Attics are commonplace for mice to breed and set up shop. Many homes have been destroyed due to mice damage or extensive amounts of mice feces that the homes were deemed unhealthy.
Mice carry various diseases, most commonly is the hantavirus, which can be deadly for humans if it gets inhaled.
This can occur when humans are in the attic breathing in the contaminated dust and mice urine or fecal matter. Keep mice out of your attic with some friendly hints and tips below.
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How To Get Rid Of Mice In Attic
If you have some furry little rodents inside your attic, don’t worry there are several ways you can get rid of them. You can use mice and rat baits as long as you put them up high where they cannot be ingested by humans or pets. If you would rather go for a more natural option, plaster of paris and baking soda work well. Remember that one of the best ways to get rid of mice from your attic is to prevent them in the first place by sealing off cracks and holes where mice can enter with steel wool or mesh. Deterrents work well to make your home unfriendly to mice.
How To Properly Seal Up Holes And Cracks
Mice will find any hole or crack they can and use it as an entry point to your home. You might have traps and bait set up, but that can be deemed useless if you are allowing them to enter when they like via holes and cracks.
Ensure you close up any wall penetrations, such as where pipes, cables, and vents go through the wall. If you have a nice gap around the cord penetrating into the wall using some mesh or expandable foam around the hole will ensure mice cannot get through.
Walk around your home both inside and outside and look for any weak points where holes or gaps can be seen and push in some steel wool until the hole is blocked, then cover with some exterior caulking.
The good thing about steel wool is the fact mice cannot eat their way through it.
How Can I Seal Up Big Holes?
If you have very large holes in the foundation of your home, it is ideal to use mortar or cement to fill it all in.
If you don’t want to use cement, you can opt for sheet metal, wire mesh, or any type of hardware cloth. If you have any holes in your fly screens, they can be easily fixed with a fly screen repair kit which comes in different colors so you can match it perfectly to yours.
One thing people tend to forget about mice is the fact they can climb really well.
Be sure to check the chimney, soffit vent, fascia, gable vents, and roof overhangings as these can be an easy way into your attic.
For things like gable vents, you can install some metal screening or mesh over this, so there is still ventilation, but mice cannot get through it.
What Kind Of Mousetrap Can I Use?
Live Traps
Live traps are a trap that catches the mice alive. If you want a more human way of getting rid of mice, then this is a good option for you. Some variants can catch a heap of mice at one time.
All you do is put bait such a peanut butter or melted chocolate into the trap, and once a mouse goes through, it will cause the trigger to close the door capturing the mice.
You can then take the trap out to the bush or far away from any homes and set them free.
This is a humane way, but it isn’t ideal as they can eventually find another home to infest.
Electronic Kill Trap
This is a recently new trap out which instantly kills mice with a quick electric shock. Many mice can be killed at the same time without the trap needing to be reset.
This is a good way to get rid of mice and to kill them quickly if you prefer them not to suffer slowly like other methods such as poison.
Bait Block Station
A posion station isn’t a trap that captures mice. It is normally a block of poison that is very attractive to mice and rats.
Mice only need to eat a small amount to die, but it will kill them slowly, taking up to 10 days for the mice to die.
The bait block goes a long way, with just 1 oz of poison can kill up to 12 mice, sometimes more.
I Only Have A Few Mice. Do I Need To Bother With Removal?
Yes, you certainly do. Just having a few mice might not seem like much to worry about, but you only need one mouse to carry a disease that can infect the family and your pets.
Mice are fast breeders, and quite often, when you see one, there is a nest someone consisting of several more babies waiting to grow and infect your home.
Mice can ruin your insulation, chew your wiring, which is a huge fire hazard, not to mention driving you crazy with their scratching at nighttime.
Anyway, who wants to have mice, feces, and urine all through their attic flooring and insulation? Yuck!
Natural Remedies For Killing Mice
Some people prefer to use natural ways to kill mice, and some people say common household ingredients work better than commercial chemicals, given the fact they are a whole lot safer and healthier for you.
Can You Make Mice Poison From Baking Soda?
You certainly can, and it is quite easy. Just by using 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of either cocoa or sugar mixed in together with a cup of baking soda.
The chocolate or sugar works well to attract the mice, which will die soon after eating the baking soda.
You can fill very shallow containers or use some old plates and place a few spoons of the mixture onto them and place them inside your attic.
Be sure to check your attic a few days after using for dead mice and remove them before they start to send a horrible stench through your home.
Potato Flakes For Killing Mice? Can It Be Done?
We are not talking about basic mashed potatoes here; we are talking about instant potato.
You can sprinkle this inside your attic and around your home as when the mice eat them after a while, their stomachs will expand out, and the mice will die.
Don’t put huge amounts around if you have cats or dogs as in large amounts; it can do the same thing. In small amounts, it is safe for children and pets if they shall come across the potato flakes and eat them.
Conclusion
By using modern traps, ingredients from your home, and a few prevention methods such as sealing of holes can stop mice from becoming a huge nightmare in your home.
If you think the problem is bigger than you can handle, consider calling the professionals who can come to your home and kill all the rodents.
They can also inspect your home for where the mice may be getting in and offer their friendly advice for prevention measures you can take advantage of.
FAQ
Should I Use A Repellant To Ensure Mice Don’t Return?
Natural ingredients like cayenne pepper, cloves, and peppermint oil work well to deter mice. Soaked cotton balls in problem places work well.
Do Ultrasonic Mice Repellents Actually Work?
There are mixed reviews here. Some people haven’t had any luck with them, while others have. The ultrasonic is safe for humans and pets, but you will need to try it to see if it works for you.