How Long It Takes Baking Soda to Effectively Kill Mice Infestations

Using Baking Soda to Get Rid of Mice

Dealing with a mouse infestation at home can be extremely frustrating. Mice can cause damage to your home and property, contaminate food, and potentially spread diseases. Many homeowners resort to using rodenticides or lethal mouse traps to kill mice, but these methods come with risks. A safer, non-toxic approach is using baking soda.

What is Baking Soda?

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a white powdery substance used primarily as an ingredient in baking. It helps baked goods rise and gives them a fluffy texture. In its natural mineral form, baking soda is known as nahcolite. It is composed of sodium ions and bicarbonate ions.

Baking soda has a variety of household and industrial applications due to its mild alkalinity and gentle abrasive properties. Many people keep an open box in their refrigerator or freezer to absorb odors. When baking soda comes into contact with an acidic substance, it releases carbon dioxide gas. This makes it a useful leavening agent in baking.

How Does Baking Soda Kill Mice?

Baking soda can be used to kill mice and rats in a safe, humane manner. When rodents ingest baking soda, the bicarbonate reacts with the hydrochloric acid in their stomachs. This reaction produces carbon dioxide gas, which causes their stomachs to rapidly expand.

The buildup of gas puts immense pressure on their internal organs and kills them within a few minutes. Death by baking soda poisoning appears painless and non-traumatic. Since it does not use toxins or traps, baking soda provides a cruelty-free way to eliminate mice.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps to use baking soda to get rid of mice:

1. Locate areas where you have observed signs of mice, such as droppings, nests, rub marks, and chew marks. Target these areas when applying baking soda.
2. Pour baking soda into small piles onto sheets of cardboard, paper plates, or in shallow lidded containers.
3. Place the baking soda baits along walls, in corners, under appliances, behind furniture, or anywhere you have noticed mice activity.
4. Try to place the baking soda near potential nesting spots or entry points like holes in walls.
5. Check the areas daily and replenish the baking soda as needed.
6. After a few days, you will notice the piles disappearing or being disturbed. This means the mice are eating it.
7. Continue replenishing baking soda for 2-3 weeks or until all signs of mice activity cease.
8. To prevent re-infestation, seal up any cracks, holes, or entry points in your home.

How Long Does it Take for Baking Soda to Kill Mice?

Baking soda is not as fast-acting as poison baits, but it is effective at killing mice within a few days to a week. The exact timeline depends on a few factors:

• How much baking soda the mice consume - The more they eat, the quicker it will kill them.
• The size and health of the mice - Weaker mice are likely to succumb faster than healthy adult mice.
• Consistency of application - Keep supplying baking soda for multiple weeks to attract all the mice in your home.

With regular replenishment of baking soda baits, you should see a reduction in the mice population within 7-10 days. Continue baiting for at least 2-3 weeks to successfully eliminate all active mice nests.

Is Baking Soda Safe Around Pets?

Baking soda is considered non-toxic to humans and pets when used for cooking purposes. However, consuming extremely large quantities can cause electrolyte abnormalities and stomach discomfort. As such, you should keep baking soda mouse baits away from dogs and cats to prevent accidental ingestion.

Cats are obligate carnivores and typically do not eat baking soda. But dogs are omnivores and may happily lap it up if given unsupervised access. If you have pets, set up bait stations in areas they cannot access, such as the garage, attic, basement, crawl spaces, or high shelves.

Tips for Effective Baking Soda Mouse Control

Here are some handy tips to improve the efficacy of your baking soda baiting method:

• Use very small amounts of baking soda at each baiting point. Piles the size of a quarter are sufficient.
• Check and replenish baits daily to encourage consumption.
• Set up numerous bait points near nests, droppings, entry holes, pipes, and along walls.
• Combine baking soda with flour, sugar, peanut butter, or bacon grease to make the bait more enticing.
• Place baits under cardboard boxes with a small opening so only mice can access it.
• Use baking soda in conjunction with traps for faster control.

The Benefits of Using Baking Soda

Compared to traditional rodenticides and snap traps, using baking soda to kill mice has many advantages:

• Kills mice humanely - Death from baking soda poisoning is non-violent and pain-free.
• Pet and child safe - Baking soda is non-toxic to humans.
• Inexpensive - Baking soda is very affordable and available in any grocery store.
• No chemicals or toxins - It does not contaminate the environment like rodenticides.
• Prevents bad odors - Baking soda helps absorb foul odors from dead mouse carcasses.
• Multi-purpose - The leftover baking soda can be used for cleaning, deodorizing, cooking etc.

The Takeaway

Baking soda offers an economical, safe, cruelty-free method to eliminate a mouse infestation. Place small baking soda piles or baits near active rodent hotspots and check back daily to replenish them. Over the course of 2-3 weeks, the entire local mouse population will be eradicated as they consume the baits.

When used correctly and consistently, baking soda can resolve a mouse problem within 10-14 days. There are very few downsides to this approach. Just be sure to keep baking soda baits away from pets and address any structural issues that allow mice to enter in the first place.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.