You suspect you have mice and want to eliminate them. No problem. In this post, we will cover how to identify a mouse problem, how to remove mice, and how to prevent their return. Before we start, please read the following safety information:
Safety First
- If using baits indoors, place them in tamper-proof bait stations to keep them away from children, pets, and non-target species.
- Wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including goggles, gloves, and long pants, when handling baits or disposing of deceased mice.
- Carefully read and follow all label directions on rodenticides and other toxic products.
- Store rodent baits, traps, and pesticides securely in a locked place inaccessible to children and pets.
- Avoid indoor bait use. Instead, utilise traps, exclusion methods, and repellents to keep mice away from your home.
How to Get Rid of Mice in 5 Steps
1. Locate the Mice
- The initial step to eliminating mice is confirming the presence of a mouse issue and identifying their most active areas. This allows you to place traps or baits strategically. Here’s what to look out for:
- Chew or scratch marks: Gnaw marks on food packages and shelves and scratches on skirting boards will show you where mice have been and where they are likely to revisit.
- Observe unusual dog behaviour: Barking, scratching, or pawing beneath appliances could signal the presence of mice.
- Mouse droppings or urine: Droppings resemble small, elongated dark pellets, while urine stains are dark. Both indicate trap and bait placement spots.
- Sightings: Note where you’ve seen mice and their movement patterns, indicating potential nest locations.
- Grease traces on skirting boards from mice brushing against them.
- Musty rodent odour.
- Traces of food in unusual spots like the middle of the floor, shelves, or pantry.
- Nests are made from materials like fabrics, shredded paper, pet hair, and soft items.
- Listen for squeaks and scratching sounds, especially during the night, as mice often nest in concealed areas like wall cavities.
2. Tidy Up
Maintaining cleanliness inside and outside your property is crucial. This prevents mice from hiding near your home and gaining access. Follow these tips:
- Minimise pet food exposure: Avoid prolonged presence of pet food inside and outside the property.
- Trim landscaping such as shrubs, trees, and other plants, ensuring they do not hide or make contact with the building walls. There may be a hidden route into the building behind those shrubs, or some branches might provide a platform from which mice can reach an entry point. Aim to keep all plants at least 3 feet from the external walls.
- Remove piles of anything outside that’s close to your house walls, such as old equipment, rocks, soil, rubbish, bins, wood piles, and anything else that prevents clear visibility of the external walls. Again, follow the three-foot rule.
- Secure all food items inside the property, particularly grains, cereals, pet food, and other dry goods. Put everything either in the fridge or in glass or metal containers, as these materials are impenetrable to mice. Mice can easily chew through lightweight plastic.
- Store valuable nesting materials safely. Nesting materials include rugs, books, and clothes. Place them into sturdy plastic storage boxes to keep them safe.
- Declutter inside the property to eliminate potential hiding spots. Pay special attention to concealed areas like corners beneath shelves, inside cabinets, and regions around appliances. This might involve tidying up your attic space and organising under the kitchen sink.
3. Eliminate Entry Points
Mice seeking entry into your home for food and shelter need only a small space to enter. Search for gaps larger than a penny’s diameter and take these actions:
- Stuff holes with wire wool and then seal with lots of caulking.
- Repair or replace broken or warped window/door frames.
- Seal vents and air brick holes with a fine weather-proof aluminium mesh. Fix the mesh to the external walls with screws or adhesive.
- Install sturdy seals and weather strips around doors if there are gaps.
4. Set Mouse Traps
Now that you’ve removed access to the property, it’s time to set traps to remove the mouse population that is living in your home. There are a few different options available, which we’ll outline below:
- Snap traps. These traps are widely available and affordable. They can be placed quickly and disposed of or reset easily. They provide a strong snap and can instantly kill mice, but they should be used in places that kids and pets can’t access. These traps are ideal for attics or the space behind cabinets and under appliances where pets and kids won’t venture.
- Glue traps. Glue traps are flat traps coated in glue. When mice step onto the trap, their feet stick to the surface. They are not very effective, so don’t bother with them.
- Live traps. Live traps will catch and contain live mice until you can release them outside. So, if you’re uncomfortable releasing live mice, you might want to avoid these.
Space the traps about 6 feet apart, baited with chocolate or peanut butter. Place traps in areas of mouse activity (as noted in step 1).
5. Use Poison Baits
Rodenticides come in two broad categories: anticoagulants and non-anticoagulants. Anticoagulants need to be eaten by the mice a few times to kill them. Non-anticoagulants can kill mice after just one dose. Some mice are resistant to Anticoagulants, so your best bet will be anticoagulants. Baits usually come in the form of poison and grain mixed together and are a bright unnatural colour such as blue or pink, so that they can be recognised easily by humans.
Before using poisons, please be aware that they are lethal to humans and pets, so if there is even a minuscule chance that a human or pet might consume them, it’s best not to use baits.
Mice can move the rodenticide to a new location, so even if you put the bait somewhere safe, they might end up somewhere else that’s more accessible. If using poison baits, always read the safety and usage information on the pack. It differs from bait to bait.
Baits usually come in block pellets, pouches, or loose. Here are the pros and cons of each type:
- Packet Baits: Packet baits have small amounts of poison in a plastic or paper sachet. These can last a long time, even around moisture since the bait is protected by the pack. Pest controllers often prefer these because it’s very easy to confirm rodent activity when the packaging has been gnawed. The packaging also provides a layer of protection against accidental human contact with the bait.
- Block and Pellet Baits: These are somewhat moisture-resistant, and it’s easy to identify gnaw marks on blocks, which makes them a great option, too.
- Loose grain Baits: These tend to absorb moisture and go bad quickly. It’s also very difficult to know if a mouse has been feeding on this bait since it is effectively a loose powdery substance.
Always place baits inside bait boxes when baits are used indoors or somewhere that an animal or person might find them.
6. Clearing
Check your traps and bait stations regularly. Check for rodent activity and replenish traps and baits where mice have been active. Poison baits should be checked at least once per week. Live traps and snap traps should be checked every day. Place dead mice outside in bins. If you’ve used live traps then place the live mice outside, far from your home.
Continue this process of replenishing baits and removing rodents until no more bait is being consumed and no more mice are being caught in traps. Once there is no more mouse activity for at least one week, you can remove all the baits and traps from your property.
Be thorough when removing the baits and traps to ensure nothing is forgotten. Professionals will always carefully document the locations of all traps and baits to ensure thorough removal of everything once the issue has been resolved. You should do the same.
Rodenticide is considered a hazardous waste, and you should contact your council to ask about disposing of it. They may not want to collect it in the regular bin collection.
Mouse Control Myth Buster
The following pest control methods will not be effective in eliminating mice, so save your time and money and don’t bother trying these:
- Cats: Not all cats like to hunt mice. And those that do will not be thorough in eliminating an entire infestation of mice.
- Essential oils and strong-smelling plants: Some people believe that the smell of plants or plant oils, such as lavender or mint will keep mice at bay. It’s a myth.
- High-pitch electronic deterrents: While mice might not enjoy the sound on these devices, they won’t be compelling enough to convince a happy mouse to abandon your cosy home and go out into the cold of winter.
- Cheese: Contrary to Tom and Jerry cartoons, cheese isn’t a great bait for traps. Stick with chocolate or peanut butter.
Mouse Pest Control Service Cost
Typically, most UK pest control companies will carry out a domestic mouse pest control service for around £180.00 + VAT. The process will take a few weeks and involve a few different visits. If you are considering mouse pest control, go check out this article where we tell you everything to look out for when hiring a pest control company so you get a great price and a high-quality service.
