You see a shadow move from out of the corner of your eye. Then, you start noticing droppings along your baseboards, in the pantry, and maybe even on the kitchen countertops. You may as well face it: you have mice. Once you get over the "yuck" factor, there are some simple, no-nonsense steps you can take to get rid of them.
Mice are creatures of habit. They like to take the same path to and from their nests. They're also very curious, so they'll check out any new thing along the way. Those two behaviors will help you control your mice problem. Put your traps or baits in several places where you see droppings. Place them in different areas to make sure the locations are active. You can also put a thin layer of talcum powder or dust along a suspected pathway, and then look for footprints. If you don't catch a mouse within 2 days, move the trap or bait to another spot.
What method you use to control your mouse problem depends on your preferences. Can you stand seeing the mouse once it's caught? Would you rather just treat an area and forget about it? Fortunately, you have options. Trap types include glue traps, old-fashioned spring traps, and newer no-touch types of spring traps. For instance, the Ortho® Home Defense MAX® Kill & Contain® Mouse Trap catches and kills the mouse in an enclosed container, so you never have to touch or see it when you dispose of it. Types of baits include bait pellets, bait blocks, and bait paste. Ortho® Home Defense MAX® No Touch Bait Paste Packs and Bait Blocks don't require touching or handling of the bait. Just place and wait - mice will eat through the wrapper.
Mice need a nice, warm place to live. Your house will do just fine. They also need only a little food, and not much water. The moisture in fruit and bread is enough. Make sure you store your grains and cereals in sealed containers. You can store your fruit, potatoes, and other perishables in your refrigerator. Sweep or vacuum up any crumbs, and keep your garbage-can lid on nice and tight.
If you leave a bowl of food outside for your pet, you're inviting every mouse in the neighborhood to drop by. If you leave some in a bowl inside, you're encouraging any pests you have to ignore the bait you put out.
Mice can find a way into your house pretty easily. They can fit through a hole the size of a dime. That's why it's important to seal up any cracks or openings around your foundation, windows, garage, or anywhere else. If you have rough siding on your house, such as brick, they can climb right up to the second floor without any problem.
Mice may look cute in the pet store, but when you see one scurrying across your kitchen floor, you have a big problem. 1 pair of mice can produce over 50 offspring in a year. Mice destroy untold tons of agricultural produce every year. They carry disease and spread filth wherever they go. In the house, they gnaw through wiring, causing electrical fires.
