How to Catch a Mouse

Mice are active year-round and reproduce at a prodigious rate. Mouse control needs to be implemented at the first sign of a mouse. Effective control includes rodent-proofing exclusions, habitat modification, sanitation, and population reduction with rodenticides and traps.

Mice are clever and become suspicious when something new appears in their travel paths. They are easily to loud or novel noises. Because mice quickly grow accustomed to these sounds if they hear them repeatedly, ultrasonic repellents have very limited usefulness. Other repellents or essential oils like peppermint that rely on taste or odors have limited usefulness if any.

How to Catch a Mouse in Your House

Traps are the most effective way to control a mouse population in your house. Rodenticides usually require a commercial pest control license. Toxicants typically are not appropriate to use in a house. They introduce dangers to people and pets. Mice can die inside your home resulting in problems associated with dead mice in your house.

Mice rarely venture more than fifty feet from their nest. Space traps are no more than 6 feet apart where mice activity is present. Baseboards are one of the most effective places to put a mouse trap. A common mistake is to not use enough traps.

If you place a trap in the middle of their path, they will avoid it until they feel it is harmless. While you wait for the trap to snap, the mice multiply.

Types of Mouse Traps

The most popular mouse traps are snap traps and glue traps. However, all of these traps must be employed correctly in order to be effective. For example, snap traps need to be placed in areas of high mouse traffic, but mice are traditionally wary of new objects in their environment. Glue boards work similarly to fly paper, and need to be replaced constantly. 

Automatic Mouse Traps

Cage and box traps are more expensive and labor-intensive to use than other types of mouse traps.

A Sherman-style box trap for mouse control is a humane and effective method to catch and remove mice from an area. It is designed in a way that entices a mouse to enter the trap but prevents it from escaping once inside. Here’s a description of a typical Sherman-style box trap:

The trap consists of a rectangular box made of durable and sturdy materials such as metal or plastic. It has a solid base, four vertical walls, and a removable lid or door.

The trap is typically small enough to fit in tight spaces where mice are commonly found, such as along walls or in cupboards. The dimensions may vary, but it is usually around 10-12 inches in length, 6-8 inches in width, and 5-7 inches in height.

One of the walls has a small entryway designed to specifically attract mice. It can be a small hole or tunnel-like opening with a size that allows the mouse to enter comfortably. This entryway ensures that only mice, and not larger animals, can access the trap.

Include several cotton balls to provide a visual attractant. Do not place bait directly in the trap. Smear peanut butter or glue seeds on wax paper then fold it.

Multiple capture traps or automatic traps lure the mouse inside and prevent their exit. The Ketch-All has a rotating, spring-powered mechanism to trap mice. The Tin Cat has a 1-way door. Check these automatic traps regularly so the trapped mice do not die.

Why aren’t the mouse traps working?

Test different baits. Bait a trap but do not set it. After the mice take the bait, set the trap. This can reduce the chance of mice becoming trap-shy. Another option is to enlarge the trigger with a square of cardboard, metal, or wire-screen that fits just inside the snap trap.

What is the best bait for mouse traps?

Peanut butter, marshmallows, hot dogs, and bacon are some of the best baits. Baits that are stale do lose effectiveness.

Where is the best place to place mouse traps?

Set traps close to walls along the baseboard, behind objects, in dark places like closets, or in any locations where mouse activity is seen.

Benefits of Professional Mouse Control

Homeowners often try to eliminate a mouse problem using standard, over-the-counter traps. Whether it’s a snap trap, bait house, or glue trap, they won’t work if you don’t use the correct bait. You must also know where to place the bait traps to eliminate the entire population.

Mice are clever and become suspicious when something new appears in their travel paths. If you place a trap in the middle of their path, they will avoid it until they feel it is harmless. While you wait for the trap to snap, the mice multiply.

Professional mouse control offers many advantages, like knowing which baits attract mice most. They develop control strategies that include scent repellents, exclusions, and properly placed traps. Professionals apply sanitization to areas where there is feces and urine.

Hiring a professional mouse control technician at Critter Control offers you and your family advantages that far outweigh trying to get rid of a mouse infestation yourself. Advantages include expertise, experience, assessment and custom solutions, integrated pest management strategies, safety, compliance, and long-term solutions.

Assessment and Custom Control Solutions

Critter Control professionals offer a comprehensive inspection of your home and property. They locate entry points, nesting sites, food and water sources, and damages. What the inspection reveals, such as the size of the infestation and potential challenges, will be factored into the custom treatment plan.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Integrated pest management strategies are combinations of effective treatments. Rather than implementing one method, Critter Control techs utilize multiple methods to ensure eradication. Popular combinations include trapping, rodenticides, sealing access points, ongoing monitoring, exclusions, and prevention.

Safety and Compliance

Critter Control experts possess the education and experience needed to apply rodenticides correctly. Their primary focus is safety for you and your family and complying with regulations while protecting your health and the environment.

Long-Term Solutions

While it would be easier to focus on short-term solutions when dealing with mice infestations, Critter Control technicians prefer to take extra steps to help you prevent future infestations.

Learn more about mouse removal.