Mouse Trapping Advice From a Professional

The sun is rising, the birds are singing, your significant other just started the coffee maker and the smell of french roast fills the air. As you lie awake in bed ready to greet the day you hear something peculiar, a soft scratching noise above you. You think nothing of it as you pass it off as a branch brushing against the house from the oak that is encroaching on your roof.

Later that day as the sun is setting, you notice your dog will not stop sniffing at the bottom of the dishwasher.  You tell yourself you will look into it later, there is likely some remnant of last night’s dinner under there.. You go to bed and sleep soundly, only to be jarred awake in the middle of the night by the sounds of muted squeaking and that scratching again. 

You, my friend, have a mouse living in your home, and if mother nature is feeling extra generous, it might even be more than one.

I would be a pretty poor business owner if I did not tell you the next step you should take is calling Huntsman Wildlife, but I also understand that some families are on a fixed income, and $250+ dollars for trapping and a couple hundred more in exclusion work is not in everyone’s available budget. Here are four pro-level tips on controlling the mice that have invaded your home:

Remove the ACCESS to the Food Source

When I say that, most people assume I am demanding they pitch all of the grains, nuts, seeds, crackers, and breads in the home. Thought that absolutely is one way to remove potential food sources, it is much easier to instead store than in lockable plastic containers.  My family is big of the Rubbermaid Premier line of food storage containers (Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/2VDfKh4)  These containers come in various sizes, are dishwasher safe, last a long time (we have some that are almost 7 years old) and do not stain like some other container lines do.

The cardboard box, or thin plastic bag these products come packaged in are no contest for a mouse’s tremendous front teeth. Placing these open food items in a lockable container limits easy access to a food source and helps make your home less welcoming to your rodent free loading tennants.

Also, make sure all pet foods and bird seed are in thick walled plastic or metal containers with locking lids. These food sources are high in fats and proteins and are a mouse's favorite meal. Once they find a source, they will start hoarding it throughout your home. Having the pet food/bird seed stored in a rodent proof container will save you many headaches down the road. Here is a link to the containers we use in our home ( https://amzn.to/39hsqOC ) If you ever see me in public, ask me about the 900 square foot home we found 165 pounds of dog food in the walls of. That is a story for another time though.   

Become a Detective

Armed with a good flashlight and a pair of nitrile gloves, go throughout your home looking for the evidence these rodent rascals leave behind. Yup, I am talking about droppings. Mice do not have the sphincter muscle control that most human beings possess, so they defecate freely throughout their day. If you come across droppings, pick them up (this is where the importance of the nitrile gloves comes in) and squeeze them between your fingers. If they crumble, they are old, but if they flatten and stay in one piece, they are fresh and you know a mouse has recently been in the area. This is important to know for the next step.

Set Traps… Good Ones

If you walk into the mousetrap section of any big box home improvement stores, there are 32,000 different traps to choose from. I am here to tell you right now, I use one of two traps in my business for the sole reason of THEY WORK. The Kness Snap-e Trap ( https://amzn.to/2PBfICw ) or the JT Eaton Jawz traps ( https://amzn.to/39a2N21 ) are the only two i carry on my truck. I always tell people, don't fall for gimmicks and  fancy marketing. Look at what the professionals use. I use these two traps for a few reasons. They are easy to set, are reliable, and have a bait reservoir. I will not get into too many details right now, but not all traps are created equal, trust my decade plus of experience.

Bait these traps with either the food source you know they are getting into, or use my standard pantry go to, peanut butter. Avoid the cheese. That is a common misconception born from cartoons and movies. 

Set the traps in the areas you found the fresh droppings. When placing the traps, to not line them up perpendicular with the wall, instead put the baited side near the wall to form a “T”. This will encourage feeding from either side, and may also catch a mouse in a hurry to get from point A to point B without the desire to stop for a snack.

Fix What Is Broken

The mouse got into your home because it found a way. My blog post titled “How a #2 Pencil can save you $437” goes into much greater detail, but the Cliff Notes version is this: Your door sweeps, window sills, utility entrances, and venting are all locations that are commonly found to be mouse entry points into a home. Making sure they are in good, working order, with no gaps or voids larger than the diameter of a #2 pencil will ensure mice can not gain access to your home.

Follow this advice and you will be well on your way to ensuring the health of your family and the integrity of your home is protected. Of course, if you would rather hire a professional to handle this for you, do not hesitate to reach out to us with an email, call, or text. You can even fill out a schedule service form here on our website and get a full home inspection scheduled with us. Just click on the “Schedule Service” tab on our website.

Till Next Time… See ya folks.