A Mouse in the House

I’ll begin at the beginning…

I recently purchased an older house (built in 1938), and soon discovered I was not alone. I suspect if you’re here you’ve also had a similar experience.

Relax, no need to sell. Mice are unfortunately everywhere so just follow the advice you find here, and you’ll be fine.

I’m not a fan of poisons since it’s mice we’re after, and I’ve heard of too many occurrences of collateral damage. Besides, if your mice problem is that severe, call a professional - really!

A friend had called an exterminator, and later told me the $350 would have been best spent on a few good traps and a little free advice - you’ll find both here.

Yes, there are some links, follow them or not - your call. It's just a quality product - reasonably priced, which I feel confident recommending to help you get rid of mice. And none link to poison!

So, a little preventative maintenance and a quality product, available at most hardware stores, (no you don’t have to buy it from the links if you’re not comfortable with that), and your home will be and remain mouse-free in almost no time.

Good Luck!

Get Rid of Mice : Without Poison

If mice have found a way into your home, don't despair. There are several ways to get rid of mice - without the use of dangerous poisons.

Poison may be an easy way to get rid of mice however, it has many drawbacks. After eating the poison, mice return to their hiding place and die. The dead rodent will lie there and rot, creating a smelly and unsanitary situation. There also is a great danger of children and pets getting into the poison.

Instead of poison, use traps, a time-proven way to get rid of mice. Regardless of the type of trap you use, be sure to place it along the wall where mouse activity is suspected. Mice tend to be shy, so put the trap out unset for a couple days to allow mice to become familiar with it. Doing this will increase your chances of catching mice instead of scaring them away when the trap tries to do its job.

The cheapest and most common way to get rid of mice is with the conventional snap trap. These are typically wooden rectangles that have a spring-loaded bar on the top. Bait is placed on a pedal, and when a mouse touches the pedal, the bar is released, snapping forcefully down onto the mouse and killing it.

They seem to be very fond of peanut butter and chocolate, and both of these items work well as bait. The biggest drawbacks to snap traps are that they are tricky to set, and because they are very sensitive, can snap on your finger before they are placed. Unfortunately, depending on where the trap snaps on the mouse, these traps often don't kill the mouse, leaving it trapped until it dies, not for a day or two.

Glue pads or trays are another option, although my personal experience has been less than ideal. I set out several of these pads where mouse activity was present and caught only crawling bugs. The sticky pads are to be placed where mouse activity has been seen or is suspected. Supposedly, when a mouse crosses the sticky surface, it cannot get off. If left there, it will die and the whole thing can simply be thrown away. I considered the possibility of dealing with a live mouse and decided the pads were not for me.

Another way to get rid of mice is allowing it to live with a box trap. These small usually see-through cubes have a swinging door at one end only. A mouse will enter, the door will shut behind it, and the mouse will not be able to get out. After the mouse has been caught, push open the door and tip out the mouse. This could be while the mouse is still alive, or after it dies. These traps can be quite effective, just consider you will likely have to deal with the live mouse.

A high-tech way to kill mice is with a Rat Zapper. These devices are battery-operated box-shaped traps. Inside the trap is a small metal plate that delivers a fatal shock to a mouse that touches the surface, and the mouse dies in seconds. At $50 - $60, these devices are more expensive than conventional traps, however I have found they are one of the best ways to get rid of mice – especially for the squeamish!

No article on how to get rid of mice would be complete without cats. Cats hunt mice. Outdoor cats tend to be better hunters because they have been exposed to mice. And unlike their indoor counterparts, may have had to rely on them to survive. Even if a cat does not catch a mouse for food, a cat's curious nature will compel it to catch a mouse if only to play with it before killing it.

Get Rid Of Mice : My Solution

If you've now succeeded in stopping mice from entering your home, the next step is eliminating those still inside before they breed out of control.

After not having any success with my previous pest control attempts, I wasn't as confident in being able to get rid of mice in my home. A quick google search revealed many products – most were a variation on traps I already owned, except one - Rat Zapper.

I was a little skeptical that I was spending money on a potentially useless device, but I was just so frustrated over the thought of mice roaming around the house while I slept, that $50 now seemed a reasonable investment. Besides, what started as a potential mouse in the basement, soon became droppings in my kitchen – things were clearly getting worse. And I was now losing sleep over this!

I ordered online to speed delivery, and the first night I positioned the trap in the basement and baited it with pet food pellets, but didn't turn it on (according to the directions). The next morning, all the food was gone. Before leaving for the day I re-baited the trap, but this time, turned it on. Could getting rid of mice really be this easy ?

I've felt most claims regarding products were usually exaggerated. To my surprise, when I returned home, the indicator light was blinking - I had finally gotten rid of a mouse! Not knowing how many remained, and feeling the excitement of finally getting some results, I re-baited the Rat Zapper and started to make dinner. Within an hour - another one gone! - I got rid of 3 mice in the next 2 days and haven't seen another one since.

The Rat Zapper requires 4 “D” batteries, and states you'll get up to 30 mice before they need replacing – I sure hope you never need to find out. I especially appreciate how humane and clean the device is. There was no gross mess, and disposal meant there was nothing to touch – just dump the mouse into a baggie, then into the trash. Problem solved!

Get Rid of Mice : Options

Females have between five and ten litters per year with about five or six pups in each litter. They are capable of reproducing at the age of six weeks. A mouse infestation can easily get out of control if not dealt with as soon as it is recognized.

Mice are capable of getting through an opening the size of a dime. So close off the source of entry and eliminate mice currently within the home. If you live in a mobile home or have a crawl space, check around plumbing pipes inside cabinets for spaces mice can get in. Use steel wool to fill in cracks and openings to temporarily keep mice out. Also check for openings around doors, windows, foundations, and vents.

There are various types of traps that can be used to capture or kill mice. Traps are advantageous since poisons can be dangerous, and with traps the dead mice can easily be located and disposed of. When poisons are used, the mice often die and are not found until there is an odor. Also, poisoned mice can pose a danger to pets who may eat them.

There is the typical spring-loaded, wood-based trap, a live trap, and a glue trap. Traps should be positioned close to the wall or cabinet where mice are known to travel. A good bait to attract mice is peanut butter. It is not easily removed without setting off the trap. Several traps should be used for more efficient mouse elimination.

Live traps can trap more than one mouse at a time, and the mice can be released without harm in another location. Glue traps will hold mice with a special glue, but they can be ineffective with high temperatures or in dusty locations. Also, use caution when placing any traps where pets and children can access them.

If the problem of how to get rid of mice is severe and you consider poison an option – consult a professional exterminator. Multi-dose poisons are safer to use than one dose poisons. Label directions should be followed very carefully, and poisons should not be used if there is a risk of children or pets coming in contact with them.

Do It Yourself Bucket Trap

So you're out camping, or at the cottage for the long week-end and don't have your trusty Rat Zapper packed with your rod and tackle. You soon discover mice are afoot so, to ensure a better camping experience you need to improvise. Just remember, or print this technique, and you'll soon be able to enjoy a restful night's sleep – free of rodent intrusions into your food supplies.

This mouse trap is constructed from a bucket half-filled with water. It works by baiting the mouse over the bucket’s opening and then causing it to fall into the water and drown.

Materials: 5-gallon bucket, wire clothes hanger, paper towel tube (or several toilet paper tubes taped together), something to use for a ramp, and bait.

Assembly is as follows:

1. Remove the metal handle from the bucket.

2. Thread the wire hanger through one of the bucket’s handle holes, the cardboard tubes and then back out through the second handle hole. Bend the ends down securely. The tubes should almost reach from one end of the bucket to the other (leave a small gap near the edges so the mouse has to jump onto it).

3. Mix the bait with peanut butter or glue to make it sticky and generously smear it around the center of the tube.

4. Fill the 5-gallon bucket half way with water and place it in the area of infestation. Set up some ramps to help the mice up and you’re done.

Experiences and studies have shown that different population of mice has varied affinity towards particular food stuff. So, this is going to be ‘trial and error’ method. So if your bait is not working then switch over to another.

Check your bucket every day or two and if the water starts getting stinky, a little cooking oil to coat the surface can keep the smell contained. Never touch a dead mouse and change the water after every kill.

Get Rid of Mice : Prevention

To get rid of mice start by making your home as uninviting to them as possible. Before you setup some traps, make sure you understand how to keep mice out.

Cleaning your bedrooms is the first step towards getting rid of mice.

Leaving clothes lying around or objects on the floor, gives mice a place to hide and more courage to migrate from one place to another in your home. Don't leave food crumbs on your floor. Mice will nest where they can feed.

A clean kitchen will help you get rid of mice.

Mice are scavengers, and will eat whatever food you leave lying around. Crumbs, seeds, vegetables; whatever- mice will eat it.

To get rid of mice, keep all foods seal able containers.

A clean kitchen is a good start, but not enough. Mice are attracted to the scent of food. If you buy in bulk, those plastic bags will not do. Make sure you properly seal all of your non-perishable goods in sturdy air-tight containers.


To get rid of mice means not tempting them into your home.

The average mouse only needs a hole a quarter of an inch (1/4") in diameter to squeeze through. Make sure you seal your door sills, cupboards, walls and any places where mice might come in. Check your foundations for possible entry points. Make sure doors and ground-level windows are sealed correctly. If you find any discrepancies, use putty, caulk or my favorite – steel wool to address the problem before mice get into your home.