We all remember the shot of the screaming housewife, up on a chair, as Jerry runs about the kitchen looking for cheese in the infamous Tom&Jerry cartoon. And while that was all charming when we were children, the older we get, the more we understand that a rodent invasion is nothing to joke about.

 

What are the dangers of having mice on your property?

 

Unfortunately, mice are an incredibly common houseguest pretty much everywhere in the world. The little rodents are attracted to human dwellings chiefly because they provide their two most important needs: shelter and food. And while they may seem cute and cuddly on the outside, mice carry a wide array of serious diseases, like rat-bite fever, salmonellosis or hantavirus, which can endanger the welfare of your children and pets.

 

So what can you do?

 

While there are many options for getting rid of rodents, we’ll only explore some of the more popular ones. If you’re looking for a more in-depth study, visit ridmiceinattic.com to learn more.

 

  1. Try essential oils.

 

Essential oils are said to be one of the most efficient natural remedies against wild animal invasions. Strongly scented oils like cayenne, peppermint, or cloves, have been known to repel mice, among other wild animals.

 

You can soak some cotton balls in these essential oils (though beware you’ll need to replace the balls regularly, to maintain efficiency), or try planting some of these in your garden. 

 

  1. Cat urine?

 

We know it sounds weird, but cat urine can actually be a really efficient rodent deterrent. As we all know, rodents and cats don’t mix too well, and so, the best thing to do would be to get a cat, as its presence will deter mice from settling on your property. If that’s not an option, however, you can strategically place tubes of kitty litter (ideally dashed with cat urine) around the house. The scent of these will trick the mice into thinking you own a cat, and also that they should look for a new home before it’s too late.

 

  1. You can try ammonia. 

 

Ammonia works on a similar principle as the kitty litter above, since its scent is similar to the urine of various mouse predators. So once more, you could try soaking cotton balls into ammonia, or filling small bottles with the stuff and placing them around the house, to deter mice from entering.

 

Again, these will need to be changed regularly, if you want to maintain their efficiency. 

 

  1. Make your home as inhospitable as possible.

 

Remember what we said about mice being attracted to food and shelter on your property? Well, there are things you can do about that. Maintaining a clean and tidy home will reduce the leftovers and crumbs that mice have access to. So will sealing all holes and cracks in the walls and foundation (easy doorways for mice), and keeping your food in airtight, difficult to access containers.

 

  1. Try a humane mouse trap.

 

If you’ve had no luck shooing away a pesky mouse, you can always opt for a humane mouse trap. Basically, we’re talking about a cage that’ll lure the mouse in with bait, then tightly shut its doors on it, securing the mouse, without actually harming it, so that you can then relocate it.

If all else fails, don’t hesitate to call a professional wildlife removal service like First Choice Wildlife Services. They’ll get rid of your mouse problem for you, but also inspect your home and figure out what you’re doing to attract rodents in the first place!