Is there a mouse in your house?  Let’s look at some eco-friendly and humane ways to get him to move.

Here’s instructions for a homemade no-kill mouse trap, complete with awesome illustrations.

If you don’t want to make your own, there’s the Smart Mouse Trap, which catches them live and keeps them comfortable.

If you’re trapping them live, make sure you take them far enough away to release them.  If you don’t chances are you’ll be seeing the same mouse again.

If you feel you have to kill the mice, use an electric trap that kills instantly.  Don’t use poisons and run the risk of a pet or child coming into contact with the poison or a poisoned mouse.  And don’t use snap or glue traps, which are horribly inhumane.

Trapping is just one step in the process.  Making sure they can’t come into your house in the first place is equally important.  Search for gaps and holes in our your outside walls and fill with steel wool (they can’t chew through it).  Make sure to check around pipes.  According to DoYourOwnPestControl.com, a mouse can squeeze through a crack that is only about 1/4 inch big.

Putting a trench of pea gravel around your home will also help, because mice have a hard time digging through it.  Trimming hedges and other plants around your house will help, because they don’t like to be in open spaces.

Some people swear by repellent made from fox urine.  And others say a cotton ball soaked in peppermint oil is a good deterrent.

Of course, keeping food sealed up and out of access is a must.

When you do your post-mouse clean up, make sure to follow the instructions listed on the CDC website.  Don’t vacuum mouse poop!