home + garden

Q We have a mouse that visits us just about every night. He's very cute as he runs along the baseboard and slips behind the refrigerator, but we worry there might be others. How can we get rid of it?

A If you see a mouse in your house, chances are there are others. There could be dozens of mice in your house -- if not now, soon. One female can produce six to 10 litters a year, of five to 10 babies, and females from those litters can mate within weeks of birth!

Yes, they sure are cute, but these aren't your Disney mice. These are stinky, destructive rodents that get into and contaminate food, clothing, furniture, books and more. They chew through electrical wiring causing appliances to fail and even house fires. Mice transmit disease.

The best way to deal with mice is to keep them out of your house - more about that later - but now, you need to set a trap.

Bait traps with dry dog food, dried apricots or a piece of cotton ball (wanted for their nest) that can be tied to the trigger with thread. Peanut butter makes a good bait, too.

The old-fashioned snap trap will do the job. However, if you find that the traps aren't working, it may be that they need "tuning." To tune a trap, bend the retaining bar catch so the trigger is no more than 10 degrees above the base of the trap when the mechanism is set.

Also pay attention to placement. Mice feel most secure when they have one side in contact with a wall. Place traps in areas with restricted access (along a wall behind appliances) and use two traps side by side. (You don't have to bait both.) With this technique, always place the traps perpendicular to the wall with the triggers pointed at the wall. Be sure the base of the trap touches the floorboards.

A better mouse trap, some say, is one that will let you dispose of the captured mouse, trap and all. But I wonder how smart they are economically or environmentally.

Set traps and check diligently for signs or sounds of mice. Move the traps to likely spots for mice to run. When you stop catching mice and seeing any evidence that they remain, you can be fairly sure you've solved the problem, at least indoors.

For an easy way to rid your house of mice, get a cat, a good mouser. But this isn't a cartoon cat, either. It will catch the mice, and likely leave them on your bed as a gift.

To keep them out, you have to make changes to your home. Warm weather, especially fall, is the prime time to do that. That's when you'll spot mice seeking room in your home.

• Remove mouse temptations. Keep food preparation and eating areas swept and washed. Keep pet food or birdseed in metal or hard plastic containers with lids.

• Check the dryer vent: Lint can build up and cause the internal flapper to be slightly ajar. That small space is enough to let rodents in.

• Mice are good climbers. They have been known to make their way up the side of a stucco wall, so look high as well as low. Check around windows and bathroom and kitchen exhaust-fan housings for holes.

• Check under decks and steps. Small entry points are often hidden from view. Seal any holes or gaps.

• Check where any siding meets the foundation. Siding typically hangs over masonry and may contain gaps and holes that will admit mice. Use a small mirror attached to a metal arm to look under the siding. Caulk these areas and then pack them with steel wool. Both are a good idea because they can help keep out mice as well as insects. Caulk won't keep out mice, but it will stop Asian lady beetles, box elder bugs and other insects. Steel wool is no barrier to insects, but keeps out the mice. Includes information from Minnesota Extension Service.

Send questions to Fixit in care of the Star Tribune, 425 Portland Av., Minneapolis, MN 55488, or call 612-673-7032, or e-mail fixit@startribune.com.