Got Mice in the Attic? Here’s What to Do

Want to say goodbye to the mice in your attic? Who wouldn’t!

Listening to them run around your attic can be annoying, thinking about what their damaging and how fast they may be breeding. Health-wise, it’s a terrible thought as well. 

If you don’t know how to get rid of mice in an attic, worry not. In this article, we’ll clue you in on everything you need to know to put an end to mice in attic.

How to Get Rid of Mice In The Attic

If you’ve been hearing scitter-scattering and scratching coming from above, chances are you have mice in your attic. If the infestation isn’t so severe that a professional mouse exterminator is needed, there are several actionable ways to get rid of those mice. So you can bid adieu to those unwanted visitors in your attic!

Step 1 – Choose Your Mouse Traps

Using mouse traps is a primary way to kill mice. 

But there are different kinds of mouse traps. And it’s up to you to choose the best one for your attic.

1. Glue Boards

Familiar with those plastic rectangles that come with glue on them? Those are glue boards. They work by tempting the mouse to walk over them so it gets stuck.

2. Bait Blocks 

They’re chewable blocks that contain a form of an anticoagulant. And while these bait blocks cause internal bleeding, mice find them incredibly delicious. So once the mouse gets these bait blocks in his system, his chance of survival is zero.

3. Snap Traps 

They’re made of wood and feature a pedal and wire as a trigger. How they work is by luring the mouse in using simple bait like a block of cheese. Then they snap shut as soon as it moves a trigger.

4. Multi-kill Traps

As their name suggests, they can kill multiple mice. They use irresistible scents as a means of luring in mice to the opening. And when mice are in, they instantly kill them using either CO2 or electricity.

Step 2 – Close The Exterior Entrance Holes

It’s not rocket science. You see mice wandering around your attic because they’ve found ways to get in. 

So the solution is this: close all entry points.

This means that you should inspect every corner and nook in your attic to find holes and cracks. Common areas to check are those near power meters, power lines, and network cables. And be sure not to overlook even the tiniest holes.

If you think mice can’t fit inside an extremely small opening, think again. For one, the house mouse can enter a ¼ inch-sized hole.

Step 3 – Set Up The Environment 

Are there trees outside your home that mice can use to climb to your attic?

If so, trim them. It doesn’t matter if they appear too tall or too thin for climbing.

Don’t underestimate mice because they can climb their way through practically anything. After all, they don’t weigh a lot, can jump high, and move fast. 

The same goes for bushes. In fact, bushes are worse than trees. Apart from helping mice climb their way to your attic, they also provide them shelter.

Step 4 – Install Mouse Traps Inside Your Attic

Be strategic about where you place your traps. Otherwise, you can go all over the place after killing a mouse or two.

Don’t forget, the idea is to get rid of mice. This means that it’s not just about killing them. You also need to dispose of their decaying bodies properly. 

For example, if you chose bait blocks as your equipment for killing mice, don’t simply throw them wherever. For all you know, they may land inside one of your vents. If that’s the case, mice will eat them there and die there, too.  

Now, how do you expect to easily remove those decaying rodents?

Here are some of the best areas in your attic to place these mouse traps:

1. Along Dark Walls 

The main reason? Mice can’t see well. So if they can’t see the mouse traps, they’re likely to get accidentally trapped. And another reason is that mice like to stick around in places where humans can’t step on.

2. Corners 

Mice like staying in the corners of your attic — or just about every corner area — because these areas are their “safe zones”. Sometimes, even if there’s a person in the attic, the mouse is less likely to feel at risk when he’s in a corner. 

3. The Mouse’s Favorite Area

If unmistakable evidence shows that the mice frequent a specific area in your attic, take it as a giveaway. It’s their favorite place and you can get to a lot of them there.

Step 5 – Install Mouse Traps In Other Areas of Your Home

From the attic, move on to the other areas inside your home. You also have to install mouse traps in other areas because mice tend to move on, too.

They don’t stay in your attic for the rest of their lives. From that place, they’ll travel to other parts of your home. It’s either that or they’ll get to these areas first before making their way to your attic.

The tricky part? Compared to your attic, your housemates can easily access the other areas of your home. So you need to be more careful about where you place these mouse traps. 

Otherwise, these traps may end up injuring your housemates. Do you live with children, the elderly, and pets who may just roam around random areas of your home mindlessly? If so, it’s a sign to be more careful.

Here’s a list of areas that are great to place these mouse traps in:

1. Furnace

As mentioned earlier, mice don’t have a keen sense of sight. And because your furnace is a dark area, they might just be there.

2. Kitchen cabinets 

These are storage spaces for your food, right? Then mice usually hide out here. Besides having food, the insides of kitchen cabinets are dark too — just how mice want them.

3. Fridge, stove, and other large appliances

Because of their size, mice like to sneak behind large appliances. So get ahead of the game and install traps in these areas.

Final Thoughts

Fortunately, getting rid of the mice in your attic is a doable task. And you can say goodbye to them for good.

Just remember to check the mouse traps in your attic daily so you can get rid of as many mice as possible. Otherwise, if these traps were able to catch mice and you just leave them there, your house will reek of foul odor and render itself unlivable!