The 10 Commandments of catching mice

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Whether you think they are cute little critters or fur-covered menaces, one thing is certain; mice should not feel welcome in your home! Aside from the fact that they have a natural tendency to chew through wires and destroy things, in a bid to create nesting material, they can also be a serious risk to the health of your family, as their waste matter is nothing short of a bacteria outbreak!

If you've ever say in your living room and wondered what that little squeaking noise is, or noticed holes appearing in your walls, you really need to read this article and if not, read it anyway, just so you are prepared! You really should know how to hunt a mouse and it's not as difficult as you might think!

1. Invest in traps.

First things first; rural homes are far more likely to have problems with mice, so if you live in the country, we are directly talking to you here! Secondly, it will be in your best interests to invest in some humane traps as soon as you think you might have noticed evidence of mice in your home. The longer you leave it, the worse the problem will get, but be kind and use non-violent traps! Especially if you are also hoping that a pet cat might sort the problem for you, as they are very inquisitive and might end up with a sore nose! They might know how to catch a mouse, but they don't know that traps aren't toys!

2. Choose the right bait.

Whatever style of traps you buy, you will need bait, in order to tempt little furry residents to get caught. Of course, cheese is a well-known favorite, but peanut butter, jam and even fruit will all work very well too. It's a good idea to buy specific bait, which everybody else in the house knows not to eat, as even indirect contact with the trap, via touch, could result in poorly tunnies.

3. Follow the tracks.

Mice are incredibly agile, far more so than us, so while we probably don't stand any chance of being able to keep up with them, we can look for and follow their tracks, to try and work out where they have made their home! You might find yourself clambering all over bespoke cabinets here, as mice are able to scale tall installations with ease, so don't tell your carpenter, or they'll have a fit, unless of course they can tell you how to hunt mice without running over all the furniture!

4. Check under cabinets.

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As much as mice are natural climbers, they also love hunkering down in a cozy and secluded little spot, especially if it is within easy reach of soft textiles that hey can use to line their nests. Because of this, you really need to look under your cabinets, especially those that are near fluffy rugs!

5. Look for holes in the walls.

When you start considering how to catch a mouse at home, you need to think like them! Mice come into your home for two reasons; to find food and to stay warm. When it comes to being toasty, they absolutely love making holes in your walls and snuggling down in amongst your plaster, but don't fret too much, as new holes are usually easy to spot! You might even need to get up in the loft, as mice can work from the top-down!

6. Focus on food-prep areas.

All living things need to eat, so it stands to reason that mice will want to be near your kitchen, as that's where they will find all the best scraps and leftovers. You can deter them, by keeping your space spotless, but one thing that you might not have thought about is your pet feeding stations! It's so common to leave dry food down all day, but this would be a dream buffet for mice, so it might be time to instigate set feeding times for your companions.

7. Stop more getting in!

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It is, basically, impossible to prevent all critters from entering your home, as even the most perfectly built houses will have spots that can be accessed. It can even be as easy as leaving some French doors open on a hot day! If you know that your home is prone to uninvited furry guests, it's worth telling everyone to always close windows and doors and you can deter new visitors with extra traps.

8. Place traps next to walls.

Mice, being tiny, are prey to a lot of predators in the wild, which means that they are adept at sticking to walls, as a form of camouflage, when on the move. Because of this, you should be placing your traps along the edges of your home, inside and out. They will be far easier to catch like this.

9. DO NOT use poison!

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There are lots of reasons to not use poison when wondering how to hunt small mice, but let's focus on the main two. Firstly, any member of the house could touch and consume the poison, from pets to children and even careless adults, which means that it is a huge health risk that simply isn't worth taking. Secondly, it's exceptionally cruel. Poison guarantees a slow death that will be very painful and there's simply no need for that.

10. Remember that they do not make good house guests.

It's easy to forget that mice are actually a pest, as they are so small, furry and, in a way, very cute, but they make terrible cohabitees! They don't clean up after themselves, damage your  property and can make you exceptionally ill, so if all of these ideas fail, be sure to call out a local humane pest control agent that can help you.

For more healthy home tips, take a look at this article: 9 plants that are perfect for the bedroom.

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