5 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Rid of Mice in Your Walls

If you’re hearing scurrying and squeaking in your walls, you might have a mouse infestation on your hands.

Mice are more than just a nuisance—they can chew through electrical wires, contaminate food, and even bring in fleas. The good news is, there are proven ways to get rid of mice effectively.

Here are five sure-fire methods to eliminate your rodent problem and prevent future infestations.

Key Takeaways

Mice can squeeze through tiny holes in walls and floors, so sealing entry points with steel wool helps keep them out.
Keeping food in airtight containers and cleaning up crumbs right away makes your home less attractive to hungry mice.
Snap and live traps work best, especially when placed along walls with peanut butter or chocolate as bait.
Natural repellents like peppermint oil may help, but calling a pest control company is the best way to stop mice.

1. Seal Entry Points to Keep Mice Out

If you want to get rid of mice for good, the first step is blocking how they’re getting in.

Mice can squeeze through holes as small as a dime, slipping through cracks in drywall, baseboards, and flooring. They also sneak in through gaps around air ducts, electrical wires, and plumbing or find openings in crawl spaces and storage boxes.

To keep them out, seal small holes with steel wool and caulk—mice can’t chew through them. Fix broken vents, cover air duct openings, and install weather stripping on doors to keep house mice from sneaking inside.

The more entry points you seal, the easier rodent control will be.

2. Eliminate Food and Water Sources

Mice won’t stick around your home if there’s nothing to eat or drink.

Store all food sources, including pet food, in airtight containers, and clean up crumbs and spills right away. Even a few leftover scraps in the sink can keep them coming back, so don’t leave dirty dishes out overnight.

Fix any leaky pipes and seal water sources in kitchens and bathrooms. If you leave water in pet bowls overnight, mice will use it.

The fewer attractants they find, the faster you’ll solve your mouse problem.

3. Use Mouse Traps and Bait

Setting traps is one of the best ways to get rid of mice, but only if you use the right kind:

Type of Mouse Traps	Description
Snap Traps	The most effective option for quickly killing house mice.
Live Traps	A humane way to capture and release them away from your home.
Glue Traps	Not recommended, as they cause unnecessary suffering and can be messy.

Traps only work if you put them in the right spots.

Place traps along baseboards and in corners where you’ve seen mouse droppings. Bait them with peanut butter, chocolate, or nuts—mice can’t resist them.

For the best results, set multiple traps in high-traffic areas. The better your trap placement, the faster you’ll get rid of your mouse infestation.

“I started catching glimpses of mice in my kitchen, evidence of them getting into food, and seeing droppings.

I tried no-kill catch traps and electric traps, but caught very few mice, and started seeing more mice in the house, and more droppings.

Then I got 3 new kittens. The mouse problem continued until the kittens were about 6 months old. At that point, I assume they started catching and eating them, because all signs of mice disappeared. "

— Lila McGuire, Tutor

4. Try Natural and DIY Mouse Repellents

If you’re looking for a DIY approach, natural mouse repellents can help by using scents that mice avoid.

Soak cotton balls in peppermint oil and place them near entry points, or spray a mix of apple cider vinegar and water where you’ve seen activity. Some homeowners also use fabric softener sheets to block holes and keep mice from nesting.

While these won’t get rid of the current signs of mice infestation, they can help keep new critters from moving in.

5. Call a Professional Pest Control Company

If you’ve done everything and still see gnawing marks in the walls, it’s time to call in the exterminators to avoid the potential health risks they bring.

At Native Pest Management, we know how to get rid of mice in hard-to-reach places like walls and crawl spaces. We use bait stations and mice killers safely to eliminate even the most stubborn infestations and provide long-term pest control solutions to keep these critters from coming back.

Plus, we take care of the mess—so you don’t have to deal with dead mice, lingering odors, or hidden nests.