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Mice, we’ve all had them, right? If you haven’t, consider yourself lucky. Unfortunately, if you live in a big city like New York, chances are you’ve probably had a run in or two with some critters… inside your home. Personally, I’ve had mice. Eye-contact-making, hanging-out-in-broad-daylight, not-nervous-around-humans mice takeover my previous apartment. Naturally, I bailed for a better space, which was mice-free for 1.5 years. Until it wasn’t.
Do I move out? Set the building on fire? Both thoughts that honestly ran through my head. Instead, I bought traps and laid them in eight spots around my kitchen, waiting to hear the little guys clawing in my walls once more. And because I’m a social media editor and regular sharer of not-so-glamorous city life, I documented the trip to buy traps on my Instagram Stories—thankfully.
I soon received a DM instructing me to buy plug-in repellers; I had heard of these contraptions before, but never purchased. (Remember, I had been blessed with a new carefree, mice-free space for 1.5 years.) They emit frequencies that repel pests, give off a little blue light to let you know they’re on and working, and there are many varieties you can purchase at your local hardware store or the ever-handy Amazon. Supposedly, these devices work on bugs, too, like spiders, ants, roaches, and more. I can personally attest to that functionality not working (my apartment tends to be a little buggy), but I do swear by them keeping away mice.
Weeks leading up to seeing physical evidence of a mouse in my space, I could hear them clawing in the walls, which, as you can imagine, is not pleasant. Crossing my fingers that they didn’t eventually chew through my walls was not effective, but after I plugged in four lights, I haven’t heard a single mouse in my walls and have seen no physical evidence of any mice in my apartment.
It’s been almost two months, and I feel comfortable recommending that every renter—especially those in walk-up, mice-prone spaces—purchase a set for peace of mind. If you have a mouse problem and nothing seems to be working, I would definitely recommend throwing $32.99 behind these repellers. Thirty dollars, after all, is much less of an expense than an apartment move. There are lots of different types to choose from, but after an hour of reading reviews and ratings, I settled on the Ultrasonic Pest Control Repeller Plug-In.
Now, I know you have questions. No, the lights do not emit lots of light like a traditional night light, though they are visible in the dark. Luckily, my bedroom is not off my kitchen, where mice tend to congregate, so I don’t keep one in my sleeping quarters, only my kitchen and living room.
Also, as an avid electricity saver who likes to minimize the amount of wires I keep plugged in at all times, I can honestly say my electricity bill did not go up, which leads me to believe my rat repellers (as I lovingly call them) are not wasting enough electricity to lose sleep over.
Get more home advice: 11 Tips to Make Your Rental Feel Like You Own It 32 Easy Ways to Allergy-Proof Your Home The Ultimate Home Cleaning Cheat Sheet
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