Mice in the house, tips and remedies to eliminate and prevent the problem
It is likely that people living in a house with a garden or in a house in the countryside may have unwanted night-time visits. Finding out you have a mouse in the house is a surprise that no one would ever want to face. When this problem arises, you should make sure to get rid of it as quickly as possible, because they are very fast and prolific, adapt easily to any environment and tend to hide in places that are really difficult to reach. The speed of action is a decisive element in the fight against mice, they can settle in the house very easily and in a few days they can nest if they find accommodation, water and food. Getting rid of rats inside can be, also, very difficult.
Risks
Having mice in the house, besides being very annoying, is a serious health hazard, as they are healthy carriers of many serious diseases. In addition, rodents can cause damage to structures, dirty and leave an unpleasant smell, which is why chasing them away becomes the fixed thought of the tenant allergic to the unpleasant presence. Small cracks and fixtures become the preferred shelters for rodents, but they can be removed with some remedies.
Mice in the house, the signs of their presence
The signals that suggest the presence of mice are easily discernible. Among these we remember:
- small and dark excrements that dry up in a few days. The old ones are grayish in color;
- small holes on objects such as cereal boxes;
- noises of continuous scratches in the walls;
- smell like mold stagnating in the house.
Mice in the house, the remedies to drive them away
In gardening stores and hardware stores you can find a wide range of deratizing products, including rat traps and rat poison.
However, to combat the presence of these unwanted guests, natural methods can be used to test before using chemicals. Let’s discover them.
Peppermint plant: kept in the garden, on the balcony or near the entrances, it exudes a strong smell that is particularly unpleasant to rodents. In the presence of a mouse, peppermint leaves can also be placed inside the house in suspicious corners or at risk. In addition, cotton balls soaked in peppermint essential oil are easily available in the herbalist’s shop.
Eucalyptus essential oil: this is also a valuable natural deterrent for mice. A little cotton soaked in these drops should be left in suspicious areas, remembering to replace it every 3 weeks.
Laurel plant: remaining within the plants, the laurel can also be useful, its leaves placed in the corners of the house, in the pantry, inside the closets or along the windowsills, will serve to ward off mice who do not like the smell.
Steel wool: placed in front of the cracks used by mice to enter the house, the material is used to block their way, since it is more difficult to gnaw.
Bicarbonate: just sprinkle a little bit of it around the house and let it have its effect, without danger for people and pets.
A cat and its litter tray: enemies of mice, just the presence of the pet is enough to drive them away from the home environment. There is no need for cats to hunt them, but it is sufficient that their litter tray is placed in front of the entrance points of rodents to block any other possible intention of access, their smell will be more than enough.
Ultrasound emitters: the devices on the market are annoying for mice, as they are able to disorient them without causing them any damage.
Mice in the house, tips to avoid nasty surprises
To prevent the presence of mice it is necessary to keep the house clean and food tightly sealed in airtight containers, as they are usually attracted by food and their smell. Checking and closing any kind of crevices through which these animals can enter (pipes, ventilation ducts, small holes in the walls) is also a task to be carried out periodically to leave the danger of finding themselves fighting this annoying presence permanently outside the door.
