Common Methods of Mice Extermination
If you have a rodent infestation, you may be asking yourself what your options are when it comes to mice extermination. Mice are one of the most common household pests in the American home, and it’s no surprise why they are so disliked! Not only do mice steal your food, leave droppings all over your house, and make grown women squeal and leap onto the nearest piece of sturdy furniture, but mice also spread serious diseases to both your family members and pets.
The most important thing to do when dealing with a mouse infestation is to know when you can handle it on your own and when you need to call in the exterminator. Unfortunately, mice reproduce quite quickly and what starts out as the odd mouse spotting here or there can quickly turn into several spottings each day. In this article we are going to talk about a few measures of mice extermination you can implement yourself. Should these methods fail you, we will also give you a few recommendations for professional extermination.
We’re going to start with good old fashioned snap traps. These are the traditional mouse trap that is controlled by a spring. Place a bit of food on the trap’s lever, pull the metal rectangular piece back, and then use the crook-ended lever to “set” the rectangular snapper in place. Many people swear by cheese or peanut butter as the chosen mousey temptation; however I find that a little milk chocolate (warmed slightly, pinched onto the lever, then chilled to harden it) never fails. Cheese and peanut butter are much easier for the mouse to pull or lick off of the lever without setting off the trap, whereas the milk chocolate has been allowed to harden to the lever making it nearly impossible for the mouse to remove without applying pressure to the lever. The down-side to these traps is that they absolutely must be kept in areas that children and pets cannot access, yet areas that you know the mouse will frequent. A snap trap can easily break a toddler’s fingers or cause serious injury to your pet. Mice tend to run along the walls and rarely chance running out into the open when people are about, so your best chance is to put the trap along the wall under an object that your children and pets cannot access. The plus side to this is extremely effective and will usually kill the mouse instantaneously without suffering.
If you want to get rid of the mice but don’t have the heart to kill them, look into purchasing a humane mouse trap. A humane mouse trap is a cage-like box that lures the mouse inside with the promise of a treat. When the mouse takes the bait, the door will snap shut trapping the mouse inside. Once you have caught the mouse you should, ideally, free the mouse somewhere outdoors where it is not likely to reenter your home. Wooded areas and fields are ideal. The downside to this is that buying one trap usually means one mouse is trapped at a time. If you have a lot of mice, you’re going to be making frequent trips to the field to free them, or you’ll have to store them in an appropriate container until you can release them in bulk.
Another option is to use a mouse repellant spray. A spray for mice, you say? Well, a repellant, actually. This spray is very effective when used outdoors as the smell drives the mice away from the immediate area. Mouse repellant sprays will not kill mice, therefore any mice that are already on the property will need to be removed via other means, and it only works on the immediate area. If the mouse relocates to another area in the house, you will likely have to deal with mouse traps or professional extermination.
If you feel that mice extermination is simply beyond your capabilities whether it be due to the number of mice invading your home or because of moral reasons, you may want to turn to a professional exterminator. Professional exterminators can be expensive if you have a large infestation on your hands as most exterminators’ fee is based on how many mice are in your home.
Just remember that harboring mice is not simply a nuisance, but it is also a health risk. Mice can spread a number of diseases to humans and other animals, such as the black plague (seriously, and there’s still no cure!), the Hanta virus (no cure for this one), and rabies (painful cure available!). Don’t risk your family’s health and your own—get rid of the mice!