Does it feel like the mice in your home just keep coming back? This is a common problem amongst homeowners. All it takes is one small hole in the wall for mice to continue to come and infest your property.
The following lists how you can get rid of mice permanently. The key is to keep the house as clean as possible while eliminating all those entry points that are causing your problem.
If you’ve been struggling with a mouse problem for quite some time, reach out to a pest control company in Lakefield for help.
Table of contents
Deep clean the house
Mice can get by with nothing but crumbs on the floor. Deep clean the house so that you get rid of every possible food source, which will force the mice into your traps. Tidying up and getting organized will also help to get rid of hiding spots, so the mice stop reproducing.
Clean the house from top to bottom, then keep it up with regular cleaning. Vacuum regularly and keep surfaces clean. You should also keep things off the floor. Create lots of space and get organized before you set up your extermination program.
Keep food out of reach
Cleaning up helps to get rid of crumbs, but you should also do your best to keep food out of reach. So, store all your pantry goods in sealed jars and containers. Mice can chew through cardboard boxes and thin plastic packaging. Use lidded containers with a tight seal.
The same logic applies to garbage. Use lidded garbage containers and take the trash out every night. Mice are omnivores that will eat all kinds of things.
Block entry points
Blocking entry points is the key to permanent removal. This physically blocks any more mice from getting into the home. So, you can take care of the ones that are inside and never worry about this again.
An entry point is any opening in the structure of the home that could fit a mouse. Common ones include:
- Door gaps. If you can fit a pencil underneath your door, you can fit a mouse. Block this with a piece of weatherstripping or a door sweep.
- Windows. Seal cracks in the window frames with caulking and add screens to keep pests out.
- Utility lines. Electric cables and faucets are often surrounded with openings that can fit mice. Seal these with expanding foam or caulking or cover them with mesh.
- Wall vents. The dryer vent and weep vents on the walls of your home invite mice. Cover these with a quarter inch mech from the hardware store and use little metal covers for weep holes.
- Soffits. Look along the edges of your soffits for gaps. Mice can climb brick walls and squeeze through here to reach the attic. Use mesh and caulking to seal these shut.
- Foundation gaps. Cracks in the foundation can lead to the basement. Fix these with an epoxy and contact a professional if you have very thick cracks. Don’t forget to look under the deck, if you can.
Set traps in infested room
Traps work best once you have cleaned up the house and excluded it. This way, you won’t be getting any more mice inside the house, and they’ll be hungry enough to get into traps.
Choose between snap traps, electronic traps, live traps, and multi-catch traps. Then, bait them carefully while wearing a pair of gloves. Use pea-sized quantities of peanut butter, gum drops, or jerky. Place your traps along the walls and backs of cabinets in infested rooms.
Use multiple traps and check them every day. Mice usually come in large quantities, so you may need to catch lots of mice before this is over. Be patient and don’t give up.
Tidy up the yard
For added protection against mice, make sure that you maintain the yard. Get rid of weeds and trim back all your overgrown plants so there are fewer places for the critters to hide. Rake the leaves and get rid of leaf piles, especially when they are near the house.
If you have fruit trees, pick up their fruit as soon as they fall to the ground. Be careful when using bird feeders, as well. Keep these as far away from the home as possible.
Hire a Pest Control Expert for Help
When all else fails, hire a pest control expert. A licensed technician will perform an inspection and determine the causes of your mouse problem. He or she can then get rid of the mice on your property with professional-grade rodenticides, which are highly effective. Look for an experienced pest control company with a good track record and good reviews.