Mice are a common household nuisance.
Sure they might be cute but the little buggers will chew on anything and everything if you let them.
But just because they are a nuisance it doesn’t mean they deserve to die.
That’s why in this post we are going to look at how you can get rid of mice in a humane and non-lethal way.
If you are unsure about whether or not you actually have mice (that noise at night might be a murderer scuttling about under your floorboards!) then check out this video:
Why Do I Have Mice In My House?
The first step in getting rid of mice is to understand why you have them in the first place.
We cannot fix a problem that we do not understand
To understand why there are mice in your house first ask yourself this, what is it that mice want?
Mice are like any animal, in the end what they really want is Food, Water & Shelter, and it just so happens that your house is the ideal place to find all 3.
The shelter part is obvious, mice like to hide away in dark cozy areas. Like under your floorboards, or inside the wall cavity. Food and water is harder to find but when given the run of the house don’t be surprised to find little mice bites in that wheel of cheese in your pantry!
How To Get Rid Of Mice – Without Any Killing
It is hard to find good information online about getting rid of mice that doesn’t involve some kind of torturous death. Let’s see if we can correct that. Here are 6 ways to get rid of mice in a non-lethal manner:
Catch and Release Mouse Traps
Perfect for getting mice out of your house while not harming them in any way. There are a wide range to choose from, however the general premise is the same for them all.
Mouse smells something tasty, walks into trap, door closes behind them.
Now you can take the mouse away and release them back into the wild. Try to travel to a wooded area a few miles from your location. This is a good place for the mouse to live and also means that they wont try to get back into your house. (For this reason avoid releasing them in your own garden as sure enough they will just come straight back in)
Ultrasonic Repellants
Ultrasonic repellants emit a high-frequency sound that annoys most small pests and rodents. Think like a dog whistle.
Plug in the repellant near where the mouse has decided to nest and they will scarper pretty quickly. The downside to this method though (and most repellent methods) is that the mouse is likely to just run away far enough for the sound to dissipate, but still be within your property.
Repellant Spray
Spray a liquid that deters mice. This works by emitting a smell that mice do not like. If you spray where the mice are they will leave the area.
There are a few issues with the spray however:
- The impacted area is not very large – the mice will likely remain in your home just not in the same spot
- Not all sprays are non-toxic so there is the chance of contamination which could cause injury to the mice (and even yourself if inhaled/ingested in large quantities)
- The spray does not last very long. You will need to continuously spray the impacted regions of your house to ensure the mice do not return.
Strong Smelling Scents
Similar to the above spray but this time we are looking through our cupboards instead.
Mice do not like really strong smelling things like peppermint oil. Buy a bottle and some cotton balls.
Dip the cotton balls into the peppermint oil and leave the balls in and around where the mice has set up house. If you can’t source any peppermint oil try smearing toothpaste near where the mouse stays. It is not as effective but can still get the job done temporarily.
Things to Avoid
Glue traps – If you have not seen these before they are sticky pads that cause the mouse to become stuck once they walk across. These should not be used if you are trying to remove mice in a humane fashion as they cause trauma to the mice and can have lasting damage to their feet.
Spicy Foods – These should be avoided as they are not effective and can in fact be counter productive. I once left a really hot vindaloo out to deter mice and they just came back for seconds!
Tin (Aluminium) Foil – Again while the noise and texture of the foil is off-putting to some rodents the presence of aluminium foil will not deter most. Plus you can’t foil your whole house (or can you?)
How To Prevent Mice Coming Back
So you’ve followed the advice above and have gotten rid of your mouse problem. Hopefully Mickey & Minnie are now living it up in their new home outside far away from you. Now you want to make sure that this problem does not re-surface.
Here are 4 steps to take to prevent mice from getting into your house:
- Put your bins far away from your house. The bins will attract the mice and once they are nice and fed they will look for some shelter. Don’t make your home the easiest target.
- Seal all small holes you can find around your home’s exterior. Mice are only small and they can squeeze themselves through holes even smaller than you would think.
- Trim back any tree branches that hang over your home. Mice are great little climbers and will use tree branches to jump onto your roof and enter your home that way.
- Cut off any food supplies. Make sure any food you have around the house is sealed in an air-tight container. If the mouse cannot feed they will move on.
Getting Rid Of Mice Frequently Asked Questions
Baking soda is not a good solution for getting rid of mice if your intentions are non-lethal. Baking soda creates a lot of gas when ingested which builds up inside the mouse until it eventually kills them
No! Once a mouse has set-up shop in your home they will stay there unless they are moved along. If your mouse problem suddenly fixes itself then you either have a bigger rodent who chased the mouse off OR you have some dead mice in your house. Sorry!
Mice are nocturnal creatures so they will do most of their scuttering about in the night time. In the day you will find them somewhere dark and cool. Like under your floorboards or in the crawlspace of your loft.