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How To Get Rid Of Mice In Your Home

DIY : Home Repair

Many old and not so old houses can attract mice. This is a terrible problem, not only because so many people are disgusted at the thought of these creatures loose in their house, but also because they are a health hazard, even more so if they get into kitchens.

How to tell if you have mice

You can tell if you have mice if you see droppings, and often they can come in through tiny little cracks in the skirting board or wall, or come in from outside through a crack in your doorstep.

Where to look for mice

They are often found in cupboards, so if you store cardboard boxes or other containers of things and you find they are chewed, then it is likely you have a mouse that can gain access to your home in some way.

Pest Control

If you really don't want to deal with the problem yourself, or if you think it could be rats or other rodents then you can call a professional exterminator to take care of things for you.

How to trap a mouse

The first thing to do is get a trap. There are 2 types of trap, humane and snap traps. The former are little cages which trap the mouse inside but don't kill it, so you have to be prepared to get rid of it still alive. Also with these traps there is the danger it could simply come back into your home or someone else's.

The other kind of trap is supposed to kill the mouse the minute it hits the spring, but occasionally they can go wrong and it can hang onto life, so either way you have to find somebody who is prepared to dispose of it!



Place the traps where they will not be disturbed by other household members. In corners, the cupboard under the stairs, behind furniture are all possible venues. If you see a hole in the skirting board, behind the fridge etc then you might want to place one there.

Mice can get out of very tiny cracks so look carefully. Remember too that mice will run away when they hear noise of footsteps and so on, and also take care that noisy footsteps or running does not set the trap off!

Mouse Bait

Put a small piece of bait, normally cheese, in the appropriate place on the trap, and place it very close to the wall. Don't touch the trap too much or else your scent will overpower that of the bait, which the mouse will detect then avoid the trap. Keep checking the traps every morning, and after a few days replace the bait. If nothing happens then you might want to reconsider your positioning of the traps.

Once you have trapped the mouse then you must dispose of it. If it is dead then the best way is to wrap it, including the trap if you want, in a plastic bag and dispose carefully in the outside bin. If you used a humane trap you must find a place to set it free. It is probably best to take it somewhere in the car a distance from your home because otherwise if it is let out in the back garden, it will inevitably come back in.

Stop mice entering the home

To prevent mice entering the house you could try stuffing all the little cracks in your steps and walls with steel wool as this is one material mice cannot chew through.


By: Dave on Sun, Jun 16th 2002

More pest control advice

Using cheese to catch mice is an old wives tale - they are generally not bothered with it unless they are really hungry.



To guarantee catching your mouse, use something sweet. Sultanas and raisins can attract them, but I got my mouse in under an hour by baiting with chocolate. Cadbury Dairy Milk works every time!.

I found that peanut butter got me the best results in a humane trap..

I Have A Mouse Problem In My Home This Is Now Getting Out Of Control Ive Use Just About Every Method To Rid Of These Dirty Rodents Ive Tryed Poison, Traps. But They Still Seem To Come Back All The Time There In My Living Room Bedrooms Dining Room (Worst Of All MY KITCHEN GRRR) I Have To Clean Everywhere Everyday As I Have 3 Kids That I Dont Want Them To Be Ill . Could Any One Give Me Some Tips On Trying To Get Rid FOREVER :'(

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