Having mice in your house can be a major nuisance and a cause for concern. These pesky rodents can cause damage to your property and pose health risks. But fear not, because there are effective ways to get rid of mice and prevent them from returning.

In this article, we’ll explore various treatment methods as well as prevention strategies to help you reclaim your home and live mouse-free. So, if you’re wondering how to get rid of mice in the house, keep reading for some practical tips and solutions!

What are the Early Signs of Mice Infestation?

If you think you have rats or mice in your home, here are some signs to look out for:

• You notice rodent droppings or mice poop around your house. You can find these small and dark brown jelly-bean-like droppings near food sources and under furniture. Even though you don’t see mice, they’re certainly around there somewhere.
• There’s a foul odor. Smelling any unexpected foul odor around your home could be another sign of rodent infestation in your home. The rodent’s urine and droppings could smell like stale ammonia.
• There are bite marks or gnawed holes. Rodents love biting through cardboard boxes, drywall, paper, food packaging, etc, in search of something to eat. If you find any part of your house with bite marks and gnawed holes, that’s a sure sign of a mouse infestation.

How to Get Rid of Mice in the House: Treatment & Prevention

If you’re an animal lover or you know your vegan roommate is going to seriously object to causing any harm to the little critters, consider setting up some humane mouse traps around your apartment. Moreover, you might want to consider buying multiple traps to increase your likelihood of catching mice in the house. Indeed, the sneaky rodents travel stealthily.

Just remember this: if you’ve already seen one mouse, there’s a high chance that there are more.

Treatment

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The first thing you should do once you’ve seen mice in the house is contact your landlord. They have to schedule a visit with a pest management professional to inspect your place and safely eliminate the mice with their professional equipment. But before that, there are a few things you can do yourself:

1. Clean up any potential food sources

This includes any of your food sitting on countertops, as well as animal food. Pet food should be off the floor and in sealed containers.

2. Clean clutter areas where mouse activity is suspected

Boxes, linen, and stashed holiday decorations are all recognized as safe harbors for mice in the house.

3. Identify all possible entryways in the house where mice can get in

Common entryways include gaps around utility pipes and holes around walls and doors. Remember that mice only need an entryway the size of a dime, so don’t overlook any insignificant holes.

Related: 4 DIY Pest Control Measures For Your Home

4. Set up traps

Traps are a bit old-school, but it still works as long as it’s set up correctly. First, you need to determine where the mice live in your home and place the traps there. Mice don’t usually travel far, so just look for signs of them (bite marks and droppings) to know where they are exactly. It’s also a good idea to switch up the traps every few days.

Some common mouse traps you can buy in your local grocery or hardware store are:

• Adhesive or glue boards: A piece of paper with glue covering the whole surface which traps the feet and body of the mouse with no way of escaping. The rodent then dies of hunger and exhaustion after 48 hours.
• Victor Mouse traps: This is a pedal trap equipped with a covered bait (any kind of food), which the mouse lifts. The trap, then, immediately releases the kill bar to catch the rodent.

5. Use essential oils

The answer to the question, ‘How to get rid of mice in the house naturally?’, is essential oils. Strong-smelling oils like eucalyptus and peppermint are your best bet when it comes to repelling mice as they irritate their noses.

To do so, try mixing 10 drops of essential oil in a cup of water, then spraying the mixture around your house (especially the possible entryways).

Prevention

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After your home is mouse-free, take some steps to prevent them from coming back. These tips will make sure you never see mice in the house again!

1. Make sure doors, windows, and all potential openings are sealed

Getting rid of mice in the house isn’t that easy. So seal all openings! Remember how it only takes a dime-sized hole for a mouse to get in? Make sure you check every nook and cranny carefully to prevent potential entries for mice in the house.

Repair cracks on the exterior of your home (or ask your landlord to do this). They might be harder to identify if you live in an apartment building, but you can try asking your landlord to do a thorough check and repair.

2. Keep food stored properly in airtight containers

Regularly clean under stoves and refrigerators where crumbs can gather. As much as possible, sweep and mop the floor after cooking. This way, you get a clean house and effectively prevent any rodent infestations.

3. Dispose of garbage quickly and properly

‘Tis the season to be the bigger roommate. Take the trash out immediately before another mouse infestation happens in your home.

4. Basement leaks are a gateway for mice to enter the house

Make sure your attic or basement doesn’t have a leak issue. Any source of moisture can attract mice, and you don’t want to face a mold issue on top of that.

5. Conduct regular mice inspections

To effectively keep mice out of your house in the long term, conduct regular mice inspections. You can have professionals do it, but you can do it yourself too. Here’s how:

• Look through your whole house for any signs of mice.
• Find and seal any possible entry points.
• Never leave food out; always keep your food in a secure place, safely stored.
• Tidy up your garbage, never leaving it exposed.

Besides being obvious pests, mice can bring icky germs and food-borne illnesses, all the more reason to take serious measures in preventing repeat infestations in your home. Remember, mice usually live or frequent in unsanitary places like sewers or garbage piles, where they can acquire various bacteria. So it’s best to keep them off your homes for your health and safety.

Mice in the House: Done and Gone!

Getting rid of mice in your house is possible with the right treatments and prevention methods. Just remember to use the tips and tricks outlined in this article to ensure a mouse-free home and a healthier living environment.