If you hear gnawing or scuttling in your walls at night, you might have a mouse problem. You may also notice a foul odor, see greasy trails, or find rodent droppings around your home. Mice may be cute little animals, but they have no place running loose in your house. They are very destructive and smelly, and they can spread diseases. Therefore, you want to take action even if you think your problem with mice is a minor one, or it could turn into a bigger problem given time. Here are some things you can try.

Seal Your House

Try to find where mice are getting in your home. This can be difficult, since mice are so tiny and they can squeeze through very small gaps. However, you can usually spot an entry point because there will be a greasy stain and mouse droppings nearby. Go around the outside of your home and fill all the gaps you find with caulk or steel wool. This will keep more mice from getting inside while you deal with the mice that have already taken up residence in your home.

Set Up Traps

The best way to deal with mice inside your home is to use traps. Using poison is not a good idea, since it is dangerous to leave out if you have kids or pets. Plus, the mice crawl off to die, and you'll have to put up with a bad odor if you can't find the mouse to dispose of it. When it comes to traps, you have several choices. There are snap traps, electric traps, glue traps, and live traps. They are all effective, so you can choose the ones you feel most comfortable with. If you don't like the idea of killing the little animals, you can use live traps and release them outdoors. If you want to kill them humanely, you can use an electric trap that kills them instantly. If it doesn't bother you to empty snap traps, these are an economical choice and work well as long as you place them perpendicular against the wall with the food against the baseboard. That way, curious mice are more likely to grab the bait and be killed.

Hire An Exterminator

If you only have a few mice, you may be able to get rid of them yourself using DIY methods like snap traps, but if you have an infestation that's gotten out of control, you should consider hiring an exterminator to get rid of the mice quickly. If you don't, the pests can destroy the insulation in your attic, get in your ducts, make nests between walls, chew up your belongings, and cause havoc in your home. A pest control company can bring in as many traps as needed and help you mouse-proof your home. In addition, if you are squeamish about handling traps, the exterminator can empty the traps too so you don't have to deal with the dead mice.

Getting rid of the mice may take some time, so you'll want to protect your food while you're battling them. By keeping all your food sealed, you'll protect it from contamination and it will also cut off the food supply for the mice so they'll be more attracted to the bait in the traps. Clearing out clutter and keeping a clean house also helps. Mice are attracted to messy surroundings because they offer more hiding places, food, and nesting materials.