It is the time of year when pests try to scurry their way into your home for the winter. They come in seeking shelter and food. If you are anything like me though, rats and mice are the last things I want coming into my home. Calling pest control can be pricey so I am here to share with you other clever ways to get the mice and rats out of your house.
Baking Soda
Put baking soda anywhere you have noticed any tracks or droppings. Be extra careful to keep it in a place where your household pets can’t get ahold of it as it isn’t good for them. A good trick is to put it in a box or container with a hole just big enough for the mice and rats to get into.
Predator Scent
Some pet stores will sell urine, feces from predators or, possibly pellets that smell like it. Just place any of these items in an area outside of your home where you have noticed them entering.
Traps
Being smart about how you use traps can be extremely helpful.
Placement
Place a snap trap close to the wall where you think they are entering. Doing this will make it almost impossible to avoid the pressure plate. Put several traps in an area where you have seen them or remnants of them. Mice don’t tend to travel too far from the entry point.
Bait
Using the right bait is crucial to the traps working properly. Things like cheese, peanut butter, chocolate and dried fruit will interest them. You can also use things like feathers and cotton balls as these are items they would commonly use for their nests.
Peppermint Oil
It only takes a few drops on a cotton ball near where they are entering. Mice and rats both hate the scent of peppermint oil. Be sure to replace this every few days as the smell diminishes. Peppermint oil isn’t good for your pets so make sure this one is also out of reach for them.
Another way to use peppermint is to plant the peppermint plants near their entrances to help keep them out.
Cat Litter
If you see places where mice might be nesting outside, put some used cat litter near the entrance. The smell of the litter itself is strong which can drive them away but, since it is used they will also smell the urine which tells them that there are cats nearby.
Patch Holes
Patching up the holes permanently will keep new pests from getting in. You can fill the holes with plaster of paris or cement. Using less permanent options like steel wool, copper mesh and caulk can help as well but, your best bet is it make it permanent as they can chew through the others eventually.
Ground Cloves
Ground cloves have a pretty strong smell which will drive the mice and rats away. You can sprinkle it around nest entrances or, put a mesh bag of it near the hole. This is another one you will need to replace every few days as the scent fades.
Dryer Sheets
Placing dryer sheets around areas where mice and rats have been seen will keep them away. Even better though? You can wrap your cloves in it to double up on the strong scents.
Disposal
When disposing of a dead rodent you want to use gloves on your hands. Place the rodent in a sealable bag and seal it tight. Next place that bag into another sealable bag and seal it tight. Take those two bags and put it in your garbage outside of the home.
Get a Cat
Adopting a cat is a good way to keep control of pests that may be in the home. Mice naturally go after mice and rats but, they will commonly leave them as gifts to you somewhere in the home. Not only will a cat help keep the number of pests in the home down but, the smell of a cat will also naturally deter others from coming in.
There are many other ways to keep mice and rats out of your home but, these are the most common natural ways to eliminate them.
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