How to get rid of mice: tips and tricks for controlling rodents

Recommendation points

• Rodent damage in the backyard
• Pest control methods
• Mechanical methods of fighting: traps and traps
• Chemical attack: choose the mouse poison
• Ultrasonic devices – an innovative method of pest control
• Traditional methods of rodent control
• Fighting mouse rodents in the garden and vegetable garden: practical recommendations
• Preventive actions

Mice and rats that have settled on a personal plot or in a country house deliver a lot of trouble to crops and property. In this article, we will look at traditional ways to control rodents, provide practical tips and describe preventive measures that will help you cope with a pest infestation..

Rodent damage in the backyard

Mice and rats are dangerous pests that eat up crops, litter grain stores in hangars and carry very dangerous diseases (salmonellosis, rabies, plague, tularemia).

Rodents pose a real danger to plant shoots, young seedlings, rooted cuttings, as well as to bulbs and tubers laid down in the cellar for planting. Having made their way to the storage area, mice can completely destroy the planting material during the winter..

Larger representatives of rodents – water rats – cause serious harm to garden crops. They make tunnels underground, gnawing at the roots of bushes and fruit trees. Mouse rodents can gnaw through drywall, plastic, damage electrical wires, wood and even concrete.

Pest control methods

Mechanical methods of fighting: traps and traps

Mechanical methods of fighting include various traps, traps, mouse traps and rat traps, for which it is very important to choose the right bait. You can lure mice with cheese, grain, slices of bread in vegetable oil, and to catch rats, use lard or sausage.

The main advantage of the mechanical method is the low cost of traps and traps. You can even make a simple trap yourself, using improvised means.

The disadvantages of the method include:

• the need for constant replacement of the bait;
• regular inspection of the trap and correct disposal of dead animals;
• risk of injury to residents and pets.

Note:it is advisable to use traps indoors (in a house, cellar, garage) with a small number of mice, in the area of ​​mousetraps they are ineffective.

You can also use a glue trap, a safe and affordable method for dealing with small rodents. The trap must be opened, the bait placed in the center and placed along the walls or under furniture. The mouse, getting into the sticky mass, sticks and cannot get out of the trap.

Note:the glue trap is not advisable to use in dusty (garage, shed, cellar) and humid (bathroom, sauna) rooms.

Chemical attack: choose the mouse poison

If the rats and mice managed to multiply or the traps placed did not work, then it is necessary to resort to more effective methods – the use of poison. When choosing a poison, you must take into account its type: instant or long-acting..

Poisons of the first category contain compounds of zinc, aluminum and calcium. They are most toxic and are used when animals have developed immunity to other poisons. Organic poisons (anticoagulants) act on rats and mice gradually, causing irreversible processes in the body.

Important! The poison should not be used in a home with children or pets. It is necessary to spread the poison in protective gloves and a respirator – toxic fumes can lead to poisoning of the body or burn the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth.

Table. Comparative characteristics of different types of poisons for murine rodents

Name of the poison	“Tsunami”	“Ratindan”	“Storm”	“Rat Death No. 1”	“Hunter Anti-Rodent”
Active substance	bromadialon	difenacin	flocumofen	brodifacoum	brodifacoum
Release form	processed pink barley or wheat	powder	pressed briquettes green	doughy mass of red or dark blue	briquettes from cheese mass and flour
Application features	consumption for 1 mouse – 10 g, for 1 rat – 20-30 g	the powder is mixed with the bait; a very toxic poison that does not lose its properties within 2 years	covers a wide range of rodents; the bait is changed after 5 days	consumption for 1 mouse – 1 sachet, for 1 rat – 2-3 sachets	consumption for 1 mouse – 20 g, for 1 rat – 40 g
Validity	the death of rodents occurs within a week	5-8 days	3-10 days	6-10 days	7-9 days
Cost, rub.	RUB 100 150 g	RUB 200 1 kg	RUB 15 10 tablets	RUB 13 1 sachet	RUB 70 100 g

Ultrasonic devices – an innovative method of pest control

Ultrasonic scarers are a modern and humane way to combat rodents. Animals do not die, but independently leave the area or house where the device is installed. The device emits ultrasonic waves that are not perceived by humans, and for rats and mice it is a danger signal.

Note.The device does not interfere with the operation of household appliances and equipment, but domestic rodents (hamsters, rats) are sensitive to it.

Table. Comparative characteristics of ultrasonic rodent repellents

Device name	“Tornado OZV.01”	“Tornado OZV.02”	Riddex	“Electrokot”
Manufacturer country	Russia	Russia	Taiwan	Russia
Impact spectrum	moles, rats, mice, bears, shrews	moles, rats, mice, bears, shrews	mice, cockroaches, spiders	rodents
Instrument power supply	alkaline batteries	alkaline batteries	power supply (connection to a 220 V network)	Power Supply
Protected area, m2	1000	2000	200	200
Pest disappearance period	3-4 weeks	10 days	2-4 weeks	up to 4 weeks
Application features	battery replacement without removing the case	operating temperature range from -30 … + 40 ° С	used indoors; equipped with 2 operating modes (day / night)
Cost, cu e.	20	23	7-10	23

Traditional methods of rodent control

To combat mouse-like rodents, many summer residents use folk methods that are also effective in pest control. Let’s describe the most popular methods:

1. To combat rodents in the cellar, a “dirty method” is used – the floor is covered with ash (1 bucket for 8-10 m²). Alkali injures the legs of mice, and getting inside, irritates the internal organs of the animal.
2. Burn a piece of natural fur in a metal can and place the container near the place where the mice have settled. An unpleasant smell will scare away rodents.
3. Pour laundry detergent into shallow containers (can lids) and arrange over the area.
4. Rodents cannot stand the smell of kerosene and formalin. Before laying vegetables for the winter, the cellar can be treated with these substances.
5. Get a mouse cat.

Advice!Traditional methods are best used in combination with other methods of rodent control.

Fighting mouse rodents in the garden and vegetable garden: practical recommendations

1. It is better to use submersible ultrasonic devices on the site – the vibration of the device will further scare away pests.
2. Poisoned baits should be kept in hiding – they can be placed in a piece of rubber hose or plastic pipe. This will protect birds and pets from poisoning, and the substance itself – from rain and wind..
3. Sprinkle garden paths and trunks with wood ash.
4. Wrap the trunks of young trees with thin tin or metal mesh.
5. Lay mouse minks with thuja, tansy and elderberry branches.

Preventive actions

The likelihood of the appearance and reproduction of rodents can be significantly reduced by observing simple preventive measures:

• for growing vegetables, it is better to choose an area that is far from the fields;
• after harvesting, the beds must be thoroughly cleaned of plant residues (root crops, cabbage stumps, etc.);
• keep the country house clean – you cannot accumulate unnecessary things, and before leaving you must remove all food;
• plant repellent plants (peppermint, coriander or red elderberry) in the garden.

The fight against mice and rats has been carried out with varying success, using traditional methods and innovations. The effectiveness of the measures taken largely depends on the timeliness – it is necessary to deal with pests at the first sign of their appearance in order to prevent population growth and not provoke more serious problems.