Banish Mice From Your Home With A Cooking Staple That's Already In Your Kitchen

No one likes to hear the telltale scuttle of mice behind walls. They may be small and harmless-looking, but they bring a lot of problems with them. First and foremost, mice can carry disease and parasites into the house, and you don't need to be bit by one to be affected. Instead, according to Healthline, viruses and illnesses can be spread by their droppings, which will be plentiful. The risk increases if you come into contact with their droppings in a poorly ventilated area, such as a crawlspace. Not worried about illnesses? Then you should be worried about property damage. These small animals can chew through drywall and electrical wires, which can lead to something as serious as a fire. Luckily, you can banish them with the help of a pantry staple: salt.

You can use it in lieu of traps and as a natural poison, and you can use it as a way to ensure they don't die directly in your house. Whatever your need, sprinkling salt around the house will help you keep pests off your property. Here's how to do it.

Salt is poisonous to mice because it severely dehydrates them. To use salt to drive them out of your house, you can use one of several methods. The first is to sprinkle it directly on surfaces or areas where you know they are. If you have found mouse droppings in your crawlspace, under the stairs, or on shelving, sprinkle a liberal amount of salt there for them to consume. If you try this and it doesn't work, you may have to combine it with a food item that mice are naturally drawn to, such as peanut butter. Lay down a paper towel or plate, put a glob of peanut butter on it, and heavily sprinkle it with salt. That should be enough to attract them to the bait.

If you have pets at home, keep them away from the areas you leave salt traps in. Though salt won't be fatal to them, it can still be quite harmful, as consuming excess amounts can cause vomiting and diarrhea. 

This hack works because salt severely dehydrates mice, and eating a large amount of it is toxic to them, damaging their liver and kidneys and eventually shutting their bodies down. They will instantly start looking for water to counteract the poison, which can drive them out of your house before they perish. While some people prefer to get rid of mice humanely and release them into the wild, this might not be the best idea if you have an infestation. Mice are intelligent creatures and tend to return to the place they think is "home." 

Since mice need a lack of water for this trap to work, you need to be diligent about covering up any water sources before going to bed. Address any leaks, mop up any spills, close the toilet lid, and cover nearby faucets with a rag. This will ensure the salt does its job, pushing them out of your home.