Are you worried that the mouse you occasionally saw in your backyard appears more frequently now or seems much fatter? Are you concerned that there may be an entire family of mice growing in your backyard? While mouse traps and poisoning are faster ways to get rid of mice, they are neither sustainable nor very humane. Therefore, we have some effective tips on how to get rid of mice in the backyard.
What You May Need
Here are a few items you may need to get rid of mice in your backyard, depending on which tip or combination of tips you choose to go with.
Peppermint oil
Dried snake feces
Mouse repellant
Birdhouse
Ultrasonic mouse repellent
How to Get Rid of Mice in the Backyard in 8 Steps
Tip 1: Get a cat…or use kitty litter.
If you already have a cat, this may or may not work for you. If you like to leave your cat out and are fond of hunting, this can be a great idea. While a cat may not be able to eliminate a rat infestation, it can be useful in getting rid of mice in general. However, do not get a cat with the intention of keeping the mice out of your backyard because not all cats are good hunters, and adoption centers or pet stores do not have usually have information on whether a cat hunts well or not.
Moreover, some species of cats, like barn cats, are good hunters, but they do not like to socialize with humans. Alternatively, you can use kitty litter – place it in some corner of your backyard, and the smell of cat urine will keep the mice away.
Tip 2: Keep your backyard clean.
One of the main reasons why mice may be frequenting your backyard (and even finding an opening into your house) is that they can smell food or any food-related item lying in your backyard. If there is any pile of garbage or food-related items stores in your backyard, make sure to clean the space and remove any such items.
Tip 3: Keep garbage cans tightly closed.
As an extension of the tip above, make sure that the lids of your garbage cans are tightly closed if you keep them in your backyard. Rats and mice love to search for food in garbage cans, and if your get filled with leftovers every day, your backyard may become mice’s favorite dine-out spot. We recommend keeping your garbage cans out of the house, but you will need to keep them tightly close to get rid of mice if they are placed in the backyard.
Tip 4: Use ultrasonic sounds to zap mice away.
There are some ultrasonic mouse repellents easily available online. They usually work by emitting ultrasonic sounds, which the mice run away from. They can help in getting rid of mice to some extent as they usually work on a single line of sight, and mice can eventually get used to them. If you are well aware of the route mice, take them in your backyard, strategically place these ultrasonic units in the right direction.
Tip 5: Spray a mouse repellant.
Using a natural and organic mouse repellant can be quite effective, too, depending on the size of your backyard. If your backyard is not too expansive, simply spray an organic mouse repellant in the corners of your backyard to get rid of mice. You can also use this technique in combination with a few other tips discussed in the article. Spraying the repellant at night may be more effective as that is when they often get out to search for food.
Tip 6: Place dried snake feces in your backyard.
This is a great catch. Getting rid of mice in your backyard can become fairly easy if they stay out due to fear of a snake lingering around the bushes and shrubs in your backyard. This is also a great outdoor solution as it keeping dried snake feces inside the house will not be a pleasant experience. You can get these from a local reptile center, zoo, or pet store – but as we recommend, you can directly buy these online too. Make sure to keep the feces out of the reach of children and pets.
Tip 7: Promote nesting of birds of prey.
This is another slower but long-term solution to get rid of mice. Fixing a birdhouse in your backyard and promoting nesting of birds of prey. While birds, in general, are great for keeping pests and insects out of your garden by feeding upon them, birds of prey like owls can help you get rid of mice too! A barn owl family can eat a lot of mice in a single night! If you successfully attract one to your birdhouse, you may never have to worry about mice again.
Tip 8: Use peppermint oil or grow its plant in your backyard.
Finally, peppermint oil can be an extremely effective, safe, and easily accessible solution for getting rid of mice. The intense scent of this herb drives mice away immediately. A mouse has to be very desperate and hungry to not be deterred by peppermint’s smell. Peppermint oil is also great for keeping spiders and mosquitoes away and has a great fragrance besides being non-toxic, unlike some other chemical treatments.
You can keep cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil in different spots throughout your backyard, especially on any path the mice are known to frequent. Make sure to replace these cotton balls every 5-7 days as they lose the peppermint scent over time. Alternatively, you can even grow a peppermint plant in your backyard! This way, you can use the mint in cooking AND deter mice.
Our Final Thoughts
If mice have found their way into your backyard, chances are they are now looking for an entryway into your house! The sole motivation behind their constant effort is the search for food, and there is no denying how annoying (even disgusting) it can be to find a family of mice living in your backyard. So, we hope these tips on how to get rid of mice in the backyard help you humanely keep your yard mice-free.
