The majority of people start to shudder at the sight of mice and, in horror, try to distance themselves from the rodent. Many people have such a dislike for mice at the genetic level, and this is a good reason to get rid of uninvited guests if they appear in your apartment. It can be difficult to completely remove rodents, however, every person should know what to do to achieve this. How to get rid of mice in an apartment forever is described below.
Where do mice come from?
As a rule, the most common house mice enter a person's home. They are synanthropic animals, that is, they are attached to people and live exclusively next to them. Of course, the damage caused by mice is quite great.
There are a huge number of ways to scare mice away from your home using folk remedies. Perhaps there would not be so many of them if rodents did not have an exceptional ability to adapt to even the most cruel conditions. Thus, they can survive prolonged hunger, cold, and high water levels.
In the house itself, mice appear through migration from neighboring houses or when moving in boxes with things. The first step is to take a look at the basement. From there it’s easiest for them to start their “takeover” of the house. If the basement is filled with a lot of junk, this only makes the task easier. Therefore, it is important to keep this area clean and tidy.
Danger Presented
At first glance, it may seem that rodents do not pose any particular danger. However, they can cause significant harm to both your home and your health. You can easily become infected by eating some product that an animal has tasted. Therefore, you need to figure out how to get rid of mice at home.
If you are not sure that it is necessary to get rid of rodents in your home, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the following list of reasons:
- Rodents spoil food in the house, as well as furniture, wiring, electrical appliances, and walls.
- They can cause a fire if they chew through wiring in places that are difficult for humans to reach.
- They suffer serious illnesses. The mouths of mice contain a huge number of bacteria and viruses that cause plague, cholera, and typhus.
- Can tolerate radiation.
- They spread an unpleasant odor that is quite difficult to remove from the room.
- They carry fleas.
The list of reasons for getting rid of rodents is quite long. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately begin removing them when the first signs of rodents appear in the house.
These signs include:
- the appearance of holes in walls and baseboards;
- chewed food;
- left excrement with a specific odor and a grayish tint;
- audible rustling and grinding noises in the house, especially at night;
- the appearance of a characteristic mouse odor.
Knowing these signs, you can easily identify the presence of mice in the house and proceed to the stage of getting rid of them.
How to place mousetraps correctly?
It is best to place a rodent bait or trap against a wall or behind furniture located a few inches from the wall. Rats and mice have poor eyesight, so they use smell and touch to move. It is because of poor eyesight that these rodents walk indoors along the walls, which serve as the safest landmark.
Read: How do ultrasonic rat and mouse repellers work?
Then there is a high probability that the rodent will find the bait and will feel more secure. One of the most common mistakes is placing poisoned food or traps in the middle of the room. Fearing getting lost, the rodent rarely appears in the middle of the room. In most cases, this only happens when the mouse or rat has already been poisoned. Also in the garden, mouse trapping will be more successful if the trap, cage or bait is placed in a less exposed area, closer to a fence or at the exit of burrows.
What are animals afraid of?
Fortunately, there are a fairly large number of things that repel rodents, for example, unpleasant smells, loud sounds, sudden changes in light brightness, and poisonous baits. Mice are afraid of ultrasound and immediately try to escape when it appears. However, it does not pass through walls, so you have to install devices in each room.
Intolerable sounds include loud ones: music, playing a musical instrument, the operation of a washing machine.
As for intolerable odors, we can make a short list of such phenomena:
- Smells of plant origin, namely: cilantro, chamomile, mint, wormwood, elderberry, black root, tansy, coriander.
- Smell of bleach, ammonia or vinegar.
- Synthetic flavors.
Ways to get rid of rodents
The first step is to follow a detailed algorithm of actions. With its help you will be able to get rid of mice in the house. If the situation is advanced, you can use additional methods:
- Thorough cleaning of the house. You need to clean everywhere without missing any places. Corners, shelves, closets, basement. Put everything in order. Also pay attention to products, get rid of everything unnecessary. Thoroughly clean the entire apartment using detergents that contain chlorine.
- Examine your apartment or house for mouse holes. Check all places: under the sink, in kitchen cabinets, in the bathroom. If you find strange holes in the walls or somewhere else, fill them with construction foam.
- Buy and distribute special mouse poison around the house. Place it in places that are difficult for children and pets to reach.
- Set mousetraps. They can be purchased in specialized stores. You can use lard, peanut butter, and cheese as bait. Periodically check the device for dead mice.
- If possible, get a cat. This is the most favorable option for getting rid of mice. Just the smell of a cat will cause them to leave the house in a hurry.
As a rule, such actions will get rid of rodents. If it is not possible to complete any of the points, you can use additional methods.
The most effective remedy for rats in a private home. How to effectively deal with rats in a private home
Rats are the second rodents after mice that settle in basements, garages or attics in places where people live. If a problem occurs, appropriate measures should be taken immediately to protect your home from the invasion of these dangerous animals.
Basic methods of struggle
These mammals are carriers of various parasites and diseases. They are dangerous to humans. It is necessary to fight rats. It is much easier to fight with one or two individuals than with a whole horde, especially since they are smart animals and quickly learn to avoid set traps.
Rat poison
Poisons are substances that help kill rats. They are prepared in such a way that they appear appetizing to rodents, but in fact contain deadly poisons. The composition of the drugs may include denatorium benzoate.
On the market you can find liquid poisons that are used to create drinking bowls or to soak other baits (for example, bread, fruit). All this is used to get rid of rats and mice. There are poisons in the form of solid granules, pastes or cubes (briquettes) that are attractive to rats. In addition, preparations of this type are enriched with a mummifying substance, which prevents the decomposition of the animal’s body and does not allow the release of an unpleasant odor. Poisons begin to kill only after a few days, and thanks to this, other animals do not associate these unpleasant consequences with the consumption of the product.
Directions for use and precautions
The best rat poison for rat control can effectively drive out rats, mice and other rodents. Among the possible options:
- rodenticides;
- second generation poisons;
- single-use mummification preparations.
Rat poison allows you to quickly kill rats. Each of them has instructions for use and precautions on the packaging. Most of them are effective for controlling rats in a private home. But don't forget that they contain toxic chemicals that can pose a danger to people and pets. Some substances contain anticoagulants, which prevent blood clotting. In addition, many rodenticides also pose a risk of secondary poisoning to animals that collect dead rat carcasses.
Ultrasonic devices
Recently, ultrasonic repellers have become increasingly relevant and in demand. They affect the hearing of rodents with powerful ultrasound of a certain frequency. This causes them to panic and have ear pain.
The main advantage of such products is that the sound they produce is inaudible to humans. At the same time, mice simply cannot exist normally and leave the house.
Many people believe that this method is the most effective and fastest for getting rid of mice in the house. In principle, this is true. It does not harm a person in any way and in a short time solves the problem hanging over housing.
Hail device
A popular ultrasonic device for mice and rats is the hail. It allows you to rid your home of rodents forever. Its impact area reaches 500 square meters. Works both from mains and batteries.
There is no way mice can adapt to this sound. It affects their nervous system so negatively that even if they want to stay, they will simply go crazy. They also lose the ability to reproduce and consume food and water.
ElectroCat
Unlike the previous device, the range of this one reaches only 200 square meters. It operates strictly from an outlet, to which it is connected using a 12-volt power supply. The current strength is 0.15 amperes.
There are two modes implemented here: day and night. The built-in generator continuously produces ultrasonic waves with a constantly changing frequency. In such conditions, rodents can live for a maximum of a week. After this, they will either die or leave the house forever.
What to do if bitten by a mouse?
Fighting mice in a private home can result in injury not only for the rodent, but also for the owner of the home. The injury should not be ignored, since the mouse can be a carrier of many diseases. Wash the bite site with running water and laundry soap, treat the wound with hydrogen peroxide or other disinfectant. Apply a sterile bandage and go to the nearest emergency room.
We hope our advice will help you put an end to the issue of rodent control. Winter is coming, so make sure that furry pests do not spoil the trees on your site:
- How to protect apple trees from mice and hares in winter
We tell you how to protect the bark of an apple tree from rodents in winter.
Folk remedies
The main feature of folk remedies is that they require virtually no costs. Most of the materials for them can be found literally at hand or purchased at a low price. The most popular of them include the following:
- Pour a little sunflower oil into a glass bottle with a wide neck and swirl so that it spreads over all the walls of the vessel. After this, place it at an angle with the neck up and leave overnight. For greater effect, you can place bait there. Already in the morning, rodents will be found that cannot get out of the container.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of sugar, flour with 400 grams of gypsum. Add a little oil and place on plastic plates. Place plates throughout the house. After tasting this mixture, rodents will experience intestinal blockage. This will lead to death.
- Take the remains of any food and mix it with poison, cement, lime or crushed glass of your choice.
- Buy special glue and apply it to any surface where mice are expected to move. The adhesive layer should reach 3−5 mm. Having run through such a trap, the rodent will stick tightly to it. You can also use bait. The disadvantage of this method is that the glue dries out and needs to be replaced.
- Take an empty half-liter jar and turn it upside down. Place it on a coin with a face value of 5 kopecks, placed edge-on. Place bait in the middle: lard, bread, sausage, cheese. When the mouse tries to eat, it will fall into the trap.
Each of these methods helps get rid of rodents. If you use them together, the probability of solving the problem becomes almost 100 percent.
Prevention of mice
Once the mice are defeated, it is not a fact that they will never return. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to prevent their occurrence, namely:
- Always clean the house on time and avoid clutter in closets and basements.
- Store products in such a way that they are not accessible.
- Inspect the entire house for integrity. Seal all unnecessary holes, cracks, and manholes with construction foam.
- If there are no metal grilles on the ventilation hatches, then it’s time to install them.
- Garbage cans should be kept as far away from the house as possible.
- Do not leave the front door open during the warm season.
- You can make birdhouses on trees near your house. This will attract birds of prey to your home. They will also help in hunting rodents.
There are a huge number of methods that help get rid of unpleasant pests. The main thing is not to lose composure, be patient and act according to the algorithms. If you follow all the rules, very soon the problem will be solved and will never arise again.
How to get rid of mice in the country in winter
With the onset of cold weather, when rodents enter homes en masse, it is necessary to take care of safety and take preventive measures in the fall.
- It is not recommended to place compost pits or garbage heaps near your home. Mice most often spend the winter in such places.
- Check the walls, floor and attic for holes from previous rodent visits. Place crushed glass, aromatic herbs, and pesticides in them.
- Ensure that all food supplies and water sources are sealed.
- Lay out traps and install repellers.
When leaving the dacha for the winter, it is necessary to leave the premises and territory without sources of food for mice.
Advice! To protect garden plants, trample the snow around them. This will prevent rodents from getting closer to the bark of trees and shrubs.
It is effective to use liquids with a strong odor. For non-residential premises, formalin, creolin, turpentine and kerosene are used. For owners who are absent from their dacha in winter, this will not cause discomfort and will repel pests. This is especially true in cellars and basements, where mice cause particular harm. The corners should be sprayed and a rag soaked in one of these products should be spread out. You can burn a piece of rubber in a bucket and fumigate the basement. The procedure must be repeated periodically.
Before leaving the dacha for the winter, you should place repellent plants in all rooms and areas, the smell of which mice cannot tolerate. Dried plants are hung in bunches, laid out in bags, and scattered crushed on the floor. Among the most “fragrant”:
- pyrethrum;
- chamomile;
- chrysanthemum;
- lavender;
- mint;
- sagebrush.
They use deadly poisonous plant species that are added to baits to kill rodents:
- dope;
- henbane;
- hemlock.
It is necessary to work with such dangerous crops as carefully as possible, following safety rules. Wear rubber gloves, goggles, a bandage, and protective clothing.
Advice! The smell of mothballs is also not to the taste of pests. It is mixed with sawdust and laid out near burrows, in rodent habitats. This mixture can be pushed directly into holes.
To protect your products in cellars and basements, they are pre-prepared. Broken glass is placed in holes and cracks and concreted. A fine mesh is attached to the ventilation holes, and the room is fumigated using sulfur bombs or other means.
Using all methods and means in a comprehensive manner is a guarantee of getting rid of rodent pests in your dacha forever. It is recommended to periodically visit the site and inspect the premises.
