How to Get Rid of Mice
If you see a mouse in your house, don’t kid yourself—his entire extended family has moved in with him. Reclaim your home, once and for all.
Up next in Insects, Rodents, & Other Pesky Creatures (39 videos)
Got a home infestation on your hands? Before you call the exterminator, try these solutions to rid yourself of insects, rodents, and more.
You Will Need
- Snap traps or glue boards
- Peanut butter and/or chocolate
- Steel wool
- Caulking compound
- Door sweeps
- 24-gauge galvanized steel
- Moth balls
Steps
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Step 1
Set traps
Set traps in areas where you’ve seen mice. Put a dab of peanut butter or a bit of chocolate on each. And don’t be stingy—put out a lot of traps.
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Snap traps and glue boards work equally well, but snap traps are more humane because death is instant.
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Step 2
Don’t cook
Eat out or order takeout for a few days so you can stick a few in the stove and under the burners, where mice like to nest.
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Don’t set traps near any pilot lights!
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Step 3
Repeat
After you’ve caught some mice with your traps, rearrange the furniture a bit and put out traps in some new patterns. Always wash your hands with hot water and soap after disposing of a mouse.
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Step 4
Inspect rooms
Go from room to room looking for holes in the walls, floors, and baseboards. Mice can squeeze through holes as small as dimes.
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Step 5
Patch
Patch up the holes by stuffing them with steel wool—which mice won’t chew through—and then sealing them with caulking compound.
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Step 6
Examine doors
Examine doors that lead outside; they should have a 'sweep' at the bottom that prevents mice from running in. If they don’t, install them.
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If you can fit a pencil under a door or in a hole, a mouse could crawl through it.
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Step 7
Scatter moth balls
Scatter moth balls in front of your front door and garage door. They’re a great mouse repellant. But don’t put them indoors—they’re highly toxic.
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Step 8
Check for rotting walls
Still not gone? Have a handyman pull out your sink; the moisture often leads to rotting walls. If that’s the case, have 24-gauge galvanized steel installed where needed.
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Step 9
Prevent future infestations
Prevent future infestations by storing food in strong, lidded containers (especially pet food and bird seed), using covered garbage cans, and taking the trash out promptly.
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When you begin exterminating the mice in your house, they instinctively step up their breeding, leading to even more mice!
