Mice Traps

Summary: If you've ever had a mouse in your house, you probably felt like you had to walk on tip-toes until you got rid of it. No one likes those kinds of surprises running across their feet. Read this article for a list of inexpensive tips that will help you get rid of mice quickly.

By Julie Hawk, Contributing Writer

If you're anything like me, the very thought of a mouse in the house is enough to make me rent a hotel room until someone else kills it or gets rid of it. However, there are many more sensible ways of doing away with those little critters that will keep your wallet fat. I've put together a list of inexpensive, do-it-yourself mouse traps.

Tips to Get Rid of Mice:
Go for the obvious first. Set out mousetraps around your home. You may also want to set some outside to keep any of Mickey's cousins from sneaking indoors. You can use the old standby snap traps, but be sure to keep pets, children and your fingers away from that trigger.

 If there are mice in a place when humans or pets do not go (such as an attic), try setting out antifreeze. Make sure to place it in a shallow container, like a small bowl or a pie dish. Do not put antifreeze anywhere that could cause harm to anyone living in your home, though.

Take an old bucket and drill two small holes on either side near the top. Take a piece of rope and string it through the holes. Then, drill two small holes in an old pop can and string the can onto the rope. Make sure to secure the rope with strong tape. You can then fill the bucket either with antifreeze or water. The bucket should be filled about eight inches with whatever substance you choose. Spread some peanut butter onto the top of the pop can, and set the bucket wherever the mice are. Finally, place a small piece of wood from the top of the bucket down to the floor so that the mice can walk the plank. The small rodents will sniff out the peanut butter, climb onto the pop can, and fall right into the bucket.

A variation to the aforementioned bucket trick is a great tip for people who would rather not see the mice get killed. Take a large, empty garbage can (30-44 gallons will definitely do the trick) and set a long piece of wood against it. The wood must be long enough to reach from the floor to the top of the bucket. Set some peanut butter, birdseed, or cheese in the garbage can. The mice will mosey on in and will be glad to get some free food. You can then set the mice free outside or give them away as pets.

As with most pest problems, keeping your home clean is the best way to prevent an infestation. Because garbage is a great place for pests to congregate, take out your trash regularly. If you have mice running around your house, you may want to set mothballs in your closets and drawers. Mice cannot stand the smell of mothballs, especially in small spaces. Although this method will not completely get rid of the mice, it will at least deter them from chewing up your clothes.

To avoid more mice getting into your house, seal up any holes or cracks you may have in your floors or walls. Try covering pipes and holes with steel wool. Mice cannot chew this material, so no new critters will wander into your home. If steel wool gets wet it rusts, so you might want to buy a copper mesh product called Stuf-It, available on the web.

Try making little potpourri-type sachets and placing them in obscure places in your home. Take some cheese cloth and cut it into 4” x 4” squares. Place about one tablespoon of cloves and two tablespoons of mint on each square. Gather the cloth into a little bundle and tie it up with a string. Throw the sachets underneath furniture, in corners, and any other place you think the mice might hide. If you have pets, the sachets should not bother them too much. But for mice, the smell of mint is about the equivalent of humans smelling skunks. After you make these sachets, I don't think you'll have a problem with mice any longer.

When all else fails, a pet cat may do the trick. Even the very smell of cats may be enough for mice to leave your home. Of course, anyone who owns a cat knows that they love to show off their kills. So, be prepared to occasionally discover little dead rodents laying at the foot of your bed with your smiling cat nearby.