How To Stop Mice In Kitchen Cabinets

Mice can happen in any home. They can climb, run, jump and even swim, which means there aren't many places a mouse can't get into. When the weather turns cold, mice are more likely to show up in your home as they search for food and a warm place to stay for the winter. Your kitchen cabinets offer an appealing shelter for a mouse, giving it both warmth and a seemingly endless supply of food. Get to work putting an end to mice in your cabinets at the first sign of an infestation.

Step 1

Take away their food. Mice are happy in your cabinets because of the ample food supply. Transfer any boxed and bagged food, such as cereals and pastas, into plastic and glass containers. The mice will go elsewhere to look for food.

Step 2

Look for a hole where the mice may be entering the home along the backs and corners of your cabinets. A mouse can squeeze through a very small opening. If you aren't sure how the mice are getting into your cabinets, sprinkle a dusting of baby powder along the bottom and wait for their mouse tracks to appear. Block the hole with expandable foam or caulking.

Step 3

Stuff dryer sheets into the hole where the mice are entering. Mice will not chew through scented dryer sheets to gain access to your kitchen.

Step 4

Soak a cotton ball in peppermint oil and leave it near the suspected entrance, Mice do not like the smell of peppermint and may not enter if it means coming too close to the offending scent.

Step 5

Place mothballs in your kitchen cabinets. Mice will exit from the cabinets to get away from the smell.

Step 6

Set up traps. There are a variety of conventional and live mouse traps available. Choose the one with which you feel best able to deal. Be sure to use more than one trap and to move them to a different location each day.