- LAST UPDATED: December 8, 2023
Seeing even one mouse in the house is just too much for many people. Left unbothered, a couple of mice can turn into a dozen, and before you know it, you’ve got a serious infestation on your hands that could leave your house filthy and nearly uninhabitable. Mice don’t have to run the show in your home though.
While exterminators and the best mouse poison can work in some cases, you do have more humane options at your disposal. Use this guide to learn more about getting humanely rid of mice so you can keep them off of your property for good.
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How to Humanely Get Rid of Mice
When you search on the internet or ask friends about how to get rid of mice in your home, one of the first things that will always pop up is glue traps that leave mice stuck in place to slowly die. These traps, while sometimes effective, are not exactly the most humane or pleasant for the mouse that’s been caught. There are other options out there for you to use if you’re trying to get rid of mice around your home and on your property though.
Getting Rid of Mice Without Killing Them
You don’t have to kill a mouse to get rid of it, even if it is living in your home. There are humane methods that work just as well. For most people, the best humane mouse trap is a simple catch and release mouse trap. With these, you can trap the mouse safely in a small, portable device and then move the mouse somewhere away from your property, or simply get it out of your house!
Here’s how you can use humane traps that catch mice for later release:
- Look for a mouse trap with a door that stays open until a mouse enters, then quickly closes behind them. You’ll find steel and plastic options available online and through many hardware stores in your area.
- Read the instructions when setting these traps up. They can be a little tricky at first, but you can get the hang of using them quickly if you follow the attached guides that come with the product.
- Pick the right bait to lure the mouse into the trap. Sticky items that are protein-rich like peanut butter or almond butter are an ideal choice. If your traps don’t work right away but you still have signs of a mouse in your home or on your property, make sure you refresh the bait every four to five days. You need the bait to have a strong odor to lure the mouse into the trap.
- Choose the right spot to place your humane mouse trap. Mice don’t run through the middle of rooms, they scurry along the edges of walls. If you find droppings in your home, this is also an ideal place to put a humane mouse trap.
- Make sure you check your mouse traps at least once per day. You don’t want mice to die in your humane traps because you were not checking them frequently enough.
Best Way Without Poison
Traps designed to get rid of mice in and around your home often utilize poison to kill the animal. Commonly sold as poison pellets or poison bait, these are popular choices and somewhat effective when used properly. That doesn’t mean you can’t get rid of mice without using poison though.
One of the best ways to get rid of mice, especially when they’re on the perimeter of your home, is to use an electronic mouse deterrent. Electronic mouse deterrents work to drive mice away from your home through the use of unpleasant ultrasonic waves so they don’t come inside or cause problems in your garden or around your garage area. Humans and pets can’t hear these frequencies, but they are often effective for clearing mice from your home.
Add multiple electronic deterrents in and around your home if you’re going to use them. These deterrents can push mice deeper into your home or onto your property if they’re not placed strategically to drive them far away.
Here’s how you use an electronic product designed to deter mice:
Make sure the area where you want to put the deterrent is clean and free of things a mouse might find of interest like food or debris. Mice can wait until electronic deterrents have stopped working to access these points.- Plug the electric mouse deterrent into an outlet. You can choose between interior and exterior outlets if your product is labeled for use in both places.
- Check areas where you have put deterrents for signs of mice regularly. Over time, you should stop seeing droppings and your mice will likely have found another place to look for food and shelter.
- Make sure you check on your ultrasonic mouse deterrent devices regularly. In some cases, you may need to change batteries or charge your device to make sure it’s working properly.
Make sure the area where you want to put the deterrent is clean and free of things a mouse might find of interest like food or debris. Mice can wait until electronic deterrents have stopped working to access these points.How to Humanely Kill a Mouse
Many humane traps are designed so that you can release mice alive in an area that is away from your property.
If a mouse is injured or it needs to be killed, there are a variety of humane ways to do this:
- Hit the mouse on the head with a large, heavy object. This might sound like a barbaric way to kill a mouse, but the fact is that it results in a very quick, painless death.
- Wear rubber gloves when killing a mouse and always have on eye protection. Keep a trash bag with a tie handy so you can dispose of the body once the mouse has been killed. Make sure to tightly tie the bag to avoid the smell of a dead animal in your trash or on your property.
Killing Mice Without Poison
Poison can be a difficult way for mice to die, and if you’re looking for humane killing methods, you should turn elsewhere. Another option is to use bucket mouse trap, but to do this, you’ll need to kill the mice once they are caught.
Here’s how to use a bucket trap:
- Buy bucket traps online or make your own with products you can find at the hardware store.
- Place your bucket trap in an area where you’ve seen activity or have found mouse droppings.
- Make sure you check your bucket traps at least once per day. To humanely handle mice this way, you’ll need to avoid leaving them in the bucket trap for long periods, which can cause a great deal of stress, dehydration, and fighting among mice if you catch more than one.
- Kill the mice using a humane method like hitting them in the head with something heavy. Another alternative is to transport the mice outside or take them away from your property to an area with a natural brush so they can find a new home.
The Most Humane Way
When it comes to traps that catch and kill mice, the tried and true spring trap, sometimes referred to as a kill trap, is still the most humane option. Unlike glue traps and other traps like bucket traps where mice drown to death, snap traps kill mice quickly without forcing them to suffer.
To use a snap trap, you need to follow the instructions on the guide properly and bait it with something that mice will enjoy.
Here are a few tips for using spring or kill traps in an effective manner:
- Put spring or kill traps near walls or access points. You can also put these traps in areas where you have seen mouse droppings or activity.
- Always use bait that mice actually like. Cheese might be what you see in cartoons and on TV, but mice prefer protein-rich foods like peanut butter. Sticky options are better than products like meat since the mouse can’t grab the food and run away before the trap closes.
What is Actually?
Dealing with mice can be a complicated issue. While they may not seem like the brightest creatures in the world, mice can evade human contact and avoid detection for some time. They may also seem like they’re skirting the traps and deterrents that you’re setting for them. While there’s no foolproof method that will work with every mouse on your property, there are many different humane options that can be effective.
For many people, electronic deterrents are truly effective and one of the best natural ways to keep mice away. These can work especially well if you’re looking to keep mice away from entry points like your garage, attic, or basement door. They can also be used outside if you buy outdoor rated products.
Along with electronic deterrents, traps that contain mice so they can be moved are often very effective. You’ll need to use the right type of bait and check your traps daily, but these are ideal for removing mice from your property without killing them.
If you have to kill mice, doing it with spring traps is often the best answer. These kill mice quickly, which means less suffering. Hitting trapped or injured mice with something heavy near the head area is also an effective solution as a last resort.
If none of these solutions work well for you, or your infestation is simply too bad, you may need to consider hiring a pest control company. Many pest control companies work with homeowners to find humane methods of mouse removal instead of just using kill traps or poison.
