House Mouse

The House Mouse is one of the most widely distributed and successful mammals in the world. 95% of all rodent activity in domestic dwellings is mice, not rats. Mice do not have bladders so they urinate anywhere at any time. They contaminate food and work surfaces transferring diseases and parasites to humans. They are frequently the source of fleas, lice and mites found in dwellings and workplaces. Mice do not need to drink water; they can squeeze through a gap the width of a pencil; are inquisitive; mainly active at night; are extremely agile and pretty much rely on humans for their entire existence. Fortunately, they are easily trapped.

Best Methods for Controlling your Pest

DIY or The Professional?

Mice are relatively easy to trap or poison so by following our 'How to Control' section you should easily be able to control all but the the most extensive infestation.
Where there is an extensive infestation spread over several properties in different ownership, you would be better to call in the professionals.

In order of effectiveness, these are your options for controlling mice:

Rodenticides; if you have a large and well established infestation the use of rodenticides is the most effective and swiftest option.
Lethal traps; if you have a small, newly established infestation you will normally be able to deal with them using mouse traps. This should be the first attempt at control within a domestic house.
Live traps; can also be used to great effect thanks to the natural curiosity of mice.
Electronic Kill Traps; are fairly expensive and offer no advantages over traditional traps.
Electronic Deterrents; may have some small deterrent effect, but I would not rely on them and they certainly will not drive out an established colony.
Glue Traps; are fine for insects but completely inappropriate for rodents. They are cruel and in-humane and should not be on the market. We don't sell them and urge you not to use them.

Rodenticides:

Rodenticides work by thinning the blood and reducing its ability to clot. If rodents were to feel any pain or discomfort over the several days it may take for some of the more reluctant and 'picky' feeders to consume a lethal dose, they would cease feeding immediately - which does not happen. All our rodenticides contain Bitrex - a bitter tasting ingredient which makes it unpalatable to humans - to avoid accidental consumption.

When using rodenticides against mice:

Once established within a building house mice tend to live their lives entirely within the building and rarely go outside, so you know their likely territory.
Mice like to feed little and often, and prefer to feed at a number of different places rather than just one, so it is important to have several bait stations available.
They consume only a small amount at each feeding point, so by having several bait points for them, they tend to go between bait points and consume a lethal dose quicker than they would otherwise.
By several bait points, we mean a minimum of four for a small infestation - a few mice in the kitchen/bathroom or airing cupboard - to eight or ten if the infestation is widespread throughout the house and in the attic. The larger the territory, the more bait stations will be required for swift and effective control.
Check the bait points every few days, replenish empty bait stations and move any unused bait stations to a new location.
In the house where you are baiting inside cupboards and under furniture, make sure that the bait points are not accessible to children or pets, and always use lockable bait stations. Apart from safety considerations, mice prefer to feed inside the station where they feel safe and will therefore eat more.
Mice are very inquisitive and will always explore new sources of food that they come across within their territory.
Collect any dead bodies that you find, wrap them in a plastic bag and dispose of them in your waste bin,

Use rodenticides safely and always read and understand the label.

Lethal traps:

Mice are highly inquisitive creatures and unlike rats, show no fear of traps or new objects within their territory. Indeed, they will immediately investigate any new object.

Mice are easy to trap and I suggest you should consider trapping before the use of rodenticides in any household situation. The last thing you want is a mouse decomposing behind the kitchen cupboard. At least with trapping you know you have the culprit/s and you can dispose of them in with your rubbish. Modern mouse traps are swift and humane, and should be the first choice for responsible control. Apart from the humanity aspects, they are cheap to buy and good quality traps are endlessly re-useable.

Here are some trapping guidelines:

Use several Trap-E Mouse Traps throughout the problem area. Start with four per infested room and increase if you are catching large numbers. It is entirely possible that although you are aware of two or three mice, you end up catching 10 or 20.
Place trap so that the 'trap end' is against, and at 90 degrees to, a skirting board or other upright unit.
Place the traps out of reach of children and pets.
Putting the traps inside our purpose made trap stations keep them safe from accidental interference.
These traps are very easy to use, and you will not need to touch the mouse when emptying the trap. We supply gloves and disposal bags free of charge.
Bait with a small amount of peanut butter, or with our specially formulated mouse bait.

Live Catch Traps:

It is the mouse's inate curiosity that makes these traps successful.
Mice always want to investigate any new object in their territory so you will find that a live catch trap will start working within hours of placement.
Having caught a mouse, or hopefully mice, you have to dispose of it/them. The reason most people use live catch traps is in order to release them into the fields and woods where they can imagine the mouse living happily ever after. The reality is somewhat different. The first thing it will do is try and head back home and almost certainly it will die through predation or stress, long before if finds it's way back. It will be driven out of other mouse territories that it crosses on the way home and not knowing the environment it will almost certainly end up as dinner for some predator. It seems to me to be quite cruel to inflict that much unnecessary stress on the creature. Much better to save it all that trauma in the first place, and take the responsibility for dealing with it swiftly, humanely and effectively using lethal traps or rodenticide.

Electronic Kill Traps:

These do work against rats but I have not tested them against mice. They have no advantages over traditional traps, and are considerably more expensive.

Electronic Deterrents:

In the case of rats, these are a waste of time and money. Anecdotal evidence suggests they may deter mice from entering a building in the first place, but they are highly unlikely to drive out an established colony. Animals, including your pets, soon get used to the ultra sounds and ignore them. Have a look at our video and see how rats totally ignore the units operating only a metre away.

Glue traps:

I have said it all above. Don't use them. They are cruel and intelligent rodents don't deserve that fate. Check out our video if you are in any doubt, that should leave you firmly in the anti-glue trap camp.

Use rodenticides safely and always read and understand the label.