Mice can be a nuisance. Not only do they pee and poop around your house and in your walls, but they can contaminate your food, causing your family to become sick. The "new wave" in mouse control is the humane removal or annihilation of the little critters, causing them as little suffering as possible in the course of their removal.

They aren't easy to remove on your own, and sometimes the help of a professional is needed, but here are your best bets for DIY methods of mouse removal and prevention.

Keep your home clean

Mice enter the home not only looking for a warm place to sleep and breed, but a place where they can find food and water as well. By keeping your home clean and free of these things, you will reduce the chances of mice finding their way in.

Make sure to clean up spills and dropped food right away, not letting it linger over night or longer. When there is nothing for them to munch on, you'll find they're less likely to ever enter in the first place.

Keep your food sealed tight

A determined mouse is able to chew right through packaging to create a food source for themselves right in your pantry. This not only keeps them alive and well, but can become a health risk to you and your family if not noticed before consuming the food.

Placing food in containers will keep mice away and prevent existing food from becoming contaminated. Mice like to go after cereals, fruit, grains, pasta, and seeds. Be sure to keep an extra tight eye on these areas.

Seal entry points

Here's a little lesson in mouse anatomy:

Their bodies are made of nothing but soft cartilage. They are able to bend and deform their shape to enter the tiniest gaps and spaces.

Take some time to check your house for any small gaps or openings. Gaps in the walls, roof tiles, and plumbing are all potential entry points for invaders.

You can seal up these spaces using caulk or other sealants you can find at your local hardware store. This will cut off their entry and make it far less likely.

Aside from that, you can use steel wool to block pipes while still letting water get through. Steel wool can't be chewed through and works well being mixed with caulk. Copper wool is a slightly more expensive option but will last longer because it doesn't rust.

Essential oils*

Essential oils are not just good for entering your moment of "zen."

You can also repel pests with them. Mice and most other pests (and animals) have a strong sense of smell. Certain essential oils like peppermint and citrus are especially good at repelling them.

***Be careful if you have pets!

This might not be a good option if you have cats and dogs or other pets around. They share that heightened sense of smell and won't enjoy the use of these oils.

Ultrasonic repellers*

Similar to the way a "silent whistle" works for training your dog, you can get an ultrasonic emitter that will drive mice away.

An ultrasonic repeller emits a sound so high pitch that it is inaudible to humans, but mice and other animals find unbearable.

***This is another product that you're probably best staying away from if you have animals.

Other household items*

There are a couple of things you might already have laying around your house that are good for repelling mice.

Dryer sheets are heavily scented and not attractive to mice and other rodents. Pop a few of them in spaces where you think mice might frequent - cabinets, closets, and trash cans are good places to start.

Ammonia is also a good tool for repelling mice. Fill a water bottle cap up with it and place it in corners of the room or places where you think mice might be entering. It will repel them.

***ammonia can be harmful to pets and children so make sure to use this method with extreme caution!

Mouse Traps

One of the first ever invented ways to get rid of mice, and now considered one of the MOST HUMANE!

A mouse trap is a simple and effective way of annihilating your little home invaders. They come in various different types, but the humane and quick way to go about it is the snap trap.

Glue traps are now known to cause too much suffering for our little furry friends.

Of course, the downside here is having to dispose of them later.

Get a house cat

You shouldn't adopt a pet just to become your personal killing machine, but if you're considering getting a pet, a cat might be a good move for you.

Cats will kill mice wandering around the home and keep new ones from entering at the same time very quickly.

Sometimes they'll even bring it to you as a gift!

Call a specialist

If you try some or all of these options to no avail, you can always call us.

Mice can cause disease and cost you money in contaminated food. They're not pests you can have hanging around with no side-effects.

Contact a certified pest control specialist like ours at Annihilator eX-Termination. Our staff is trained in pest prevention, detection, and elimination.