Evict and Exile Mice from Your Home
Step two: eliminate food and shelter
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Store food, bird seed, pet food, garbage, compost, and recyclables in secure metal, glass, ceramic, or heavy-duty plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. (Mice have strong teeth and can gnaw through wood, aluminum siding, sheetrock, lead or copper pipes, and plastic garbage cans).
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Keep birdfeeding areas clean of spilled seed.
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Clean garbage cans, dumpsters, and chutes regularly. Screen dumpster drainage holes with hardware cloth.
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Feed pets at scheduled times. Put unfinished food in the refrigerator.
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Promptly clean up spills and crumbs.
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Elevate compost piles or enclose them with 1/4" wire mesh.
Remove their nesting sites.
Inside: Keep stored items off the floor. Reduce clutter. Remove cardboard boxes, if possible.
Outside: Move firewood, garbage cans, debris piles, discarded appliances, and vehicles away from the house. For easier inspection, maintain a foot-wide gravel border that’s free of vegetation around the foundation or keep plants closely trimmed. | 
