The Best Way to Kill a Mouse Humanely

In a single year, a female mouse can have five to 10 litters, consisting of five or six mice each, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Spotting a mouse in the daylight hours is not the only way to tell if you have an infestation. You may be able to smell a musky odor, see nests that they have made of shredded paper or other types of fibrous materials or find mouse droppings. Mice gnaw constantly and can damage your home wiring. Their feces contain the bacterium that causes salmonella; therefore, mice and their droppings are health threats to your family and pets.

Things You'll Need

• Mousetraps
• Plastic or rubber gloves
• Plastic bags
• Soap or household disinfectant

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Instructions

• 1

  Eliminate all holes or openings in your home through which a mouse can enter.

• 2

  Store any food, including pet food, in airtight glass, metal or plastic containers.

• 3

  Place mousetraps about 10 feet apart in the area that you have spotted the rodents. Traps are the most humane way to kill a mouse. They kill the rodent instantly. Poisons may be accidentally ingested by small children or animals, and if the mouse eats poison it may get sick and die in your walls or underneath your flooring. This will cause a foul odor that may linger for weeks.

• 4

  Locate the traps in areas where they normally travel, along walls, in dark hidden areas or any place you have seen evidence of mice.

• 5

  Bait the trap with food such as peanut butter, dried fruit, a small piece of bacon, cheese or even chocolate candy. Do not set the trap the first time you put the bait in it. This is called pre-baiting, and will result in your being able to catch the mice more rapidly.

• 6

  Load the trap when you discover the first bait is gone. Set the trigger so that it will be very sensitive.

• 7

  Put on some disposable plastic or rubber gloves when disposing of the mouse or while cleaning any area that has been contaminated by the rodent.

• 8

  Place the dead mouse into a plastic bag and then into a second plastic bag and seal it tightly. Place the plastic bags into a trash container that has a tight seal.

• 9

  Wash your hands with the gloves still on them with a household disinfectant or warm soap and water. Remove the gloves and wash your hands again in warm, soapy water to prevent getting any diseases.