Finding a mouse nest in your couch is a nightmare scenario for many homeowners. This piece of furniture is where you relax with your family, so sharing it with rodents isn’t ideal.
This resource will teach you why you have mice in your couch, as well as the best ways to get them out.
Table of Contents
Can Mice Live In Couches?
Imagine that you’re snuggled on the couch getting ready to binge your favorite show, and you suddenly hear an odd chewing or scratching sound coming from somewhere nearby. Or maybe you start finding odd bits of couch filling on the floor and assume your dog’s been chewing the furniture.
If you’re like many people, the idea that the above scenarios could be coming from mice living in your couch would probably never cross your mind. However, the unfortunate and gross truth is that it’s totally possible to have a mouse nest deep inside your favorite couch.
But when you think about it, that shouldn’t be too surprising. Mice, like people, crave a cozy place to sleep, hang out and even raise a family. In the same way that you find comfort and pleasure from stretching out your couch, mice find the same kind of comfort from being safely tucked deep into the stuffing.
- Designed to humanely capture mice without causing any harm
- The trap cage is easy to set up and use
- The trap cage has a large capacity, allowing it to trap multiple mice at once
- Made of high-quality materials that are durable and reusable
There are other reasons why you have a mouse nest in your couch. Mice are always on the lookout for places that are far away from predators and other dangers, and the inside of your couch is a good spot to hide from cats, people, vacuum cleaners and other threats.
Also, mice in your couch are going to be a lot closer to crumbs and tasty pantry items than in an attic, basement or wall space.
Ways To Tell If You Have A Mouse Nest In Your Couch
Having a mouse nest in your couch is incredibly unsanitary, and you and your family run the risk of being bitten, being exposed to mouse urine and droppings, and even contracting one of the many dangerous diseases carried by mice and the fleas and ticks that live on them.
If you suspect that you have mice living inside your couch, then time is of the essence because the last thing that you want to happen is for them to move in, get busy and start having babies. Two mice can quickly become a whole group in no time flat.
If you have a serious infestation, the best thing to do is to have a pest control specialist take a look at the situation. But if you want to be sure that it’s mice you’re dealing with before you call in the professionals, then there are a few things to look out for that can be quite diagnostic.
Check For A Smell
One of the first things you might notice if you have mice nesting in your couch is the smell of urine. If you begin to notice a strong, ammonia-like smell coming from your couch, it could be from mice.
Of course, pets and toddlers can also pee on your couch, but mouse urine has a pretty distinctive odor.
Be On The Lookout For Mouse Droppings
Finding mouse droppings under or around your couch is a pretty good sign that if mice are not in your couch, you at least have mice in the area.
What do mouse droppings look like? Mouse poop kind of resembles small, brown grains of rice. Considering that a single mouse will drop between 50 and 75 pellets a day, you’ll know pretty quickly if you have a nest in your couch.
Don’t Blame Your Pets
If you find small pieces of couch stuffing or foam on the floor, then you may be inclined to blame one of your pets. While it’s true that dogs and cats can do some serious damage to furniture, it’s always a good idea to consider that there could be other forces at work.
Take some time to look around the sides and back of your couch. Are there small holes or areas of frayed fabric? Even very tiny holes can be signs that mice are in your couch because they are able to crawl through very small spaces.
Things That Go Bump In The Night
Mice are the most active at night, so that’s when you may hear the sounds of chewing or scratching while you are sitting on the couch in the evening. At first you may not know where the noise is coming from, but listen very carefully, and you will probably notice that the sounds are coming from somewhere within your couch.
If you’re relaxing and see something scurry across the floor out of the corner of your eye, then you’ve most likely seen a mouse either leaving or returning to its nest in your couch. This, combined with some of the other signs that we’ve mentioned, is a pretty good indication that at least one mouse has turned the inside of your couch into a home.
How To Get Mice Out Of A Couch
Now that you’ve determined that you do indeed have mice living in your couch, it’s time to come up with a strategy to get rid of them.
Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all method that will work in every situation, so you may need to experiment around a little bit. Methods range from traditional traps and poisons to essential oils and common sense steps, so see which ones work for you.
Let’s discuss a few of the most popular methods you can try.
It’s Time To Clean Up
One of the simplest things you can do to discourage mice from living in your couch is to clean up. Mice are usually in your house for food, water or shelter, and leaving crumbs around, having dirty dishes in the sink and having open food packages available are just going to encourage mice to stay.
If you have a mouse nest in your couch, you may have to eliminate snacking in front of the television for a while, and the entire couch should be vacuumed on a daily basis. When you vacuum, make sure that you get under all the cushions and under the couch itself.
Keep your kitchen clean, take out the trash every day and make sure that all dishes are washed. All pantry items should be stored in plastic containers that have tight lids, and pet food should not be left around.
Set Traps
Mouse traps are a pretty tried and true method for getting rid of these critters. There are several kinds to choose from, and some are more humane than others. The most common kinds are traditional snap traps, electric traps, live traps, and sticky traps. We won’t go into detail here because they are pretty much what they sound like. Choose the one that you think will work the best in your situation.
- Designed to humanely capture mice without causing any harm
- The trap cage is easy to set up and use
- The trap cage has a large capacity, allowing it to trap multiple mice at once
- Made of high-quality materials that are durable and reusable
You can place them near entry points, in your pantry and under your couch. If they don’t work in one spot, feel free to move the traps around until you have success.
For many people, traps are often combined with some kind of poison treatment. However, we don’t recommend using poison for mice in your couch because it’s so easy for pets and kids to get into it.
Go Ultrasonic
Ultrasonic mouse repellents are devices that use ultrasonic vibrations that only mice and other pests can hear. The thought is that once they hear these uncomfortable vibrations, that they’ll be scared away.
Do ultrasonic repellents really work?
Some people think they do, but we’re not so sure. You’re perfectly free to try them, and maybe you’ll have a measure of success. If you decide to go this route, we suggest placing one in each room (not just near your couch).
Try Essential Oils
There are essential oils that are said to repel mice. These include peppermint oil, lavender oil (which is quite effective) and eucalyptus oil. You can either soak cotton balls in the oil of your choice and then place them under the couch and around the house, or you can make your own essential oil spray. These are some of the scents mice hate the most!
Miscellaneous Methods
There are so many other ways to get mice away from your couch, that we will just briefly mention a few. These include:
- Getting a cat to scare away mice
- Placing eucalyptus or angelica leaves under the couch
- Sealing all entry points and holes in the couch
- Removing couch cushions and replacing them with new ones
Conclusion
If you have a mouse nest in your couch, don’t panic. It’s not ideal, but you have options!
Simply try the methods we listed above and be consistent! Once you get the hang of it, you won’t have to worry about mice in your couch ever again.
