Which Works Best? Mouse and rat traps and baits are both effective, so it really comes down to preference. Once you decide on which rodent control product (or combination of products) best fits your needs, be sure to follow the directions on the label, and take steps to make your house less attractive to pests.
No amount of traps and poisons is going to solve a mouse problem long-term so long as they are able to continue entering the home and finding food on your property. Mice who already have food stored inside the walls and attic of your home are not likely to go after baits and poisons, allowing the problem to persist.
Mice can easily avoid poison
So, leaving poison in places mice don't regularly go means they may never even find it. Mice can easily avoid any dangerous chemicals.
Use mouse traps.
Apart from hiring a professional, traps can be one of the most effective ways to kill mice in your home.
Mouse traps are one of the most effective ways to get rid of mice that have taken up residence inside your home. Place mouse traps in the more vulnerable areas of your house, like along walls and behind trash cans. There's a variety of mouse traps to choose from, all of which range in cost, function and design.
All remaining bait should be removed and disposed of according to the manufacturers instructions. Mice that have taken poison return to their nest and die. This may cause a smell, however, this should go after a short while depending on how warm the nest is.
In fact, after the poison has taken effect, the mice can die just about anywhere. Most mice only leave their nests to scavenge for food, so they're most likely to die in the vicinity of their nest. However, mice can also die behind walls, in ventilation ducts, or other places they are difficult to extract from.
Rat poison doesn't kill all mice in the home—only the ones who happen to eat it. Poison is a temporary fix that only gets rid of mice for a little bit. Don't forget that mice have a rapid growing population. You need to prevent them from coming back.
Mice won't disappear by themselves
Unless you change your habits to deprive mice of their food, wipe out the existing population and proof your property to stop them coming back, you'll always be sharing your home with disease-spreading, food-stealing mice.
A team comes in, searches for the signs of mice and rats, spreads their chemical poisons, traps or baits and come back in time to gather the dead carcasses. Some exterminator companies don't return to pick up the dead rodents, and expect you to dispose of them yourself.
It can take anywhere from two weeks to three months for your mice infestation to completely clear up, depending on the level of infestation. Large infestations take more time to handle than small ones.
As it turns out, there are several smells that these pests cannot stand, which means you can use them to your advantage. But what exactly do mice and rats hate to smell? Mice can be kept away by using the smells of peppermint oil, cinnamon, vinegar, citronella, ammonia, bleach, and mothballs.
The question you should be asking is, can rodents become immune to rat poison? The answer is yes. According to data in the UK, they found that of the tested rats in their area, 74% of them carried a gene that made them resistant to popular rodenticides.
Not only can mice spread disease, but if they are chewing on wires inside your walls, this could create a fire risk. If you have mice (or something else) in your walls, it's important that you deal with it quickly, and don't be afraid to call in professional help if you feel in over your head.
After eating the poison, the pest will try to find water before they die. Thus, the pest will more likely die outside rather inside a house or building. Is this true? Answer: These chemicals are anticoagulants and cause internal bleeding in mice and rats.
Rodents filled with toxic anticoagulant rodenticide poisons continue to move around in the environment and as they start to feel the effects of the poison they begin to move slower and become easy targets for your cat, dog and our native predators such as bobcats, hawks, owls, coyotes etc.
You should not see any new mouse feces in your home. You know all the mice are gone from your house when you no longer see clawed or gnawed food packages, feces, or full traps while also not smelling or hearing mice.
Since mice don't like going too far from their nest, you will mainly find them hidden in kitchens. If you notice small holes in the corners of your home or along baseboards, you likely have a mouse infestation. Mice build their home indoors, whereas rats will build their nests outside or above ground.
Q: Are there baits (poisons) available that will make rodents go outside looking for water? A: Eating bait will not change a rodent's "normal" water requirements. It is a myth that rodents will seek water outdoors after eating bait and then die outdoors. There is adequate water in your home to meet all rodent needs.
The good news is that with proper pest control and prevention, you can indeed ensure all mice are completely out of your home. If you suspect a mouse infestation or have questions about how you can be sure to completely get rid of mice in your home, seek help from a licensed pest control professional immediately.
High-calorie food with a strong smell will attract them out of their nest, but it's better to choose something sticky to use in a trap. This makes peanut butter a good bait – it attracts mice well and its stickiness will make it hard for the mouse to take the food without triggering the trap.
But unless you're dealing with just a single rat or mouse that's confined to a small area, that's not going to cut it. Experts recommend that homeowners put out up to three snap or glue traps for every rodent present.