To catch a tricky mouse, use superior baits like peanut butter or chocolate, place traps along walls and in hidden spots, wear gloves to mask your scent, and try advanced traps like DIY rolling log or bucket systems for better catch rates. Pre-baiting to build trust and using multiple traps also increases your chances against a wary rodent.
How to get rid of mice in your house
Mice enjoy a variety of food options, but they typically prefer sweet and fatty foods. Some common mouse favorites include fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, chocolate, cheese, processed meats, and high-fat pet food. Mice are also known to enjoy water and will drink from any available source.
Bucket Trap – Skewer a plastic cup with a stick and place it across the top of the open bucket. Put some peanut butter on the outside of the cup to attract mice. When the mouse attempts to run to the cup, it'll fall into the bucket. Just make sure that it's deep enough that they won't be able to climb out.
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.
Under or behind kitchen cabinets and appliances, inside or under bathroom cabinets, inside old cardboard boxes, in water heater closets, between ceiling that are near heat sources, under furniture, inside upholstered furniture voids, and in corners of an undisturbed room with lots of clutter.
In most cases, yes—seeing one mouse often means others are nearby, even if you haven't noticed them yet. Mice are: Social rodents that rarely live completely alone.
Key Takeaways
Learn about mice and their top predators in the wild and in urban environments.
When you hear scratching, it's usually mice busily navigating the hidden parts of your house, searching for nesting materials or food. These sounds are most often heard during the quiet of the night, when mice are most active and when your house is at its quietest.
To 100% get rid of mice, you need a multi-pronged approach: Exclusion (seal all entry points with steel wool/mesh), Sanitation (remove food/water sources), and Trapping (use many snap traps with peanut butter along walls). For persistent issues, consider professional help, but combining sealing gaps, eliminating food, using strategic traps/bait stations, and maintaining cleanliness offers the best chance for complete eradication.
If your bait has been sitting out for a while, it may have lost its allure. Swap out the old bait for fresh servings regularly to keep it enticing. Too Much of a Good Thing: Remember, a little goes a long way. If you overdo it with the bait, mice might be able to snatch it without setting off the trap.
In the spring and summer when temperatures are warm, mice are very active and will breed and expand their population outdoors. Mice have low cold tolerances, so when temperatures get colder in the fall and early winter months, they'll look for warmer shelter and reliable food sources to survive.
Amish communities get rid of mice using a mix of traditional, low-tech, and natural methods, focusing heavily on prevention (sealing entry points, removing food sources) and humane trapping, often with handmade cage traps, while also using strong scents like peppermint oil or cayenne pepper as repellents, sometimes alongside cats for natural pest control. They avoid modern poisons to maintain their lifestyle and focus on practical, sustainable solutions.
Signs of a Mouse Nest in Your Home
Look along the perimeter of rooms. Gnaw marks on walls, floors, cabinets, and food packaging. Mice constantly chew to keep their teeth from overgrowing, so fresh gnaw marks are a red flag that they're nearby. Gnaw marks on walls, floors, cabinets, and food packaging.
The good news is that with proper pest control and prevention, you can indeed ensure all mice are completely out of your home. If you suspect a mouse infestation or have questions about how you can be sure to completely get rid of mice in your home, seek help from a licensed pest control professional immediately.
To get rid of mice fast, combine immediate trapping with long-term prevention by sealing entry points (using steel wool/mesh), eliminating food sources (cleanliness, sealed containers), and using deterrents like peppermint oil or cayenne near trails; snap traps with peanut butter are effective, but for severe infestations, professional pest control is best.
Mice are generally wary of humans and prefer to avoid direct contact. However, they may explore the sleeping area if they perceive a food source nearby. To prevent this, ensure your bedroom is free of food remnants, and take steps to seal entry points. If needed, consider using traps as a proactive measure.
However, one mouse will almost always lead to an infestation if control methods are not put in place. One pregnant female mouse can produce as many as 10 litters in one year, so it's easy to see that one mouse will soon become many mice unless an effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is put in place.
Epsom salt has a bitter scent and can be deterring to mice. Sprinkle the salt around the perimeter of your home, especially at entry points. You can also fill a bowl with the salt and let it sit in rooms where you suspect mice. Bonus: Epsom salt is an unappealing smell to other pests, such as squirrels.
The theory is that mice have a strong aversion to the scent of peppermint, which overwhelms their sensitive noses and drives them away. Placing peppermint tea bags in areas where you've spotted mouse activity could provide a mild deterrent, but don't expect it to solve a serious infestation.
The answer is yes—mice are primarily nocturnal creatures, meaning they're most active when the lights go out. If you've been hearing those unsettling noises in the walls or finding tiny droppings in your kitchen, you're probably dealing with nocturnal visitors.
You'll typically find droppings along walls, in cupboards, near food sources, and in quiet corners. A single mouse leaves about 50-75 droppings per day. If you're finding hundreds of droppings, you definitely have multiple mice.