I understand that some of you may think that house mice are adorable with their small feet and their bucktooth, but some other may argue otherwise.
And I don’t blame you. If you’re—well I know I do—belong to the latter group, then getting rid of any presence of them in your house is a major thing to do. But how to get rid of mice without much hard work?
1. Signs of Mice Infestation
Compared to other house “invaders”, mice are big enough and usually leave some visible trail, giving out a clue of their whereabouts.
However, since they’re very slick and quick, first you must catch their trails to finally getting into their resting nest. To do that, notice some of the signs of mice infestation in the house as follows:
- Mouse droppings
I know it’s disgusting, but you should be aware that the initial sign of mouse infestation begins when you see them droppings. You don’t have to touch it or anything, since some marks are easily noticed.
If you see some, mostly in hidden areas, you may suspect the nest is around. New mouse droppings are moist, and the smell is still pretty strong, while the aged ones are dry and easily shattered.
More often than not, the dropping can be found under the cabinets, near the trash, or inside the cabinets. This is the most visible sign that the mice are actively roaming around the house and you’re left unaware; the more the droppings, the larger the infestation.
- Suspicious odor
If you have cats, or dogs, and they suddenly become active in certain area of your house, that’s when you should get the flashlight ready.
Pets are capable of smelling the stinky odor of the rodents’ urine, and if the odor is strong enough, even human’s nose can sniff the stink. Use your smelling gift to inspect the mice in the the house and find their nest—following the suspicious odor.
- Signs of chomps
You see, what’s most annoying bout mice infestation in the house is that they can ruin everything—I mean, everything from your food to furniture to your mood.
When you spot gnaw marks, that’s when you must get the trap ready. Gnaw marks are usually lighter in color, and its size is depending on the size of the mice in the house.
You see, if those marks are small, it’s indicating mice infestation, but if the frets are large, you must prepare for the larger invader—rats.
- Unusual noises
Mice usually roam when the house is empty or when nobody presents. This way, you must really be suspicious if you hear unusual noises, especially during the bedtime, since rodents are nocturnal.
Scratching sound, gnawing noise, or rowdy rattling are among positive signs of mice presence.
2. How to Kill Mice in House
One thing you must learn about those mice is that they’re stubborn and won’t easily eradicate. They’re among intelligent rodent and know how to run away—but your house ain’t no Disney, and they’re no Mickey, so you better pull it off.
When in talks of getting rid of mice or how to catch mice and eliminate their presence them for good, there are some useful tricks to use. Take a look at the list:
- Mousetraps make the best deal
You must be cleverer than Tom to catch Jerry. You see, when planning to catch mice, you should know first of what do mice eat, what’s their favorite, where’s their playground, etc.
Mouse trap is the basic rule of the first step in killing mice, so you must know how much you need. Remember that the more you set out the trap, the higher the possibility of its success in catching the mice.
The traditional trap would be placing food, and you’ll get the dead mouse the next day.
However, some industrial traps are designed to give an ultimate result in getting rid of mice quickly and effectively. Say, there is the electronic mouse trap that allows you to kill the mice using electric shock—it’s humane, cleaner, and quicker.
- Place your bait
The next method to kill mice in the house is using poisonous food as bait and kill the mice in silence. There is, however, some consideration to set in your head before going for the decision.
Rodents including mice may carry disease, and it’s being killed using poison can really spread the possibility of health hazard. Even with natural mouse repellent, they can be dehydrated or even vomit someplace you don’t know, and the effect may actually extend out.
To make it safer, you may place the bait in a sealed container; better still, place it under a cabinet or behind the drawer. Avoid placing it in the open air so your pets will not accidentally consume it.
- Go natural for a change
When the safety of surrounding is your goal, hunting the mice down using natural ingredients is an option to try. Some plants and herbs are known for their quality to repel mice and work perfectly as mouse deterrent.
However, this method requires a lot of patience since the mice will come back once you stop in a day or two. Use strong-smelled plants like peppermint to repel them.
Do you know that cats litter can also make a powerful natural mouse repellent? You should try if you haven’t.
- Consider hiring the exterminator
When things are getting out of hand, maybe it’s time to hire a professional exterminator. In most cases, this is an important decision to make after failing to kill the mice with your own effort in more than two weeks.
They will examine your house first to find the exact spot of the nest, placing the baits, and using more effective tactics to remove any sign of mice infestation.
After they’ve done the job, the professional exterminator will follow-up the result and inspect your house once again to make sure that the jobs are done well.
Those are some powerful methods to get rid of mice in the house. Remember that once you’ve succeeded in getting rid of mice, preventing them from coming back is essential.
Seal off any entry point and always have a regular check around the house to see if your house is mice-free.
