How to Trap a Mouse in the Attic or Ceiling - If you own a home, chances are you own a few mice as well. Unlike larger pests, which make loud noises, create big and intrusive holes, and keep you awake at night wondering what in the world they are thundering around for, mice are small enough to keep a low profile. It is usually when we hear a disconcerting chewing noise overhead that we acknowledge their presence.
If mice are so common, why get rid of them? It’s true that mice are everywhere, but that does not make it okay for them to impose themselves on your hospitality. One mouse will mean more mice, and more mice will breed and create a mouse city in or near your location. Mice are destructive, and even if this is on a small scale, if a mouse decides to chew on an important wire in your home, you’ll be in trouble.
What if a mouse is in a difficult location, like my attic or ceiling? Excellent question! Difficult locations are safe, that’s why mice and other pests frequent them. A rodent will not pick routes that go too close to humans or pets. With that stated, mice do venture out into the open when they think the risk of danger is low. A mouse may like you ceiling for its warmth and empty spaces, but it will eventually come out of the ceiling to feed. A detailed survey of your home interior and exterior will provide possible entry and exit points. Mice do not need much space to squeeze into a home. If you have a gap larger than ½ inch wide, you can bet a mouse will get through. Be proactive and seal up entry points before mice become a problem.
The mouse in your ceiling, leaving urine and dropping in on the insulation and boards above your head, can be trapped with reliable, proven snap traps. Since your ceiling is not readily accessible, look for well-traveled passages in your kitchens and bathrooms. Place traps away from where pets and children can reach them, but place them near present mouse droppings or urine marks. Of all the senses, visual is the weakest for mice. Using their sense of smell, these little rodents will travel along the same pathways using the odors emitted by their previous passing. Bait the traps with peanut butter (it does not decay rapidly or leave a foul smell like cheese) and monitor them daily. One trap isn’t enough. Remember, where there is one mouse, there is probably more. Do not hesitate to place an entire package of traps around your home. Remove dead mice immediately.
By maintaining you home and property, you can manage your mousy invaders quite nicely. There is no need to poison your unwelcomed guests. Poisoning is a horrible way to die, be you human or animal, and poisoned animals tend to crawl into the places they feel safe in order to die. Pets, cats in particular, can sometimes eat a poisoned mouse and become poisoned themselves.
Mice in the ceiling are not a reason to call in the National Guard. Traps are readily available in most grocery stores and home improvement facilities. Hole patches and repair foam are also easy to find and use to fix problem areas in the home. Be diligent and educated about the pests that pose issues in your location and you will be able to defend against them easily. Mice in the ceiling are tough, but with some cool tricks and some reliable tools, these little buggers will move on over to bigger and less patrolled structures.
Learn more about these other animals: raccoons in attic - rats in attic - mice in attic - possums in attic - bats in attic
If mice are so common, why get rid of them? It’s true that mice are everywhere, but that does not make it okay for them to impose themselves on your hospitality. One mouse will mean more mice, and more mice will breed and create a mouse city in or near your location. Mice are destructive, and even if this is on a small scale, if a mouse decides to chew on an important wire in your home, you’ll be in trouble.
What if a mouse is in a difficult location, like my attic or ceiling? Excellent question! Difficult locations are safe, that’s why mice and other pests frequent them. A rodent will not pick routes that go too close to humans or pets. With that stated, mice do venture out into the open when they think the risk of danger is low. A mouse may like you ceiling for its warmth and empty spaces, but it will eventually come out of the ceiling to feed. A detailed survey of your home interior and exterior will provide possible entry and exit points. Mice do not need much space to squeeze into a home. If you have a gap larger than ½ inch wide, you can bet a mouse will get through. Be proactive and seal up entry points before mice become a problem.
The mouse in your ceiling, leaving urine and dropping in on the insulation and boards above your head, can be trapped with reliable, proven snap traps. Since your ceiling is not readily accessible, look for well-traveled passages in your kitchens and bathrooms. Place traps away from where pets and children can reach them, but place them near present mouse droppings or urine marks. Of all the senses, visual is the weakest for mice. Using their sense of smell, these little rodents will travel along the same pathways using the odors emitted by their previous passing. Bait the traps with peanut butter (it does not decay rapidly or leave a foul smell like cheese) and monitor them daily. One trap isn’t enough. Remember, where there is one mouse, there is probably more. Do not hesitate to place an entire package of traps around your home. Remove dead mice immediately.
By maintaining you home and property, you can manage your mousy invaders quite nicely. There is no need to poison your unwelcomed guests. Poisoning is a horrible way to die, be you human or animal, and poisoned animals tend to crawl into the places they feel safe in order to die. Pets, cats in particular, can sometimes eat a poisoned mouse and become poisoned themselves.
Mice in the ceiling are not a reason to call in the National Guard. Traps are readily available in most grocery stores and home improvement facilities. Hole patches and repair foam are also easy to find and use to fix problem areas in the home. Be diligent and educated about the pests that pose issues in your location and you will be able to defend against them easily. Mice in the ceiling are tough, but with some cool tricks and some reliable tools, these little buggers will move on over to bigger and less patrolled structures.
Learn more about these other animals: raccoons in attic - rats in attic - mice in attic - possums in attic - bats in attic