How to Get Rid of Field Mice in House
When thinking about how to get rid of mice in the home, it's important to consider methods that will cause the least harm to both the animal and your house. That being said, the solution must also be effective. Here's our guide to pest control when it comes to mice, including signs you have mice inside your home, how to locate their entry point and what to do to stop them.
Firstly, it's important to note that, if you see evidence of a mouse in your house, it's most likely that there is more than just one. Mice and rodents have adapted well to living with humans and if one has found shelter, food and water inside a home, others will follow. They also breed and multiply quickly.
Signs you have mice in your house
Droppings – Droppings are the clearest sign that mice are present. Mice poo regularly – producing between 50 to 75 droppings a day – so they will often leave a trail behind them.
Urine marks – on areas where a mouse may have sat still, you may find sticky yellow urine stains.
Holes in food boxes – Mice enter homes in search of sustenance and shelter so are likely to find their way towards your kitchen food cupboards, especially on floor level. Look for chew marks and holes as a sign. If you do find holes, put all food into thick, airtight, plastic containers with locking lids.
Chew marks on wires – Mice also have a tendency to chew through electric wires which can cause serious damage and even become a fire hazard.
Smell – Mice leave behind the smell of their frequent toilet visits as they wander round your home.
A nest – If you have mice coming into your home, that doesn't always mean that their nest is inside. It might be in the garage or in the garden. You should, however, check any suspect areas in your home for nests. Mice like to make nests in undisturbed, enclosed spaces like drawers or boxes.
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HOW TO GET RID OF MICE
1. Find their entry point
Before deciding where to target your preventative efforts, you must locate where the mice are entering your room/home. Use the evidence in the points above to learn their movements. Once you know their entry point and where they frequent the most, this is where you should focus your traps.
Remember that mice can fit through openings as small as 1.7cm.
2. Home remedies
There are a number of DIY mouse repellent ideas, including peppermint sprays, dryer sheet stuffings and cotton balls soaked in oil and cayenne pepper. These are certainly less harmful to the animal but there is also less evidence to suggest that they are effective. Mice have become so used to living alongside humans that they have become immune to many things that might have once put them off.
Products to get rid of mice
Rodent Mesh (16 LPI x 1.19mm Hole x 0.4mm Wire) Stainless Steel Mesh - A5 (150 x 210mm)
The Mesh Company amazon.co.uk
£2.99
3 Roll Steel Wool DIY Kit, 0000 Ultra Fine Grade Rodent Control Gaps Blocker, Stainless Coarse Wire Wool Fill Fabric, Hardware Cloth, Keep Rats and Mice Away from Holes/Wall Cracks/Vents
Daohexi amazon.co.uk
Tisserand Organic Peppermint Oil 9ml
Tisserand hollandandbarrett.com
£7.50
FITFORT Ultrasonic Pest Repeller - 20W High Power Plug-in Pest Control with 3-in-1 Frequency Conversion Technology, Efficient Repelling Rat, Spider, Mouse, Ant, Cockroach, Bed bug and Other Rodents
FITFORT amazon.co.uk
£19.99
RepellShield Mouse Repellent Spray - Mouse & Rat Repellent Outdoor and Indoors - Natural Peppermint Oil Spray - Peppermint Oil Rat Repellent Alternative to Mouse Poison & Mice Poison - 250 ml
RepellShield amazon.co.uk
£12.99
Humane Mouse Trap, 32 cm Enlarged Smart Mouse and Rodent Trap, No Kill The Mice, Pets & Children Friendly, Like a Real Mouse Home, Black
iiwey amazon.co.uk
£12.99
BOMPOW Mouse Traps Reusable Snap Mice Traps That Work Rodent Killer Easy to Bait, 4 Pack
BOMPOW amazon.co.uk
£8.99
Mouse Trap Rat Mice Insect Catcher Pad Traps Pest Rodent Heavy Duty x 5
Mouse amazon.co.uk
£14.95
3. Shop-bought traps
There are multiple types of mouse traps available to buy from shops – some of which are more humane than others.
Snap traps are the most common type of mouse trap. They lure in the animal with bait and then release a quick trigger system which traps the animal and most likely kills it. The snap is audible, alerting human residents that a mouse has been caught.
The most popular kind of snap trap is a bar trap. These are cheap but do mean you are likely to see a dead animal if it is effective. The alternative is a chamber snap trap. This catches the mouse inside a tube so you don't have to see it once caught.
Electric traps work by delivering a fatal electric shock but are safe for pets and people in the house. They are more expensive, run on batteries and are bigger in size.
Sticky traps use an adhesive glue board to trap the mouse. They require little to no set-up but are not humane for the mouse which will become very distressed when stuck. They are also not ideal for homes with pets.
Live catch traps are the most humane way as they catch the mouse but do not kill it. If choosing this option, you must release the mouse at least three miles away from your home.
4. Use the best mouse bait
Peanut butter is thought to be the best mouse bait. Chocolate, cheese and bird seeds/nuts also work well. The most important thing is that the bait have a strong enough smell to catch the mouse' attention.
5. Wire wool
Mice cannot chew through wire or steel wool so it is an effective way to get rid of mice and stop them entering your home. Fill any suspect gaps around your skirting boards, pipes and doors with wire wool to prevent entry. For larger holes, you can use wire mesh screening.
6. Call a pest control professional
If you would prefer a professional to do the searching and trapping for you then research local pest control services in your area. Always ask if they are fully licensed and for a quote before you agree to using them. Be prepared that pest control might want to use harsh chemicals to get rid of mice. Be aware of this if you have children or pets at home.
HOW TO KEEP MICE AWAY
- Consider having any previous entry points permanently blocked
- Always keep food sealed and out of reach
- Keep a lid on outside bins at all times
- Cut back any shrubs close to entry points from the outside they could use to nest in
More pest control advice:
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How to Get Rid of Field Mice in House
Source: https://www.countryliving.com/uk/homes-interiors/property/advice/a1184/how-to-get-rid-of-mice/