Keep Mice Away from the House

Q.  A few mice have found their way into my house, and they’re freaking out my wife. How can I keep them out?

A.  Being so small, mice can get through surprisingly small openings in search of food, shelter and safety. And where there is no opening, they can gnaw through wood to make one, so it can be difficult to close all possible access to your home. However, closing some will reduce the likelihood of mice visiting your home. The best method is to block access from outside the home. Cut back plants so that they don’t touch the house. Keep garbage cans as far from your home as possible. Inspect the foundation for openings and block anything larger than a dime with rigid metal screen or other appropriate material. As far as eliminating the mice you do have, effective traps include the classic spring trap (snap trap), sticky traps, live capture and variations on the spring trap. Place traps where mice are active; droppings and shredded bits of paper are their calling cards. Mice also tend to travel along edges, such as along baseboards, rather than across the floor of a room. And, of course, you can always invest in a cat.