Mice are small rodent mammals with a widespread presence around the globe. They usually enter the homes of people, in search of food and shelter. Among the species of mice in our country, the most common is the house mouse (Mus musculus), and sometimes the meadow voles.

Mice can be found both inside the house and outside (in gardens, terraces, etc.). Their presence is most often signaled in kitchen areas or in food storage spaces, where mice are attracted by the smell. In addition to the damage they can cause to food and floors/walls (in an attempt to enter the home), they can be carriers of diseases and parasites, such as fleas and ticks.

Signs of a mice infestation

The first sign of mice in the house is their excrements. Most of the time, they are found near food packages/boxes, in drawers or cupboards, underneath sinks, in hidden areas, and along the paths of mice. In general, rodents leave more excrement in areas where they constructed a new nest or where they feed, so it is recommended to inspect the area to detect them. In addition, in infested areas, the presence of mice may be signaled through their specific odor.

Also, other signs of other mouse infestations are traces of damaged packaging, gnawed furniture, holes in the walls, and even nests.

Methods for indoor mice control

Indoors, the most suitable solution is to use traps to catch mice and to eliminate them. It is not recommended to use pesticides inside the house, because rodents do not die until after a few days have passed. In this case, if the mice are not removed under controlled conditions, their bodies may emit unpleasant odors and may become a source of infection.

Traps are usually placed on their route, to attract them as quickly as possible. They can be placed in sheltered places, near walls or corners, behind furniture.

Along with using the traps, baits are used (in the form of pieces of food or professional attractants), which have the role of attracting rodents to the trap. For food baits, the most used is peanut butter, but other foods with a strong flavor (chocolate, smoked meat, cheese, or jellies) are also effective. However, if mice have other sources of food, it is necessary to use professional attractants to make catching them more efficient. In addition, in spaces without water sources, the use of attractants in liquid form can be a good option to lure mice more easily.

Types of mice traps

Adhesive traps

They are made from cardboard or plastic, to which adhesive and an attractant are added, to entice the mice to approach the trap. Adhesive traps can be mounted very quickly and do not require reinforcement. They are disposable – after catching the mice, they will have to be thrown away. It is not recommended to place them in areas with dust or high humidity, because they can be easily damaged. Also, very low or very high temperatures can affect the texture of the adhesive, reducing its efficiency.

They can also be placed into cardboard or plastic stations, to protect them from external factors for a longer period, and to make it harder for rodents to escape.

Recommended adhesive traps for mouse control:

These are plates covered with a layer of glue, with the role of capturing mice found on a certain surface. These traps are used together with a special rodent attractant to attract mice, which will remain trapped on the adhesive. The size of the trap may differ, some being able to catch several mice at the same time. The traps are removed together with the rodents caught in the adhesive.

Mice – Mechanical traps 

They instantly kill mice as the rodents trigger the flap and disarm the trap. They are used together with baits (food or special attractants) to attract rodents to the trap. Once they are armed, the mechanical traps must be placed in hidden areas of the building. This way they will be protected from the access of children or pets. If a trap is accidentally disarmed, it will need to be rearmed. Therefore it is required to check the trap often. After capturing the rodents, the mechanical traps can be used again. However, before reusing, it is ideal to wash them using hot water. This will remove the smell from captured rodents, which could decrease the efficiency of the trap. Their disinfection is also important to not spread pathogens from one mouse to another and in the environment.

Recommended mechanical traps for mouse control:

Mechanical traps are reusable traps, which, unlike self-locking traps, kill mice instantly. They act when rodents trigger the flap and disarm it, they can be made from plastic or wood and can be used with solid or liquid attractants.

For easier monitoring of caught animals, mechanical traps can be used together with transmitters that signal the capture of rodents. The device attaches to the trap and emits an audible signal when activated. When a mouse is caught in the trap, it emits 3 beeps at 30-second intervals. The device frequency allows you to hear the sound over a wide area. Thus, it is no longer necessary to constantly check the traps, but it is recommended to remove the captured animals as soon as possible.

Recommended transmitters:

Transmitters are electrical devices specially designed to facilitate rodent control indoors when using mechanical traps. By monitoring and reporting each pest caught, constant checking of traps is no longer necessary. As such, they are intended especially for applications such as office buildings, supermarkets, hard-to-access areas, and narrow areas such as ceilings, suspended ceilings, etc.

Mice – Self-locking traps

They can be made from metal or plastic – they lock mice inside but do not kill them instantly. They are recommended for spaces with high-level infestations since they can catch several mice at once. The trap does not require constant checking or reinforcement. The mice caught inside are eliminated. They are used together with baits (special attractant or pieces of food), and adhesive plates can be placed inside them, increasing the elimination rates. Like mechanical traps, they can be reused after being washed and disinfected.

Self-locking traps recommended for mouse control:

They are metal or plastic traps that block the mice inside but do not kill them on the spot. They require periodic inspection, to eliminate mice trapped inside. These traps are used together with a bait (special attractant or pieces of food). Like mechanical traps, they can be reused after being washed and disinfected.

Mice – Electric traps

Made from plastic and metal, these traps capture mice and kill them by emitting high-voltage electric shocks. These traps are placed indoors, in moisture-free and dust-free areas. They can be used together with professional attractants or food attractants (peanut butter, hazelnut cream). They work on batteries, and with a single set (4 batteries), they can eliminate up to 50 mice.

The electric trap has a sensor that detects the presence of the pest and emits a high voltage electric current when the animal comes into contact with metal plates. It is necessary for the mouse to touch both plates to be electrocuted, the discharge of the emitted electric current being done through the pest, from one plate to another. Depending on the type of trap, a capture is marked with a green light signal or a notification sent to the connected device (smartphone/tablet). The trap can be reused after removing the pest and carefully cleaned. The metal plates must be cleaned to ensure their electrical conductivity.

Recommended electric traps for mouse control:

They are used exclusively indoors to control unwanted rodents. The principle of operation of these traps consists in capturing the mice that are lured into the trap (with the help of an attractant) and killing them instantly, through electric shock. The main advantage of these traps is that they can be reused (after proper cleaning), but also the immediate signaling of the capture of a mouse.

Recommended attractants:

Attractants are products specially designed to lure mice into the trap when they are within range. Attractants can be found in the form of gel, liquid, solid, spray, etc. They can be used together with all types of traps, such as adhesive, mechanical, self-locking, electric, etc., and are both for inside and outside use.

Adhesive raticide foam

It is used strictly by authorized personnel, to control mice in sensitive areas (factories, hospitals, etc.). The foam is applied to cover the access holes of the rodents into the respective space. Thus, the mice will come into contact with the raticide foam. The foam will stick to their fur/paws and they will carry it to the nest, thus eliminating a larger rodent population. When mice try to clean themselves, they will come into direct contact with the active substance.

Recommended raticide foam:

Raticide foam is a product that can be used exclusively by pest control operators to control mice indoors, where the degree of infestation is high. Due to its formulation, the raticide foam is transported by the rodents that come in contact with it, leading the complete control, even eliminating the nest.

Indoors, to remove the specific odor of rodents in infested areas, disinfectants can be used to eliminate unpleasant odors. They are found in liquid, powder, or aerosol form, depending on the type and size of the treated space.

Methods for outdoor mouse control

Outside the house, it is recommended to place poisoning stations (with raticide) around the area, thus forming a barrier against mice. In this way, animals who approach the house in search of food and shelter will be attracted by the raticide bait placed in the poisoning stations and will return it to their nests.

Mice – Intoxication stations

Intoxication stations are boxes specially designed to protect raticide or traps from environmental conditions. At the same time, they prevent untargeted animals from accessing the poison or coming into contact with the traps placed inside. They can be made of plastic, cardboard, metal, or corrugated plastic. Corrugated plastic poisoning stations can be damaged by other animals, and cardboard ones are not resistant to moisture. Therefore, they are often used together with other traps, and, as a rule, they are placed in covered spaces, protected from animal access. It is recommended to use lockable poisoning stations, when using raticide, to secure the poison.

For protection against mice, poisoning stations are generally placed around the house (especially near inside access points), at a distance of about 5-10 meters.

Recommended bait stations for mouse control:

The role of intoxication stations is to protect the raticide bait from external factors and prevent the contact of non-target animals with dangerous substances. They do not replace mousetraps and do not lock mice inside the trap. They can be made of materials such as plastic, cardboard, depending on the space for which they are intended.

The labeling of intoxication stations is important to keep track of them and to inform users about the raticide substance used.

For greater efficiency when it comes to rodent control, in the poisoning stations (but also on the mechanical traps), professional attractants in the form of the spray should be added.

Raticides

Raticides are products used to control unwanted rodents. The formulation contains an active substance that is poisonous for rodents and a special attractant (with the role of bait). They act by ingestion, more precisely, the mice feed on the raticidal bait and the active substance with anticoagulant effect produces a generalized hemorrhage in the mammal’s body. Generally, mice die within 2-8 days after ingesting the poison. However, this depends on the amount of raticide consumed, the concentration of the active substance, and the size of the animal.

Raticides are found in the form of envelopes with paste, pellets, wax cubes, liquid, etc. The recommended dose of raticide against mice is 20-40 g for each station. They are placed using protective gloves because rodents can smell the odor of hands, and thus will avoid the bait. The stations must be checked at an interval of 2-3 weeks, and depending on the amount of bait consumed, the dose of raticide placed in the stations will be supplemented or decreased. For an effective treatment, it is recommended to use two different types of bait for each station, depending on the preferences of the mice.

Recommended raticides for mouse control:

Raticides are biocidal products used to control mice. These are based on active substances (such as brodifacoum, bromadiolone, coumatetralyl, etc.) and co-formulants as bait. Raticides act by ingestion, having an anticoagulant effect. Thus it causes the death of rodents by hemorrhage. The death of mice can occur in 2-8 days, depending on the amount of raticide ingested, the animal’s size, the type of active substance, and its concentration.

Recommended protective gloves:

Protective equipment has the role of protecting the person performing the treatments from the dangerous substances in the composition of the raticides. This category includes protective gloves, coveralls, masks, etc. The equipment is chosen depending on the type of treatment, as well as the substances used or the targeted pest.

Mice – Ultrasound devices

They are electrical devices designed to remove rodents and keep them away from the area. The principle of operation consists of emitting sound waves of different frequencies, to frighten the mice and discourage their activity in a certain area. The waves are imperceptible to non-target creatures. They are generally placed in large, frequently circulated spaces.

Also, to prevent the access of rodents inside the area, their holes and access ways can be sealed using special materials.

Rodent repellents

They can be found in the form of paste, wire mesh, wire sponge. They are used to prevent and block the entry of mice into protected areas by sealing access roads.

Paste repellents are applied using a specialized gun. You can seal cracks, holes, joints with a diameter of at least 5 mm, by applying a layer with a thickness of 10 mm. After that, the paste can be smoothed using a spatula.

Sealing cracks/holes through which mice can gain access to the area can also be done with the help of sponges/copper wire cloths. If, however, the size of the access point is larger, they can be blocked using wire mesh.

Recommended repellents for rodents:

Repellents are products used to block the access of rodents to a certain area and to seal inlets. The repellents create olfactory, tactile, or optical barriers or produce unpleasant sensations to the targeted rodents, discouraging and preventing their entry into closed areas.

In conclusion, an effective rodent control consists, first of all, in choosing the appropriate treatment depending on the infested space but also in combining several products/control methods. In addition, it is important to eliminate the factors that can attract mice or make it difficult to control them and seal rodent access points.