The Best And Inexpensive Ways To Keep Mice Out Of Your House

There are a couple really good, natural ways to keep mice and rodents at bay, and I’m about to try every single one of them.

Yikes! We live in a rural area, but I never think about things like mice — I mean, we keep the house clean, surely they won’t get in.

Wrong-o!! I was in my kitchen last night, and a fluffy little mouse scurried across my floor, stopped to look at me, and then ran behind my stove.

I immediately thought of just burning the whole house down, but instead I screamed, ran to my room, slammed the door, and stuffed a blanket under said door so the mouse couldn’t get in.

A cute little mouse in a cage is one thing — but I don’t do random loose mice scurrying around the house.

Here Are Some Ways To Keep Mice Out Of Your House And Garage (Or Even Out Of Your Cars Or Campers)

These are some of the cheapest and least cruel ways to get rid of mice.

I can’t STAND those sticky glue mouse trap strips that you leave out so the mice will get stuck — they are SO inhumane!

And, a traditional mouse trap may be quick, but it’s so awful and disgusting!

Those catch and release traps seem good, but they hardly ever work, and they are so expensive.

More natural, less expensive, and humane ways to deter mice are definitely the way to go! Anytime you can get rid of mice without killing them is a plus in my book.

First, you need to check to see if you already have a mouse problem present in your house.

Oftentimes you will see little mice tracks, black droppings that look like tiny pieces of rice, and you may even run into one of their nests.

Mice love to tear up books, chew pieces of cardboard, and get into anything that might make a comfortable place to live and make a nest.

Thoroughly clean and pick up anything that a mouse might use to create their nest — the less comfortable you make it for them, the better.

Make sure you sanitize any area where you see evidence of mice — they can carry diseases that will contaminate any surface they touch.

Make sure any areas with food (both human and pet) have been decontaminated thoroughly!

Now that you’ve cleaned up all the mousey areas, you can do a couple things to keep the mice from coming back.

If there is a crack or hole that is about a quarter of an inch big (or bigger), a mouse can squeeze its body through.

Don’t forget about areas around faucets, utility lines, air vents, small cracks in the wall, or even small gaps in doorways. You want to make sure any place that can be an entry point for a mouse is sealed.

For some reason, mice don’t like aluminum foil — it could be because it is a metal, and mice can’t chew through metal.

You can use aluminum foil — or even steel wool — to plug up any holes or gaps where mice may get in.

If you have food items in your basement or in an area where mice might tend to be, consider wrapping that food up in aluminum foil — this will help keep the mice out.

Mice also don’t like strong smells — like ammonia, mothballs, or peppermint oil.

Now, people don’t tend to like ammonia or mothballs either, but a cotton ball soaked in peppermint essential oil may be a good smelling deterrent for mice.

Just know that you have to re-soak the cotton balls DAILY with peppermint oil, to make them most effective.

Another strong smelling product that may help keep mice away is a really fragrant soap. Irish Spring has been shown to work wonders when it comes to keeping the mice from getting in.

Get out your cheese grater, and grate up a few bars of Irish Spring soap. Place the soap shavings anywhere you want to keep the mice out — like where you have used the aluminum foil to plug the holes in your home.

You can also put little piles of the grated soap in drawers, corners, or dark places where mice might like to build their nests.

Finally, try dryer sheets! Stuff a few sheets into areas where mice might find their way into your home. Although dryer sheets smell super fresh and good to us humans, mice can’t stand the strong smell.