My home is my castle. This is exactly what every person thinks until he encounters mice. These rodents instantly occupy the territory, cause a lot of trouble and become the cause of constant discomfort and tension. Then the need arises to find out how to get rid of mice in the apartment: what are they afraid of, what to poison them with, in order to completely eliminate the unpleasant problem. There are a lot of ways, but it’s better to choose what has been tested by time and many previous generations, not forgetting, of course, about modern achievements.
Why do mice appear in the apartment?
Rodents have successfully colonized city apartments. They appear for the following reasons:
- mammals are attracted to warmth, especially during cold periods. They are looking for wintering places. They exchange the cold of basements for the warmth of apartments. They can live above the installed stretch ceiling, in the walls, on the balcony, under drywall, in the bathroom;
- Rodents are attracted to food left unattended on the table, in drawers, even hanging on the wall. Overcoming an obstacle is not a problem when the reward is food;
- mice appear more often due to gross violations of sanitary standards. Garbage accumulating in the apartment, food remnants scattered on the floor, tables, gaping holes in baseboards, walls, ceilings, and uncovered ventilation ducts attract mammals. They quickly settle into the territory, feeling like full owners.
What rooms do they choose?
At first, mice explore houses near their previous homes. They will be more attracted to private buildings with barns and cellars, where no one will disturb them and food is available. These could be outbuildings for storing grain stocks or livestock pens. Mice are not afraid to settle near humans. They occupy not only basements and ground floors, but also apartments at the top of the house .
Mice may choose apartments due to free access to food, when uncleaned pieces of food or crumbs are often left on the table and floor.
Sometimes rodents come into a home not from neighboring houses, but are transported with large things that the owners take with them to a new place, or in packaging from purchased furniture.
Why are mice dangerous in an apartment?
The appearance of rodents should not be considered an annoying nuisance. They can cause damage to housing, human health, and worsen the quality of life. They contaminate food. If a person, without knowing this, uses them, then infection is inevitable.
There are a number of other good reasons why you need to look for a mouse repellent:
- rodents damage furniture, food, walls, wiring, electrical appliances, things;
- there is a risk of fire if they damage the wiring;
- carry diseases dangerous to humans. Colonies of pathogenic bacteria and viruses multiply in their oral cavity;
- are carriers of radiation from one place of residence to another;
- leave a characteristic odor that is difficult to remove with aggressive household chemicals;
- carry fleas.
Signs of rodents
If you are observant enough, it is easy to notice when there is a mouse in the house. Signs characteristic of rodents appear:
- Holes appear in the baseboard area, between the wall and the floor. Their diameter is small, but damage is easy to notice;
- food remains left with teeth marks from pests;
- they leave behind droppings with a characteristic odor;
- rustling can be heard when the room is quiet. More often - at night;
Note!
If a cat lives in the house, then as soon as rodents appear, it behaves warily. The animal constantly sniffs, examines corners, and listens carefully to extraneous sounds.
How to prevent penetration
- An excellent way would be to use an expanded clay mixture that will prevent mice from entering the house.
- Due to the fact that rodents can easily enter the home through very thin openings, they need to be closed using even less means. So, it will be important to use a metal mesh with a wire thickness of at least 2 mm. It can cover the foundation lining, close ventilation ducts and any other potential sources of pest entry. A good option would be to attach such a mesh to the external insulation before the plastering stage.
- Metal plates are another way to eliminate gaps. It is very convenient when the floorboard is installed directly on wooden joists.
How to get them out
All autumn is the period of mouse activity. They try to find a secluded place for wintering. To get rid of mice in apartments, you need to start with regular cleaning, since they cannot survive without a source of water or food. General cleaning will allow you to remove all food debris that is hidden in the corners, behind the cabinet.
Note!
It is very important to inspect the floor and ceiling for holes. If there are any, they need to be sealed immediately.
Mousetraps
A mousetrap will help you catch mice in your apartment. However, you need to remember that one mousetrap will not be enough. It is necessary to place them throughout the apartment. The bait must have a strong smell, for example, you can use fried sausage, bread or lard.
Jar trap
You can use jars to catch mice without killing them. You need to glue a treat to the bottom of the jar. Place it upside down, one edge of the neck should be supported with the edge of a coin. A mouse that wants to get a treat will definitely violate the integrity of the structure and fall into a trap. The caught rodent will be alive and can be released into the wild, as far as possible from residential areas.
Ultrasonic rodent repeller
A modern device can help you catch mice without mousetraps. This is a small plastic box that emits ultrasonic waves. They spread throughout all rooms, frightening rodents, causing them to leave the house on their own. In some cases, it was noted that mice were able to adapt to ultrasound and live under its influence for a long time. In addition, this device negatively affects the life of some types of domestic animals.
Poison
An effective way to control rodents. There is a wide range of poisons on the market, which are produced in various varieties. It is usually used on crops and sold as a poison against mice.
Poisoned products are placed in mouse habitats. Here you need to take into account that if children or pets live in the apartment, you will have to take them away from the house during the period of rodent poisoning.
Glue
An effective remedy is a special glue for catching rodents. It must be applied to a smooth, flat surface. A mouse that gets caught in a sticky trap cannot get out. The advantage of this method is that several mice can fall into one trap at once. However, this is not the most practical way if pets and children live in the apartment.
Disinfection
To disinfect things, you can use boiling, washing in hot water using laundry soap. You can also treat things with hot steam. To do this, you can purchase a steam generator. An excellent method would be quartzization. To disinfect an apartment, you can clean it using products that include chlorine, alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide.
Cat
Domestic cats are usually very lazy and cannot catch mice. If a pet does not help solve the problem, ask someone you know who lives in a private home for a pet. "Yard" animals are excellent predators. It will take them a couple of days to fix the problem.
Folk remedies
Folk remedies are deservedly popular, allowing you to quickly get rid of mice:
- make bunches of herbs: mint, chamomile, wormwood and tansy, place everything in the corners so that the aroma of the plants repels pests;
- grind the ash and place it in rodent habitats. It contributes to irritation of their skin;
- With the help of plastic bottles you will be able to solve the problem with uninvited guests. Place the bait at the bottom of the container and grease the walls with oil. When installing, tilt the bottle. Once inside, the mouse will be trapped;
- combine 0.5 kg of gypsum, 0.3 kg of flour, 0.2 kg of sugar. Place the composition in the corners of the apartment. Mice will happily eat this treat, but will die as the mixture begins to harden in the intestines and cause a blockage.
Professional pest control
If you can’t fight rodents on your own, you need to call professional pest control experts. Specialists will first examine the mice’s habitat, determine their cause, and clear the apartment of them. During their work, they use special means aimed at exterminating rodents.
What are mice afraid of?
It is possible to remove a mouse from the apartment, because this mammal is wary of loud sounds and strong odors. Knowing these features, you will be able to evict uninvited neighbors from your home in a short time.
What sounds are mice afraid of?
Ultrasounds are good at removing pests. The device should be in every room, since ultrasound is not able to penetrate all walls. Mice are afraid of loud noises. Panic is caused by the sound of a vacuum cleaner, a washing machine, or loud music.
What smells repel mice
In normal home conditions, plants and other substances with a pungent odor are used. It also repels rodents. Can be used:
- plants - tansy, wormwood, coriander, chamomile, peppermint, elderberry are suitable;
- non-vegetable components – ammonia, table vinegar, chlorine;
- flavors of synthetic origin - they are sold in specialized stores and can be ordered online.
Note!
Before use, you should carefully study the instructions for each flavor so as not to harm your health.
Ultrasonic repellers
Electronic ultrasonics are becoming increasingly popular in pest control. The “gadget” protects the area by activating high-frequency waves at high volume, creating an uncomfortable environment for rodents.
They begin to experience a feeling of fear, loss of appetite, sometimes pain, stop reproducing and eventually leave the occupied territory.
Manufacturers claim that the use of the device is safe for humans, because People are not able to hear ultrasonic signals, and it can be used safely at home. It is better to choose equipment in a store specializing in products for this purpose.
The most effective repellers:
hail
- A modern rodent repeller is guaranteed to rid an area of up to 550 m² of pests in a short period of time.
- Does not require special skills, knowledge, and is very easy to use.
- Simply install the device in the desired location and turn on the power. Results from 2 to 14 days.
Electro Cat
A positive result when using this type of repeller is noticeable already in the first days of use. After 15 days, the pests completely leave the occupied area.
How to install the repeller correctly:
- Installation is carried out on a concrete or wooden surface.
- The room must be enclosed to reflect the waves.
- Do not block the device with other objects.
- The recommended installation height is 50 cm from the floor.
How to get rid of mice in an apartment forever
By following a few effective tips, you will be able to forget about the unpleasant and foul-smelling problem:
- Cleaning should be thorough and regular. Do not ignore the back closets, pantry, and the last shelves on the mezzanine.
- Food products should not be open or on the floor.
- Wash floors using chlorinated solutions.
- Carefully inspect everything for burrows. If you find them, seal them. Place the poison in distant corners.
- Set up mousetraps with attractive bait regularly.
- Get a cat. The animal cannot stand the smell of mice and will be the first to indicate the appearance of unexpected guests.
- Make bait by mixing cement with wheat and barley grains in any proportion. Place the “treats” in secluded corners, not forgetting a plate of water. The rodents will die; all that remains is to remove their corpses in time.
What measures are we taking immediately?
When you finally understand why mice appear, you need to immediately begin to act. First of all, remove all food available to the rodent. People often store impressive reserves of cereals, flour and grains in bags. It is best to check such food for the presence of mouse excrement. Do not eat food whose bag or package has been damaged by a mouse. This way you can prevent the possibility of contracting an extremely dangerous infection.
You can fight a mouse in a variety of ways, but everyone chooses the most accessible and convenient method for themselves. It is convenient to use mousetraps or special glue traps on substrates. Such devices are completely safe for people and pets around them. A more radical way out of the situation is the creation of poisoned baits based on sugar and grain. Such poisons contain special substances that prevent accidental consumption of poison.
Ultrasonic repellers have also become popular, but the devices must be used continuously for two to three months to achieve results.
Elimination of unpleasant odor
There is an unpleasant odor from rodents in the house, permeating through clothes, shoes, and all household items. This is a trace of excrement containing a lot of caustic ammonia. It is easily absorbed into surrounding structures, and getting rid of it is extremely difficult. There are some effective tips:
- After completely getting rid of rodents, do a thorough cleaning, looking into every hard-to-reach corner. There should be no litter left anywhere;
- Treat surfaces with water and vinegar. You will need at least 6 tbsp. l. for 5 liters of liquid;
- purchase antibacterial air fresheners that can absorb the characteristic unpleasant odor;
- additionally treat the dry surface with hydrogen peroxide.
All potential burrows must be carefully examined to ensure that no dead rodents are left behind. Corpse poison has a negative effect on the human body.
Preventive methods
Fighting mice is a rather labor-intensive process. Therefore, it is better to follow a few simple recommendations that will protect your apartment from rodent infestation.
- Ventilation openings must be covered with metal grilles.
- It is better to seal any existing cracks in the ceiling or floor - special attention is paid to places where heating, water supply, and sewerage take place.
- Do not use paper packaging to store food.
- Clean your apartment regularly - every crumb, garbage and small leftover food attracts rodents. Wet cleaning is best done with chlorine-containing products.
Chemical control agents
Poison for fighting mice You can quickly get rid of mice in your apartment using poisons and chemicals.
Important!
The disadvantage of this method is the danger of toxic substances entering the human body or pets, so poison should not be used in an apartment where there are small children, cats or dogs! It is recommended to evict them to another place for a while.
The store offers a large assortment of various special anti-mouse products, the action of which is based on the gradual accumulation of poison in the body of rodents. Their death occurs after receiving a certain dose.
Rodent poison is sold in several forms:
- powders and liquids for preparing poisoned baits;
- biscuits and briquettes made of wax to poison mice;
- pickled cereals or grains containing toxic substances.
The most popular preparations for exterminating pests: Rat Death sachets, Storm briquettes, Bactorodencid cereals.
Mouse poison should be placed in several places at once, where the animals are most often: near burrows, in the corners of rooms and kitchens, etc.
Reviews
Nikolai
I have repeatedly encountered rodents in my dacha and tried different methods. The poison turned out to be the most effective. I don’t remember the name, it was sold in the form of pink beans. I simply placed them in all corners of the house. This was my last contact with mice. They haven't been in the house for two years now.
Antonina
The mouse has become an unpleasant and uninvited guest in my house. I tried to get rid of it in a lot of ways. They were unsuccessful. I decided to use the services of specialists. A guy arrived, inspected the house, and treated the mouse’s habitat with some solutions. The mouse died. After a thorough spring cleaning, I did not have such guests.
Hope
I use ultrasound to control rodents. I have a small child, so I refused to use poisons. Ultrasound turned out to be the best option because it does not harm us and scares mice. At first I was afraid that it might not work, but my fears turned out to be in vain. There was no trace of the uninvited guests after a couple of days.
Looking for the root of the problem
Once you understand where the mice in your home or apartment come from, it will be much easier to begin successfully combating the annoying pests. Unwanted neighbors appear suddenly. First, one scout goes around the area, and then several individuals move to a suitable territory. In favorable conditions with optimal temperature conditions and sufficient food levels, mice reproduce extremely quickly. Females reproduce up to four times a year. After a couple of months, six pups are ready to lead a full life and reproduce further.
Regardless of the number of parasites, each representative of the species prefers to return to its nest. It is extremely easy to track where a mouse is at home, because rodents remember the path to the house using previously left excrement. Due to special secretions in feces and urine, your home will have an unpleasant odor that is very difficult to get rid of.
It is necessary to distribute poisons and set traps after you have found a pest hole. Rodents can appear in any home, and no one is immune, but it is best to take preventative measures and carefully monitor the slightest changes. You need to buy poison as soon as you notice one tiny mouse. Such an individual can quickly give rise to a whole colony of rodents that will damage your furniture and spoil food supplies. It will take even more time to fight the annoying smell.