Many people hear scratching in their walls and eerie scuttling at night and realize that they live alongside mice.
Although many of us associate mice with damp or dirty environments, having mice living alongside people in their basements is pretty common.
However, mice are known for chewing, and they’ll make short work of those antiques you store down there or wires and pipes essential for getting electricity and water into your home above.
They can also carry mites and fleas that they could pass along to your pets.
They are the primary source of many diseases, which could be passed to your family through feces in the water source.
Want to know how to get rid of mice in basement areas? Let’s first understand why they like your basement in the first place.
Why Do Mice Like the Basement?
Mice are attracted to basement living because they like dark, warm environments.
Your clutter will also serve as an excellent hiding place for mice and give them plenty of things to chew to keep their teeth healthy. Mice can also use your clutter can also be used as nesting materials.
All these hiding places are appealing because they also offer shelter from the predators outside, such as birds and foxes. The basement environment is excellent for nesting, and before you know it, you’ll have hundreds.
Your basement also provides easy access to the outside through vents, pipes, or external doors and is probably close to where you keep the trash, so they have a full menu of your leftovers each day.
Mice will already know these entry points because it’s probably how they got into your basement in the first place.
How to Get Rid of Mice from Your Basement
If you’ve noticed mice in your basement, there are a few different ways to tackle the problem.
Getting rid of mice in your basement will take some cunning and time.
1. Ultrasonic Mouse Repellers
If you’re looking for a mouse-friendly option, using sound to put the mice off your basement is an excellent option. Instead, you set up the device in your basement, and it emits a high-frequency buzz every few minutes.
The sound is very unpleasant for mice but is undetectable to humans. This means that it will drive the mice away to find somewhere quieter while you won’t notice anything.
It’s practical and has the positive that the mice won’t be harmed. However, it could affect your other pets, should they be close enough to the sound, as their hearing is much more sensitive than ours.
The repellers also work using an electronic cord, so you’ll need to ensure this is out of harm’s way. For example, a mouse could try to outsmart you by chewing through it.
2. Battery-Powered Traps
Battery-powered traps are more humane for disposing of mice than the traditional trap setup.
You will need to put some food inside a covered chamber.
The mouse will smell the bait and wander in to take a look. Once the trap senses the mouse, it will deliver a high-voltage electric shock, killing the mouse instantly.
It’s an easy way to kill the mouse without causing it pain, and the battery-powered setup means there are no wires the mouse could chew.
However, each trap will only kill one mouse at a time, so you’ll need a few throughout the basement, and you will need to keep checking and emptying the trap. If a dead mouse is inside, other mice will stay away.
3. Snap Traps
Snap traps are the traditional form of mouse trap seen in all cartoons. The cheese is placed on the end, and a metal bar is clamped down on the mouse when they try to take it.
These mouse traps can kill instantly if set up correctly, so it’s not as inhumane as people think.
However, it is seen as the riskiest form of mouse trap today because of how the trap is set. It’s all too easy to get a finger stuck under the bar or a pet to tread on it.
However, they’re perfect for basement use if children and pets don’t venture there.
As with the battery-powered traps, you will need to check them regularly and remove the bodies of the mice; otherwise, getting rid of the whole family could be a slow process.
4. Peppermint Spray
Unlike us, mice and rats hate the smell of peppermint. One of the most effective and humane ways to drive away a mouse infestation is to spray your whole basement with peppermint oil mouse repellant spray.
The smell will keep them away, making your dingy basement smell fresh and amazing.
5. Poison
Not the most animal-friendly way to get rid of your mouse infestation, but it is effective.
Mouse poison-controlled boxes can be purchased cheaply online and operated using a pre-baited system.
You pop the boxes around your basement and wait for the mice to go in and check out the tasty snack, which is already laced with poison.
The boxes are fully covered with a locking mechanism, so it’s safe for children and pets. However, you will need quite a few boxes to clear a large infestation and will need to check and remove any bodies regularly.
When using poison to kill mice, I always ensure the mine are trapped when they consume the poison; I don’t want them dying in a wall space where you can’t get to the body!
How to Keep Mice out of Your Basement
You’ve learned how to remove mice from your basement, and you’ll need to make sure they stay out.
- Declutter – Most people will use their basements for some storage. The problem is that it’s the biggest “vacancies” sign for mice. So clear up your clutter so there are no attractive hiding places.
- Seal your trash – Open bags of trash, especially food, are very inviting for a hungry mouse. Seal all your garbage bags and make sure they’re off the floor.
- Cover any external entrances – Mice can get into your basement through even the tiniest holes. If you notice a hole in the exterior wall, seal it with expandable foam or steel wool. Use weather-stripping on gaps around doors and windows. These are common mouse entry points, and sealing them up is the best way to prevent mice from getting in.
- Clear up your pet food – If you have a pet, the smell of their food will attract mice. Ensure that you clean up your pet’s leftovers as soon as they’re done eating.
Is it common to have mice in your basement?
It is not uncommon to have mice in the basement, especially if food or water sources are present. The key to preventing an infestation is to make sure that any potential entry points for mice are sealed off and to practice good hygiene habits such as regularly cleaning and disposing of garbage properly.
If you suspect a mouse infestation and are uncomfortable tackling it yourself, it is worth contacting a rodent control company.
Conclusion
Having mice in your basement is a common issue and nothing to be ashamed of.
However, you must get them to move out quickly to maintain the hygiene and structure of your home. If you don’t sort it quickly, you could have a mouse infestation.
Remember that keeping the mice out of your home is just as important as removing them. So don’t waste all your hard work by inviting them back in.
If you’re not confident in dealing with the problem yourself, you can always enlist the help of a pest control expert to help. They cost much more than DIY rodent control, but it can be worth it.
Good luck!
