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TreatmentModerate risk

How Do I Get Rid of Mice?

Written by PestMan Editorial TeamTechnical review pendingPublished Updated

Quick answer

Combine three things: remove food, seal the gaps mice use, and trap the mice already inside. Store food and pet food in hard sealed containers, pack gaps around pipes and doors with steel wool and sealant, and set snap traps along walls where you find droppings. Mice are curious, so trapping usually works within days once entry points are closed.

Why this happens

Mice need only a gap of about 6 mm and a little food. Trapping alone removes the current mice, but new ones replace them if the ways in stay open.

Unlike rats, mice investigate new objects, so traps placed in the right spots often work quickly.

What you can do

  • Find activity: look for droppings, chewed packaging and greasy marks along skirting boards and in cupboards.
  • Set several snap traps along walls in those areas, at right angles with the trigger facing the wall; peanut butter works well as bait.
  • Seal gaps under sinks, behind appliances, around pipes and under doors with steel wool and sealant or door sweeps.
  • Move dry food and pet food into hard sealed containers.
  • Keep checking and resetting traps until there are no more catches or new droppings for a week.

What not to do

  • Do not leave loose bait where children, pets or wildlife can reach it.
  • Do not rely on ultrasonic devices alone.
Using pest products safely

Rodenticides must be used exactly as the label directs, in tamper-resistant bait stations where required. If a child or pet may have eaten bait, call the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26) or your vet immediately.

When professional help may be needed

If mice keep appearing after sealing and trapping, or they are in wall cavities and roof spaces you can’t reach, a pest manager can find hidden entry points and set up monitored bait stations.

Mice

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How to Pest-Proof Your Home

A practical, room-by-room approach to reducing pests without relying on chemicals: remove what attracts them, close the ways in, and make your property less comfortable for them.

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Sources & further reading

PestMan provides general information only and does not replace licensed pest-management, medical, veterinary or structural advice. Always read and follow product labels. Read our disclaimer.