Mice

Mice like living in houses for the same reasons we do: they are warm and good places to find something to eat. Most people do not know they have a mouse in the house until they find mouse droppings, usually in a cupboard or on the kitchen counter.

First, the mouse has to find a way into your house. All cracks or openings over one-quarter inch or 0.6 cm are large enough for a mouse to crawl through and should be sealed. These openings usually occur where the wooden floor meets the concrete foundation or around pipes and vents. Mice will also chew holes in plywood walls. Garages are a particularly difficult area to keep mice out of due to the large crack at the bottom of the overhead doors.

If only a few mice are present, trapping is the easiest method. Snap traps or live traps, if you prefer, are available at most hardware stores and greenhouses.

Contrary to popular belief, mice do not prefer cheese. Raisins are the best bait to use. The raisin can be jammed into the trigger of the trap and the mouse will have to work at getting it out. Peanut butter will work but some mice are able to lick the peanut butter off the trigger without firing the trap. Set the trap with the trigger closest to the wall for best results.

If a lot of mice are present or a prevailing problem exists, poison may be the best choice. There are many poisons available that work well for mice. These poisons are available at hardware stores, feed mills and greenhouses.

A simple bait station may be made from a small cardboard box. Cut a hole near one end about the size of a two-dollar coin. Cut another hole on the opposite side of the box so that you can see through the box. Put the box against a wall so that a mouse running along the wall can see through the hole in the box. Place the poison bait in the opposite end of the box and close the lid.

You can open the box and see if the mice have been eating the bait and add more when needed. Something heavy can be placed on the box to keep pets from getting at the bait. The possibility of poisoning a pet with mouse poison is small, but does exist.

One more tip: add vanilla extract to the bait or raisins to attract mice.

Call Transportation and Agriculture Services at 780-417-7100 for more information on mouse trapping and other pest control problems.

Last updated: Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Page ID: 3479

County Hall: 2001 Sherwood Drive, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada T8A 3W7