{"id":112,"date":"2021-12-02T12:40:55","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T11:40:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=192"},"modified":"2021-12-08T00:01:17","modified_gmt":"2021-12-07T23:01:17","slug":"how-to-get-rid-of-mice-and-rats-in-your-house","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/how-to-get-rid-of-mice-and-rats-in-your-house\/","title":{"rendered":"How to get rid of mice and rats in your house"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Steve Harris\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 02 December 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Winter nights can mean a mouse in the house or even a rat. But poisoning isn\u2019t the only way to get rid of them \u2013 humane mouse traps and deterrents are both possibilities that cause far less unnecessary suffering. Our guide explains how to get rid of rodents, such as mice and rats, and prevent them from returning to your home.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re also more likely to see mice and rats in your garden during winter, but so long as they stay in the garden and don\u2019t cause damage to your shed or anything else, they shouldn\u2019t cause any problems out there.<\/p>\n

\""Closeup\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
You need to know how to get rid of rats in your house. \u00a9 tenra\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Which rats and mice enter houses?<\/h2>\n

House mice (Mus musculus<\/em>), wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus<\/em>), yellow-necked mice (A. flavicollis<\/em>) and brown rats (Rattus norvegicus<\/em>) are all common in houses. Of the three mice, the one you\u2019re most likely to encounter at home is the wood mouse, as this species is even more common in houses than the house mouse.<\/p>\n

House mice and brown rats are most frequent in houses close to city centres, wood mice in the suburbs, and yellow-necked mice in rural areas in the South-east and Welsh borders.<\/p>\n

\""A\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A brown rat sniffs leftovers on a plate in the kitchen. \u00a9 tenra\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Rats and mice are most common in roof spaces, then cellars and cupboards. They can also live in wall spaces. \u00a0Other visiting small mammal may include voles and shrews.<\/p>\n

What attracts mice and rats to your house?<\/h2>\n

There are two main things that can attract mice and rats to your house \u2013 food and shelter. If you don\u2019t tidy up properly and there\u2019s food waste on the floor or surfaces, rodents are going to love it!<\/p>\n

\""Rats\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A messy kitchen is a great way to get rats in your house. \u00a9 Dieter Meyrl\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Rats and mice also need shelter, particularly during winter to avoid the worst of the cold. The same is true when they\u2019re trying to find a nice warm spot to raise their young. A heated home with lots of places to hide away is perfect, and an untidy home even more so.<\/p>\n

Mice can squeeze through gaps less than 2cm in diameter, and rats only need slightly more space, so any small hole to the outside can serve as a rodent gateway straight into your home.<\/p>\n

\""Live\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
This mouse needs to move very carefully! \u00a9 artisteer\/Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Signs of rats and mice in your house<\/h2>\n