Cleaning the mice away
Cleaning is the number one weapon against mice in the house. You can clean the mice right out! Ok, not literally, but you won’t find a more effective method. Trapping and baiting is impossible without a good clean.
But my house is clean! I vacuum twice a week and wipe my counters daily! How dare you!
OK, OK! I don’t judge. I’m just telling you what needs to be done to get rid of the mice.
Mice are tiny so they don’t need much food. Any little crumb is a feast for them. What most people would call clean is a filthy wonderland of goodies for our little mousey friends.
By limiting the amount of food for the mice, they will have a much harder time reproducing. When food is scarce, mice are less likely to mate, females struggle to produce healthy litters, and babies struggle to make it to adulthood. Mice will also be forced to search farther for other sources of food, and will be more desperate. This means they will not only find any traps that have been set out, but also be more likely to enter them.
(I just want to take this moment to remind you to not use glue traps. For more info on the terrors of glue traps, click here)
Where should I clean to get rid of mice?
In the kitchen, check for crumbs under the stove and fridge, on the pantry floor, and in and under the cabinets. Make sure there is no pet food left out overnight and clean up any crumbs your pet may have left. Vacuum these areas well and give them a quick wipe, too. Remember, every crumb!
In the rest of the house, vacuum everywhere. If you don’t have a vacuum, sweep and mop. Try not to sweep too much into the corners, under baseboards, or into other cracks and crevices where mice might be able to reach. Check under the sofa (that’s where that cookie went!). Check under your kids’ beds (ask for permission first!). Check under the pile of laundry that has been in the corner for a few too many days. Get all of those mouse feasts out of there.
If there are mice in your garage or shed, check for seeds such as grass seeds, bird seeds, or plant seeds. Those are a mouse’s bread and butter. Actually, seeds are more like a five course meal full of all the healthy vitamins and minerals they need. Seriously, make sure there aren’t any seeds around!
Mice can chew through paper and plastic bags very easily, so either move food bags somewhere inaccessible, like an upper shelf or cabinet, or put them in a plastic container.
Yes, this is a lot of work, but it’s the hardest part. After you remove all the food, the rest is easy! Now you can trap or bait with a much greater chance of success.
We don’t offer cleaning services at Grove, but if you need a cleaning company, give us a call and we can recommend some great options.
