How do you remove a house mouse stuck in a garbage can or other place?

If you happen to come across a house mouse that is stuck in between heaven and earth, you might feel obliged to do something about it. When attempting to rescue and/or dispose of a house mouse that is stuck in an awkward place such as the typical garbage can or some other weird place, there a few things to keep in mind before doing so. Of course you have the easy option to spend anything from $200 to $1000 to pay a pest control company to come out and exterminate it. Alternatively, you could also simply trap the mouse inside to die by leaving the lid on the can for a few days. However, the fact that you have a rat in the garbage can points to other issues that should be looked at, thus is not the recommended route.



Plainly put the most efficient thing you can ever do to make sure you don't have to ask the headlining question, is to make sure your doors are closed tightly and consistently. Any opening of only one quarter of an inch wide will let a mouse through a barrier.

As far as the trapped mouse is further concerned, by granting it freedom, you enable it to travel back to your home. This perhaps leads us to re-consider the closing-of-lid scenario. The real trick comes in after the mouse has died, where you need to please dispose of it properly. Be sure to wear gloves while attempting the following solution:

Firstly place the rat in a plastic bag and subsequently seal it tight. Then dispose of the rat in the nearest large dumpster, or better yet, with your local pest control services department. The next tip to properly remove a mouse from your garbage can entails making sure to disinfect the garbage can with a trusted household cleaner. A solid bleach mixture is highly recommended for its ammoniac-rich content. This would only ensure the prevention of any luring infections. Finally, take the gloves off and be sure to dispose of them in yet another tightly sealed bag in the community dumpster. Again, this helps to avoid the transfer of any suspected diseases.

As for the future, in order to prevent another mouse from accidentally inhabiting your garbage can, you need to take care of proper sanitation and rodent proofing. In addition to successfully removing the mouse from your garbage can, please also be mindful of other trash cans, gardens, and animal feeders, as these are all eligible areas to feed on. Alternatively and as mentioned, you may opt to call pest control or a similar professional company to remove it for you with minimal effort, yet giving the mouse the best chance for survival.

Go back to the How to get rid of mice home page.

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