How to Stop Mice Getting in Your Home

As we approach the colder months of the year, sightings of mice inside homes and businesses are set to rise. This is a pattern that occurs every year, yet there are steps you can take to make it less likely that you’d be affected by them.

Mice are crafty and tiny creatures. They’ll squash themselves almost flat to get under a door… even when there doesn’t appear to be enough room for them to do so. They can also get through small holes the size of a Biro. Even if your home appears to be mouse-proof, you might still be surprised at the spaces they can get into.

Steps to take outside your home

Before the weather turns, take some time to go around the exterior of your home. Are there any holes they could use to gain access? Your trusty Biro will tell you. If that can fit in a tiny gap, so can a mouse.

You also need to make your home less attractive to mice. Make sure your outdoor bin is cleaned weekly and has a secure lid on it. Food scraps should be deposited in a clean bin with a lockable lid.

Take the time to regularly sweep outside too. Get rid of any rubbish that might be lying around. Make sure you don’t accidentally give them a food source or anything they can use for bedding.

Steps to take inside your home

When we think of a food source, we think of something much larger than the amount that would sustain a mouse in a day. The average mouse eats about 3g of food. Try weighing it… it’s not much.

If they find crumbs on the floor, those will do. However, if they can get into your cupboards and into packets of food, that’s even better.

Make sure your floors are regularly swept, mopped, or vacuumed to get rid of these accidental food sources. You should also make sure all foods in your cupboard are kept in strong containers. Glass is ideal.

If you suspect you already have one or more mice in your home, you can and should still take all these steps to make your home far less attractive to them. However, you may also need expert advice on how to get rid of mice in your home, especially if just one or two simple traps don’t do the trick of removing them.