Have mice in your basement? Well, you have landed in the right place because this article is all about how to get rid of mice in basement. Mice have extremely harmful effects in terms of both health and material. Mice tend to spread fatal diseases and destroy all your food, clothing items, important documents, etc.
As basements have a more comfortable environment with lots of nooks and crannies, mice tend to invade this area the most. And once the basement of a house is infested by mice, it can spread to the whole house in no time. That is why, as soon as you detect the presence of mice in your home or basement, necessary steps must be taken to terminate them immediately.
In our article, we will be telling you how to get rid of mice in basement as well as some preventive measures you can take to prevent further infestations.
How to get rid of mice in basement
The steps on how to get rid of mice in basement are given below:
Step 1: Inspecting the basement
There are several ways in which mice can enter your basement. It is therefore important to locate all the entryways and possible openings through which mice can enter your basement. Inspect your basement thoroughly and find out all the cracks, openings, and holes through which mice can pass.
Step 2: Sealing the entryways
After you have located all the possible openings in your basement, it is time to seal them up to prevent further entry of mice or other pests. There are several methods you can follow to completely insulate your basement. Let us take a look at the best ones.
- Using expansion foam and steel wool
- The best way to seal all the openings and cracks in the walls, foundation, etc. is to use pest expansion foam or steel wool.
- A pest expansion foam expands to fill the space in any crack that you may have missed out on with other sealing products like caulk.
- You will find two main types of expanding foam in the market.
- The polyurethane foam is porous and can be cut using a bread knife to shape it up when it is dry.
- Latex foam, on the other hand, is rigid and dry but can be shaped according to desire when it is wet.
- To make sure you seal all the openings properly, use steel wool to tightly pack the openings first before using the expansion foam.
- This steel wool will serve as the foundation for your expansion foam and is something the mice cannot chew through.
- Add the spray foam and use a knife to shape it according to the opening.
- Using wire mesh
For cracks or openings in the walls or around the drain pipes in your home, using wire mesh is the best option. Mice cannot chew through this wire and this helps in keeping your basement safe from their invasion. Use the wire mesh over the openings to secure the area. Then pour quick-drying concrete over the mesh foundation to completely seal the area.
- Installing covers
For the entryways that cannot be blocked off entirely with the aforementioned features, use a cover with a flap to secure those areas. Make sure the flap faces toward the exterior. This allows the mice to get out but lock their ways of getting back in.
Step 3: Setting up traps
Once you have secured your basement against future invasions, it is now time to tackle the mice that are already inside your basement. And setting up mice traps is the best way to catch or terminate them all. There are different kinds of mice traps you can choose from, according to your preference.
Some are described below:
- Using live traps (a more humane approach)
Wear protective gloves and set up the baiting traps along the mice pathways or near possible nesting areas. You can place a bit of peanut butter or cheese inside the trap to lure in the mice easily. Once the mice are trapped inside, take the trap to a distant field or road at least 3 kilometers away from your home to make sure they cannot find their way back to your place.
- Using snap traps (instant death)
An alternative to using live traps is to use these traps. Set them up along the possible pathway or nesting areas like before and place a food item on the bait pad to attract the mice. Pull back the U-shaped wire piece and hold it down with one hand. Set the metal bar onto the larch with the bait using your other hand. Once the mice walk into the trap to eat the bait food, the metallic wire will snap down and kill the mice. You can place a newspaper underneath the trap beforehand to make the clean-up easier.
- Using a baited poison (last resort)
If none of the above traps work, use poisonous bait to trap the mice. When the mice eat the bait, they will slowly die as the poison digests.
Preventive measures and tips
- Clean your home frequently and declutter unused things often.
- Always clean up the dishes immediately after you finish eating
- Never leave food scraps out in the open and always keep loose food in airtight containers
- If you notice any mice-bitten food, throw it away to prevent contamination
- Make sure to set the traps in areas where kids or pets cannot reach. If not possible, keep an eye on them while placing them in a separate room till the job is done.
- Move the traps around every 2 to 3 days if they do not capture any mice. Since mice tend to use the same path for movement, try setting the traps in places where you suspect their movements.
- Always wear gloves while handling traps to prevent the spread of infection and to mask your odor.
Read Also: How To Repel Wasps
Final words
Now that you have a clear idea about what to do when your basement is infested by mice, take the necessary steps mentioned in our article instead of panicking.
The sooner you tend to the problem, the greater the chance of success and restoring the peace and safety of family and house.
