When there is a mouse in your house, you may feel as if killing it is your only option. There are a few alternatives to killing mice and you should always consider one of those first. If you are positive you want to kill the mouse, you will want to do so in the most humane way possible. Keep in mind that simply killing a mouse will not solve your problem forever unless you take other steps as well. You will need to seal up entry points so no more mice can come inside your home, or you will find yourself in an endless cycle of catching and killing mice. Here are the most common ways to kill a mouse as well as whether they are considered humane.

Avoid Poison
It is not hard to find mouse poison on the market as there are numerous options available. This product proves that ease of access does not make something a good idea. Most poisons will not work instantly; instead, the mouse will die slowly over the course of several days, during which it will be in extreme pain. There is also a very real possibility that the mouse will go back to its nest to die and if that happens to be in the middle of a wall or in another hard-to-reach area, you will have a major issue. You would have to remove the dead mouse from inside your wall or deal with the smell and disease associated with a decaying animal.

Poison is also a major risk to any pets or small children in your home. Whether they come into contact with the poison or your pet eats a rodent infected with the poison, they may become very sick or even die.

Don't Use Glue Traps
Glue traps are another common method you will see available for catching and killing mice. As with poison, they will not do the job instantly. Instead of directly killing the mouse, a glue trap simply prevents it from moving from the area. This means it will die of exposure, dehydration, or starvation, all of which would be very painful. You could speed up the process by going to the mouse in the glue trap and just killing it, but it would still suffer for at least several hours until you get there.

Consider Snap Traps
If you are sure you want to kill the mouse, then you should always choose snap traps. These traps are incredibly easy to use and very affordable. They are also considered the most humane way to kill a mouse because they will almost always do so instantly. When using snap traps, you still need to be careful so children and pets do not find them and accidentally injure themselves, but the risk is not as great as with poison.

Keeping in mind that each snap trap will only catch one mouse so you may need several dozen or more depending on the number of mice you have. Aim to set up all the traps the first night as experts say that you tend to catch the most mice the first night, with numbers decreasing every night after.

Non-Kill Alternatives
If you don't want to kill the mice to get rid of them, the good news is that you don't have to. You can also choose to trap and relocate the mouse. This method works best if there are a small number of mice as you will have to use live cage traps and these tend to be slightly larger and more expensive. If you want to remove a larger number of mice without killing them, you will need professional assistance. To relocate a mouse, you will simply trap it in a live cage and then bring it at least a few miles away from your home before releasing it. To improve the mouse's chance of survival, pick an area with ready access to food, water, and shelter.

Prevent The Mice
Now you are prepared to kill or remove a mouse if one gets in your home, but it is best to prevent this scenario from ever happening. You can take a few simple steps to prevent mice by physically blocking their entry and discouraging them by limiting food. You should always take these preventative steps after killing or relocating a mouse in your home as otherwise a new animal will simply take its place.

The first part of preventing mice is making sure they can't get inside. Work with a wildlife expert or handyman with experience to find all potential entry points. Pay close attention to gaps or cracks by windows, doors, vents, and pipes. Any holes must be sealed up. You will also need to take regular steps to keep your home clean, such as storing food in tightly sealed containers and sweeping the kitchen to collect crumbs.

Read the How to get rid of mice page for helpful information and to learn more about How To Kill A Mouse