Nothing is worse than the irritating sound of mice in the attic, and nothing shames a host during a party like guests spotting a mouse in the living room. It’s unfortunate that mice don’t discriminate where they choose to live, so even homes that are more expensive are not immune to getting invaded by mice. They are unhygienic, carry diseases, gnaw electricity and internet cables, and damage walls and get into the food in your pantry.
If you have been trying to get rid of mice, you must have established that this isn’t the easiest thing to do since they are small enough to squeeze through the tiniest of openings, and can climb and make nests in areas that you can’t even access, not to mention they are prolific breeders. Some people hate mice so much that all they think of is poisoning and killing them without considering how inhumane it is to kill them in such a horrible way. If you can’t imagine yourself doing such a thing, then you must then find alternative ways of getting them out of your home, and keeping them from returning. This can involve hiring rodent control exterminators that will remove the mice in a humane way, or you can try these alternatives:
Smart Mouse Traps
Smart trapping, or live trapping, is a technique that enables homeowners to catch mice without killing or injuring them. It involves mice holding cells that are built like small houses with doors the size of an adult mouse. All you do is place cheese or peanut butter inside of them as bait, and once the mouse enters it and eats the bait, the door snaps shut trapping the rodent inside. You can then set it free at a location away from your home, wash the trap, and then reuse it. Just don’t make the mistake of freeing them near a dumpster where they can multiply and come back to your home.
Note: Some smart traps are spacious enough to trap and hold more than 30 mice at once.
2. Ultrasonic Noises
If you don’t want to trap then release the mice, why not irritate them with weird noises until they run away? There are mice repelling devices which make noises that are only audible to rodents so you’ll never hear a thing. You can buy one for less than $20 and plug it near the area where you suspect the mice are nesting.- Repulsive Predator Smells
Mice, just like other rodents, have a strong sense of smell which they use to detect the presence of predators within their space. You can use this against them by placing used kitty litter strategically around the home, giving them a false alarm that there are predators everywhere. If you don’t own a cat, then don’t worry because there are many chemicals out there which imitate the scent of cats. These include mothballs, ammonia solution, and peppermint, all of which will scare mice away when placed near their nests. You will, however, need to replace them regularly as the scent fades away with time. - Rodent Strobe Lights
Most rodents hate when high-intensity lights flash around their nests. Rodent strobe lights build on this concept and make the home very uncomfortable for the mice. You will need to install several of these devices around their favorite hiding areas such as the attic, dark rooms, and food storage locations, and keep them on for both day and night until you are sure the mice are gone. While you’re at it, ensure that all rooms in the home are well organized to eliminate the chance of the mice relocating their nests from the attic, for example, to another area within the home.
Sealing Up their Entry Points
Once the rodents are out of your home then you need to make sure they don’t return by sealing up any suspected entry points. You probably have tried this method already, but did you do it the right way? If you sealed everywhere but left an opening as small as half an inch, then you didn’t completely prevent them from finding a way back in. It could be the space under your exterior doors, plumbing spaces, or where cables from the exterior enter the house. You will achieve better results by closing all the doors and windows, switching off the lights to make the interior completely dark, and then noting all the light openings. Seal them with wire mesh or, in the case of door openings, replace the weather-strip material.
While there are many ways to rid your home of mice, the five that we have discussed are both effective and humane. They are proof that you don’t have to be cruel to animals in order to keep them under control. One last tip: keep your home interiors and exteriors tidy at all times as this will significantly reduce the breeding areas for rodents.
Sources:
https://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/blogs/5-humane-critter-catchers
https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/01/realestate/your-home-eliminating-hospitality-for-rodents.html
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/property/966699/how-to-get-rid-of-mice-in-the-home-pest-control
https://www.humanepestcontroltips.com/rodent-strobe.shtml