How to Keep Your Home Rodent Free

Mice live on every continent except for Antarctica, and have been known to spread disease and illness. So is it any wonder that there is a cliche that says, "Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door"? But for many people, finding even an adequate mousetrap has proven hard to accomplish. Here are some tips on which are the best and worst methods to use when trying to rid your home of mice.

Prevention is the best method of avoiding mouse issues. Any cracks, holes, or spaces to the outside that are larger than a pencil eraser should be sealed with steel wool. The mice are unable to gnaw through steel wool, and they will not pull it apart and use it for nesting. If steel wool is not acceptable, fill the crack with caulking. Do not use expanding foam, because mice can chew through this. In addition to washing all dishes every day, make sure that you have all food put away. Store cardboard boxes and bags of staple goods such as sugar and flour in plastic containers with lids, so that they cannot be chewed through. The bad news is that prevention may not work if you already have a mouse problem. Mice are able to get all the water they need from the food they eat, and even a few crumbs a day may be enough to sustain them. So if you have already seen a mouse, it's time to move on to fixing the problem.

Cats are fantastic at catching mice. Some cats do seem to be better at it than others, but there is something irresistible to cats about chasing mice. Not only do they help provide a safe, chemical free method of keeping the house free of mice, but they are a loveable family pet. There are several downfalls to using this as your only method of mouse control. If the cat cannot or will not keep the house free of mice, poisons are out of the question. Furthermore, cats often bring mice to their owners and deposit them in unusual places. This is their way of bragging about their hunting skills, but if they deposit a dead mouse on your pillow, chances are you won't be too proud of them. Furthermore, if they actually eat the mice, they will cough up the bones and hair on your carpet. Or worse, the mouse may be carrying a disease that makes your beloved pet sick.

Mousetraps are one of the least favored methods. Many people think that they are cruel, and apart from their personal feelings, it's hard to argue that they are very effective. They can be difficult to set and once they are set, they are easily sprung. If a mouse is caught in them, it may only be caught by its leg or tail, and then you have to take extra care when taking the trap out to the trash because the mouse is left alive. Even worse, there have been cases where the trap has too much spring, and it causes the mouse to lose a body part. This is especially gruesome to see. Mousetraps are better left alone.

Poisons are another bad option, because they can cause illness in pets and children. Even if there are no pets or children, care must be taken in food preparation areas, which unfortunately are the most common place to find mice. Even worse, the mice do not get caught or confined to one area. Instead, they ingest the poison and run away. Because they tend to make their home in between walls, this can cause an awful odor to persist for weeks while the mouse is decomposing. Poisons do not provide a good solution for most mouse problems, and are best avoided altogether.

Catch and release traps have gained a lot of attention because they humanely catch the mice, and you are able to dispose of them later in a safe place away from your house. The problem is that if the mice find a new way in, you are certain to have to continue taking them outside over and over.

Ultrasonic mouse deterrents are an expensive option that do not work too well. While they certainly do drive the mice away, they may not drive them from the home. This can lead the mice to take up residence inside the bathroom or a bedroom. Also, the mice become used to the sound after a while, and it is no longer a deterrent. There are some that claim to alternate the frequency, but in the end, these just aren't the best solution.

The overall most effective solution is to use electric traps. These are humane in the sense that they do not cause the same pain that traditional mousetraps use when they kill the mice. It is a quick, and supposedly painless death. A piece of food is placed inside the end of the trap. Batteries are inserted, and the device is turned on. When mice smell the food, they enter the trap and it electrocutes them. Once every few seconds, it delivers another jolt until the trap is emptied. It can be used multiple times, and it can be used in remote locations. These are safe for most animals, and for children.

The best method is to use a combination of methods. Place electronic traps along baseboards and behind stoves, and traditional mousetraps in the basement. Pair these two with having a cat and a good measure of prevention, and you are likely to rid your home of mice. And one final note: peanut butter works much better than cheese when you are trying to catch a mouse.