Mouse In The House? Testing 7 Ways To Get Rid Of Rodents (PHOTOS)

Posted: 11/18/11 02:37 PM ET | Updated: 11/28/11 11:37 AM ET

Flickr photo by twoshortplanks

As we geared up for our guide to getting rid of mice, we asked you for your awful rodent stories. (Because seriously, you're not alone.) We got a great response, but our favorite is the story of how a mouse made a nest in a car's glove compartment.

Now to the good part: We had a self-proclaimed "mouse-ologist" test the top seven ways to get rid of mice. This expert is more of a casual one, having reportedly seen at least a dozen mice during their tenure as a college resident advisor. The tester, along with their college, will remain anonymous.

These solutions are for those who can't exactly afford an exterminator, or need temporary relief before an exterminator shows up. If you have a serious rodent issue, we highly suggest finding a good one in your neighborhood. Further precautions for getting rid of mice include plugging up any wall openings with steel wool and sealing any small cracks with caulk.

So what worked and what didn't? Click through the slideshow to find out.

The Bait: Pistachios

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A friend of mine worked at a concession stand that was fancy enough to have pistachios. And not to gross you out, but a mouse once got into a stored-away bag, leaving nothing but shells behind. Terrible. But I thought this would be a logical bait to try. I ground up a few and left them on the trap. When I checked in, I found something odd: The pistachios were gone, but there wasn't a mouse in the trap. Did I have ghost mice? The verdict: Mice like pistachios, but maybe it's better to use a pistachio paste. Inconclusive.

Flickr Photo by zanastardust

Style around the web

How to Get Rid of Mice - Mouse Control Tips How to Get Rid of Mice Naturally - wikiHow Get Rid of Mice - Pest Control - About.com How To Get Rid of Mice | Oh My Apartment Getting rid of mice - Integrated Pest Management Forum - GardenWeb The Best Way to Get Rid of Mice (and Men) for Good

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Heartslord

2 Fans

01:30 PM on 11/27/2011

Use a Have-A-Heart trap. Cheese works great. Then let them out. I take them a few miles away so they are less likely to find their way back. When you see them in the trap they are cute, vulnerable, apparently fairly clean (looking) and they'd prefer not to be poisoned (horrible) or have their brains hacked by a mousetrap!
Be kind, it doesn't hurt!

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notIvy431

103 Fans

10:03 AM on 11/26/2011

There are more humane ways to deal with the problem. I had mice that would get into the trash can under my sink. I found that if I put a mostly empty bag there, in the morning I would find a mouse had jumped in but could not jump back out, so just had to fold the bag and take it to a field. Even better is to get one of those plug ins that chase bugs and rodents away, so you do not have the problem in the first place. A cautionary note..poison is NOT a good idea, pets and small children are then at risk. Traps are disgustingly cruel people!

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Raquel372

0 Fans

09:32 AM on 11/23/2011

Get a cat! We use to have horrible mice problems, but I got a cat. He is an outside cat that spends time in my garage, he takes minimal care, and he doesn't eat that much. We did have him nuetered, because male cats spray and smell really bad if you do not, they also will leave to look for females. I don't really like cats, but for the little cost it is well worth it not to have mice. YUCK!

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mercuryrises

0 Fans

06:25 AM on 11/23/2011

Not sure why I'm admitting this but was 20 years ago. I was getting out of bed & I accidently stepped and killed a mouse with my foot. I had socks on but still gross.

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MrDisTrv

0 Fans

02:11 AM on 11/23/2011

I caught a mouse purely by accident one night. I had made some hot fudge sauce from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. When cooled, it can be very tar-like. I indivertibly left the sauce out overnight. The next morning, something fuzzy was in the middle of the pot. A mouse, probably seeking a midnight snack, was stuck, head first, in the goop. Brings a new meaning to; “Death by Chocolate.”

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Raquel372

0 Fans

09:34 AM on 11/23/2011

OMG that is so funny!

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MrDisTrv

0 Fans

10:52 PM on 11/23/2011

I did eventually catch his friend about two weeks later with a traditional snap trap with a dab of peanut butter.

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Lisa Morreira

35 Fans

01:12 AM on 11/23/2011

I used D-Con mouse bait with and without those sticky box traps and got rid of them within a week. There was no smell, either, because something in the pellets prevents odor from decomposition.

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Lisa Morreira

35 Fans

01:10 AM on 11/23/2011

i used D-Con mouse bait and it worked great within a week! I also used it in box traps and it worked well.

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erinbliss

152 Fans

12:27 AM on 11/23/2011

I went to Home Depot and purchased three battery operated traps that kill mice instantly and won an award for most humane mouse trap. Worked AWESOME! A bit expensive at $20 each but you never have to touch the mice. You just dump the little corpse in the trash. I used peanutbutter as bait. It didn't take much either so your house doesn't smell like PB (seriously, how much was this guy using that the rec room smelled like PB???)
I wouldn't want my cats to eat disease carrying vermin.
The other thing I used that was really good are those little green squares of poison. I tossed them into an opening in the wall. Never saw another mouse. The traps took quite awhile longer.

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onsteroore

6 Fans

12:07 AM on 11/23/2011

Cats! I have always heard too that peanut butter was good and I tried it and it works.

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susi539

18 Fans

12:00 AM on 11/23/2011

Get a few cats, that should do the trick.

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rini1946

61 Fans

01:21 AM on 11/23/2011

does not work I was talking to a guy in loweswe both wanted the same thing to get rid of mice. Me poison he said he can't use poison because his 2 cat would eat it

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GirlInNYC

A girl in NYC

291 Fans

11:15 PM on 11/22/2011

Glad I don't have this problem, but I'm ROTFL @ the stories about the mice eating the goods and leaving the shells and wrappers behind. Ha!

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krhildy

0 Fans

10:24 PM on 11/22/2011

Get some snap traps, set them with peanut butter placing in or around the stove, sink, counter top, silverware draws, food cabinets. Do it now! The mice are moving in for the winter. They've had a great fall, but now is the time to prepare for their arrival. Check your attic for: places they might want to live in. Get rid of any materials that will make their life comfortable and make a good nursery for the babies. Mice are cute, but they urinate on your silverware, dishes,counter tops, stove tops, etc. You are responsible for the well being of your family: Get the traps!

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Tcoach

0 Fans

07:48 PM on 11/22/2011

I came home the other day with my heating unit rattling something terrible. I called my heating guy and he came out to tell me that he thought the bearings were going out, but he wanted to check anyway. I went upstairs to wait for the verdit, thinking I was going to have to get a new blower or heating unit, when he came upstairs and said, "I found your problem". He had a mouse in his plyers. The little thing went on the deathly mouse wheel and couldn't keep up. Lucky for me that was all it was. No charge. I like this guy!

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nomandoethgood

Speak for yourself.

45 Fans

07:39 PM on 11/22/2011

Cheese works,but you have to use the cheese in a can.The type you push the nozzle to one side and the cheese comes out.The cheese sticks to the trigger and they can't grab it and run off.I've killed at least 40 mice over the years this way.Traditional traps work best.

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LarrBerr

158 Fans

09:07 PM on 11/22/2011

Cheese works well. I have used chunks of cheese or balled up shredded cheese. Peanut butter does work good as stated, but I have had many times that the peanut butter was licked off and the trap never sprung. The cheese sticks to the trigger better and can't just be licked or nibbled off, without triggering it.

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cozycall

2 Fans

07:36 PM on 11/22/2011

Mice are creatures of opportunity and will eat just about anything, don't waste your money on anything expensive, even old waste or garbage will work just fine. Some good choices are cheese, peanut butter, grain, anything that can be made into a thick paste so you can push it into the bait trip. So it's not easy for the critter to get away without tripping the trap. Your goal is to kill the vermine so it can no longer breed, or you will be inviting it and countless others into your home and food storage.

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