How to Get Rid of Mice

Keeping mice out starts with closing the openings they use to get in. That is harder than it sounds, because a mouse fits through a gap about the width of a pencil and most homes have plenty of them around pipes, vents, doors and the roofline. Taking away easy meals helps too. Keep counters clean, store dry goods and pet food in sealed containers and do not leave dishes out overnight. If you already see signs of a mouse infestation, a rodent control professional will usually save you time. Contact Florida Bug Control for a free inspection.

Trapping, Sealing and the Mistakes That Keep Mice Around

• Use more traps than you think you need. House mice usually stay close to their nest, so set snap traps a few feet apart along walls where you have seen droppings, with the trigger end against the wall. A small dab of peanut butter makes good bait.
• Check the outside of the house at the garage door seal, gaps where AC lines, plumbing and cables enter, the roofline and soffits, foundation vents, and under exterior doors.
• Seal with materials mice cannot chew, such as steel wool or copper mesh packed into gaps and held with sealant, hardware cloth over vents, and metal flashing. Expanding foam by itself is easy for mice to chew through.

Common mistakes: sealing every hole before trapping, which can shut mice inside the walls; placing loose poison bait indoors, which can leave dead mice and odors in wall voids and puts children and pets at risk; using glue boards, which are inhumane and lead to bites when people try to free mice; and relying on plug-in sound devices, which have little evidence behind them.

A professional rodent job starts with a full inspection inside and out, including the attic and roofline. It typically combines trapping, exclusion work with rodent-proof materials, sanitation advice, and follow-up visits to check traps and confirm there is no new activity. Signs of activity are on mice infestation, and larger rodents are covered under rats.