How to Get Rid of Mice in Your Eau Claire House: Seal, Trap and Clean Up Safely

How to Get Rid of Mice in an Eau Claire House: The Short Answer

How to get rid of mice for good takes three things working together: block the gaps they use to get in, trap the ones already inside, and take away the food and hiding spots that let them settle. The University of California Statewide IPM Program says there is no simple fix: traps have to be combined with removing food and shelter and with sealing the house. If you find a large or long-running infestation, the pest control companies in Eau Claire in our directory deal with rodents.

UC IPM also says that where mice live outdoors they frequently enter homes in autumn as nighttime temperatures drop. Eau Claire winters are long and snowy (the Wisconsin State Climatology Office puts average snowfall at 55.4 inches a year), so early fall is the time to get ahead of them.

How do I know if I have mice in the house?

Droppings are usually the first sign. UC IPM lists droppings, fresh gnaw marks and tracks as signs of where mice are active. Check behind boxes, in drawers, in the garage and around woodpiles for nests of finely shredded paper or other fibers. A musky odor is common, and while mice are most active at night, you may see them during the day.

Is it a house mouse or a deer mouse?

Look at the coat and the tail. UC IPM says the house mouse is gray to light brown all over with an almost hairless tail. The deer mouse has larger eyes, a white belly with a sharp line where the dark back meets it, and a furred tail that is dark on top and light underneath. The difference matters for cleanup, because the Wisconsin Department of Health Services lists the deer mouse and white-footed mouse among the rodents that spread hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

How to Get Rid of Mice by Sealing Them Out

UC IPM calls exclusion the most successful and permanent form of mouse control. House mice can squeeze under gaps 1/4 inch tall and through openings 3/8 inch wide, so the goal is to close every gap and opening larger than 1/4 inch.

What should I use to plug mouse holes?

Use materials mice cannot chew through. UC IPM recommends wire screen or coarse steel wool for small cracks, and metal or concrete to seal foundation cracks and the openings around water pipes, vents and utility cables. Steel wool works as a temporary plug but may rust over time. Plastic screening, rubber, vinyl, expanding foam and wood are all ineffective, because mice gnaw through them.

Where do mice get into a house?

They use any opening larger than about 1/4 inch, and they climb well. UC IPM notes house mice can run up any rough vertical surface, run along wires and cables, and jump up to 12 inches from the floor onto a flat surface. Check the foundation, the pipe, vent and cable openings, and the fit of doors, windows and screens. UC IPM also suggests thinning or removing plants that grow against or climb up the house, and covering the edges of doors and windows with metal if mice are chewing them. The same fall sealing also keeps out other seasonal invaders, as our guide on how to get rid of boxelder bugs in Eau Claire explains.

How to Get Rid of Mice Already Inside With Traps

Snap traps are the place to start. UC IPM says trapping works well for most homes and is the preferred method where only a few mice are present. You can see what you caught, you avoid rodenticides, and you avoid the smell of a poisoned mouse dying inside a wall.

Where should I put mouse traps?

Put them along walls, behind objects, in dark corners and wherever you found droppings. UC IPM says mice seldom travel more than 30 feet from their nest and food, so set traps no more than about 10 feet apart where mice are active. Place them close to the wall so a mouse runs right over the trigger, and try pairs set 1 to 2 inches apart for mice that jump obstacles. Use enough traps that the job is short and decisive.

What is the best bait for a mouse trap?

The food the mice are already eating is often the best bait. Peanut butter is popular and easy to use, though UC IPM notes it can pose allergy risks for some people. UC IPM also suggests a small ball of cotton or dental floss, since females gathering nest material go for it. Use a small amount so the mouse cannot take it without springing the trap, and set the trigger lightly.

Do ultrasonic repellers or a cat get rid of mice?

Neither is reliable. UC IPM says high frequency electronic devices are not effective, and that mice quickly get used to repeated sounds. A cat or dog may catch some mice, but UC IPM says pets seldom control a population and can simply make mice harder to spot.

How to Get Rid of Mice With Bait Stations

Bait is a second option, with trade-offs. UC IPM says rodenticide baits generally take several days to work and should go in tamper-proof bait stations out of reach of children, pets and wildlife. Because mice stay close to their nest, poisoned mice often die inside the house, which can cause an odor problem. If that matters to you, trap instead.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limits what homeowners can buy. Consumer rodenticides now come only as ready-to-use bait stations with block or paste bait. Loose pellets are no longer allowed in consumer products, and the stronger second-generation anticoagulants such as brodifacoum and bromadiolone are registered only for professional pest control. Read the label to confirm the station is approved for where you plan to put it, indoors or outdoors within 50 feet of the building.

How do I keep mice from coming back?

Remove what draws them in. UC IPM recommends keeping food storage and garbage containers sealed, feeding pets only what they will eat at one sitting, and cutting down clutter so mice have fewer places to nest. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services gives the same advice: store food, garbage and pet food in containers with tight lids, and clear out nesting sites.

How to Get Rid of Mice Safely: Cleaning Up Droppings

Clean droppings wet and never stir up dust. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says people usually catch hantavirus by breathing in dust and particles carrying rodent urine, droppings or saliva. Its cleanup guidelines:

1. Wear rubber, latex or vinyl gloves.
2. Do not sweep or vacuum urine, droppings or nesting material.
3. Spray the area with a disinfectant or a mix of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water, and let it soak for 5 minutes. For a commercial disinfectant, follow the label.
4. Pick up the waste with paper towels and throw it in the garbage.
5. Disinfect the surfaces and items the mice may have touched.
6. Throw away the gloves and wash your hands with soap and water.

For trapped mice, UC IPM says to dispose of them by burying them or sealing them in plastic bags for the garbage, never to touch them barehanded, and to wash your hands after handling traps.

What are the symptoms of hantavirus?

Early symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome include fever, severe muscle aches, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, chills and stomach upset, according to Wisconsin DHS. They show up one to five weeks after contact with infected rodents. DHS says to see a doctor right away if you have been around rodents and develop these symptoms.

How to Get Rid of Mice With a Pest Control Company

Call a pro when the problem is bigger than a few mice or you cannot find how they are getting in. UC IPM notes that some form of population reduction is almost always needed for an infestation, with traps and rodenticides combined with sanitation and exclusion, and the strongest rodenticides are limited to professional applicators under EPA rules. You can compare the pest control companies in Eau Claire in our directory.