(STL.News) If you have a mice infestation at home, you are surely losing sleep over it. After all, who likes the thought of mice running around the house or breeding inside your drywall? There’s nothing peskier or more gag-inducing than knowing you have some new “friends” living rent-free in your home.
Most homeowners have faced this problem, and it isn’t something you can brush off. It’s a problem that needs to be addressed right away. To learn how to get rid of mice, you need to understand where they’re coming from and be proactive about stopping them from getting in.
As you may know, mice are virus carriers. You and your family can get sick because of what they bring inside their homes. You could be exposed to diseases, and you don’t even know it yet. So, getting rid of mice shouldn’t just be a casual task. You should put all your energy into making your home rodent-free.
Call a Professional Pest Control Service
The best way to get rid of mice for good is to call the professionals. Pest control services may be expensive, but they’re worth it if you think of the peace of mind they will give you. Living in a pest-free home will help you sleep better. You won’t need to be obsessed with keeping everything neat and clean because you will know there are pest deterrents around your home to keep it pest-free.
Pest control usually lasts for 18 months or more. You can save for it in advance, making it part of your monthly expenses. These companies can use environment-friendly substances and mechanisms to rid your homes of pests.
Set Up Traps and Baits
If you want to go the DIY route, you’ll find a lot of common mice traps and baits in hardware stores. You have to choose between killing the mice or humanely catching and releasing them in the wild. The most popular way of killing them is with snap traps. These traps will kill the mouse instantly. Glue traps are also common. These traps torture mice, however, because the glue suffocates them. Mice also tend to bite off their body parts as they try to get away.
A more humane way to catch mice is to use the bucket trap. You can make one on your own. All you need is to smear peanut butter (or other food) on one end of a thick wooden stick and place that stick leaning on top of the bucket. A mouse can climb up the stick to get to the peanut butter. But once it steps on that end, its weight will push the stick into the bucket. It will fall and will not be able to climb up again.
Plant Marigolds, Peppermint, Onions, Etc.
Do you know that plants can also help repel mice from your garden? Since your yard is the first thing that they will infest when they try to enter your home, why not begin getting rid of them there, too? Plants known to deter rodents of all kinds are marigolds, peppermint, onions, lavender, grape hyacinth, daffodils, garlic, and rosemary.
Plant these in your garden, near the entryways into your home. You can also put some near the kitchen windowsill.
Use Essential Oils
Mice hate certain chemical and natural smells. The pungent odor of naphthalene can deter them from your home. They also don’t like the scent of raccoons and ferrets, as well as natural aromas like citronella, peppermint, and eucalyptus. Fortunately, even if you do not have a garden, you can still use natural smells to rid your homes of mice. You can diffuse essential or douse cotton balls that you will then put in areas where they stay.
Clean Your Yard
You’ll hear experts tell you to clean your home to deter mice. The truth is that you should prioritize tidying up your yard since it is a natural habitat for rodents. Remove debris, garbage, and clutter from your yard. Make sure the garbage cans are as far away from your home as possible. Put them at the edge of the property, so it’s also easy for the collectors to pick them up.
Plant shrubs and bushes away from the house. Put at least three feet of space between your home and the plants because rodents can use them as hiding places.
The Takeaway
While a professional pest control service makes the most sense if homes have a mice infestation, homeowners can do some do-it-yourself methods to solve this problem. The key is always to be proactive against the possibility of mice entering your homes. If you seal your home from them and clean up your yard, this will be less of an issue.