Get Rid Of Mice And Rats With A Few Popular Items From Your Pantry

Discovering you have a mouse in your home can be quite unsettling, and if you find a rat or suspect there might be one, it can send a shiver down your spine. Both mice and rats can chew through wires, contaminate food, and spread disease. One way to rid them from your home is by using a couple of basic kitchen staples. For example, by combining baking soda and cornbread mix you can expel mice and rats from your home and repel others from entering. 

This method can offer immediate action taken while you're waiting for a professional exterminator to arrive or it can be used on its own — either way, time is of the essence. When you have a mouse or rat problem, you want to attack the problem as soon as you notice it. Mice get pregnant quickly and often, and rats reproduce even faster so when you encounter a rodent problem, it is imperative to act immediately.

Using baking soda and cornbread mix is a natural and effective way to kill mice and rats, it should be noted that it's not a humane method for deterring mice since the rodents will suffer. The cornbread mix will attract them to the bait and the baking soda will cause the rodents to die. When a mouse or rat eats baking soda, it reacts with the acid in their stomach to create carbon dioxide gas. 

Carbon dioxide gas is a gas that takes up space so when it builds up, it can cause the stomach to expand and the rodent to bloat. Rodents don't have the ability to burp up the gas or throw up the way humans do so once they ingest it, it's too late. The bloating causes the mouse or rat to eventually die. As soon as the rodent ingests it, it can take anywhere from 24-36 hours for it to expire. Another upside to this method is that this combination is safe for pets and livestock unless ingested in large quantities, explains PetMD.

To make the bait, mix equal parts of baking soda and cornbread mix.  Place the mixture in small, open containers around your home where you suspect that mice and rats are active. Use a variety of bait containers to make it difficult for the rodents to avoid the bait. You can also put the bait in areas where you have seen mouse or rat droppings. However, you should also clean up any droppings or other signs of rodent activity to prevent them from coming back. 

The bait mixture will be most effective if kept fresh, so replace it every few days. Though this natural mixture isn't harmful to people, make sure to avoid breathing in the baking soda dust so you don't inhale particles. In addition to using baking soda and cornbread mix, seal up any cracks or holes in your home's foundation or exterior, store food in airtight containers, and when cooking, clean up any spills or messes immediately.