In recent months we have been hit with a wave of mice trying as hard as they can to move into my home. Not sure why. The expel some myths here is my situation.
My home is new, about 5 years old.
I have four dogs who obviously have no problem with mice moving in.
My house is fairly clean with bouts of the garage getting a little out of hand. I store nothing in my attic and few things in my garage. I get rid of what we are no longer using if it can not fit in a closet.
We have a small yard, no piles of wood, old cars, or anything of that sort.
I think all in all, it is a surprise that we have mice in this area except for the fact, if you did your research, you would know that this used to be farm land.
Here are a few facts about mouse behavior that I have discovered.
They love nuts, peanut butter, and other similar treats. They got into some all nut granola type bars of mine. Grossed me out so bad that I can’t even get new ones to eat.
They also enjoy paper, cardboard, wood, wood shavings, dog hair (for nesting) and dog food (they love that).
They travel at least in pairs. If you have evidence of a mouse, chances are he brought a friend. Do not fool yourself. They are at least in pairs or more. If you have spotted one in your house realize there is at least one more, and hopefully not tending to the babies in the nest!
They are busiest at night, early night (after dusk) and late night (just before sunrise). During the day, if you see one it is because you woke it up from its nest or its sleeping spot.
They come in the house through holes that are quite small, about the size of a dime or even a little smaller. They also will make holes if they think they can.
Once they have come in, you will have a hard time keeping them out entirely. You will probably battle them on some level forever.
They might leave you alone for a while but as seasons change and things get either hot or cold outside, they start working to find their way into your home.
They get used to things quickly and are very adaptable. What works now, my not always work later.
They will try holes that are too small for them, and often get caught in them and die, FYI. That myth that they know better is wrong.
Phew! That is a lot of bad news to get about mice in one post, I know. I figured this out through time. It better to just know. Now before you go moving away or trying to jump on a bridge, there is hope and you can control these little buggers before they get the best of you. Here is what we have done.
Set out traps. We use the humane ones that catch them live and we set them free a ways from our home. Miles away. Check them in the morning and right before bed. This is when they will likely have sprung the trap. Rarely will they do it in the middle of the day or night. (If you get the ones that kill them you will still have to deal with the dead bodies, which is even more yucky to me.)
Clean. Get rid of storage if you can. Box up things in big, thick, plastic containers. Get rid of cardboard boxes. They love eating right through that. Vacuum, clean up hair balls and check the couch cushions. They will go for anything and everything.
Keep laundry, trash cans, storage, wood and boxes off the floor.
Plug up all the holes that you find outside the house. Fill them with steel wool and 100% silicone to seal the holes. You may have to go around and do this several times. Keep checking because they will!
Keep looking for mice poops and move traps there. Clean up the mess AFTER you catch them. My theory is that they will feel safe to enter the traps if everything else is they way they left it.
A bucket with a wooden plank is a good way to catch mice. We use a tall garbage can with peanut butter smeared all over the inside it in the garage.
Bounce sheets can be a deterrent for them. I am not sure if they are but I have been using them. At the very least everything smells nicer.
Okay, I know that this all sounds like a lot but in the bright side, you’ll be more organized. Here are a few other things that I have read about but have not tried, yet.
Get a cat. We have too many dogs right now to do this but most experts agree this is very effective. Female cats are better mousers than male cats.
Rat Terrier dogs are also natural mousers. We will probably go this route one day for sure.
There is also poison. The mice eat it and go off and die. The gross part is that they die in the wall, under your couch, in the middle or the floor or anywhere else. Plus if you have pets, this is a bad idea. If your pet gets a hold of Mr. Dead Mouse he is going to get poisoned too.
Predator pee powder. Heard some people like it others say they actually saw mouse prints and poops right on the stuff in the yard.
Super sonic sound devices. Some experts feel they work temporarily but most agree that they easily get used to the sound and come right back.
Moth balls. I have heard that this is very effective but they are highly toxic to humans, and pets as well. They also stink to high heaven and are bad for the environment. Not worth using in my book.
The tried and true methods are simple. Catch them, keep them out, remove food and water sources, and remove places for them to nest. It ain’t sexy but it is the way it is! Hope this helps!
Yogi Samantha 