How to Get Rid of Mice in Your Attic

scared mouse hiding in a corner
  • 1-2 hours
  • Beginner
  • 30
What You'll Need
Non-lethal mouse traps
Strong-smelling plants
Clove and peppermint oil
Caulking
What You'll Need
Non-lethal mouse traps
Strong-smelling plants
Clove and peppermint oil
Caulking

Mice can be terrible pests that damage food and chew on wires and insulation. While it’s best to prevent a mice infestation, it’s not always possible. If mice are already present in your attic or the rest of your home, you could use lethal traps to capture and kill them. However, there are equally effective humane methods. Follow the instructions below to eradicate mice from your attic.

Step 1 - Set up Your Traps

While lethal mousetraps are still widely sold, there are numerous non-lethal traps on the market, too. It can be unpleasant to check on a lethal trap, like a glue trap, to find a mouse half-stuck to it, crawling away in an attempt to survive. Even using poison becomes an issue when you have children or pets who could come into contact with the substance. Plus, while poison will kill the mice, you'll have numerous decaying mice around your home, which is a sanitation issue. Traditional mouse traps pose these same issues, along with being cruel.

To use a non-lethal trap, simply follow the directions it comes with. Usually, these inexpensive plastic or metal traps have a spring-release door that captures the animal inside of a box when the mouse walks in. Some traps may recommend that you put a small piece of food inside to entice the mouse to enter.

Step 2 - Release Your Mice

Make sure that you check your mousetrap daily because you don't want the mouse to suffer a slow death of starvation or dehydration. You also don't want any rotting mice in your attic that would be equally unsanitary as unpleasant to clean up.

Once you’ve captured a mouse, or mice, release them outside into the wild. Try to release them far away from your home, but not on neighbor’s lawns or other private-property areas.

If you find that no mice are being captured, patiently move the traps around your attic and experiment with different spots until you are victorious.

Step 3 - Prevent Mice From Returning

Now that your home's attic is free of mice, you should look for where they entered your house in the first place. These pests can fit through tiny holes, so you should inspect your home and caulk any holes to prevent future infestations. In addition, make sure any food products are tightly sealed to prevent attracting rodents into your home.

Repel mice naturally by making a mixture of peppermint oil, clove oil, and water and spraying it around the corners of your home and in your attic. These critters are naturally deterred from these safe substances. Or, keep strong-smelling plants in your garden and around your house, like garlic, peppermint, and lavender, to keep mice away from your home's perimeters. Having a cat also helps. A home with a cat for a pet generally gets fewer mice visitors.