But how to ferret out these little beasties and be rid of them? As the first course of action mouse traps are usually what come to mind. There are several do-it-yourself mice extermination options available at the local hardware store. Here are a few options to try before calling the exterminator.

Conventional mouse traps use a steel bar and spring that snaps shut and instantly kills the mouse when the trap is sprung. The trap is baited with a tasty tidbit and when the mouse goes for the food the trap springs shut on the mouse. That is the basic intention anyway. Sometimes the mouse makes of with the food, and sometimes the trap doesn’t actually spring shut.

Live traps are considered to be the most humane method of mice extermination since the mouse is trapped unharmed to be released away from the home. Something to keep in mind is that mice have a territory that is more than 200 yards wide and will return to the house if not released a great distance away.

Glue traps are considered to be the least humane since the mouse is not killed right away. It simply is stuck to the trap and will take days or weeks to starve to death. If the trapped mouse is found while still alive, there is the dilemma of what to do with it. The trapper must then end the life of the little rodent prior to disposal.

Poison kills the mouse by way of a blood thinner that causes the mouse to bleed to death internally. The mouse eats the poison then wanders off to die. Once dead, the body will decompose and stink. This poison will also kill pets and children if they ingest it.

Electronic traps deliver an electrical shock that instantly kills the mouse. Once the mouse steps onto the trap a shock is sent into its body and its heart stops almost instantly. These traps run on batteries and can be quite expensive.

Sonic pest control is another option. These devises use ultra high frequency sound to keep mice from entering the home in the first place. It has not yet been proven that these devises work completely as they have been designed.

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Before calling in a professional many people try using bait boxes. These boxes contain poisons that will kill the mice but they do not contain the rodents. This allows the mice to return to nesting areas to die. This can pose a serious problem since the mouse carcass will rot and stink after the mouse had died. In addition to the smell, rodent droppings, urine and remains have been known to cause respiratory problems for many otherwise healthy people. This condition can worsen to the point that it is quite serious.

The type of bait boxes used by professional mice exterminators do not allow the mouse to leave. These boxes instead lure the mouse in and then trap it inside the box. The exterminator will place several of these boxes, depending on the size and extent of the mouse infestation. They will then return on a set schedule to check the boxes and remove the rodents inside. The schedule will be either monthly, weekly or even daily if the infestation is quite sever.

Eliminating a house mice infestation is much easier when a professional exterminator does the job. Exterminators are trained to find the safest and most effective extermination procedures based on specific findings in each location and situation. They are equipped with the tools necessary to do a thorough job, such as black lights to find mouse urine or droppings and disposal options for the dead mice. Many professional mice extermination companies will also guarantee their work against a re-infestation.

It is a good idea to research pest exterminators prior to choosing a professional to bring into the home. Making sure that the company and exterminator have experience in mice extermination is important. It is also a good idea to always choose a company that is bonded and backed by the Better Business Bureau.

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Professional exterminators have price structures that vary depending upon the type and extent of the infestation as well as other factors such as the method of extermination chosen. The costs will also vary dependant on the area of the country that the exterminator is located. All things considered equal, extermination costs in the Northeast will be higher than the same procedures performed in the Midwest which in turn will be higher than the same procedure in the South.

Do-it-yourself mice extermination costs are a little easier to pin down. Depending on the tools chosen to fight a mouse problem, average costs can be determined. Average costs for many of the available extermination options are listed below.

• Glue traps are by far the cheapest option in the homeowner’s extermination arsenal. These mouse traps usually come packaged as a set of two for an average cost of $2.50 per package.
• Traditional snap traps come in at around $3.00 per set of two traps. These traps could feasibly be re-used, though they are usually thrown away with the dead mouse.
• Live mouse traps start at around $5.00 per trap, but these traps are re-usable making them a better value than the snap or glue traps.
• Electronic mouse traps run around $20 or more. These traps are reusable and many manufactures say that they can kill up to 50 mice. The 4 AA batteries will add to the cost of this type of trap.
• A mouse bait station or bait box is about $4.00. This is not really a trap, but instead a poison delivery system. It is possible that this type of system can kill many mice since the mouse does not stay with the station, but wanders off to die elsewhere.
• Electronic mouse repellents can be quite expensive. At about $30 on average per unit several units will be needed for an average size home.

When deciding between a professional exterminator and DIY options, cost should not be the only factor to consider. Disposal of the mice whether dead or alive, as well as poison effects on pets and children are quite important points to remember as well.

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There are several different ideas on how to exterminate mice. Many people think first of a cat. A good mouser can be a big help in mice extermination but what if a family member happens to be allergic to cats? In that case one must resort to other methods such as traps and poisons, possibly even a professional exterminator. Before resorting to the big guns and calling in professional help, it is worth taking a trip to the hardware store and checking out some of the following items.

• Snap Traps
• Glue Traps
• Live Traps
• Electronic Traps
• Sonic Control Devises
• Poison

Snap Traps

Regular old snap traps are inexpensive and proven to work. Just set the trap, bait it with some sticky food and place it in a place where mouse droppings have been found in the past. These traps will kill the mouse quickly and then the whole trap and mouse can be disposed of quickly. Very similar to the snap trap is the electronic trap. They both kill the mouse instantly, but the electronic trap is reusable. They are also much more expensive than a snap trap.

Glue traps

Glue traps are similar to snap traps in that the mouse is baited in with tasty morsels. However, with a glue trap the mouse is not killed quickly. It will either starve to death or the trapper must devise the demise of the stuck mouse.

The main drawback to a live trap is that the mouse may return to the house if it is not released a very long distance away. It is advisable to travel a mile or more from home to release the rodent.

Poisen to get rid of mice

Poison is effective but the mouse will wander away to die and the decomposing body can stink for a very long time. Poison is also potentially fatal to children and pets.

Other mice extermination methods

Other less conventional options include the use of strobe lights and black lighting in rodent infested areas. Along with sonic repellents these options can deter house mice form entering the area wherein they are being used.
When all else fails it time to call an extermination service and ask them how to exterminate mice or hire them to remedy the problem.

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Mice usually stand, walk or run on all fours; however, when they fight, eat or look around, they usually stand only on their hind legs while being supported by the tail. Mice are very good climbers, jumpers and swimmers. Usually a more nocturnal animal, mice are active mostly at night and cannot tolerate bright lighting well. They will live in hidden places near sources of food, such as behind furniture, in pantries and under or behind kitchen appliances. Attics, crawl spaces and basements are other areas where mice tend to nest.

House mice will eat just about anything, though they do prefer organic plant matter. They require very little water and rely mainly on the moisture in food to sustain them. Mice will also eat their own feces in order to obtain the nutrients that are produced by bacteria that live in mice intestines.

What about House Mice and Diseases?

Mice do transmit diseases, some of which can be deadly. House mice have been known to carry diseases such as: Rickettsialpox, Murine Typhus, Bubonic Plague, and Tularemia. Wild house mice can also carry and transmit rabies. Many times these diseases are transmitted to humans through anything in the home that mice have contaminated, but most often diseases are spread by mice contaminating the food supply.

Mice are considered to be an invasive species due in part because they are such prolific breeders. Female mice can have up to 10 litters each year. Litter size can range from 4 to 16 babies with an average of 6 to 8 per litter. In one year’s time a female mouse can have between 40 and 160 babies, and each of those babies that are female will begin to copulate at 6 weeks old. An infestation of house mice can occur quite quickly.

Mice Extermination Options

Throughout history people have been looking for ways to rid themselves of house mice infestations. Of course the typical courses of action are available such as: house cats, mouse traps, poison and calling an mouse exterminator. There are lesser known options that are much less caustic such as: black lighting, strobe lights and vanilla or strawberry scents such as in candles.

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