Alternative Methods for Mouse Control

Alternative Methods for Mouse Control

No one wants mice in their home, they are known to carry disease and, for many people, the idea of rodents being in the house is simply petrifying.

Unfortunately, it’s an all too common experience. In fact, mice have now made their homes all across the US, and they’re still spreading.

The obvious solution, when faced with a mouse problem, is to call in the local pest control service and have them eradicate the issue. But, that’s only part of the problem.

Other mice will arrive to occupy the void left by the eradicated mice. You need to learn how to prevent the mice from coming into your home. Fortunately, there are many natural options available to you that can help you achieve this aim.

Check out the options below and don’t forget to speak to your local professional, they will have some other ideas that may be useful.

Peppermint

Mice are not generally fans of peppermint. In fact, they prefer to stay well away from it. You can use this to your advantage by putting a little peppermint oil n cotton wool balls and placing them by any potential entry point. This should help to persuade the mice to go elsewhere.

Mashed Potato

Instant mashed potato is simply dried flakes of potato. If you sprinkle these around where t=you know the mice operate they will eat them.

Unfortunately for the mice, the flakes will absorb moisture in their stomachs, causing them to expand and effectively kill the mouse.

Store Your Food Correctly

Another way to persuade mice not to come into your home is to make it as uninviting as possible.

This means making sure that there are no food crumbs or food waste left for the mice. Open containers of food should be placed in sealed containers, surfaces should be cleaned, and waste disposed of in a bin with a good lid.

Don’t forget to remove water sources as well. The mice won’t have any food or drink available to them which will quickly persuade them to move on.

Cover Your Holes

Mice have been known to slip through a hole as small as a ballpoint pen.  While this may not be the norm it is a good starting point. Any hole ¼ inch big or larger should be covered. Mice are good at chewing through many things but if you use steel wool they won’t be able to gnaw their way through it.

To get an idea where their entry holes maybe, simply look for the highest concentration of mice droppings.

Get A Cat

Cats generally chase mice and the mice know this. They are natural mice exterminators. If you have a mouse problem you can get a cat which will start to chase them. The mere presence of the hunter will send the mice scurrying away.

However, if you don’t want the responsibility of a cat, you can simply get a litter tray and some cat litter.

Put the litter in the tray and leave it near where the mice come in and out. They’ll recognize the aroma and are likely to head in the opposite direction, away from your home.