Do you wake up at night from the sounds of a mouse fidgeting? If so, it might be time to catch the culprit. If you don't want to kill a mouse, learn how to set a trap, handle the trapped mouse, and prevent it from returning to your home.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare to Catch the Mouse
Step 1. Start by cleaning the room
Mice are attracted to your cozy environment. If you tidy up the house and make it less attractive to rodents, then they will not have much desire to stay in it.
- Clean up the clutter in your home. Don't leave clothes, paper, or other items that mice can use to create a nest.
- Don't forget to tidy up your pantry areas, especially those that contain a lot of paper items or old clothes.
Step 2. Remove and pack all food
It sounds incredible, but mice can feed on almost anything that gets in their way. Sweep crumbs out of appliances and cabinets.
- Do not leave food in a visible place. This also applies to animal feed. Get in the habit of sealing and storing your pet's food at night. This will make it less comfortable for mice in your home.
- The pantry in which food is stored must be tightly closed. For example, you should place a freshly unsealed bag of flour in a resealable long-term storage container.
Step 3. Find a strategically correct location for the trap
Place it in the room in which you find the most active mice. After setting the trap, it's best to avoid this area so as not to accidentally scare the rodent away.
If you do not have a trap, you can make one yourself from a small board mounted in the form of a console. Place a small amount of peanut butter on the end of the board and place it on the table so that the weight of the mouse eager to eat the treat can tip it over. This will cause the mouse to fall into the trash can, but will not be able to get out of it
Step 4. Make a humane trap
Place some peanut butter inside a very tall bin (minimum 60 centimeters high) and place it next to a taller table. Bend a paper towel tube to make an impromptu tunnel, and at the end, dab some peanut butter on the inside. Place the tube against the counter so that the peanut butter end hangs over the trash can.
When using a commercial trap, be sure to follow the instructions on the package
Part 2 of 3: Handling the Mouse
Step 1. Remove the mouse from the trash can while wearing gloves
Be sure to wear rubber, latex or vinyl gloves, as mice carry infectious diseases.
Get some cleaning products in advance so that you can immediately disinfect the area in which the mouse was. You will need a spray bottle of bleach
Step 2. Place the mouse in the container
She shouldn't be able to escape, but vents are needed through which she can breathe.
- Do not put your mouse in a cardboard box as it will chew through easily.
- You can now clean your trash can and countertop with a mixture of bleach and water. You also need to discard the cardboard tube.
Step 3. Take the mouse out of the house
Whatever it may seem like a brilliant idea, in no case do not release a rodent near your home. Mice can find their way back to their home. Instead, release it at least seven kilometers from your home.
- Try to get the mouse away as quickly as possible. You should not keep the rodent in prison for a long time, moreover, this way you can quickly start cleaning and disinfecting the house.
- You can increase your mouse's chances of survival by releasing it near a possible hiding place. Avoid busy areas of the city where she can easily settle in another house, as well as open spaces where she becomes an easy prey for a predator.
Part 3 of 3: Prevent mice from coming back
Step 1. Clean and disinfect those areas of the house that have been contaminated by the mouse
Open the windows for ventilation and spray the remaining droppings with a solution of bleach and water. Chlorine must be dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:10.
Do not sweep or vacuum up mouse droppings or nest debris. This can raise the dust that carries disease
Step 2. Wait five minutes for the solution to soak into the droppings
Then use a paper towel to scrape it up and discard.
- After cleaning the tables, disinfect the floors with a solution.
- Remember to wash your bedding in hot water and clean any upholstered furniture that you think might be dirty.
Step 3. Prevent mice from returning
In addition to keeping your home clean, check the seals on doors, windows, and all possible access routes to the house from outside. Close the cracks by any means available to you; the main thing is to make sure that all holes are completely sealed.
- Do not use silicone or plastic to seal the gaps, as mice can chew through them easily.
- Apply a few drops of peppermint oil to cotton pads and spread around the perimeter of the house. Mice don't like strong odors, so this will make them stay away.
Warning
- Catching with further release into the wild does not guarantee the survival of the rodent. Hypothermia and predators kill most house mice released into the wild.
- White-footed and deer mice can be released into the wild with a great chance of survival.