Do the right thing

House mouse

We've had mice in the house, on and off, for years. They can squeeze into the smallest openings where the foundation and clapboards meet and it's very difficult to seal every entrance. I won't use pesticides or chemicals, but in the event of an infestation, I will use traps, as long as they are quick and humane. The quickest death is the most humane.

There are lots of ads for mouse traps that deceive consumers into thinking that some of the worst traps are the best: "no fuss, no mess, nothing to do but throw the trap in the garbage and you never have to touch a mouse or even see one."

But, the truth is that most of these are glue traps, and for any mouse unfortunate enough to encounter one, the result is a long, drawn out and horribly cruel death.

Recently, the cities of New York and Chicago were praised for using humane traps to deal with serious mice infestations. Those charged with the task of removing the mice were willing to become fully informed and learn the most humane trapping methods. Read more at the end of this post to learn why using glue traps is wrong and why doing the right thing is also the most humane.

For minor problems with mice, I recommend what I have found to be an extremely effective deterrent: peppermint oil. Mice hate it. I fill small containers with cotton balls sprinkled with peppermint oil and keep them in the cupboards that mice have frequented in the past. I add more oil when needed and guess what? It works!

New York, Chicago lauded for humane killing of mice