Can You Kill Mice With Salt? Everything You Need To Know

Salt that can be used for killing mice

Dealing with mice can be frustrating. Not only are these critters persistent, but getting rid of them can be quite a challenge!

On top of that, it’s hard to tell which methods work and which ones don’t.

This guide will teach you if it’s possible to kill mice with salt, and how you should approach this method of pest control if you want the best results.

Can You Kill Mice With Salt?

Salt is an essential nutrient for all mammals. It’s responsible for maintaining many biological processes in mice. That includes helping with nutrient absorption, keeping cell plasma volume in check, and aiding in the transmission of nerve impulses.

All mammals need a bit of salt in their diet, and many animals will actively seek it out. You might notice that mice in your home gravitate towards salty snacks and other high-sodium foods.

But despite salt’s importance, too much of it can cause a lot of trouble for mice!

Moderate amounts of salt will have no negative impact on a rodent’s health. But for mice, eating more than 75 grams of the stuff can lead to significant health problems.

An adult mouse inside a home sniffing salt

High levels of salt can wreak havoc on a mouse’s system in many ways. One study found that high sodium levels could negatively impact brain health.

The salt alters the immune system, leading to changes in blood flow to the brain. Eventually, proteins accumulate in the brain, causing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. But that’s not all.

Mice can experience salt toxicity when they ingest a lot of salt over a short period. It’s a form of hypernatremia that causes the body to shut down. Mice will suffer changes in the gut, leading to extreme digestion issues and dehydration.

Salt reportedly dehydrates the mice from the inside out, and a lack of access to water will exacerbate the effects. If that weren’t bad enough, salt could cause damage to the liver and kidneys, leading to a total shutdown of some of the rodent’s most critical life-supporting organs!

So, can you kill mice with salt? 

Killing mice with salt can be effective, but you have to use it strategically to see results. A small amount of salt won’t do a thing. For these critters to die, they need to eat at least 75 grams of salt. 

Not only that, but they need to have zero access to water. Water will dilute the sodium in their body, making it easier for the pest to survive. If you want to use salt, you’ll have to be just as cunning as these rodents.

How To Kill Mice With Salt

Killing mice with salt can be an effective pest control method, but it requires a bit of extra work and planning.

Salt works differently than commercial traps and poisons. You must convince the mouse to eat the salt and also alter the environment to deprive the critters of water.

1. Gather Your Supplies

If you want to kill mice with salt, you’ll need to start by gathering your supplies.

Start by collecting your salt. Any standard table salt will work. There’s no need to invest in any particular brand or variety. What you have in your home already should work well.

Most experts recommend using about 80 grams of salt. That’s just under three ounces. Eighty grams is the perfect amount to kill mice. It’s over the toxicity threshold, but it’s easy to mask with food.

That brings us to your second must-have item: Bait food.

You have a few different choices here. Cheese is the go-to, but you can use rat chow, peanut butter, or other pungent-smelling foods.

2. Mixing Salt With Cheese

We’ve all seen those cartoons about rodents chasing cheese. The connection between cheese and mice is so strong that most people assume it’s the animal’s favorite meal. While they do love cheese, it’s not because of the flavor.

Mice gravitate to cheese because of its smell. No matter what type of cheese you use, it’ll have a strong aroma that radiates in all directions. As a result, it’s perfect for attracting these always-hungry pests.

To kill mice with salt, create your bait by mixing the 80 grams of salt with roughly the same amount of cheese. Mix the two ingredients thoroughly.

Expert Tip: You can consider effective alternatives if you don’t want to use cheese. Some good options include bacon fat, fish, and peanut butter. Anything that produces a strong smell will do!

3. Mixing Salt With Rat Food

If you want to keep things simple, you can also use rat food. Also known as “rat chow,” this food ingredient is easy to get online or in a local feed store. It’s easier to work with than cheese or smelly foods.

However, you will need a lot of it if you want to kill mice with salt. Experts recommend mixing 80 grams of salt with about 930 grams of rat food. That’s approximately three ounces of salt with 32 ounces of food.

4. DIY Salt Bars

Want to create your own DIY mouse poison? This easy-to-make recipe uses salt as the toxic element.

To make these salt bars, you’ll need:

  • 80 grams of salt
  • 120 grams of peanut butter
  • 1 egg
  • About 3.6 kilograms of feed (Around 2 cups)

For the feed ingredient, you can use rat food or bird feed. Both work well.

Mix all the ingredients until you have a dough-like consistency. Then, roll it out on some parchment paper to about half an inch thick. From there, you can cut bars or use cookie cutters to create manageable pieces.

Bake the cut pieces at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 Celsius) for about 30 minutes. Let the bars cool, and you have a salt-filled bait ready to kill mice!

5. Set Your Baits

No matter what type of bait product you plan on using to kill mice with salt, setting it up is easy. 

Place the salt-filled bait in a clean, odorless dish. Then, put it next to an area the mice like traveling through. If you know where the mice hide, put the plate next to the entrance.

Alternatively, you can focus on any area with signs of their presence. For example, you can put the dish where you find droppings, bite marks, and other signs of an infestation.

6. Cover All Water Sources

If you’re serious about killing mice with salt , you’ll need to ensure that the mice can’t drink water.

Dry off all sinks, address leaks, and cover any water source in your home. It seems over-the-top, but you might want to cover toilets, drains, and other seemingly innocent access points.

The Benefits Of Using This Method

Using salt to kill mice can be a hit-or-miss form of pest control.

In theory, salt can kill these pests and cause many health issues. But, there are no guarantees. Mice are cunning creatures, and if you’re not careful, they can easily find water and render your efforts useless.

So, why is it worth trying to kill mice with salt?

Killing mice with salt has its benefits, with the biggest being safety.

Commercial poisons are notorious for causing harm to children and pets. Those tiny nuggets of poison look like candy, making them an enticing find for young kids. The same goes for pets that don’t know any better.

There are many reports of children and pets getting sick from accidentally ingesting poisons. Some have even died. 

Salt can cause issues as well, but the risks are far lower. Pets will typically turn away from anything super salty.

They’re not like rodents that will take what they can get. Cats, dogs, and other household pets are more discerning and will likely drop anything high in sodium when they taste it.

You can say the same about kids! 

Salt-filled baits are far safer, providing the peace of mind you need.

Another significant benefit of killing mice with salt is the cost and accessibility. Poisons, chemicals, and physical traps can cost a pretty penny. It’s not cheap to exterminate these pests by conventional means.

But salt? You can get a big container of salt for super cheap at your local grocery store! It’s easy to source, and you won’t have to pay much to use it.

Is Killing Mice With Salt Effective?

Using salt to kill mice can be effective. But as mentioned earlier, there are no guarantees.

Furthermore, salt doesn’t act instantly. It takes between 18 and 24 hours for the salt to damage a mouse’s system and cause death.

It’s not a quick solution by any means. Pair that with the trouble you must go through to eliminate all water sources; it might not be a suitable choice (it all depends on what you’re looking for).

There are plenty of other ways to get rid of mice; this is just one DIY method. It can be a great pest control technique if you take extra care in preparing bait and taking the necessary steps to remove water. But if your main focus is high efficiency, you might fare better with something else.

Conclusion

Now that you know it’s possible to kill mice with salt, it’s time to follow our recommendations and give it a try! No matter what method you prefer to use, salt can be effective if you use it properly.

If you’re having trouble killing mice with salt and want some feedback, send us a message!

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