Nothing is as disturbing and frightening as discovering that mice, rodents, or small critters have invaded your precious home. If this is one of your problems at your home, you are not alone. Studies have shown that 37% of homeowners in the United States have rodent problems. But how can you treat the mice problems at home without poison that your pets or children can accidentally consume? What is a natural way to get rid of them? Does baking soda kill mice?
Fortunately, many household remedies exist to get rid of these little creatures. And one of them is baking soda. The bicarbonate in baking soda will react with the stomach acids of mice. A gas known as carbon dioxide will build up in their digestive system, which will eventually cause damage or rupture to their body.
Now that you have the answer to “Does Baking Soda Kill Mice?” You might want to know how to use this household staple to resolve mice infestation at home. Below, we will discuss this.
How Does Baking Soda Kill Mice?
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a helpful household ingredient. This white powder is reliable for many household needs, from cooking to cleaning to setting traps for mice. However, its efficiency as a mouse killer depends on the chemical reaction it creates.
Baking soda is toxic to mice and can kill them in your house. Baking soda is used to expand and soften baked goods and can help the upset stomachs of humans. This chemical reaction happens when carbon dioxide or gas is released.
However, the carbon dioxide created by baking soda is poisonous to mice. Unlike humans, mice don’t know how to pass gas. When these tiny creatures consume baking soda, they eventually die in agony. Their little digestive system can’t digest this ingredient – it presses their organs until they die.
Should You Use Baking Soda to Kill Mice?
Baking soda can indeed kill mice. But the question is – is it the method you should use to solve rodent problems in the house? Well, we have two answers to this question.
First, baking soda as a pest control can seem inhumane. After all, the gas buildup in their stomachs is painful for them. It will also take time before mice will die; thus, it will be a painful death for these tiny creatures. But if you don’t care about this, then there’s no reason you should not use baking soda to kill mice.
Second and lastly, baking soda is affordable, and it might be readily available in your home. It is also non-toxic for people in the house, unlike chemical-based pest control products, which may harm your family, especially kids and pets.
How Long Does It Take to Kill Mice with Baking Soda?
If you expect mice to die immediately after consuming baking soda, consider another alternative. Unfortunately, eliminating rodents in the house will take days or even weeks. And these pests might not eat enough baking soda to make them die.
If you have patience, though, there’s no reason to use other alternatives to baking soda. But if you want a quicker and less painful death, you might want to use other methods of killing mice.
What If Baking Soda Doesn’t Work in Killing Mice?
If baking soda doesn’t work at first to kill mice, you might want to trick them to kill them. Mice need to consume a lot of baking soda for them to die.
Also, mice are wise and tend to avoid things that seem poisonous to them. Hence, mix baking soda with other ingredients, such as sugar, to entice them to eat it.
Does Baking Soda Make Mice Explode?
Are you worried that killing mice with baking soda can make a mess? You don’t need to overthink it because baking soda will not make mice explode.
The gas created in their stomach can only cause internal blockage and then death. Baking soda is not like a firework that can make mice explode.
How to Kill Mice with Baking Soda?
Ready to use baking soda to kill mice? Then, follow these steps:
Things you’ll need:
- Baking Soda
- Flour
- Sugar
Ingredients:
Step 1. Combine flour and sugar in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Sugar is a vital ingredient because it attracts mice to eat it.
Step 2. Add baking soda to the flour and sugar mixture. Mix all ingredients well.
Step 3. Finally, sprinkle the mixture in areas where you think mice are hiding. After a while, the sugar will start attracting them to these areas.
Baking soda can also kill bed bugs. Read our article – Does Baking Soda Kill Bed Bugs? to learn how.
What Other Household Staples Can You Use to Kill Mice?
If you worry that baking soda might take a little longer to kill your most hated guests at home, don’t fret. The baking soda method might not be the best remedy for you. Here are other ways you can kill mice quickly.
- Live Traps
Live traps are the most common remedy to eliminate mice at home. If you want a more humane effort to solve your pest problem, this method is for you. Live traps are mechanized devices with doors that swing shun as mice wander inside. It can trap the mice but doesn’t harm them.
- Snap Traps
In severe cases of mice infestation, the snap trap is the way to go. They kill mice more quickly than mice poison and baking soda. The old-school version of this device contains a metal bar that swings down as mice take the bait. This will break the neck of mice and kill them instantly.
- Consult an Expert (Pest Control)
If all these methods fail, you should consult a professional to control them. They know the most effective and humane approach to solving the problem. They can also help make your home less attractive to mice, so you won’t need to deal with them in the future.
How to Prevent Mice from Invading Your House?
Even if you have a lot of baking soda to kill mice, your infestation problem will not be resolved long-term unless you make changes in your home.
If your only remedy to eliminate these pests is baking soda, chemical products, or poison, you will find yourself doing endless cycles of these killing methods.
To avoid this issue, you can prevent mice from invading your house.
Clean the House
A clean home will keep away these tiny creatures. Ensure you take special care of food-related items (including pet food), leftovers, etc.
Food should be in an airtight container or the fridge. Otherwise, mice might smell it. Make it a habit to sweep the floor or wipe the tables and counters.
Empty the Trash Bins
Empty the garbage regularly. It is also best to use a trash bin that can be closed tightly. Mice are not picky, so any food items in the trash can entice them.
Seal Up Entrances
Examine your house and think about which areas or entrances where mice can gain entry. This can be in your house’s foundation, garage, or basement entrances. Seal these up to prevent them from invading the home.
Conclusion
Baking soda does the job of killing mice. The result may take a little while, and you may need to add sugar. Baking soda is toxic to mice, and when they ingest it expands their internal organs causing them to die.
If you don’t want to use baking soda to kill mice, you can use traps or call your local pest control company.
To prevent mice from entering your house, keep your house clean, empty your garbage often, and seal any entrances around your home where they can enter.
To learn more about mice in your home, check out our article – Can Clean Houses Get Mice?
To learn more about using baking soda to exterminate, read our article – Does Baking Soda Kill Ants?
