Discover the Most Effective Homemade Mouse Poison 

Whether you own a house or are renting a condo, running into a mouse infestation can be frightening and uncomfortable. In fact, mice carry harmful diseases like salmonellosis, leptospirosis, and hantavirus. Additionally, they will likely leave their droppings around your home, which can both disgust and infect you and your guests. 

If you have a mouse infestation, or even just one lone mouse terrorizing your home, there are many solutions you might consider. While experts warn against using homemade mouse poison to kill rodents, there are some options you can consider. Here is the most effective homemade mouse poison.

Best Homemade Mouse Poison

While specialists do not recommend using homemade mouse poison, if you do opt to forgo expert advice, there are some options you can consider. 

1. Plaster of Paris

Arguably the best homemade mouse poison is plaster of Paris, which you can mix with something sweet like sugar or cocoa powder. Once the mice eat the plaster of Paris, it will harden their digestive tracts. Mix one tablespoon of cocoa powder with some plaster of Paris, then sprinkle it around your home or yard — in the areas you most notice mice. 

2. Potato Flakes

Another option is potato flakes. Instant potato flakes attract mice, as they typically enjoy the taste. Once mice eat the flakes, however, they will inevitably become thirsty, and the water they intake mixed with the potato flakes will cause their stomachs to swell. Apply the homemade concoction around your home and throughout infested areas to attract mice to the poison.

3. Baking Soda

Many people also use baking soda (often mixed with sugar) to create homemade mouse poison. This is because it reacts with the stomach acid, causing it to release carbon dioxide gas. Most people have baking soda in their pantries, so this effective method is easily accessible. You can combine one cup of flour, one cup of sugar, and one cup of baking soda for bait, then set the mixture in a baited jar in infested areas.

Mouse Extermination Tips From Specialists

As mentioned earlier, most specialists advise against creating homemade mouse poison to kill mice. This is because they tend to be inhumane or ineffective compared to other treatments.

Michael T. Mengak (Wildlife Specialist, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources) recommends,

“Do not use homemade chemicals or products not labeled for use as rat and mouse poisons. Do not use arsenic, mercury, strychnine, or other similar products. Read and follow all label instructions on the poison box or packaging.”

Instead, specialists recommend taking away any source of food; destroying and removing any spot where they can hide and reproduce, like trash, cardboard, weeds, or firewood; and closing any entryways or holes to your home. It’s best not to rely on homemade solutions, as they’re generally not effective.

You can also use traps with bait like bacon, cooked chicken, and peanut butter to attract mice. Set the traps around your home to catch the rodents. Once you get rid of mice around your home, take the proper precautions to keep new ones out. Clean your house, block any entryways, and keep an eye on signs of infestation. If the issue gets out of hand, you can always call a professional exterminator to get the job done for you.