You hear scratching inside the walls at night. You find droppings behind the stove. You spot gnawed food packages in your pantry. These are clear signs you need to learn how to get rid of mice in the house before the problem gets worse. Mice multiply fast, and what starts as one or two visitors can turn into a full infestation in weeks.
The good news is you can handle most mouse problems yourself without calling an exterminator right away. Effective mouse control combines three simple strategies: cutting off their food and water supply, using the right traps and deterrents, and sealing entry points so they cannot come back. When you tackle all three at once, you will see results in days, not weeks.
This guide walks you through each step of the DIY process, from confirming you actually have mice to choosing between snap traps, live traps, and natural repellents. You will learn how to safely clean up after an infestation, where to place traps for maximum results, and which materials actually work for sealing gaps. By the end, you will know exactly what to do today to take back your home.
What to know before you start mouse control
Mice are creatures of habit that follow the same paths every night, typically staying within 10 to 30 feet of their nest. They can squeeze through openings as small as a dime, and a single female produces five to ten litters per year with five to six babies each time. This rapid reproduction means you need to act fast when learning how to get rid of mice in the house, because waiting even two weeks can turn a small problem into a major infestation.
Most DIY methods work well for small infestations (one to five mice), but larger colonies often require professional help. You will know the difference by counting droppings and checking how many areas show activity. Fresh droppings look dark and moist, while old ones turn gray and crumble when touched. Mice also leave oily smudge marks along walls where they travel repeatedly, and you might smell a strong musky odor in enclosed spaces like cabinets.
Safety matters when handling mouse control products. Always wear gloves when setting traps, cleaning droppings, or sealing entry points to avoid direct contact with contaminated surfaces.
Start your control efforts where you see the most signs of activity, not where you first spotted a mouse running across the floor. Mice spend most of their time near their nest and food sources.
Step 1. Inspect and confirm you have mice
Walk through your home with a flashlight and notepad to document every sign of mouse activity. Start your inspection in the kitchen, pantry, and any rooms where you store food, then move to basements, attics, and closets. You need to confirm you actually have mice and not rats, which require different control methods, before you invest time and money in traps and deterrents.
Signs of mouse activity
Look for dark brown droppings about the size of a rice grain, typically found in groups of 50 to 75 pellets. Fresh droppings appear moist and soft, while old ones dry out and crumble. You will also find gnaw marks on food packages, baseboards, and electrical wires, with mice teeth marks appearing as paired scratches about 1/8 inch apart.
Check for other evidence like shredded paper or fabric nesting materials, small greasy rub marks along walls where their fur makes contact, and tiny tracks in dusty areas. A strong musky smell in enclosed spaces confirms active infestation.
Where to inspect first
Focus your search on areas near food sources and water. Check behind appliances, under sinks, inside cabinets, and along the backs of pantry shelves. Mice also nest in wall voids, so inspect along baseboards for small entry holes.
Inspect your garage, attic, and basement too, since mice often enter through these spaces before making their way into your main living areas.
Document each location where you find droppings or damage, as this helps you place traps strategically in the next steps of learning how to get rid of mice in the house.
Step 2. Cut off food, water, and hiding spots
Mice will leave your home on their own when you remove the three things they need to survive: food, water, and shelter. This step works hand in hand with trapping because hungry mice take bait more readily, and mice with nowhere to hide become easier to catch. Making your home inhospitable is one of the most important parts of learning how to get rid of mice in the house successfully.
Secure all food sources
Store all dry goods in airtight containers made of glass, metal, or heavy plastic with tight lids. Mice chew through cardboard boxes, paper bags, and thin plastic packaging in seconds, so transfer cereal, pasta, rice, flour, and pet food into sealed containers immediately.
Clean up crumbs and spills every night before bed. Sweep under appliances, wipe counters thoroughly, and never leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight. Take your trash out daily and use bins with tight fitting lids both inside and outside your home.
Remove water sources
Fix all leaky pipes under sinks, around toilets, and in basements. Mice need very little water to survive, sometimes getting moisture from food alone, but they prefer a reliable water source. Wipe down sinks and tubs before bed to eliminate standing water.
A single drop per minute from a leaky faucet provides enough water for multiple mice to survive.
Eliminate hiding places
Declutter storage areas where mice can nest, including closets, basements, and garages. Store seasonal items and rarely used belongings in sealed plastic bins instead of cardboard boxes. Remove piles of newspapers, magazines, and fabric that mice use for nesting material.
Pull furniture and appliances six inches away from walls where possible, eliminating the dark corners mice prefer for travel routes and nesting spots.
Step 3. Use traps, baits, and natural repellents
Now that you have eliminated food sources and hiding spots, mice will actively search for meals, making them more likely to take your bait. Multiple methods work better than relying on one approach, so plan to use traps as your primary control method while adding natural repellents around entry points. This combination attacks the problem from different angles when you want to know how to get rid of mice in the house effectively.
Set snap traps strategically
Place six to twelve snap traps around your home for best results, not just one or two. Position them perpendicular to walls with the trigger side facing the baseboard, since mice travel along edges rather than through open spaces. Space traps no more than 10 feet apart in areas where you found droppings during your inspection.
Bait your traps with high value foods like:
- Peanut butter (most effective)
- Chocolate hazelnut spread
- Small pieces of dried fruit
- Bacon bits secured to the trigger
- Gumdrops or other soft candy
Check traps twice daily and replace bait every two days to keep it fresh and attractive. Move any traps that remain untouched for three days to new locations along different wall sections.
Try live traps for humane removal
Live catch traps let you capture mice without killing them, though you must release them at least two miles from your home to prevent their return. These traps work exactly like snap traps for placement and baiting, but they contain the mouse in a chamber instead of killing it.
Check live traps every 12 hours at minimum, as trapped mice suffer without food and water.
Release captured mice in wooded areas far from residential neighborhoods, wearing gloves during the entire process.
Use natural repellents as backup
Peppermint oil repels mice when you soak cotton balls and place them near entry points, refreshing them weekly. Mice also avoid areas with:
- Cayenne pepper sprinkled along baseboards
- Dried mint sachets in cabinets
- Ammonia soaked rags in crawl spaces (avoid if you have pets)
Natural repellents work as a deterrent but rarely eliminate an existing infestation on their own. Combine them with trapping for complete control.
Step 4. Clean up, mouse proof, and know when to call pros
After you trap mice successfully, proper cleanup prevents disease transmission while permanent sealing stops new mice from entering. This final step in learning how to get rid of mice in the house protects your health and ensures lasting results. You also need to recognize when DIY methods have reached their limit and professional help becomes necessary.
Clean up safely after mice
Wear rubber gloves and a face mask during all cleanup activities to avoid contact with mouse droppings, urine, and nesting materials that carry harmful bacteria. Never sweep or vacuum droppings, as this releases contaminated dust into the air you breathe.
Spray droppings and contaminated areas with a disinfectant solution (three tablespoons bleach per gallon of water) and let it sit for five minutes before wiping. Dispose of dead mice, contaminated materials, and gloves in double bagged plastic bags, sealing them tightly before throwing them in your outdoor trash bin.
Seal entry points permanently
Fill gaps and cracks with steel wool stuffed tightly into the opening, then seal it with caulk or expanding foam. Mice cannot chew through steel wool but will gnaw through foam alone, so always use both materials together.
Mice squeeze through openings as small as a dime, so seal even tiny cracks you find along your foundation, around pipes, and near vents.
Cover larger openings with metal flashing or hardware cloth secured with screws. Check weather stripping on doors and windows, replacing worn sections that leave gaps.
When to call professional pest control
Contact a licensed exterminator if you still see mouse activity after three weeks of trapping, find evidence of more than ten mice, or discover droppings appearing faster than you can clean them. Professionals use stronger methods and locate hidden nests inside walls that DIY efforts cannot reach.
Keep mice away
You now know how to get rid of mice in the house using a combination of trapping, exclusion, and sanitation. The key to permanent mouse control lies in maintaining these three strategies long after you catch the last mouse. Check sealed entry points every three months for new gaps that develop as your home settles, and keep food stored in airtight containers year round, not just during active infestations.
Monthly inspections of basements, attics, and garages help you catch new mouse activity before it becomes a problem. Look for fresh droppings, gnaw marks, or disturbed insulation that signals mice have returned. Replace weather stripping on doors and windows when it shows wear, and trim tree branches that hang within three feet of your roof.
Sometimes DIY methods cannot eliminate a persistent infestation, especially when mice nest inside walls or return repeatedly despite your best efforts. Professional pest control services provide the expertise and tools needed to locate hidden entry points and eliminate stubborn colonies that resist standard trapping methods.