How to get rid of mice?

It is no secret that the appearance of rodents in residential and utility premises, including, for example, garages and greenhouses, becomes a source of rather serious troubles. These representatives of the animal world are capable of causing serious damage in the shortest possible time. That is why it is important to know how to quickly and, most importantly, effectively get rid of mice. There are several main ways to deal with house rodents, each of which has its own characteristics.

Mice are small mammals with an oblong body, a pointed muzzle and large oval-shaped ears. The size of such an animal can range from 5 to 20 cm, depending on the species characteristics. One of the main features of the family is keen eyesight and the ability to distinguish between yellow and red shades. The normal body temperature of mice ranges from 37.5 to 39 degrees. Rodents of this family live up to 4 years.

Despite their diminutive size, mice can cause big trouble and can even be dangerous to humans. If these rodents appeared in an apartment, private house or on a plot, then you should expect spoiled things and products. Wiring, for example, in cars is no exception. Among other things, there is a risk of attacks on pets and even people. It is important to remember that mouse bites are dangerous because they are carriers of serious diseases such as:

• typhoid;
• salmonella;
• Weil's disease.

An equally important point is that mice leave traces everywhere in the form of physiological waste. At the same time, various bacteria and viruses pose a particular danger to people with weak immunity. The appearance of field representatives of the family on the plots threatens serious damage to many crops.

It is worth listing the main factors leading to the fact that uninvited roommates settle in houses and apartments.

1. Comfortable temperature for mice. Predictably, rodents tend to find a warm shelter with the onset of cold weather. As a result, mice actively move from cold and damp basements to apartments and houses.
2. Having the food that rodents love the most. This is not only about products that are readily available, that is, left on the table and capable of luring animals. It is worth noting that they quite easily penetrate into the most secluded places when looking for food. In such situations, they overcome almost any obstacle.
3. Violation of sanitary standards. Rodents can be caused by crumbs and food debris, as well as rarely taken out food and other waste. In addition, mice often wind up in places where there are accumulations of things. The presence of holes in the baseboards will create almost ideal conditions for the colonization of pests.

It is very difficult to say unequivocally which way of dealing with rodents will be the most effective. Today there is more than a wide range of different options for mousetraps. You can buy ready-made devices, or make a simple, but at the same time effective system with your own hands at home. The main thing is to find the best bait for the intruders.

One of the popular options these days is the use of special adhesives. They are applied to cardboard or thick paper and placed in places where mice are likely to appear. An animal, falling into such a trap, is immobilized.

Regardless of the design features and the principle of operation, all mousetraps are devices for catching rodents, a mandatory component of which is a bait. The mouse, trying to take possession of it, dies or falls into a trap. All existing options can be divided into several categories.

1. Classic mousetraps. This is a device that includes a spring in tandem with an iron bow (bracket) and a lever. When the animal tries to get to the bait, the system is activated, and a blow occurs. As a result, the object of the hunt, as a rule, dies due to injuries. In some cases, mousetraps are equipped with thorns. The main disadvantage of such devices is the rather frequent spontaneous and idle operations.
2. Nora mousetrap models. In this case, we are talking about a kind of tunnel with a vertical exit, near which the bait is placed. On the way to it, the animal encounters a thread, which it has to gnaw through. As a result, a spring is triggered, followed by a stranglehold, tightening on the victim's body.
3. Capacities. Structurally, such devices are a cylinder with a bridge. It is on the edge of the latter that the bait is placed. Having reached the middle of such a platform, the animal, under its own weight, tilts it and slides down.
4. Traps, that is, structures that outwardly resemble the mouth of a predatory beast with a lever inside. When exposed to it, the trap immediately slams. Such models differ from most other rodent control options with increased mortality. It is important to consider that this method can be potentially traumatic for humans.

Separately, it is worth noting such a method of exterminating rodents as electric mousetraps. These traps act on the victim who has fallen into them with a strong discharge (from 8 to 12 thousand volts). Such devices operate both from a household power supply and from rechargeable batteries. At the same time, some samples of such pest control equipment have additional functions, namely:

• an indicator indicating the presence of a mouse;
• containers for destroyed rodents;
• control systems and settings for the operation of devices.

In addition to all of the above, it is necessary to pay attention to the "Cage" live trap. This is a device that allows you to catch mice without killing them. This design is made of metal rods fixed on a wooden base. It is equipped with a door that automatically lowers when you act on a lever (hook). The main advantages of the method of getting rid of rodents:

• humanity towards animals;
• maximum simplicity and safety of use;
• universal dimensions of the structure;
• the possibility of reusable use;
• increased strength and reliability;
• affordable cost.

Lures and traps of almost any complexity can be made independently. This approach to rodent control can significantly save financial costs without losing the effectiveness of the means used to protect against pests.

There are two main types of bottle traps.

1. Vertical trap, which is located in basements, sheds, and, if necessary, in wooden houses, chosen by mice. Closer to the bottom of the bottle, a delicacy is attached, attracting a potential victim, and the container itself is turned upside down. All that remains is to carefully put a coin under it.
2. A horizontally placed mousetrap. You will need to pour a small amount of sunflower oil into a bottle (you can use both plastic and glass containers). After that, the container is located at an angle to the horizontal so that the neck remains free and accessible to the rodent. As soon as the latter, having felt the smell of oil, climbs inside, he will no longer be able to get out.

"The trapping pit" - a well-proven design that effectively resists pests. Of course, it will not be possible to permanently withdraw them in this way, but it is possible to significantly reduce the number of uninvited guests. Such a trap is most relevant for a cellar or area next to the house. It will be necessary to make a depression in the ground, at the bottom of which the chaff is laid, a cut plastic bottle is placed in the hole. The bait should be put in this container, and then covered with a mesh with cells that allow the rodent to crawl inside.

"Sharp petals" - Another common type of trap, for the manufacture of which you will need:

1. cut off the neck and partly the top from the bottle;
2. make several cuts along the resulting container;
3. place the bait inside;
4. bend the petals in the middle.

In summer cottages and vegetable gardens, you can design a very effective trap using a bucket or tin can. You will also need a piece of cardboard from which the lid will be made. Water is poured into the container, and several cuts are made in the cardboard from the center towards the edges. A bait is placed in the center of the lid, or suspended over this place. And also above the jar, you can fix a narrow board in the form of a platform with a treat at the very edge. In both cases, the mouse will be trapped trying to get hold of the food.

Another type of trap can be made from a mesh. For this you will need:

• wire;
• mesh with small cells;
• pliers;
• nippers;
• 2 magnets.

To make the device, you will need to cut 5 identical fragments from the mesh, use a wire to make something like a box without one sidewall out of them. In parallel, a door is made, and magnets are placed in its place. A piece of wire is placed so that one end of it is inside the trap. It is on it that the bait will be attached. When the object of the hunt tries to pick it up, the door will close, and the magnets will not allow it to open.

You can independently design a mousetrap from a piece of pipe about 0.5 m long, metal sheet and wire. It is more convenient for these purposes to use the popular and widespread now plastic pipes. Such a device is successfully used mainly for basement or street fishing. Holes are made in the pipe, peculiar doors made of galvanized or aluminum are installed along the edges. These hatches are tilted and secured with wire.

In addition to the options already listed, strangleholds are popular. To make such traps, you need:

• wooden block;
• strong thread;
• wire;
• spring.

A recess is made in the bar in the form of a small hole for a rodent. A spring is installed at the top, and 2 holes are made. A thread is passed through them, which is then tied to a spring. And also a loop made of wire is attached to it, the second end of which is placed in the previously made recess in the bar. The rodent finds itself inside the mink, attracted by the bait, and the thread prevents it from getting out.The mouse is guaranteed to gnaw through the obstacle, after which the system will work, and the victim will be in a stranglehold.

For example, An ordinary flower pot can be a very effective trap. This vessel is placed upside down, and a support with a bait fixed on it is placed under the rib. And also there are quite complex systems that allow massively catching rodents.

In parallel with the already listed means or as an alternative, various mouse poisons are actively used. On the one hand, poisoning rodents is inhumane, but at the same time, sometimes this is the only way to protect the site and home. Now manufacturers of appropriate chemicals, including drugs with a mummifying effect, offer the following options:

• powders;
• liquids;
• biscuits;
• suspension.

In the ratings of the most popular and, therefore, effective agents, Euroguard granules occupy a leading position. They are designed to kill entire broods of mice and other rodents, including gray and black rats.

Main competitive advantages:

1. ease of use;
2. availability;
3. low cost;
4. increased efficiency.

The Rat Death bait is today deservedly considered one of the most effective. According to numerous reviews, this remedy works even on the most resistant individuals. The lethal outcome occurs after a maximum of 7 days and becomes the result of suffocation. By the way, because of this action, the rodent tries to leave the shelter and dies most often outside the premises.

"Rat Death" sachets weighing about 13 g are laid out at intervals of 2-15 meters on substrates, which are best made from cardboard. It is recommended to use the so-called bait stations. This will keep other animals safe by making the poison available only to mice. The need to form a substrate is considered by some to be disadvantages. At the same time, it is offset by such obvious advantages as maximum efficiency and affordable cost.

"Rat" is another drug that has proven its effectiveness in the fight against mice and other pests related to rodents. The manufacturer offers it in the form of briquettes and gel. In this case, the kit consists of two elements: a flavoring agent and the food additive itself. The lethal outcome occurs within 3 to 14 days from the moment the poison enters the body. One of the options for selling the product is 5-kilogram buckets.

Another indisputable leader of most of the current popularity ratings is the "Clean House" granules. This tool, according to statistics and numerous reviews, has become one of the most common among modern summer residents. The main operational characteristics of the drug are maximum ease of use and attractiveness to rodents.

Ratron Pasten Power-Pads is a German product for fighting mice and other rodents. It is widely and quite successfully used for cleaning houses, summer cottages, as well as storage, utility and other premises. The basis of the formula is brodifacum - a substance that is fatal within 5-6 days. Taking into account the fact that this is a pasty bait, its use does not require the presence of substrates.

One of the methods to resist the attacks of the described animals is the use of means that scare them away. And in this case we are talking about both folk and modern technical methods. The second includes devices that can negatively affect mice. This refers to ultrasonic scarers, which are now in deserved demand. The waves propagated by the devices are perceived by the rodents and force them to leave the shelters.

Proven folk remedies will be no less effective tools in the fight. In particular, wormwood and other plants with a pungent smell, as well as vinegar, will help scare off mice. In addition, other means have proven their effectiveness.

• Cat litter fillers, the odor of which has an extremely negative effect on small rodents. The granules can be laid out, in particular near waste bins, placed directly in burrows.
• Mint, which is laid out in corners, as well as near minks and in cabinets with food.
• Onions, peeled and cut into small pieces. It is recommended to place them in the immediate vicinity of the mouse holes.
• Bay leaf dipped in ammonia or vinegar.

Another effective plant - cilantro or coriander, which has a pungent smell, can become an obstacle for mice on their way to a house or apartment. Seeds and spices are laid out both in the corners of the room and in kitchen cabinets.

The indisputable fact is that it is much easier and more expedient to prevent rodent invasions than to drive them out, catch or exterminate them later. It is important to keep in mind that mice are not afraid of anything when it comes to finding a comfortable habitat and food. To protect yourself from these animals, you must follow certain rules. First of all, it is important to keep the rooms and buildings clean. In addition, it is highly recommended:

• All containers with bulk products, including glass jars, should be tightly closed;
• do not leave the refrigerator door open for a long time, especially at night when pests are most active;
• tables, especially for the kitchen, should always be kept perfectly clean;
• after cooking and eating, remove all food residues, including bread crumbs;
• dispose of food waste and other waste every day.