Interesting Ways To Get Rid Of Mice

While this little mouse looks cute, a household rodent infestation brings serious health risks.

Ridding your property of mice means making your home healthier and more safe. Mice and other rodents damage property and infest food supplies. Mice can spread diseases and create a serious risk to public health by contaminating food or water supplies, through bites or transmission of mites, fleas and ticks. If you suspect a mouse in the house, look for signs like shredded paper, rodent droppings and evidence of gnawing on wood or packages of food.

Get an Owl

Construct or purchase a barn owl nesting box to lower the mice population on your property. A pair of barn owls will eat approximately 1,500 rodents annually, according to the University of Florida's IFAS Extension. Barn owls are messy, so place the box in an area where you don't mind a mess of rodent bones and owl feces. The owls will clean out the boxes themselves by pushing debris out on a regular basis. Place your box in the rafters of a barn, on a post or in an open field. Face it north and away from the sun. Make sure it is elevated enough to allow the owls an easy glide in and out.

Bucket Trap

Creating a bucket mouse trap takes only a few minutes. Set a five-gallon bucket in an area where you suspect mice activity. Lean a short board on the bucket to create a ramp for the mice to enter the bucket. Cut off the bottom of a soup can and insert a 1- to 2-foot-long dowel rod through the can's two openings. Rest the dowel rod (with the can) on the top of the open bucket. Push the can until the ramp board and can are touching. Put a lump of peanut butter on the top of the can. The mouse will walk up the ramp and attempt to get the peanut butter sitting on the can. The can will roll and the mouse will fall into the bucket.

Go Antique Shopping

Find antique mouse traps at online auctions, flea markets and antique shops. These traps range from scary metal ones with sharp teeth to humane wooden boxes meant to capture live rodents. One antique mouse trap found online was constructed from two horseshoes held together at one end with an attached spring. When the mouse enters the open horseshoes, the two shoes snap shut and flatten the mouse. Catch mice and start an antique collection all at once.

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