Mice can’t open cabinet doors, so they find their way through small openings along the backs and corners of the cabinet. You will undoubtedly encounter this pest at some point in your life—but if you’ve suddenly discovered evidence of mice in your home, the possibility is that you may be unsure what to do.
They will occasionally enter cabinets searching for food, and you may realize that certain items have been chewed or interfered with. This is aggravating, but it’s also perplexing for those unfamiliar with mice.
However, this post will give you a better understanding of what mice can accomplish— how they enter into your home and cabinets and how to keep them at bay. Promptly, let’s dive right in.
Can Mice Open Cupboards?
No, mice can’t open cupboards. To enter into cabinets or cupboards, mice don’t necessarily need to open doors. Mice are attracted to kitchen cabinets because they often store food. They may hide there and even keep warm in kitchen cabinets. So they can enter into the cabinets by squeezing into any available gaps or crevices.
There may be a break or hole near the cabinets that allow the mouse to go inside. So the mice aren’t opening your cabinet doors—they’re cramming into the cabinets through various small openings. Humans frequently ignore such details because they do not expect mice to gain access through the tiny holes. Even though it appears that mice aren’t able to fit through the microscopic cracks, they do.
How Do Mice Get Into Your Home?
Mice gain access to homes through cracks and gaps in the foundation, walls, and floors. They can also gain access through cracks in the walls or ceilings and sewer connections. Not to mention, sink and bathtub drain if drainage pipes aren’t properly sealed.
Mice commonly get access through a fissure or a break in your foundation, exterior walls, or attic area. You should begin by conducting a thorough check of the exterior of your home to identify potential entry points. Look for fractures or openings in your foundation that a mouse could pass through.
Climb beneath porches and examine behind stairs, plants, and other things whenever available. Ensure there are no holes where pipes, wires, and other objects enter your outside walls by scrutinizing them. There could be holes that have grown bigger over time due to water damage or chewing pests.
You should check all of your screens on windows and doors for tears or holes and ensure all of your door sweeps are in good working order.
Keeping mice out of your house necessitates a more thorough door sweep. Mice will either nibble off a few bristles or push their way through these sweeps. Check on the door regularly sweeps if there is an intended replacement.
One of the most common entry sites for mice and rats is through gaps under doors. The Xcluder-fill fabric provides an impenetrable barrier to rodents and other pests, as well as a long-lasting weather seal that pays for itself in energy savings.
On the other hand, the rubber sealing strips between your windows and doors and their frames are weatherproofing. Mice can get inside by chewing through or beneath weatherproofing that has become damaged. To avoid this, replace your weatherproofing once a year.
What Do Rats Hate the Most?
Rats hate Peppermint repels, so putting peppermint oil on cotton wool balls and placing them in corners of your home will help keep them away—change the oil every few days.
Chemical fragrances like naphthalene, the stench of rat predators like cats, raccoons, and ferrets, as well as various natural scents like citronella, and eucalyptus oils, are among other odors rats despise.
You can also deter rats by using bleach. To go about this, spray down rat hubs, disinfect rat nests, or sprinkle bleach at the rat entry points with diluted bleach. In addition, you can soak cotton balls in diluted bleach and scatter them throughout your home.
One of the most efficient ways to get rid of rats quickly is to use traps. Snap traps, which are a quick way to kill rats instantaneously, are recommended for the most remarkable results. Place the traps inside a box or behind a milk carton to prevent other animals from getting into them.
Now that you know what rats despise, It’s now time to learn a little more about how to keep mice at bay. What are some of the ways to prevent mice from entering your home?
6 Awesome Ways to Prevent Mice From Entering Your Home
If you put the following techniques to the latter, you should be able to solve the mice problems without a hassle.
This will take some time, but if you don’t want your kitchen cabinets to become a sanctuary for mice, you’ll need to take these steps. It’ll be well worth your time and work, and you’ll be pleased with the results when you’re finished.
1. Seal Your Food Containers
Leaving food in cardboard packaging isn’t a good idea because mice may easily nibble through it. You need to transfer pasta, cereal, and other packaged foods from cardboard containers to airtight containers.
You may purchase airtight food storage containers to keep all of your food safe. Mice won’t be able to get through these containers because they’re made of thick plastic.
These containers’ lids lock airtight, preventing anything from getting inside. Your food will stay fresher for longer, and you won’t have to worry about mice interfering with it.
This will deprive the mice of one of their favorite food sources—making the kitchen cabinets and cupboards less enticing to them to stay.
2. Find Any Patch Holes or Cracks
The next step is to locate and repair any gaps or cracks that may allow mice to access the cupboards. Some holes and cracks may be visible, and you’ll be able to fix them straight away. It may take some time for you to find other holes. If you’re not sure how the mice get into and out of the cabinets, you can use baby powder to help you figure it out.
Simply sprinkle some baby powder in the bottoms of the cabinets to prevent mice from leaving tracks. This will show you the path that the mice have taken to go in and out of the cabinet.
You can trace the tracks back to their origin, which should reveal what the mice were up to. If everything goes correctly, you’ll be able to see where the holes that need to be filled are located.
It may also be required to make changes to the kitchen cabinet doors so that they close correctly.
Have in mind that, for whatever reason, at times, the cabinet doors may not close completely. This can be rectified by altering the door slightly or just adjusting the hinge location. You’ll have an easier time moving forward if you do everything you can to prevent potential entry points for mice.
3. Use Deterrents
You can apply specific deterrents to make your kitchen cabinets less tempting to mice. You’ll notice that mice dislike a wide range of odors.
Putting peppermint within the kitchen cupboards will most likely deter mice from entering. You can just soak a cotton ball in peppermint oil and place it in the kitchen cabinet.
Another option is to put mothballs in the kitchen cabinets, which mice despise. One of these suggestions should deter mice from entering the cabinets.
4. Set Mouse Traps
Of course, you don’t want the mice to stay in your house for much longer. This implies that you’ll have to get rid of them at some point.
When you first detect that you have a mouse problem, your initial thought may be to set up mouse traps. This is a wonderful concept because it allows you to get rid of the pests without working too hard.
Mousetraps come in a wide variety of designs—some are simple and have been around for a long time, while others are more complicated.
If you want to get rid of the mice that have taken up residence in your home, you can use basic spring traps. This is the classic mousetrap in which you place a piece of bait on a piece of metal that, when walked on, triggers the trap and kills the mouse.
This strategy works well, and you can use a variety of different objects as bait. Some people use cheese, while others like peanut butter since it adheres well to the trap and requires the mice to strain to get it off.
However, some individuals object to the thought of killing mice, but humane traps are still available for purchase. These can capture live mice—they will be trapped in a bit of trap until you arrive to get them.
You’ll need to get any mice you catch as far away from your home as possible. It is entirely up to you how you feel about killing them, but keep in mind that the mice you move will almost certainly become a problem for someone else in the future.
5. Employ Mouse Repellant
Mice are known to be repulsed by several chemicals. Put one of these things in the corners of your basement, closets, doors, and other areas where mice are suspected of getting through:
- Mint plant: Mice will be deterred by mint plants around windows and entrances.
- Peppermint oil: Peppermint or spearmint essential oil can also be sprayed throughout the house.
- Bay leaves: Crush up bay leaves and sprinkle them on your window sills, or tuck them into the corners of your pantry and cabinets.
- Mothballs: Mothballs effectively keep mice away, but they are toxic to humans and pets—keep them out of reach of youngsters, dogs, and cats.
6. Remove Your Home’s Clutter
Mice are drawn to dark spots in basements, closets, and storage areas. To make your home less appealing to mice seeking a location to establish a nest, get rid of the following forms of clutter:
- Old cookware boxes: Mice may be attracted to your basement or storage room by plates, glasses, pots, and pans you’ve intended to sell at the next yard sale.
- Clothing piled high. If you leave your garments on the floor for too long, you may see minor bite marks on them. Clothing that is stored in sacks can potentially be utilized as a mouse nest. To keep rodents out, store the ones you don’t regularly use in a wooden chest or plastic containers.
- Mice can use magazines, newspapers, and other documents in piles to build nests; therefore, they should be appropriately kept.
- Mice can quickly eat boxes made of cardboard, so keep them off the floor.
- Cans, bottles, and other old food storage containers are all excellent options for mice. The fragrance of the meal remains may attract them.
- Worn out furniture. Maybe now is the time to get rid of that old couch in the basement that has been collecting dust. Anything made of cloth, mainly if it isn’t used regularly, could provide a warm and captivating home for a mouse.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Do Mice Get Into Closed Cupboards?
Along the backs and corners of your cabinets, look for a hole where mice might be entering the house. A mouse can fit through even the tiniest of spaces. Employ some baby powder down the bottom of your cabinets and search for mouse trails if you’re not sure how they got in.
2. How Do I Keep Mice Out of My Cabinets?
Peppermint repels mice. I combine half vinegar, half water, and a few drops of Peppermint essential oil in a spray bottle. I use this mixture to clean the kitchen walls, cabinets, and floor daily.
3. Are Mice a Sign of a Dirty House?
While trash provides mice with the necessities they need to survive, having mice in your home does not always imply it’s filthy. Mice do not consider cleanliness when seeking shelter or a breeding location, so you can still find them in the cleanest of homes.
4. Can Mice Get On Top of the Refrigerator?
Yes, as long as the refrigerator door’s rubber seal isn’t robust and tight. Mice will go anywhere they can find a way in. A mouse only needs an opening the breadth of its cranium to squeeze itself in.
5. Can Mice Come Through Kitchen Sink?
Due to their body form, Mice can fit through far smaller holes than they appear to be capable of. Mice can also get into the house through cracks in the walls or ceilings and sewer pipes. Mice can enter homes through sink or bathtub drains if drainage pipes are not adequately sealed.
Bottom Line
It is usually preferable to deal with a problem as soon as possible rather than allowing it to fester. When you detect that you have a mouse problem, act fast. Mice breed quickly, and if you grow complacent, you may find yourself with many mice in your home.
You now have several alternatives you can employ to get rid of mice, as well as measures to secure your kitchen cupboards.