How to Get Rid of Rats and Mice Guaranteed- 4 Easy Steps

In this video, we will show you just how easy it can be to get rid of mice and rats using our DIY methods and product recommendations.

The first step of the rat and mice control process is IDENTIFICATION.

The Norway Rat usually weighs between 15-16 ounces. They are typically found outdoors. They burrow into the ground and underneath structures. They have a blunt nose, small ears, and small eyes.

The Roof Rat is usually found in attics, trees, or along fence lines. They have a very slender body, weighing in at about 11-14 ounces. They have a pointed nose, large eyes, and large ears.

The Deer Mouse is commonly found outdoors. Its body is about 2-3 inches long, with its tail being of equal length. Both the eyes and ears are large. Its underside is white, and its backside is grayish-brown.

The House Mouse body is usually between 2-3 inches in length. Their tail is about three to four inches long. They have a pointed nose, large eyes, and large ears.

The second step of the rat and mice control process is INSPECTION.

We want to confirm rodent activity in or around the home. Listen for noises in the attic. Look for droppings. Norway Rat dropping are about 3/4 of an inch long, and blunt on each end. Roof Rat droppings are about 1/2 inch in length, and pointed on each end. And the House Mouse and Deer Mouse droppings are 1/4 inch in length and pointed on both ends.

Look for smear marks along baseboards. Rodent bodies are very oily, and they will leave an oily film behind on the surface. Gnaw marks; they love to chew on the edge of wood. They leave hair behind when they go around corners. And they put off a very foul odor, smells like urine.

Look for holes around the perimeter of the house. Also check your flower beds; where vegetation has been compressed down to the soil is a sign where rodents are running back and forth.

The third step to the rat and mice control process is CONTROL.

We want to make the environment around the home or structure less conducive to rodent activity. Pick up pet food or water that might be left out overnight; clean dirty dishes that are left on the countertop or in the sink; take your trash out frequently and place it in a metal container. Look around the plumbing in the bathroom or kitchen, do you have large spaces or voids around that plumbing? These are places where rodents can enter.

Outside, take a look where plumbing actually penetrates the wall. Do you have large spaces there? If you have any small areas, use caulk.

For large voids, use Stuf-Fit. It’s a copper mesh product that you stuff into the hole. This is a great tool because rodents have a difficult time chewing through it.

Now that we’ve cleaned up our home and property, we are ready to bait the exterior. We are going to use a product called Eratication Bait Block with the Aegis RP Tamper-proof Station.

The Eratication bait block has ridges on it. This allows rodents to feed on it very easily. It also has a hole drilled through the center, which you can stick on top of the rods that are provided inside the bait station. The bait station is a tamper-proof station and does require a key that is provided to gain access to the inside.

You will want to place these stations every fifteen to fifty feet apart depending on whether you are dealing with mice or rats. Frequent the stations at least once a day. Check and see if there is bait. If not, replenish. Continue to do so until the activity stops.

Move on to the inside. We recommend either glue traps, snap traps, or live traps.

Snap traps. Made of a durable plastic, user friendly, easy to set. Bait the trap and place it up against the wall where the trap swings towards the wall. Place it in areas where you know you have activity. These traps can be used in the living area or up in the attic.

Glue traps. Peel the paper off the board to expose the glue, fold the board up to make a box, place the box up against the wall where you know that there is rodent activity. The boards can be used in the living area or up in the attic.

Live traps. If you are interested in a humane way of taking care of a mice problem, use either the repeater or the Ketch-All. Both of these units are designed to be placed up against the wall where you know you have rodent activity. They catch multiple mice and are catch-and-release.

The fourth and final step of the rat and mice control process is PREVENTION.

Clean up the property. Eliminate any unnecessary food or water. Empty trash cans. Those tree limbs that touch the roof of the house, trim them back. Clean up your flower beds. Bird feeders -- eventually the bird seed is going to fall to the ground, which is a food source for rats and mice. Doing all of these things will help prevent future infestations of rats and mice.

[margaretrangel]

I’ve all of a sudden developed a rat problem after finding a hole outside my home. They’ve even gone inside my couch and tore it up. It is so stressful because no matter how much I clean nothing ever feels clean enough anymore.

[tp]

I owned a Pest Control company 20 yrs and highly approve this video. I'd add aluminum screen works well on weep holes. Copper is very good as well because steel wool will rust and leave rust marks.

[craigtucker]

I don’t like mice
I don’t think they’re cute, I want them out of my house, instantly

[gingercox]

I had a mess on my hands. My decorating actually made it easy for mice to live. I totally agree with all these tricks. I had a broke window in the basement and didn’t know it. I found a hole on a windowsill outside and a gap in the flooring. The tiniest of holes they can get thru. Holes from removed water pipes. Wooden siding with gaps. A flue pipe inside a kitchen cabinet. It was open season on this house. I actually put all my food in mouse proof containers. They had burrowed into my sofa! They lived in my bookshelves. The only food left was pet kibble and glue boards work very well. I’m finally mouse free. The yorkie is a self appointed mouser and has sacrificed herself to a glue board in her pursuit. I got it off her.

[josephstearns]

I'm an instructional developer and make videos like this and I really appreciate how simple to follow and how informative this was! Thank you!

[MisterDogTags]

Damn! That was a good presentation! Professional, poised, good speaker, informative. Mann, I almost forgot I had a mouse in my closet he spoke so well 😂

[brandonhudson]

As a pest technician myself, I approve this video! Very informative and accurate!

[anonofDeath]

I need help. My parents are fine with living with rats. I'm too young to move out :(
Edit: They got rid of them because they understood I didn't like them. Glad to have understanding parents!

[catiej]

My mice made themselves known, they literally run along the walls in plain sight. One even tried to jump on the couch with me, and he would've if I didn't smack him down.

[kspot]

Be careful not to poison your rats outside if you have owls or hawks in the area. Live traps can also allow you to decide if you want to kill it or not (as some rare species of voles, shrews, and native mice will also be lured into traps), but kill traps are still better than poison. Not to mention poison also will leave dead poisonous animals all over.

[whiplash]

I've been using the Tomcat bait blocks to get rid of them, but suddenly now they've gotten wise to them and are now staying away from them.

[lauralutz]

Keith, you have a comforting voice & good advice. I’ve been thru this before but in the Fall. In dead of Winter, I see 2 playing feet from where I sleep! Lavender candle burning on floor & glue traps loaded with peanut butter. I’m going to stock up tomorrow & Landlord is putting poison. I’m in NYC, no wildlife to protect & no pets. When I had cats never saw one but I can’t care for Vet bills. Thanks so much.

[HerrMahnMahRez]

Directions not clear. I'm stuck in the rat cage...

[tremorlok]

I used a catch and release after getting tired of feeding the mice with spring traps. Honestly, they’re way more effective in my experience. I’ve never had a mis-sprung live trap.

[susanb]

1. Identify. 2. Inspect. 3. Control. (Pick up food & water, do dishes, take out trash, caulk or "stuff it" for holes into the house. Then bait and trap daily.) 4. Prevention.

[darlenesand]

Keith, your's is a wonderful video. Full of information that was delivered professionally and honestly. Thank you. I have had a mouse problem for approximately three years. I have used every device included in your video - took care of some, not all. I feel as though I am living in an ongoing nightmare. I am on a very small pension that will not accommodate the price of a professional terminator. Seems that the only way to clear the problem is to burn the house down. Just trying to keep the topic light. Thanks, Keith for listening and for the video.

[kwp]

I live in an 80 year old house and the only place where I've noticed mice activity is under the kitchen sink where there's a drilled hole for water lines. So far I've caught three mice with the old bait and snap method. It's actually pretty disgusting. One day I opened the cabinet door to check under the sink and "POP!!!" goes the mouse kicking and squealing with blood everywhere. So I had to scoop it out while it was paralyzed and dying slowly. I didn't know any better way to handle that besides burying the mouse and trap in the snow so it would at least freeze. I don't want to deal with that method again so I think I'll just try the repelling methods with cayenne pepper, pepper spray or something else that's nontoxic. I may have heard them in the floor vents before but it's rare when I do so it's fair to assume that I don't have an infestation. Strangely enough they once found their way onto my countertop when I left a small pouch of sunflower seeds next to the microwave. Sure enough the package was chewed up with the seeds and mouse droppings on the countertop. How they got that high up from the floor is unknown but that tells me that they're capable of reaching almost any surface in a house.

[KarePPluvu]

Well done! I love that you covered all areas and went straight to the point!

[BeautyBeatdown]

I've seen people say to wear gloves, I've seen others say it doesn't matter if you wear gloves or not when handling traps. Which is it? Because I've done both and it doesn't matter, they still won't go near the traps I've set out.

[KBisClutcherThanMJ]

I remember when I was young and my basement had mice and my dad used a glue trap and the mouse was still alive, and he told me to put it in a plastic bag and beat it to death 😂