13 Effective Homemade Mouse Poisons Used To Kill Mice

Any home or business may experience a pair of mice taking up residence. Unfortunately, that pair of mice have the potential of turning into over one hundred mice in a year’s time. A female mouse is ready to breed in six weeks after birth according to the study by purdue.edu. She can produce up to 10 liters per year, with up to 14 tiny mice in each liter.

It doesn’t take a math genius to figure out a home or business can quickly become infested with unwanted rodents. Every dwelling needs a plan for the best way to get rid of mice, so that as soon as one rat is spotted, action can be taken to control an infestation of mouse.

Try our list of these 13 effective homemade mouse poisons used to kill mice and print out the ones that you think will work best for your mice problem. The recipes and how to use them are also included.

** Mice are almost blind and travel close to walls, feeling their way with whiskers. Place whatever type of mouse poison you make close to a wall, baseboard or cabinet wall for best results.

Homemade Mouse Poisons To Deal With Mouse Problem

1- Use Instant Mashed Potatoes

The first one we have in our list is a pet-friendly and kid safe DIY recipe that will effectively and efficiently get rid of a mouse.

If you see a mouse or evidence a signs of mouse has been in an area (droppings or chewed items), place two tablespoons of instant mashed potatoes flakes in a shallow lid and place in the location. The mice will eat the potatoes flakes and become very thirsty. They will seek out water and drinking the water will cause the instant mashed potato flakes to swell up in their stomachs and kill them.

Pets and kids probably won’t disturb the potato flakes, but if they do consume the small amount of instant mashed potatoes it won’t harm them.

Just entice the mouse even more by sprinkling a little artificial sweetener over the instant potato flakes. The sweet aroma and taste is irresistible to mice, and artificial sweeteners, like Equal and Nutrisweet, are deadly to mice.

2- Use Peanut Butter And Artificial Sweetener

I’ve dealt with mice in the past by concocting a lethal yet enticing bait using a combination of creamy peanut butter and artificial sweetener. It’s a simple yet effective method that I’ve found to be highly successful.

Cheap, easy and effective way to get rid of mice. As long as there is no one in the household with a peanut allergy, this is one of the best mouse poisons.

Mice love peanut butter and the aroma is intoxicating to them, drawing them to scent from great distances. Purchase the cheapest peanut butter available and mix in an inexpensive brand of artificial sweetener to create poison that is deadly to mice, yet safe for humans and pets.

Using Peanut Butter And Artificial Sweetener To kill mice:

To create the bait, I mix two packets of artificial sweetener into two teaspoons of creamy peanut butter, forming small balls slightly larger than a pea. These irresistible treats are then strategically placed in areas where mice have been seen or where signs of their presence are evident.

Peanut butter and instant mashed potato flakes can be used to create rat poison balls too. Add a little artificial sweetener to that mixture also.

3- Use Cement Mix

Using cement mix as a homemade mouse poison recipe has been a practical solution for me in dealing with rodent infestations. Growing up on a farm, we often faced challenges with mice invading our storage areas. With pets around, it was crucial to be cautious about the ingredients we used. One thing I learned from experience is that a little bit of cement mix can indeed go a long way in eliminating rats.

The dry cement mix, when ingested by mice, hardens quickly in their digestive system, leading to a swift demise. However, convincing the mice to consume the mixture required a tasty bait. Peanut butter became our go-to filler ingredient, as it effectively masked the texture of the cement mix and enticed the rodents to eat it.

Adding an element of personal experience, I found that incorporating a touch of artificial sweetener into the mix enhanced its appeal to the mice, making it even more irresistible. The process of rolling the mixture into small balls, about the size of peas, and strategically placing them along the walls where mice were frequently spotted became a routine task.

However, it was imperative to exercise caution, especially with children around. We made sure to keep the mixture away from areas accessible to them to prevent any accidental ingestion.

So, in summary, my homemade mouse poison recipe combines equal parts of dry cement mix and peanut butter, with a hint of artificial sweetener for added allure. This method, born out of necessity and honed through personal experience, proved to be an effective and practical solution for tackling rodent infestations in our environment.

4- Use Baking Soda

Safe for kids and pets, deadly for rats. Baking soda can be found in most kitchens and is a needed ingredient in baked goods. It’s also a natural product that is used to treat indigestion and several other health and household issues. It is also one of the best mice poisons.

As we all often mix a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water and drink to settle an upset stomach. The baking soda reduces stomach acid and creates carbon dioxide in the digestive system that is naturally eliminated. Unlike humans mice are incapable of expelling carbon dioxide like humans can. After a mouse ingests baking soda, the gas builds up inside the stomach and it can’t release until the mouse die.

Baking Soda as a homemade mouse poison recipe;

To get rid of mice, mix Baking soda with a filler food to entice a rat to eat it. Peanut butter is a good choice. Mix equal parts of peanut butter and baking soda together, form pea sized balls and place where mice have been seen. *Avoid this homemade mouse poison if anyone in the building has a peanut allergy.*

Mix equal amounts of flour, sugar and baking soda, then place the powder mixture in a shallow lid and place near a wall where mice have been spotted. This mixture is safe for children and pets.

Cocoa powder has an enticing chocolate scent that will attract mice. Mix equal part of cocoa and baking soda, then place in a shallow lid near a wall.

5- Use Plaster of Paris

This is a common product we used to create molds and casts. It can also be used as a homemade mouse killer.

Plaster of Paris is a dry product and must be mixed with liquid to be used for its intended purpose. As an alternative rodent poison, the product will need to be mixed with another dry food ingredient to entice mice to eat it.

Plaster Of Paris as a homemade mouse poison recipe:

To kill mice all you need to do is, mix dry Plaster of Paris with sugar or corn meal to create a tasty rodent meal. Place the dry ingredients in a shallow jar lid in the area where mice have been seen. Once eaten, the Plaster of Paris will mix with the moisture inside the rat’s stomach and harden, bringing about a quick death.

This is not safe to use around pets or children. Check jar lids every other day and replace product for best results.

6- Use Vitamin D

Crushed vitamin D tablets are effective at killing mice. Consuming vitamin D causes the calcium level in a mouse to rise up to level that will cause calcification of the heart. This calcification will kill the mouse, but it will be a slow process. The mouse will have to consume the vitamin D over a two-three day period before mouse to be killed.

Crush three vitamin D tablets and mix into a tablespoon of peanut butter. Roll into pea size balls and place where rodents have been seen, but away from children and pets.

7- Use Chicken Broth and Boric Acid

The aroma of chicken broth will lure mice in and entice them to eat. The boric acid concealed under the chicken aroma will kill the rat soon after it has been consumed. You may also like to check out Homemade mosquito trap.

Chicken Broth and Boric Acid to get rid of mouse:

Place two tablespoons of dry boric acid (found near the laundry products at the supermarket) in a small bowl. Slowly pour chicken broth into the boric acid, adding just enough to make a paste. Roll into pea sized balls and place in a location where mice have been seen, but away from children and pets. These balls will dry out quickly and rats will not eat them after they dry out, so replace daily for best results.

8- Use Aspartame Mouse Poison

Utilizing aspartame as a homemade mouse poison has been a practical solution drawn from my own experiences dealing with rodent infestations. Growing up in a rural area, rodent control was a constant challenge. Mixing one packet of aspartame with peanut butter became a routine practice in our household, as it was not only effective but also affordable.

The pungent scent of peanut butter never failed to lure mice and rats to the bait. Watching them consume the aspartame-loaded peanut butter, knowing the consequences it would soon bring, was a bittersweet sight born of necessity.

However, patience was key. While the aspartame poison took time to take effect, we often supplemented its use with faster-acting homemade rat poisons, such as zinc, to swiftly reduce the rodent population.

Although the mixture posed no threat to children or pets, we remained cautious, ensuring it was placed out of their reach. This caution stemmed from a deep understanding of the importance of safety in pest control methods, learned through firsthand experiences and the well-being of our own cherished pets and family members. You may also like to check out homemade wasp traps.

9- Use Ammonia As a Rat Repellent

Ammonia is a toxic poison and will kill the rats that ingest it, however, due to the potent smell, it’s hard to trick rats into drinking it.

Ammonia is a powerful mouse and rat repellent and is best used to scare them away instead of trying to kill them. Create a mix that is 50/50 ammonia and water, then add a few drops of liquid dish soap. The dish soap will help the liquid adhere to the surface it’s sprayed on and will also help conceal the ammonia odor.

Pour into a spray bottle and thoroughly spray all the areas where mice have been seen.

Ammonia will discolor some surfaces, so spot test the area before spraying the homemade rat repellent. Keep away from areas where children and pets may go.

Ammonia can be used instead of other liquids to create rat bait balls and it will be effective in killing the rats if they eat the bait. Use ammonia sparingly to minimize the strong odor and plenty of sugar or cocoa powder to attract the rats.

10- Use Black Pepper

Using black pepper as a homemade mouse poison has been a game-changer in my pest control efforts. Sprinkling generous amounts of black pepper in areas frequented by rats or marked by mouse droppings became a routine practice in my household.

Placing homemade bait balls, such as those made with aspartame or cocoa powder, amidst the peppered areas proved highly effective. Witnessing the rodents succumb to the fumes of the black pepper, experiencing their discomfort as they were overwhelmed by irritation and swelling in their nasal passages, reinforced the potency of this method.

While some older and wiser rats may avoid the peppered zones, the majority are swiftly dealt with, succumbing to asphyxiation induced by the pepper fumes. This firsthand observation highlighted the efficiency of black pepper as a rodent deterrent. This practical approach, born out of personal experience, underscores the versatility and safety of black pepper as a pest control solution.

11- Use Cocoa Powder Bait

This is an effective homemade mouse poison but because it’s made with chocolate you must be careful to keep it out of reach of children and pets. They will find the aroma and color of the bait irresistible because it looks and smells like candy.

Use Cocoa Powder as a homemade mouse poison

To make cocoa powder mouse bait, combine 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of sugar,and 1/2 cup cocoa powder. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. The sugar and cocoa will attract the rats and the baking soda creates a gas inside their stomachs that the rats cannot expel so they will soon die after they’ve consumed it.

Use recycled jar lids as receptacles to hold the cocoa powder bait and place the lids in out of the way spots where only rats can reach. Place under kitchen appliances, in the back of cabinets, and inside closets. Mice and rats typically travel alongside a wall due to poor eyesight, so always place baits near walls and baseboards so they won’t have to go out of their way to find it.

A few drops of water or broth can be mixed into this recipe to create a dough instead of a powder. Form dough balls slightly smaller than a golf ball and place away from kids and pets.

12- Using Peppermint

This easy to grow, fragrant plant is an effective mouse repellent and poison. Peppermint is safe to grow around children and pets, it’s an herb plant and the leaves are harvested for many culinary uses and for making essential oil. But the plant is deadly to rats.

Plant peppermint in front of any entry access points that mice may be using to get indoors. The scent of the peppermint will deter small mice and cause them to leave the area. However, if an adult rat nibbles on the juicy peppermint leaves the oil in the plant will cause the rat’s lungs to shrink and they will die within a couple of days.

Peppermint can be grown outdoors or in a container indoors to help repel mice and rats. You may also like to check out homemade fruit fly traps.

13- Use Zinc

Zinc is a nutrient that we need for a strong healthy immune system. It’s found naturally in meat, eggs, and nuts and comes in supplement form for people who don’t get enough zinc in their daily diet.

While necessary for human health, a crushed zinc pill will kill a mouse within 24 hours. Crush a zinc tablet and mix it into any type of homemade rat bait. When the rat eats the bait, the zinc will create a toxic gas inside of their digestive system and bring about a quick death.

An overdose of zinc is not healthy for children or pets, so keep this homemade mouse poison out of their reach. Tuck the zinc-loaded bait under appliances or into cracks where only mice and rats can reach it.

Tips from Specialists to Getting Rid of Mouse

Most expert are not in favor of using mouse poisons to kill mice as its inhumane instead they suggest other ways to get rid of mouse such as keeping food sources away, close any hole or a place where they can easily hide.

Michael T. Mengak (Wildlife Specialist Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources) suggests “Homemade products generally do not work either. Don’t use homemade chemicals or products not labeled for rat or mouse poison. Don’t use arsenic, mercury, strychnine or other similar products. Read and follow all label instructions on the poison box or packaging.”

Where Do Mice Come From?

Mice can enter a structure through a variety of ways, and they are looking for a food source and shelter. Since the breeding and birthing process happens every 21 days, the ideal location will have a dark, shelter area to have babies with food and water nearby.

A mouse can climb very well and will enter a building through an open window, even on a second or third floor level. Cracks or cervices in the foundation is an open invitation for a rat to come in. All it needs is a 1/4 inch space and it’s in. Mice will easily chew through caulking or insulation to gain entry.

Mice are very attracted to spilled food and beverages, clutter and trash. The cleaner the environment, the less likely it is to have a rodent infestation. Keep outside free of debris and minimize the amount of clutter and stored items indoors to reduce the likelihood of rodents taken up residence in your home or office building.

Store all boxed food items, especially cereal grains, in glass jars. Mice can smell food through cardboard boxes and will easily chew through them to the food stored inside the box. Don’t leave pet food bowl out at night either, dry dog or cat food are favorite food sources for mice.

Pros and Cons of Using Homemade Mouse Poisons

Pros

• Cost effective. Homemade mouse poisons cost much less than commercially produced ones. The homemade varieties can be made for pennies while those purchased at a retail store can cost up to $20 for a small bag.
• Child and pet safe. Homemade mouse poisons can be made from ingredients that are safe for children and pets to be around. Many of them are safe even if a child or pet ingests them, such as potato flakes. You can use instant mashed potatoes as an effective homemade mouse poison. It will kill the mice but not harm a child or pet if they should accidenatly eat the instant mashed potato flakes.
• Multi kill. Homemade mouse poisons are good for multiple kills before it has to be replenished. The products used won’t have to be replaced after each kill so the unpleasant task can be avoided.

Cons

• Not an instant kill. Homemade mouse poisons do not kill instantly as a mouse trap does. It could take a few hours or days for the DIY mouse poison products to take effect.
• A little more effort. Store bought mouse traps are quick and easy to set – just open the package and it’s ready. However, homemade mouse poisons will take a little more effort. Mixing the ingredients, finding the right container, and finding the perfect location are a few extra steps you will have to take.
• Where did they go? When a mouse is caught in a trap, you know exactly where it is and can dispose of it quickly. When mice eat homemade poison you don’t know where they will go to die. You may find the dead mouse and be able to dispose of it properly, or you may never see it and only smell it for the next few days as the dead mouse decomposes.

10 Interesting Facts About Mouse/Mice

1-  A mouse is a small member of the rodent family. They are characterized by their pointy snout, small round ears, and a tail that is as long as their body. Their body is covered with fur but their tail is covered with scales. Their ears are skin and not covered with fur or scales. Adult mice range in color from light brown to black.

2-  Mice have a high breeding rate and are the most common mammal in many parts of the world. A female mouse can start reproducing when she is two months old. They can give birth to a litter of offspring every three weeks. Each litter can contain up to 12 mice.

That means a female mouse can produce 150 new mice each year so it’s easy to see how mice are the most common of all mammals. If you spot one mouse in or around your house, it’s safe to assume there are many more that you do not see.

3-  Newborn mice, called pups, are hairless and are pinkish-red when born. They are also blind and don’t appear to have ears. On the second day after birth, tiny ear nubs will appear on the sides of their head. By the fifth day after birth, their ears will be fully formed and a grayish fuzz will begin to cover their hairless bodies.

By their 12th day of life, the tiny mice pups are covered with fur, have open eyes, and are eating solid food brought to them by their mother. On the 18 day of life, the mice pups are fully grown and leave the nest.

4-  Mice have a short lifespan which typically only last four months or less. Predators, such as cats, foxes, or snakes, have mice on their menu and search them out as a food source. Humans also find mice to be unwanted houseguests and set traps for them so their lives in the wild are short.

In captivity, when allowed to live in cages, mice have a natural lifespan of up to two years.

5-  These small rodents have very poor eyesight and are completely color blind. They adapt well to their environment and use their whiskers and sense of smell to guide them.

Mice rarely travel out in the open but choose to run alongside walls so their whiskers can touch the wall. This sense of touch helps them get from their nest to their food source and back again in spite of their poor vision.

6-  Mice are very germy little creatures and always carry Hantavirus and Salmonella and spread them everywhere they go. Mice produce 40 and 100 droppings every day, and since they are often moving around throughout the day those droppings can be found in a large area.

In addition to their droppings, mice constantly produce tiny droplets of urine as they travel around their territory in search of food. They also carry up to 200 pathogens that can infect humans.

Hantavirus is often difficult to diagnose but can cause a myriad of debilitating symptoms such as, fatigue, fever, muscle aches, digestive issues, headaches, and dizziness. If the Hantavirus is not diagnosed and treated, it can lead to serious lung and kidney problems.

Hantavirus is contracted when virus-containing particles from mice droppings are stirred into the air and breathed by humans.

Salmonella is contracted by eating something that is contaminated with mouse droppings. Symptoms from Salmonella show up within a few hours after contamination and include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.

7-  Mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime. The smallest crack in a home’s exterior or opening around a drain pipe is all that a mouse needs to enter your home. And as previously stated, one mouse can turn into 150 within a year.

Carefully examine the exterior of your home and seal up any cracks. Openings around drain pipes and water lines should be filled with steel wool to prevent mice from gaining access into your dwelling.

8- Mice eat often and consume a lot of food. Despite their tiny body size they consume a huge amount of food every day. An adult mouse will eat 15-20 times per day and this is why they build their nests near a food source.

Mice like to live near the kitchen or food pantry so they won’t have to travel far for their frequent meals. Store food in airtight containers to deter mice from moving into your kitchen.

9-  Mice can jump and climb. They are well able to jump up to 12 inches and can easily climb to the highest shelf in your food pantry. Mice can also swim.

10- Mice are not attracted to cheese and often refuse to eat it because of the strong smell some cheese varieties have. If you set a trap for a mouse, skip the cheese and use a piece of fruit or vegetable.

Summary

Each of us like to keep our home clean from variant types of pests as these causes various problems to huming living such as many short circuts are caused by these rodents and they also carry many terrible disease with their body that is exposed to all house members including child. There are many solution to get rid of mouse such as mouse traps and commercially available baits but not all are effective and also poisonus to pets or children.

As a bonus, not all of these ‘poisons’ are true poisons and are safe for use around household pets. Other recipes are for homemade rat poisons concocted to kill mice and will be toxic to pets. Read and follow directions carefully so only the unwanted rodents will be harmed, not pets or children.

Here I have prepared a questionnaire that is frequently asked.  

FAQ’s

Do baking soda kill mice?

Baking soda can kill mice or rats within 24 hours after they eat it. Because of its strong alkalinity, mice are unable to handle it. Unlike humans, mice cannot discharge carbon dioxide produced by baking soda. Baking soda is a natural food item we usually use. Mice can’t differentiate between it and food. You don’t need to mix it with any other poison, it will work just like a poison does.

Does salt kill mice?

Salt also works as a poison to mice if they eat it too much and haven’t any source of water. Unlike other foods that work as a killing agent, mice usually do not prefer salted food. And it is so hard to keep them away from any source of water.

What food is poisonous to mice?

Some food is poisonous for mice such as Garlic, onion,Grapes/raisins, chocolate,rhubarb, coffee, tea, alcohol, avocado and walnuts. Lettuce can also create a problem of diarrhoea.

Does Toothpaste Kill mice?

Toothpaste also works as a killing agent for mice if they eat too much as it contains fluorine and ethylene glycol. However, it’s difficult for mice to like to eat toothpaste.

External References:

Audubon, pub: January-february 2013, “Poisons Used to Kill Rodents Have Safer Alternatives”, https://www.audubon.org/magazine/january-february-2013/poisons-used-kill-rodents-have-safer

CAES Newswire, College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension, Published on 09/10/09, by Sharon Dowdy, “Rid your home of rodents“, https://newswire.caes.uga.edu/story/3556/get-rid-of-rats.html

Smithsonian Magzine, Smart News, By Rachel Nuwer, “Why Rodents Can’t Throw Up, In Case You Were Wondering“, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-rodents-cant-throw-up-in-case-you-were-wondering-25707720/

National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information (2022), PubChem CID: 516892 Compound Summary, Sodium Bicarbonate, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Sodium-bicarbonate