Here’s How to Keep Your Home Free of Mice

Mice can cause serious damage to your home by gnawing on insulation, wiring, and even furniture. They can also carry disease and contaminate food sources. Although mice can enter your home throughout the year, they’re particularly troublesome in fall and early winter. That’s when snow and cold weather send mice looking for food and a warm place to stay. Here are some tips on how to keep these unwanted guests out of your home.

How to Tell if You’ve Got Mice

Mice will eventually make their presence known. In addition to the sounds of nighttime scuttling or seeing one streak across your kitchen floor, here are a few indicators that you’ve got mice: 

• Mouse droppings under sinks, at the back of cupboards, or in the corners of a room 

• Scratch marks around food sources, or crumbs and debris from chewed-open food packaging 

• Nests made from easily shredded materials in hidden spaces like suspended ceilings, wall cavities, and behind appliances 

• Strong ammonia-like smell of mice urine 

• Cats or dogs showing an unusual interest in mouse-friendly areas of the home

How to Get Rid of Mice

If you’ve determined you have mice in your home, there are several things you can do to convince them to leave on their own.

Eliminate Food Sources: Seal all food sources in tamper-proof storage bins and store grains, dry goods, and pet food in glass or metal containers. Clean up spills right away and monitor how long pet food sits out to avoid attracting mice. 

Remove Nesting Materials: Make it difficult for mice to build nests by removing their preferred nesting materials. Mice raid recycling bins for cardboard or plastic to shred, so make sure you’re emptying them frequently. Store rugs, bedding, and textiles in heavy-duty totes. You’ll also want to rake away any plant debris around the foundation of your home. 

Try Ultrasonic Sound: An ultrasonic repelling device emits a high-pitched sound at a frequency that deters mice, but is unnoticeable to humans and most companion animals. 

Bring in a Cat: Felines are powerful mouse deterrents. If you can give a cat a good home, consider adopting one. If this isn’t possible, ask a cat-loving friend to give you some used kitty litter to place in disposable litter boxes at the entrances to your home. The smell of cat urine can sometimes send mice packing.

Natural Repellent: Mice have a keen sense of smell. After all, it’s one of the senses they used to find your house in the first place. To counteract all the tasty food odours, try some of these fragrant rodent repellents: 

• Essential Oils: Place cotton pads soaked in peppermint or clove essential oils in the back of cupboards, drawers and entry points.

• Apple Cider Vinegar: Mix the cider with water in a spray bottle and spray the perimeter of the house and at entry points.

• Hot Stuff: Being mindful of household pets, spray a mixture of chili flakes, sliced hot peppers, and water around areas where you’ve noticed rodent activity.

Types of Mouse Traps

If none of the above methods convince the mice to leave, it’s time to move on to traps. A mouse trap is probably the most effective way to combat a rodent problem. Many traps are reusable requiring only a wash in a light bleach solution and hot water between uses. There are, of course, disposable traps as well.

Spring Mouse Traps

The popular spring mouse trap or “pedal mouse trap” is an old-school disposable trap that’s designed to catch and kill mice quickly. The traditional, wooden-based wire snap traps still do a great job, while more modern spring traps have features like precision snaps and simple release mechanisms. Enclosed spring traps are also available to protect your fingers and household pets.

Jaw Mouse Traps

A jaw mouse trap has a powerful snap with “teeth” to help grab onto mice and kill them quickly and humanely. These traps can usually be reused and are designed so you can easily dispose of a dead mouse without touching it.

Sticky Mouse Traps

A sticky mouse trap or glue trap is easy to set, disposable, and captures mice without bait. To use, just open a trap, remove the protective paper, and place it wherever you see evidence of mice infestation. Because mice aren’t killed immediately, some people feel strongly that this is not a humane mouse trap. However, when things are desperate, a sticky mouse trap can sometimes do the job when other traps have failed.

Electronic Mouse Traps

An electronic mouse trap discharges a high-voltage electric current that kills mice instantly. It prevents prolonged suffering and can be reused. There’s no need to worry about safety, as these traps are equipped with built-in safety features to protect kids and pets.

Catch & Hold Mouse Traps

A no-kill catch and hold mouse trap is the most humane trap for rodent removal. These single or multi-catch traps are usually transparent or have some other visual indicator (like tipping over) to let you know you’ve caught an unwanted visitor. You have to check traps frequently because mice left for more than six hours can die from stress. To release mice, it’s a good idea to relocate them at least two kilometers from your property to prevent them from immediately re-entering your home. Although many of these traps come with a quick-release mechanism for a no-hands release, it’s always a good idea to wear thick work gloves when handling mice.

DIY Mouse Traps

Mice and humans have co-existed for a long time and we’ve been managing them long before commercial traps were made. A bucket mouse trap is an old, tried and true DIY mouse trap you can make from items you likely have around the house. Here’s how: 

1. Find a pail that’s deep enough to hold mice. The sides need to be smooth so they can’t crawl out. You can apply a thin layer of oil or grease on the inside to be certain. Look for a pail with a handle, because you’ll want to make use of those drilled handle holes. 

2. Drill a small hole in the bottom of the soda can. You can also use a screwdriver to poke a hole in the bottom. 

3. Run thin metal wire through the can and across the opening of the pail and through the handle holes. It will look sort of like a tightwire with a can in the centre. Make sure the wire is thin enough so the can spins easily. Picture wire or a deconstructed metal hanger will work. 

4. Lean a thin piece of scrap lumber against the pail to make an easy-access ramp. 

5. Spread a thick layer of peanut butter all around the can. 

6. Check your trap often and wearing thick gloves, set mice free a good distance from home.

How to Keep Mice Out of Your House

If you’re working with a newly mouse-free home or you’ve never had mice and you’d like to keep it that way, here’s what you can do to keep them out: 

• Block entry points with sealant and use weather stripping to seal holes in siding and doorways 

• Cover holes with duct tape and stuff steel wool into vent openings 

• Keep exterior doors closed and install a screen door for warmer weather 

• Add or repair screening over vents, chimney openings, and any other gaps 

• Use dehumidifiers to keep attics, crawlspaces, and basements well-ventilated and less attractive to mice 

• Keep food sources securely stored and eat only at the kitchen table to avoid crumbs throughout your home 

• Store firewood at least six metres away from the perimeter of your home

The key to a rodent-free home is to prevent them from entering in the first place. However, if you do find yourself with a mouse problem, don’t panic. Review your mouse-removal options and choose the one that’s right for your home and best suited to the situation.