Things You'll Need
Gloves
Broom and dust pan
Garbage bags
Twist ties
Mess wire
Aluminum snips
Screw gun
Mouse traps and bait
Peanut butter or cheese
Mint plants
Cat (optional)
Mice are small, furry members of the rodent family that can cause as many problems as the related species of rats and larger rodents. Mice are capable of chewing through duct work and even making nesting homes inside the blown insulation found in attics and between walls. When these little rodents take up residence inside an attic, there are many places to hide. A several-pronged approach is needed to get them out of the house.
Step 1
Put on gloves, and get a broom and dust pan. Clean your attic space of all mouse droppings and nests, if you are able to find them. Place the nests in a garbage bag and seal it with a tie. Dispose of the garbage bag in your curbside pick-up trash or a dumpster. This will help to discourage mice from returning.
Video of the Day
Step 2
Seal all holes in the attic with mess wire. Cut the mess wire to fit the openings, using aluminum snips, and secure the wire to the hole's edges with screws, using a screw gun.
Step 3
Place mouse traps around the attic, near the blown-insulation. Bait the traps with peanut butter or cheese. Do not set the traps right away. Instead, wait 24 to 48 hours before rebaiting and setting the traps. This will create a false sense of security. You may use other traps to capture mice and release them, but the mice will likely fall prey to other predators such as owls and snakes because they are not well-equipped to survive outdoors.
Step 4
Remove the mice that are caught in the traps. Check the traps every one to two days to remove any trapped rodents, and rebait the traps.
Step 5
Place mint plants in your attic. Mice are repelled by mint's odor and will avoid it. Monitor the mint plants and replace them as they wither.
Tip
Another method for getting mice out of an attic is to adopt a cat that isn't declawed from a local animal shelter. Cats are natural rodent predators and will instinctively hunt and kill mice.
Video of the Day