This article will show you how to kill those pesky mice every time and keep them out of your home, without calling the exterminator. Let’s face it. The tightest house will still collect mice from time to time, especially if you live near a field. In the fall and winter they come in search of warmth. The rest of the year they are just looking for a comfortable home.
First of all, forget the idea the mice like cheese. This simply is not the case. A study conducted in 2006 by David Holmes of Manchester Metropolitan University shows that mice do NOT like cheese, and will only eat it as a last resort. What they DO like is high carb sugary grains, such as cereal and pasta. Many people have had luck luring mice to the trap with peanut butter, but I think it is actually the sugar in the peanut butter that they crave.
There are two things you need to do to get rid of the mice in your house. The first is to thoroughly inspect the perimeter of your home and fill or block any areas where they could be entering. Mice only need a hole the size of a dime to find their way in. Use a small mirror and place it on the ground around the entire foundation to see what you find from the mouse’s perspective. You might be surprised! Once you find a hole, you need to fill it with some form of metal. Mice can chew their way through anything else.
Here is a hole that I found recently. It’s not a big hole, but it’s big enough for a mouse to crawl through. I’ll fill this one with some balled up wire mesh, and may even put some cement over it.
Next, you need to find a good mousetrap to kill the mice that have found their way inside. The old mouse traps still work well enough, but the mouse trap HAS improved over the years. With the old traps, you may need to re-bait the traps several times before killing a mouse. The trip lever is not all that sensitive. This is the old style trap:
If you DO buy one of these, make sure it has the over-sized yellow trigger pad like this one. This style of trap is still effective, but it is sometimes frustrating to set, and doesn’t always get the mouse before the bait is gone.
Here is the latest version of the mousetrap:
You can buy this on Amazon here
This new “better mousetrap” by Ortho which I call the Jaws of Death has been improved in many ways. First of all, it’s easy to set. You simply squeeze the trigger and it is set! Second, the trigger plate is SUPER sensitive. If any part of the mouse touches the trigger plate, the trap will spring shut. Third, disposal of the dead mouse is very easy. You simply take the entire trap to the trash can, press the trigger, and watch the dead mouse land in the trash. The packaging says that you throw away the whole trap, but that is not necessary. I have used the same trap for as many as 10 mice. It works FANTASTIC! It is simple to use, and effective EVERY time. I don’t think the mouse has ever had a chance to do more than sniff the bait. I have NEVER had to re-bait this trap.
As far as bait goes, I have used peanut butter for many years, but have just switched to using a small flake of sugary cereal along with the peanut butter. What I find with the peanut butter is that it needs to be a sugary peanut butter such as Jiff or Skippy. Both of them add lots of sugar. It also doesn’t go rancid as easily as raw or natural peanut butter.
Between policing the outside of your home, closing places for them to enter, and setting these new traps with the proper bait, you should no longer have a problem with mice in your home. Please post a comment below to let me know your results! I LOVE feedback. Also, don’t hesitate to check over my other articles in The Frugal Berry.
