the floor and surfaces.