How to get rid of mice in the house: a familiar kitchen product will be the savior

Small rodents can do a lot of damage: gnaw furniture, damage food supplies, and spoil crops in the pantry. Mice appear in the yard when it gets cold, and the main reason for the appearance of rodents is the flooding of their burrows with rainwater.

House Digest experts advise trying a cocoa life hack to get rid of mice in your pantry or home. It is important to first assess whether this solution is acceptable to you and whether it is worth making this kind of poison, because, frankly, this is not a very humane method.

Signs that mice have appeared in the house

There are several signs that your home has been attacked by rodents:

• teeth marks on clothes, furniture, or books;
• excrement and pungent odor of animal urine;
• spoiled food: gnawed bags of bulk food, bread, grain, etc;
• characteristic rustling and squeaking, which increases at night.

Cocoa as a way to get rid of rodents

Among rodent control products, you may have come across the suggestion to use cocoa powder with gypsum. This idea is especially prevalent over chemical methods, as many people prefer natural ingredients. But how effective is this combination really to get rid of mice? Scientific research supporting the formula is limited, but anecdotal evidence suggests the product is effective.

The role of cocoa powder is primarily to attract mice with its scent. Peanut butter can also be used. The active ingredient in the mixture is gypsum. The effect occurs when the mice consume the mixture, leading to consequences such as dehydration and suffocation from gypsum.

An important caveat: there is no guarantee that this formula will work, as discussions on some forums suggest that mice do not always eat enough to be seriously affected.

Rodents are attracted to warm, secluded places and often nest in voids in walls, in closets or attics.

If you plan to use gypsum and cocoa powder, you need to be careful. The mixture is simple to make: mix a tablespoon of cocoa powder with gypsum. The key to using the mixture effectively is its placement. Being creatures of habit, mice tend to follow certain routes, often along walls, behind appliances and inside cabinets.

To maximize the impact of the mixture, it is worth strategically placing it along these "routes". When using cocoa and gypsum, you should also take care to be safe, especially if you have pets or children in the house.

Preventive measures

Since the humanity of this method is questionable, you can consider other ways to get rid of rodents in your home. First of all, "seal" your home. You will be surprised how small a gap a mouse can squeeze through. Carefully inspect the house, especially where pipes and cables enter, and close all the holes you find. You can use steel wool or glue to do this.

Also, remember that mice are attracted to food. Keep your kitchen clean, store food in airtight containers, and dispose of garbage regularly. Less clutter means fewer hiding places for mice.

Sometimes, the severity of a mouse infestation may require more than just do-it-yourself solutions. In such cases, it is advisable to contact pest control professionals.

Subscribe to the OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest developments.