Mouse Prevention - How to Keep Mice Away
How to Keep Mice Away - Mice are small rodents that can be
very destructive to your home and yard. Not only do they carry
diseases, they also eat just about any and everything in and
around your home including clothes, wood and garbage. They
contaminate the house with their droppings, urine and hair which
usually leads to a very unpleasant smell. Their constant gnawing
on everything leaves holes in your walls, attic, clothes and
everything else. Mice are also responsible for chewing on pipes,
wires and insulation in your home which can lead to very
expensive repairs. They eat away and damage the stored food
materials and the grains and seeds meant for sowing. At night,
you will probably hear the skittering of their little claws as
they rush about throughout your house looking for food. Mice can
be a huge nuisance; however, there are several ways which you
can employ to help reduce and get rid of your mice problem.
Cutting of the Food Supply
The first and the most important thing to do is to cut off the
supply of food. Make sure that the home is free of garbage and
leftover foods. In other words, don’t leave that plate of unfinished
dinner on the counter top overnight as the mice will be very
thankful for the feast you’ve invited them to. Storing food properly
is important; mice can and will eat through paper and cheap plastic.
It is a good idea to put foods such as cereals, rice and other
supplies in rubber, tin or metal containers that can be sealed
securely. Do not leave kitchen garbage bags unattended; be sure to
secure them and take them out of the house each night and put into a
garbage can that is securely shut tight.
Repellents
There are a number of repellents available on the market that claim
to repel mice. However, if you prefer a homemade repellent, you can
use peppermint, moth balls, mint plants, bay leaves, onions and
ammonia. Cotton balls dipped in peppermint or ammonia can be placed
at various corners of the home and dropped in the holes made by the
mice. Moth balls can also be used in the same way. If you choose to
use onions, you will need to remove the outer layer (skin) of the
onion first before placing them in various corners of your home.
Mint plants can be planted outside which sometimes works to deter
mice. You can also use a predator’s urine as a repellent. Repellents
like onions, ammonia and peppermint oil are not, however, very
effective as they lose their strength with time and you need to
replenish them again and again. Ammonia and moth balls on the other
hand are poisonous and can be dangerous to pets and children in the
house. Also, studies reveal that mice learn to adapt to these
repellents and after a while they will not work.
Keeping a Predator as Pet
It is very well-known that cats and owls are predators of mice.
Owls, obviously, are not the usual type of pet; however, cats are
natural mice hunters and enjoy chasing and snacking on the little
rodents.
Trapping
There are various types of traps present in the market for you to
select from. The single catch live trap and multi catch live trap
are the most efficient types. Peanut butter is usually used as a
bait to attract the mice. The single catch live trap has a trigger
attached to the door and soon as the mouse touches the bait, the
door shuts down. The multi catch live traps has a special door that
allows the mice to come in but do not allow them to go out. Glue
traps work by ‘gluing’ the mice to a pad that is full of extremely
strong glue. While these traps do work, they can sometimes be cruel
as the mice can get body parts stuck and even destroyed when they
become attached to the glue strips.
Go back to the main
Mouse Removal page for
more information about mouse prevention, and more information about
how to keep mice away.
Get more mouse education thought my educational guides. My years of experience means I have expert advice to share, from the most
Humane mouse traps to the
diseases that mice can carry. Read my analysis of inhumane
glue traps and learn how to keep mice out of your
garden and
garbage. See the kind of
damage mice cause in an attic, find out how to get mice
out of your attic. Learn if mice chew on
wires and how to use
one-way exclusion funnels to remove mice. Learn what to do if a moust gets
inside your house, as well as about the mouse's
natural diet, whether or not they can
climb, what might
attract them to your property, and if
mothballs or ammonia will help repel them. Find out what mice can
chew through and if
cage traps are a good option.