Mice are considered to be one of the most notorious pests in history, invading homes all over the world, often contaminating everything they touch. If you have a mouse infestation in your home or business, read this article to learn how to get rid of them.
The number one recommended method by professional mice exterminators is to keep your home or business very clean of leftover food, to minimize any scents that may be attractive to mice fro the outside. It is also very important to seal off any entrance points or ideal places for nesting, which can be quite difficult considering that mice can squeeze through holes as small as ¼ inch in diameter.
Mice can be harmful to your health through contamination of food and objects that they come in contact with. They are known to carry bacteria, viruses and some diseases in their feces, urine and saliva. If you notice any signs of a mouse infestation such as mice feces, gnaw marks or ripped up food packaging, keep on reading to learn how to get rid of mice for good.
#1 Recommended Mice Extermination Technique by Pestend
Mouse traps and baits are the two most effective methods for exterminating mice without the help of a professional mouse control company. Proper bait selection and trap placement are very important factors for a successful mouse extermination to take place.
Bait Selection
Mice are very attracted to sweet and fatty foods inside our homes. Some of the most effective baits used to lure mice into a trap are:
1. Peanut Butter 2.Soft Cheese 3.Marshmallows
If you are using a trap, it is best to choose a bait that is difficult for them to remove, such as peanut butter, to ensure that the mouse can’t remove the bait without releasing the trigger.
Trap and Poison Bait Placement
Mice have poor vision but a great sense of touch and smell. When they travel they use tactile feedback to get from one place to another, mainly using walls to guide them. Knowing these simple facts, and that they do not venture far from their nesting or feeding areas, here are some tips to maximize your trapping and baiting efficiency:
- Place traps and poison baits along walls to be directly in their path
- To catch mice traveling in both directions, and the odd few that jump over your trap, always place two traps side by side, with the triggers facing outward
- Place traps 8-10 feet away from one another in areas of high mouse activity
If you have small children or house pets and want to use poison baits, be very careful of where you place the baits, using bait stations in any areas that may be accessible by your child or pet.
How To Get Rid Of Mice With Traps
Using mouse traps to exterminate mice from your home is proven to be one of the most effective methods, if you follow the tips above for bait selection and trap placement. There are several mouse trap options to choose from depending on your budget and ethical beliefs, the most common being:
- Snap Trap – this is the most popular mouse trap on the market due to its low cost and ease of use. Bait is placed on a trigger which, when touched by a mouse, causes a spring loaded wire to slam down on the mouse killing it quickly.
- Glue Trap – similar to the snap trap, glue traps are low cost and easy to use; however, they are less humane. A glue trap lures mice in with a food bait placed on an adhesive surface. When the mice touches this surface they get stuck to die a slow death.
- Live Trap – this is by far the most humane trap but is slightly more costly than snap and glue traps. A live trap is essentially a tiny cage with a trapdoor that shuts closed when a trigger is activated, allowing you to safely return captured mice into the wild.
- Electrocution Trap – less commonly used in residential properties, electrocution traps are highly successful but are more expensive. Luring mice in with a bait, electrocution traps send a powerful electric shock to mice killing them instantly.
Regardless of which trap mechanism you use, make sure to quickly and safely dispose of dead mice. Also disinfect any surface that mice have come in contact with including traps that will be reused.
How To Get Rid Of Mice With Poison Baits
If you don’t want to use traps for your mice problem, another option is to use rodenticides which are anticoagulants, meaning that the active ingredient causes blood to thin over a few days causing internal bleeding which is fatal to the poisoned mice. The rodenticide is placed inside an attractive food bait that the mice will consume over several days.
Although using rodenticides is a highly effective mouse extermination method, they take a few days to actually kill the mice and, contrary to using traps, you will also have to find and dispose of the mouse corpses. On top of this, poisoned baits can be dangerous if you have small children or pets who may accidentally consume the bait.
This article was a courtesy contribution by Lukman B. from Pestend Canada which is one of the highest rated mice exterminators in Canada based on number of Google Reviews.