If you are a homeowner and you have noticed that there are mouse droppings showing up in areas within your home, you most likely have more than one rodent harboring within your walls. Mice can be pesky intruders that cause destruction to insulation and woodwork. You will want to try some methods to deter mice from wanting to live inside your home. Here are some ways you can dissuade mice to leave and a few ways that you can use to trap or kill them.
Where There Is Food, There Are Mice
Mice will not want to stay in a home that has nothing to eat. They will quickly move on to other locations if they cannot find something to snack on. Take the time to thoroughly clean your kitchen area. You will want to go through all cabinets and your pantry to make sure that there are no food items that a mouse would be able to get into. Cardboard packaging is not enough to keep a mouse from getting the contents inside. You will want to place items in plastic storage containers to keep the scent of all food away from mice.
Pet Dishes
If you have a pet, leaving food out for them all day long can be a problem if you have mice in the home. They will start to eat your pet's food if they cannot find other food sources. Make sure to take up food dishes after your pet has eaten. This should be done outdoors, as well.
Deter The Mice
Mice do not appreciate the smell of peppermint and will avoid anything that smells like it. If you have a peppermint plant in your home, the scent will make mice stay away from the room where the plant is located. Dip a few pieces of cotton in some peppermint oil and place them around your home to further deter mice from wanting to stick around.
Another deterrent is the scent of a cat. If you have a pet cat in your home, you most likely do not have a mouse problem. Cats will chase mice and kill them. Mice know the smell of a feline and will avoid entering a home that has this smell.
Trapping And Killing
If deterrents are not enough to rid your home of mice, you will need to think about trapping them or killing them. Humane traps can be bought in a home goods store. They are made of plastic and have a small swinging door that only opens one direction. Once a mouse is enclosed in the trap, you can let them outside by turning the trap upside down so the door swings open. Place a bait such as peanut butter in the trap and put it in an area that you believe mice have been frequenting. Check them periodically so you can let the mouse go after it is trapped.
If you would rather kill the mice, there are a variety of kill traps on the market. Glue traps, snapper traps and traps where the mouse eats bait that kills are all ways to remove mice permanently. If you do not want to have to deal with removing the carcasses from dead mice, you may want to hire a pest control service, such as Greenleaf Organic Pest Management, to handle the job.
Share26 December 2014
Even as a child, I was an indoor person. Despite the fact that I lived on a ranch and had a hundred acres of land to roam on, I preferred reading a book while sitting in the most comfortable recliner in my home. I’m referring to that soft, plush, and luxurious piece of furniture that you absolutely have to force yourself to get out of. When I became a homeowner, my primary quest was to find a suitable replacement for my childhood retreat. I researched, examined, and sat in numerous chairs before I finally found the one, the beautiful tan piece of furniture that I wanted to grow old with. On this blog, I want to share with others the importance of buying the perfect furniture items for your home, the ones you never will want to part with.
