Have you recently noticed mice droppings around your house? That means you have mice hiding somewhere within the walls. The pesky intruders can cause a lot of destruction to woodwork and insulation, which is why you'll want to find ways to get those mice to leave. Here are a few things you should know to help you do it.

Mice Love Food

Mice won't stay in your home if they cannot find anything to eat. In fact, it is one way to get them to leave your home and find another place that has food. It helps to take some time to give your kitchen a thorough cleaning.

You must go beyond what you normally clean when tidying up your kitchen, since washing the floors and countertops is not enough. You'll need to clean your kitchen cabinets to ensure that all crumbs from the cabinets are gone

The cardboard boxes that many foods come in will not be enough to deter a mouse. All food must be in a plastic container so that no rodent can get to them.

Mice Eat Pet Food

Keeping food hidden from mice can be problematic if you own a cat or dog. You may be leaving their food out throughout the entire day, and mice will also use your pet's food bowl as a food source of their own.

You will need to keep your pet's food bowl empty unless they are eating meals. This will mean switching to several controlled feedings per day where they eat at their food and the bowl goes away.

MIce Hate Peppermint

One smell that mice hate is peppermint, and they'll stay away from things that smell like it. Consider getting peppermint plants that live in your house to create a scent that mice do not like. Another trick is that you can dip some cotton swabs in peppermint oil, then place them in different places in your home. Try placing these in places where you store food for some added protection against mice.

If these tips don't work, there are other ways to get mice out of a home. For instance, there are a variety of traps that will catch mice, so you can remove them from your home dead or alive. Contact a local pest removal specialist, like one from All American Wildlife, LLC, for help getting rid of any mice that may be hiding in your home, and they can let you know what your options are.