How to get rid of mice in the home

What are the best ways to get rid of mice? Our guide shows you several methods, and what to do to prevent the pests from returning to your home.

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Mice in the apartment are not only uncomfortable, but also unsanitary and, above all, a health hazard. Anyone who discovers one or more mice should act urgently. In this guide we have summarized the best tips on how to get rid of mice.

Signs of mouse infestation

Mice are very curious, but also shy animals. Therefore, a mouse infestation in the house often remains undetected for a long time. If you suspect that you have mice in the house, you should pay attention to any indications, because mice leave traces.

• Perceive noises (scratching, scratching, nibbling)
• Gnaw marks
• Bite and scuff marks (e.g. on electrical cables)
• Mouse droppings (spindle-shaped, size about 3 – 8 mm)
• Running and smear marks
• biting smell (caused by mouse urine and faeces)
• Tip: If you are not sure whether you have mice in the house, sprinkle flour and check the “flour path” for traces of mice the next day.

Best ways to get rid of mice

Catch the mice

It takes a little patience to catch mice, but with the appropriate equipment it is doable! Thanks to well-designed traps, it is even possible to catch mice alive. Or try the method that only requires a simple water bucket.

If you have the gray rodents in your house or apartment, your health is at risk! With these 5 options, mice can be caught and worse things are prevented.

Although they weigh only 19 grams on average and are therefore not particularly large, we associate disgust and discomfort with the small rodents. Women prefer to jump on the table when they see mice and the world of men rarely feels sympathy. The fact is that mice have no place in homes or business premises, because there the animals are considered vermin that contaminate food and can transmit diseases and parasites. In addition, mice reproduce rapidly and it can be assumed that there are other specimens in a single animal sighted.

Just so that no misunderstandings arise here, we are talking about ordinary house mice who gain access to the apartment etc. from the outside. Those who keep one or more mice as pets – in the cage, of course – ideally have a bred specimen from the pet shop that, with regular veterinary care, does not pose a risk to humans.

Catch with a trap

The classic in itself is and remains the mousetrap. You have two options here to get rid of mice:

1. A classic mouse trapThe classic mouse trap is equipped with a bait, preferably of course something that mice love – see bait list below. Then the bracket must be tensioned. Caution is advised here, because if the bracket folds back during installation, there is a risk of injury. If the mouse falls into the trap, it is usually killed, but it can also happen that you find a still wriggling mouse during the check.
2. A live trapIf you want to save the mouse from death, it is better to use a live trap. This consists of a kind of cage in which a bait is also positioned. The flap of the cage is connected to the bait and tensioned. If the mouse eats the bait, the bracket loosens and “the gate” falls shut, the mouse is caught. If you use a live trap to catch mice, you should be able to release the animals accordingly. This is certainly easier in rural areas (forest, fields) than in the city to get rid of mice.

Catching mice – the best bait

• bacon
• cheese
• salami
• chocolate
• Nut nougat cream
• Peanut butter
• Bread with a hard rind
• Dust the trap with flour

Catch in a bucket

That sounds crazy, but it works perfectly. This possibility of catching a mouse is also a kind of live trap, but this mouse trap can be built yourself. That’s how it works:

1. You need a bucket, the higher it is, the better.
2. Now two opposite holes are punched or drilled in the edge.
3. Now you need a thin metal rod, or a sturdy wire that is slightly longer than the diameter of the bucket.
4. An empty, not too small, PET bottle is also required.
5. A hole must now be punched into the bottle, both on the bottom and on the lid, into which the metal rod fits.
6. “Thread on” the bottle and stick the rod through the holes in the bucket.
7. Fix the rod and bottle with some hot glue or something similar, but make sure that the construct can be turned.
8. Now attach the bait in the middle of the bottle (suggestions see above) – the easiest way is again with hot glue.

To make it easier for the mouse to access the bait, a board can be placed on the edge of the bucket.

When the mouse takes on the bait, climbs up the bucket and tries to get the treat via the bottle. The bottle turns and the mouse falls into the bucket – congratulations, the mouse is caught!

➔ Tip: If the bucket is high enough, the mouse will not come out. If you are not sure, you can put a handful of water in the bucket – this makes the escape route difficult.

Glue

That doesn’t sound particularly gentle as a way to get rid of mice, nor is it. Still, I don’t want to not mention this type of mouse trapping. There are so-called sticky traps against mice on the market. These consist of a solid base, for example cardboard, which in turn is coated with strong adhesive glue. 

If you place the adhesive trap where you suspect the mice and the mouse steps on the glue, it literally sticks. In any case, these traps should be checked several times a day to save the mouse from a long, painful starvation. This mousetrap is only for those who have no problem killing the mouse afterwards.

Catch with a cat

A cat in the house is the most natural, but not always the best way to get rid of mice. Especially cats that are kept exclusively in the house do not necessarily see mice as enemies. They play with them, but rarely kill them and almost never eat them. So it makes no sense to buy a cat because of a sighted mouse. But you shouldn’t underestimate the house tiger, because a cat can help drive mice away.

Drive away the mice

You can and should also try to drive away mice so that an almost cute mouse does not become a nuisance.

Anyone who discovers one or usually several mice in the house or apartment wants to get rid of the animals as quickly as possible. As an immediate measure, an attempt will of course then be made to catch the mice. The action is understandable, but not one hundred percent effective, because you can never be sure that mice have not hidden somewhere. House mice not only transmit diseases, they also cause considerable damage because they gnaw away almost everything that comes to their eyes. Therefore, the goal should be to permanently drive the mice away.

There is no ultimate way to drive mice away. If you don’t want to hire a exterminator to take care of the vermin , you may have to try a few methods until the mice are completely expelled.

Drive away mice with cats

When the cat is out of the house, the mice dance on the table. The saying goes by chance, because cats are the natural enemies of mice. If you have a house tiger in the house, you still have no guarantee that there is no mouse in the house, but will significantly reduce the risk. However, it makes no sense to buy a catjust to prevent mice .

By the way: should it also help if you lay out used cat litter where the mice are suspected. However, due to the unpleasant smell, this measure is probably not suitable for living rooms.

Drive out mice with or without poison?

There is special poison against mice on the market, which can then be placed in the house or in the attic to get rid of mice. Although it can be assumed that the mice eat the poison, the infection is not completely eliminated. The mice do not die immediately, but drag themselves back into their burrow. In the worst case, you have the dead animals behind the closet or other furniture without noticing it. The putrefaction creates a very unpleasant smell that sometimes attracts other vermin, such as flies . In addition, the toxic mouse baits are also dangerous for humans and pets.

Drive away mice with home remedies

Mice have a strong sense of smell, which also explains why rodents are particularly attracted to good-smelling foods. If you want to get rid of mice, you can take advantage of this fact, because there are scents and flavorings that mice don’t seem to like. However, we cannot give a guarantee for the effectiveness of these home remedies either.

1. peppermint
2. oleander
3. Chili peppers
4. Cloves
5. vinegar
6. chamomile
7. eucalyptus
8. Mothballs
9. turpentine
10. Tea tree oil

First try to find out which walking paths the mice use or where they have their loopholes. Distribute the mentioned fragrances there in the form of herbs or as a spice powder. It also helps if you soak paper strips or rags with the appropriate fragrance oils and lay them out where you suspect the mice are.

Drive away mice with ultrasound

The last method to drive away mice, which I would like to introduce to you here, is also the one with the least effort. Special ultrasound devices can be installed in several rooms at the same time, more precisely the acoustic mouse defense is plugged into the socket. 

The sound that is emitted should not please mice at all and make them retreat. The sound waves are not audible for people, so that the quality of living is not affected. Ultrasound devices must remain switched on day and night – in order to keep mice permanently away – but they consume little electricity .

If the use of the above-mentioned home remedies is too cumbersome, you should first try to drive the mice away with ultrasound. Incidentally, it is also the gentlest method for the mice, because they can leave the house “healthy and alert”.

Prevent mice returning

The best remedy for mice is not to let them in the house at all. For this, people, i.e. each of us, must take precautions and above all keep order and cleanliness.

The goal, of course, is to get rid of the mice as quickly as possible, so you do everything you can to catch the mice. Unfortunately, this is only half the solution, because the cause of mice in the house has not yet been found. If you do not worry about the reasons for the mouse infestation and eliminate them, you will always have mice in the house or apartment.

Reasons for mice in the house

At the latest when the mice are caught or you have succeeded in driving the mice out, you should do cause research. Mice come into the house because they are “keen” on the food of the people that we inadvertently provide them with. Another reason is the cozy warmth in the apartment or house, because when it gets colder outside, mice like to take shelter there.

Hygiene prevents mice in the house

Whether we make it easy for mice to get into the house depends largely on human behavior. Leftover food etc. coax the mice and encourage them to build their nests near the food source. To prevent this, first check your household.

Keep the home clean

Often it is small inattentions that are great attractants for mice. If sugar is scattered during cooking or baking , sweep it away immediately. The same applies to cake or bread crumbs. Spilled drinks such as lemonade should also be wiped up immediately. When cleaning your kitchen, don’t forget cupboards and drawers – wipe everything out at regular intervals. Particular attention is paid to the trash can; after the trash bag has been disposed of, the pail itself must also be cleaned.

Tip: Use a trash can with a lid that at least dampens the smell.

Anyone who uses yellow bags to dispose of waste instead of a ton must ensure that they are stored in a closed room until they are picked up. There is almost always food residue on the disposed sausage packaging or in PET bottles, the smell of which magically attracts mice.

11 tips to prevent mice in the house

There are so many attractions and loopholes that allow mice to get into the house. You should never forget that mice can crawl through tiny openings (thumb thick) and it is precisely these weak points that you have to find.

1. Outside: Do not throw leftovers (meat, fish, sausage, bread) on the compost .
2. Make sure that no leftover food gets into the drain and do not throw it into the toilet.
3. Clean pet cages at least once a week and keep pet food airtight.
4. Do not leave residues of cat or dog food in the bowl for days. This not only attracts flies , but also mice.
5. Always store supplies (flour, pasta, nuts, spices) in completely sealed containers or screw jars.
6. Forgotten boxes and boxes in the basement or in the attic should be disposed of. Mice gnaw at everything that gets in their way.
7. Better give away old clothes or bring them into the appropriate collection containers. Once the sacks and boxes are standing around, invite the mice to have fun in them.
8. Old newspapers and catalogs are also a favorite food for mice and the best basis for building nests. Instead of hoarding the stacks in the basement, go straight to the paper container.
9. Empty returnable bottles of cola or mixed drinks should also be returned as soon as possible. The longer they stand, the more odor is generated by the remains of the drink, which in turn attracts mice.
10. Always keep doors closed and check your windows for leaks .
11. Checking the masonry and the floor for holes and cracks and plugging them – for example with construction foam, sealant or steel wool – is a bit tedious but effective.

Conclusion
If you keep your apartment clean, handle food scraps and household waste carefully and close loopholes in good time, you create the best basis that mice never even come into the house.