How to get rid of mice in your home and make sure they don't come back

Small rodents such as household mice can be a nuisance not only in warehouses, private homes or granaries. These animals can even appear in apartment buildings and are just as capable of becoming carriers of various infections in people’s homes. Those who have encountered this at least once understand the harm these animals can cause even in apartments. They can damage furniture, books, spread germs through linen or food, just as they would do in private homes.

• Getting rid of mice using mousetraps
• The use of rodenticides (chemical poisons) "Rat"
• "Mouse Poison"
• Protective spray against rodents "Marder-Schutz"

Signs of mice appearing in an apartment:

• the presence of oval-shaped excrement measuring 2 mm;
• an unpleasant odor in the room that remains even after general cleaning;
• the presence of gnawed things, pieces of furniture, baseboards, books, cardboard boxes in the pantry, etc.;
• eaten foods - nuts, cheese, bread, etc.

The first thing that the owner or hostess of an apartment where rodent activity has been detected is to immediately take action. After all, they are very prolific and multiply quickly. One litter can produce about 10 babies, who in just a few weeks will become adult destroyers of your furniture or wallpaper. Entire colonies can number 150-175 individuals.

Where do mice come from?

They often enter houses and apartments through basements or attics. Rodents use unsealed holes near pipes, cracks in baseboards, ventilation and garbage disposals. Sometimes they climb to higher floors through balconies and holes in concrete slabs, or chew their way through wood and plastic. They are also capable of digging a tunnel under the foundation of a house.

Mice also have “favorite” materials. For example, wall insulation, especially foam Mike Holmes: When the mice move in / National Post or glass wool, where they build passages and nests and reproduce.

The chances of mice appearing in residential areas increase if there is a cellar, barn or granary nearby. In the house itself, they are attracted to untidy crumbs and garbage. As soon as rodents find water and food, they are ready to settle in such a place forever.

In addition, it is worth preparing for an “invasion” if your neighbors have mice - pests like to expand the territory of their presence.

Getting rid of mice using mousetraps

You can deal with this problem in different ways. The classic option is the use of mechanical devices - mousetraps. They usually work like a trap and have a spring, a lever, a wooden platform and a hook for attaching the bait. The animal, sensing the aroma of food, runs up to the trap, tries to grab a piece of bait, the spring is triggered and the lever hits the victim with a sharp movement.

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The devices are very cheap on the market, but may not always be effective for the reason that they kill animals individually and not en masse . Therefore, it is better to use them only as a barrier device to limit the animal’s exit into the apartment. Then for this you will need to specifically look for already gnawed holes, passages from where “guests” can get into the room.

How to make a mousetrap with your own hands

Step-by-step instructions for making mousetraps from a plastic bottle, jar, bucket of water and other improvised means.

How dangerous are mice?

They are capable of creating real chaos: chewing off walls, destroying food packages, ruining clothes or shoes, and more. Because of such guests, an unpleasant odor appears in the house or apartment. Moreover, mice often damage wires, which can cause a fire.

But perhaps the most dangerous thing about such a neighborhood is that rodents are carriers of more than 35 diseases. Pests can also Rodents / National Center for Healthy Housing aggravate allergic reactions and asthma if family members suffer from them.

How to understand that there are mice in the house

The main symptom is mouse droppings. In appearance, it resembles dark rice granules about 6 millimeters long. For comparison, rat droppings are about twice the size—about 12 millimeters in length.

Another clear sign of mice is chewed food boxes, dirt and strange debris on the shelves.

If one mouse runs somewhere, most likely there are several more hiding in the house. Since one rodent was able to enter the room, others probably did as well. In addition, their number is increasing very quickly.

How to get rid of mice

Find where they come from

Before you begin pest control, you need to study how they got into your home. Experts warn How to get rid of mice in your house and prevent them from ever coming back / Good Housekeeping that randomly setting traps is not the best idea.

Therefore, first you should take the time to carefully inspect the rooms, storage rooms and garage, if you have one. You need to try to find all the places where mice can build nests.

Set traps

The best way to quickly get rid of mice is to use traps and special baits. They must be placed in the most vulnerable places: along walls and behind containers with garbage.

It is worth noting that all traps, except sticky tapes, will require bait. Suitable food items include peanut butter, chocolate, cheese, birdseed, or nuts.

Mousetraps

This is the most popular, time-tested and effective way to get rid of mice. There are different types of mousetraps: tunnel, cage, alligator and many others.

These devices are easy to use, but they can be dangerous for family members and pets. Among the disadvantages is also the need to constantly check the functionality of the structure, prepare bait, and then also get rid of the rodent caught in the trap.

Under no circumstances should you touch the mouse after it is in the mousetrap. You should wear rubber gloves and spray disinfectant on the rodent and the area where it is located. Then put the mouse in a sealed plastic bag, close it tightly, place it in another bag and throw it away. And then thoroughly wash your gloved hands with soap, treat them with a disinfectant and get rid of the gloves. At the end, you need to wash your hands again and use an antiseptic.

Electrical traps

They lure mice and shock them. When the trap is triggered, a special indicator lights up. Such devices are safe for people and pets, who simply cannot get into them.

But mice caught in such a trap have practically no chance - the electronic circuit is closed as soon as the rodent is inside. This is a relatively humane method of control, since the victim dies instantly from the discharge, and you can get rid of mice without even touching them.

The main disadvantage here is the high price, compared to other types of traps. However, if effectiveness is more important than cost, this control method would be a good choice.

Sticky traps

They consist of a special backing and non-drying glue. Rodents adhere to the structure and remain in place until they are released or killed.

Sticky traps are cheap and easy to use. At the same time, they are disposable, which is rather a minus. Sometimes the substrates are very light, so the mouse can drag them into hiding. In addition, this method is not suitable for combating large numbers of rodents or if there are pets in the house.

After the trap works, you need to put on gloves, place the pest along with the sticky backing in some deep container and throw it away.

If you want to free the mouse, after transferring it to the container, you can carefully cover the rodent's head with a towel to calm it down, and hold it by the back until you can peel it off. To do this, you need to pour vegetable oil on the place where the animal is stuck. After getting rid of the trap, you should carefully remove excess oil from the rodent, pour some water into it and cover the container with a towel. When the rodent recovers from shock, you can release it into the wild.

live traps

These are cages with a specially designed door that closes as soon as the mouse gets inside. This is a humane, simple and inexpensive way to control rodents.

The main disadvantages are that you need to spend time on proper installation, and after catching the pest, you need to decide what to do with it. If you need to get rid of mice in a safe and bloodless way, the caught rodent can be taken further into the forest and released.

Poisons

There are two main types of poison for mice: acute and chronic. The first include, for example, zinc phosphide and ratsid. They cause symptoms from the first hour of consumption and lead to death after a single use. The second type of poison, such as fentolacin or warfarin, acts gradually.

Toxic substances are an effective and cheap, but not the most humane and convenient way to control pests. In addition, poisons pose a danger to people and pets. In addition, mice rarely die immediately, on the spot. They can climb into walls, behind furniture and even inside it, as indicated by a characteristic smell. There is also a chance that the poison will spread throughout the house, which means the danger to family members will increase significantly.

Call a specialist

When all possible methods have been tried, but mice continue to reign in the apartment, it is worth calling professionals for help. You can ask friends, neighbors and acquaintances. Perhaps they have already encountered a similar problem and know where best to turn.

Mice in the apartment

This post is not about how to deal with mice (Although we will talk about that too). This is just a cry from the heart, or a post about how they got me!!!!! There are a lot of letters below.

It all started in the fall, about 2 years ago. Then I first saw this bastard in my apartment, and more specifically, in the bathroom. I was extremely hysterical, because I’m absolutely scared of them! I can't even look at pictures of them. And it would seem, where can there be mice in a 12-story, not very old building, and even on the 8th floor?! And somehow I wasn’t even ready to meet them. I was alone at home, my husband was at work. There was nothing to do, in tears she ran to the nearest store to buy at least something to kick her out. A bored pet store saleswoman said that they only had ordinary mousetraps, which looked like they were from Soviet times. I took 3 at once. There was still an old mangy cat sitting on the counter, I wanted to grab him too, but they didn’t allow me.

While I was shopping, the mouse had already reached the kitchen. I was completely unprepared for this! She also moves! Forgetting about mousetraps, I went to a neighbor with a Husky dog, who was proud that she was good at catching mice. We've arrived. They launched the dog, she very quickly caught it and crushed it with her paw. There was no end to my joy! By the way, I also have a dog, but a Chihuahua. And she just trembled with shock in my arms, who cares about catching mice? And then I thought it was all over... Oh, how wrong I was!

During the May holidays, my husband and I went to St. Petersburg for 3-4 days. Upon arrival, we found two more mice, thank God, already dead! One was lying in the corridor, the other in the toilet. When we went to throw them into the garbage chute, we met a cleaning lady at the entrance. To my question, they say, are you poisoning mice in the attic, why are they running around here? she rolled her eyes and said that we don’t have mice at all! I wanted to put these mice in one place for her, of course. And, having asked all the neighbors, it turned out that it’s true that for some reason they are only with us! What the hell kind of science fiction is this????

Another 1.5 years passed, they forgot about these problems, it turned out to be in vain. One evening I asked my husband to run to the kitchen and bring something. Returns, the mouse speaks again!!! THE DAMN MOUSE AGAIN!!! And by the way, I’m already in a position. I take the dog in my arms, close the door to the room, and say, do whatever you want so that I don’t see her! I went again to call my neighbor and her dog for help. As a result, while my hubby with a mop and my neighbor with a broom were rushing around the kitchen, shooing the mouse from corner to corner, the dog lay down on the threshold and watched all this! The mouse was not caught. We decided to run back to where we came from. She was probably scared by the noise, etc. A couple of days later, in the morning, getting ready for work, I take a bag from the floor, and this fat gray creature runs out and into our room under the bed! UNDER OUR BED!!! My husband was sleeping, I, naturally, woke him up, saying that by the time I arrived she would already be dead! As a result, he also ran after her all over the room, where she got stuck somewhere. And we are renovating the kitchen, and almost everything that was there is now in large boxes in the room. The next night she did not let me sleep, the infection was scratching somewhere under the baseboards. They spat on her, saying to hell with you, you’ll die yourself.

We went to another city for the New Year holidays for 4 days. They also took the dog with them. Before this, we stocked up specifically: we bought glue traps, the glue itself, and poisoned grains into the bargain. They laid out traps with glue and poured in some grains. Upon arrival, everything was untouched and empty. Smart bitch! As a result, they found a mouse corpse under the bathroom, which turned out to be a different one. Because this creature is still here! Yesterday I noticed that the dog was staring behind the closet. They pushed it back a little, and sure enough, the bastard was sitting there. They realized that she couldn’t get out from the other side, so they poured grains in there and went to bed. Today we wake up, sitting there half alive. But still alive!!! They used glue and cardboard, stuffed it in there with her, and went to the mega. Now we’ve arrived, it looks like he’s still sitting there. But she’s no longer good, she’ll soon die on her own. Maybe she ate some grains last night, who knows. Now we will drag her out of there and finish her off.

They are coming towards us, most likely from the bathroom and kitchen, there are holes with hoses, etc. But they cannot be sealed completely, as they explained to me, they say these hoses are there.

How to completely remove these parasites so that they don’t come back??? Maybe someone used ultrasonic devices to drive them out? Will they harm the dog? Who is saved by what? I no longer have the strength to live in fear that wherever I go in my own apartment, she might run out of there!

How to protect your home from mice

Once your home is finally rodent free, it's important to make sure they don't come back. This can be done in several ways.

Use sealant and steel wool

Unfortunately, mice have ways of getting into the house through the smallest holes and even making them even larger by gnawing. However, sealant and “steel wool” are too tough for these pests. Experts advise How to get rid of mice in your house and prevent them from ever coming back / Good Housekeeping to pay special attention to the places where the pipes pass, as well as to the floor in the basement along the walls, ventilation and fireplace, if there is one.

Reduce the number of bushes near the house

Shrubs and piles of branches attract mice. Therefore, it is worth regularly trimming the green spaces near the house and maintaining order on the site. Mice love to build nests in piles of things, so it is better to keep firewood at least 6 meters from human habitation.

Make your home uninhabitable for mice

Kitchen shelves strewn with crumbs and leftover food are a real paradise for rodents, especially during the cold season. You need to regularly wipe the inside surfaces of cabinets and store food in airtight containers. The same goes for pet food: don’t leave it in a bowl all day.

Mice also love to chew paper, so it's important to clean out cabinets regularly and throw away any unwanted cellulose packaging right away.

Close the trash can tightly

Garbage attracts mice as well as insects and other pests. To protect against rodents, it is better to choose a waste container with an airtight lid or seal it tightly using rubber cords.

Try organic oils

Experts emphasize How to get rid of mice in your house and prevent them from ever coming back / Good Housekeeping that home remedies are not the best way to get rid of rodents. Still, it's worth a try.

Mice are repelled by the smells of clove and peppermint esters. You can soak cotton pads in one of these oils and leave them in areas that attract mice, such as drawers and cabinets in the kitchen.

The best glue-type baits

These are less humane means, but they also work effectively against mice. The bottom line is that the mouse or other rodent sticks to the glue and cannot continue moving. When a person comes to the place where he has placed the trap, he can destroy the pest. If the trap is left unattended for too long, the mouse may die of starvation.

Important . It is recommended to use these products in places where crops are stored. You can tape everything around the perimeter so that mice cannot get to the supplies.

ALT

This is one of the most well-known and popular adhesives used today against rodents. Produced in Russia. It can be used in an apartment or in a private house. Not only mice, but also various insects stick to it. Since rodents can feed on them, this serves as an additional bait. Thus, the effectiveness of the adhesive is significantly increased. If you make the glue strip quite wide, it is possible to catch a small or medium-sized rat. There are no toxic or poisonous substances in the composition, which ensures a high degree of safety. It can be used even if there are allergy sufferers in the house. To use it, it is necessary to create a strip of 1 to 3 cm where, presumably, the mouse path passes. You can additionally put a piece of lard as bait, as mice love it. The volume of the tube is 135 grams, and the price is very affordable.

Characteristics:

• safe composition;
• made in Russia;
• 135 grams.

pros

• reasonable price;
• high efficiency;
• ease of use;
• can be used at home.

Minuses

• you need to know where the mouse trail is to catch rodents.

Rodentoff

These are ready-made cardboard traps that are created specifically for those who do not want to waste time using glue. This product is also made in Russia. It is non-toxic and completely safe for others. Includes 2 trays. They can be installed where mice are most often observed. In this case, there is no need to prepare anything yourself. However, it is possible to catch no more than two mice in one trap. It is allowed to place traps in places where food is stored. When the mouse is caught, everyone will decide for themselves what to do with it: release it or destroy it. However, this trap cannot be reused. It doesn't help against rats, since they won't fit into it. The exception is small individuals.

Characteristics:

• 2 traps included;
• designed for 2 mice each;
• safe use.

pros

• there is no need to waste time creating traps;
• a humane way to catch mice;
• low price;
• convenient to use.

Minuses

• The number of mice that can be caught is limited to two.

Kotofey

This is an inexpensive Russian product that is recommended for use in an apartment or country house. Its advantage is that the person himself can spread the glue where necessary. That is, it can be used around the perimeter to ensure that rodents do not get inside. This remedy is very important if it is necessary to use non-toxic substances to defeat rodents. There is no smell, so the product does not repel mice. It allows you to get rid of them physically. Reviews show that the product has the ideal consistency to securely stick the mouse. The product does not dry out for a long time, which is an important advantage. Can be used in dry and damp areas. One package contains 135 grams of glue.

Characteristics:

• 135 grams;
• does not dry out for a long time;
• non-toxic and non-toxic composition.

pros

• does not repel mice, allowing you to get rid of them by physically destroying them;
• does not emit odor;
• can be used in any room;
• does not dry out for a long time;
• small price.

Minuses

• not identified.

On a note! When using them, it is highly recommended to place something that mice love: meat, cheese or other food. This will increase the likelihood of catching a rodent.