How to get rid of mice
in your home.
How to get rid of mice: confirm the signs, remove food, seal entry points, set traps the right way and clean up droppings safely. A practical guide for Toronto homes.
Mice usually come indoors in fall looking for warmth and food. Getting rid of them takes two things at once: removing the mice already inside and closing the gaps they use to get in. Traps alone rarely solve the problem if entry points stay open.
How to Get Rid of Mice:
step by step.
1. Confirm it is mice
Look for small dark droppings about the size of a grain of rice, chewed food packaging, shredded paper or insulation, grease marks along walls, and scratching sounds at night. Larger droppings and gnaw marks can point to rats instead.
2. Remove food and water
Store dry food in metal or glass containers, keep pet food sealed and put it away overnight, clean up crumbs behind appliances, and keep garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids.
3. Seal entry points
Mice can squeeze through a gap about the size of a dime. Check around pipes, vents, garage doors, utility lines and the foundation. Stuff steel wool around pipes before caulking, patch foundation cracks and use metal weather stripping under doors.
4. Set snap traps along walls
Snap traps and electronic traps are effective when placed well. Put them along walls where you see droppings, about one trap per metre, with the trigger end facing the wall. Check traps every day.
5. Clean up droppings safely
Wear rubber gloves and a dust mask. Dampen droppings and nesting material with a bleach and water solution before wiping them up. Never sweep or vacuum dry droppings, because the dust can cause illness.
6. Keep monitoring
Keep a few traps set for two to three weeks after the last catch. New droppings or fresh activity mean mice are still getting in somewhere.
Mistakes
to avoid.
- Relying on traps without sealing entry points.
- Using poison bait inside the home, where mice can die in walls and children or pets can reach it.
- Sweeping or vacuuming dry droppings.
- Leaving pet food or bird seed out overnight.
When to call
a professional.
Our mice exterminator service in Toronto costs $199–$399, before HST. Quotes are free, and we are fully licensed and insured.
Call a professional if
- You still see fresh droppings after two to three weeks of trapping.
- You cannot find or reach the entry points.
- You hear activity inside walls or ceilings.
- You live in a multi-unit building and neighbours have mice too.
Common questions.
How long does it take to get rid of mice?
A small problem can clear in one to three weeks once entry points are sealed and traps are set. If mice keep getting in, the entry points have not all been found.
What is the best bait for mouse traps?
Small amounts of peanut butter or another sticky food work well, because the mouse has to work at the bait and trigger the trap.
Do mice leave on their own?
Rarely. Once they find food and shelter indoors, they stay and breed. Removing food and sealing gaps is what makes them leave for good.
Still seeing activity?
Tell us what you are seeing, where and for how long. We will confirm the price before any work starts.
Guidance based on Health Canada: rats and mice. Updated October 6, 2026.